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The stars of
TV’s popular The Rookies are all attractive,
masculine, virile men. Bruce Fairbairn, Georg
Stanford Brown and Sam Melville are the kind of
guys who make women almost wish they were in a
situation which would require rescue by one of
these rough law-enforcers!
Few actors can play this type of role
convincingly unless they are basically the type
in real life. And the three Rookies stars are.
Each of them is athletic and daring. They live
their lives and they love their women with
gusto.
But one of these men – for all his sexuality,
sensuality and virility – has a problem. A
problem, which has caused him and his wife, deep
concern. It is something he – understandably
enough – doesn’t like to talk about.
The trouble which has plagued this star has had
one tangible, serious result: He can’t make his
wife pregnant!
But we’ll let him tell the story, in his own
words. “I love marriage, I love my wife, and I
love life,” Sam Melville told us, “what more can
a guy ask for? I’m a home-type person. I’m very
faithful, providing I have somebody with me
who’s fantastic and I happen to think my wife
Anne is the best”. With much sincerity, Sam
continued. “It’s the greatest feeling in the
world when your buddies ask you to go out for a
drink, and you know you would rather stay home.
My lady is super. We share such a close idea of
a way of life that she’s like an extension of
myself”.
Good looking Sam Melville of The Rookies
couldn’t stop talking about his happy home life
and how he and his wife have everything going
for them. Love, compatibility and most of all,
they are each other’s best friend.
When I questioned Sam about his relationship
with his wife before marriage, he told me they
had the usual struggle. He wasn’t earning enough
to get married let alone have a wedding. “Annie
was going to stewardess school, which she
disliked”, Sam said, “but like everything else,
she was going to stick it out until graduation.
I was in Boston at the time making a movie and I
decided I couldn’t live without her another
minute. I called her long distance and asked “do
you care very much if you don’t graduate?” “What
time is the next plane to Boston?” was her
reply. “She was on the next flight and the next
trip was to the altar. Sure we were poor,” he
went on, “in fact that wasn’t even the word for
it, we were living on rations, but why not
discuss today – it’s completely different”. And
it is quite a different story!
Today, with the success of The Rookies, Sam and
Annie can afford to have what they want and when
they want it. They just moved into their new
quaint home in the Hollywood Hills tinkertoy.”
“Annie and I are so into antiques and it’s a
great feeling knowing that we have a place of
our own now”.
Sharing the wood framed house with Sam and Annie
is their dog Fred. The only obvious question to
ask next was how come with such a beautiful
marriage and such a marvelous outlook on home
doesn’t have the gurgling of a baby. “Oh wow”,
Sam exclaimed, “don’t get me started on that! I
can give you a million reasons why Annie and I
won’t have a child”. But he did start. “I’ve
said this before and I’ll say it again – it’s
like I’m repeating myself or talking in my
sleep, but the answer is Zero population –
that’s the way it should be. I don’t think we
have the right to add more people to the world”.
He can’t make his wife pregnant! Not with the
world situation as it is. He says “I can’t
morally justify having a child”. This conviction
has caused great concern for Sam – but he’s
sticking by it.
When you see Melville’s together you know they
have something very special. They enjoy each
other tremendously and nobody is going to take
that away from them – not even a baby. Sam
continued, “I don’t know what the future has in
store for us with children. Right now we kind of
put the thought of having any aside. My sister
has five children and I think she should have
stopped at two. I can’t believe it when I see
these people with six, seven, eight, even ten
children and the sad part is, the ones that are
having all the children are the ones that can’t
afford to”. More serious than ever, he
continued. “When will these people realize what
a mistake they are making and stop? I can’t
understand it, it’s a crime. These should really
be a law against it. Someone has got to stop
this population and I guess Annie and I have
decided it will have to be us”.
Feeling concern for him about his thinking, I
asked, “Why couldn’t you and Annie have a limit
of two and stop there?” I was thinking how much
the two would miss without a child. His answer
to me was quite determined. “We will never know
what we are going to miss by not having children
– after all, what you don’t have you don’t miss!
“Besides”, he added “Annie and I are so busy
into our own things, with each other, making
each other so happy, we really don’t have time
to think of raising a child”. Appreciating his
honesty, I asked another question. “Would you
think of adopting a child?” Smiling Sam said, “I
think if ever we did have a child we would be
thinking more along those lines. I just think it
is unfair to bring so many children into the
world today, with all the sick and violent
things that are going on. I hope I don’t sound
selfish, that isn’t it at all, and I certainly
don’t want to play the martyrbit, but Annie and
I are so into each other, our needs and wants,
we have all we can do to supply that”.
How did Annie win the heart of Sam Melville?
“The one special quality I admire in Annie is
that she never tries to act as though she is
better than anybody else. She is so unselfish.
She never argues, and loves me so much – and you
better believe it, that’s the greatest feeling
in the world. Let’s face it”, he went on, “she
loved me when I didn’t have a penny or even a
steady job, so I know she had to lobe me for
myself”. Smiling his sweet smile he said. “It’s
the best feeling in the world knowing that your
life-time partner is your best friend as well as
your lover. If you don’t have that, you don’t
have a relationship”.
Sam and Annie have discovered a hideaway, not
too far from Los Angeles, that is great for long
weeks of escape from civilization. They keep the
location a secret so that just the two of them
can enjoy it by themselves. They sleep in a
tent, commune with nature, and enjoy eating
spaghetti from a can. They live a life they
certainly couldn’t live in the city. When Sam is
shooting The Rookies, the hours are from 5.30 in
the morning until 7.30 at night, so when he does
get these precious moments off, he wants to
share them only with Mrs. Melville.
Sam is a man who has given and received love all
of his life. Just and always will be quite aware
of what is happening. Sam is a man’s man as well
as a ladie’s man. He is direct, casual about his
way and very concerned. He is very concerned
about the mentally ill, and even now with his
busy schedule volunteers his services whenever
he can.
Perhaps Sam knows what he’s talking about when
he says “A family is not my bag”. Sam is not a
selfish man, he is man who knows what he wants
and he is trying his best to help – in a world
that really needs it. He loves his work and he
does it well. His needs are quite important to
him. He cherishes his privacy and the freedom he
and his wife share – right now this is Sam
Melville’s life and future. Perhaps tomorrow his
thoughts of having a family will change, but as
of this writing, Sam’s life belongs to his wife
– and he doesn’t want anyone to interfere with
that.
By
Alice Hart
Transcribed by Christos Spirou for use on The
Rookies Online:
http://www.therookies.gr
For entertainment purpose only. No profit or
copyright infringement intended.
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