Sam Rolfe; Created ‘Man From U.N.C.L.E’
Sam Rolfe, the creator of the popular television series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” died Saturday of a heart attack after collapsing while playing tennis. He was 69.
Twice nominated for an Emmy and once for an Academy Award, Rolfe wrote and produced the popular NBC drama, which starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as international sleuths. The program, which aired in the mid-1960s, garnered Rolfe an Emmy nomination, said his wife, Hilda.
Rolfe also created and produced “Have Gun Will Travel,” a television series appearing on CBS from 1955 through 1962, which earned him the other Emmy nomination.
His Academy Award nomination was for “The Naked Spur,” a Western starring Jimmy Stewart.
Rolfe’s last major project was a five-hour mini-series based on Ken Follett’s “On Wings of Eagles,” which chronicled former presidential candidate Ross Perot’s experiences in Iran.
He is survived by his wife, daughter Elizabeth Manzo of Los Angeles, and son David Rolfe of Pasadena. Private services will be Monday, with a memorial at a later date.
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