Happily married to wife No. 6

Press, 10 May 1982, Page 22

Happily married to wife No. 6

Coming top of a recent poll to find TV’s top bachelor made Lionel Standee smile. “I don’t know much about being single,” said the 73-year-old actor, who stars with Stephanie Powers and Robert Wagner in “Hart to Hart.”

“But I flatter myself I know a hell of a lot about marriage . . .”

Which is hardly surprising, for Lionel, who plays Max, the lovable old bachelor who looks after Jennifer and Jonathan Hart in the popular all-action series, has been married six times.

That is not the only difference between his screen personality and his real-life self.

In “Hart to Hart” Max is the perfect housekeeper and no mean cook, but Lionel admitted without a blush that at home he did not even know where to find the sugar for a cup of coffee, and he doubted if he could heat up a TV dinner. “With six wives behind me,” he said with a grin, “I’ve never needed to!” But why six? “There’s an

old saying isn't there? ‘lf at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again’?” said Lionel. “I was in my twenties when I married for the first time, but it didn’t work out.

"I kept on meeting lovely girls—and somehow I just drifted into marriage with them all.

“Henry VIII did it. So did I. But at least I managed to stay good friends with all my exes . . . and I'm verygood friends with Stephana. Stephana the sixth Mrs Standee, is blonde, elegant and beautiful. She was 24 when they met, and he was nearly 63. But the attraction was instant and mutual.

“My parents were shocked at the ditterence in our ages," she said. “I started off

telling them he was 45, and then every three months or so I kept adding another few years on.

“They still haven’t reconciled themselves to his age, but then I'm not surprised for I can’t believe it either. “I never consider Lionel to be old. He has such zest and enthusiasm for life that it makes everyone around him happy just to be with him.” His co-stars, Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers, agreed. “I had Lionel in mind for the role of Max from the very first day,” said Wagner. “He is absolutely the best — one of the greatest character actors I’ve ever known. (Features International)