WHAT'S IN LARRY DAVID'S NETFLIX?

It's going to take me awhile to get back into the swing of things with the Inner Toob blog now that I'm done with rewriting the Toobworld novel. (Still proofing it, however.) I've got plenty of subjects stored up from the time when it was in slow mode with just the "As Seen On TV" gallery each day, but I'm not sure how much output there'll be. (It's hard to believe that once upon a time, ten posts a day was not uncommon!)

So here's sticking my toe in the water.....

In one of the first couple of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' episodes this season, Larry David exclaimed in a really bad Irish accent, "When I get a feeling, I get a feeling!"

It's my opinion that his character had just seen the fun Humphrey Bogart movie "All Through The Night", because this was the catch-phrase for the mother of Gloves Donahue, played by Jane Darwell. In fact, at the end of the movie she starts to say it again and everybody in Gloves' gang chimes in to say it with her.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: WILLEM DE KLERK

WILLEM DE KLERK

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Mike Huff

Willem de Klerk started out — like his younger brother F.W. — a supporter of apartheid. But by the 1980s, this Reformed Dutch theologian and journalist determined that the system of racial segregation needed not just to be reformed, but abolished. Known by his nickname "Wimpie," the elder de Klerk was anything but. His anti-apartheid position earned him no friends in government or, indeed, within his family. He resigned from two newspaper editor posts under pressure.

But his political views and relation to the man who would be president — but no actual government ties — made him uniquely suited to be part of the Afrikaner delegation in the talks dramatized in "Endgame".

At times, the de Klerk brothers were barely on speaking terms, but many believe it was Willem that convinced his younger brother to meet with Nelson Mandela in prison.

In 1989, Willem became a founding member of the Democratic Party, the first non-racial political party in South Africa.

The reformed reformer died on August 7, 2009. "Many of his ideas and insights remain relevant for the future," F.W. de Klerk said in a statement upon his brother's death.
(pbs.org)

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: LUKAS BARNARD

LUKAS "NIEL" BARNARD

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Mark Strong

Political scientist turned spy chief Lukas Daniel "Niel" Barnard was just 31 when he became a full university professor.

South African president P.W. Botha tapped Barnard to head up his newly reorganized spy program, renamed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 1980. One of Botha's closest political advisors, Barnard became a powerful voice of pragmatism for the president.

Barnard began furtive talks with the still imprisoned Nelson Mandela in 1988. At the same time, he was the relay man to Botha for information coming out of stealth meetings in England between parties representing the ANC and South Africa's ruling class.

Barnard held his intelligence post for 12 years. In 1996, he became the director-general of provincial administration for the Western Cape. The ANC raised concerns about Barnard's appointment at that time, citing unanswered questions about the role of the NIS in political assassinations.

Barnard publicly denied any knowledge of murder, torture or other human rights violations. The ANC later withdrew its allegations against Barnard.
(from pbs.org)

BCnU!

TVXOHOF, 11/2009-B: JOHN ADAMS

For the second week in November, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the TV Crossover Hall Of Fame, the focus is on historical figures as seen on TV, as it has been all year during the second week of the month. And since traditionally we feature politicians and newsmakers during November, we're inducting an American President who was featured in Toobworld last year.....

JOHN ADAMS

Adams was prominently portrayed most recently by Paul Giamatti in the HBO mini-series based on the biography by David McCullough. But back in the 1970s, George Grizzard put his stamp on the role in the opening episodes of the PBS mini-series 'The Adams Chronicles'.

Paul Giamatti as Adams

George Grizzard as Adams

Here's a rundown of other actors who have portrayed John Adams on television:

John D. Bert
. . . Mysteries of the Freemasons (2006)

John Boruff
. . . "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1951)
{A Woman for the Ages (#1.20)}

Keith Charles
. . . "Simon & Simon" (1981)
{The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree (#5.24)}

Paul Collins
. . . George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation (1986)

Whitfield Connor
. . . "Cavalcade of America" (1952)
{John Yankee (#1.19)}

William Daniels
. . . The American Revolution (1994)
. . . The Rebels (1979)

Peter Donaldson
. . . "Benjamin Franklin" (2002)
. . . "Liberty! The American Revolution" (1997)

Paul Giamatti
. . . "John Adams" (2008)

George Grizzard
. . . "The Adams Chronicles" (1976)

Hal Holbrook
. . . "George Washington" (1984)

Steve Holloway
. . . Founders or Traitors? (2007)

Frank Langella
. . . The American Woman: Portraits of Courage (1976)

David McCallum
. . . "Profiles in Courage" (1964)
{John Adams (#1.7)}

Laurence Naismith
. . . "Profiles in Courage" (1964)
{John Quincy Adams (#1.22)}

Glenn C. Reimer
. . . "The Revolution" (2006)

Simon Russell Beale
. . . "The American Experience" (1988)
{John & Abigail Adams (#18.5)}

Morley Safer
. . . "The American President" (2000)
{An Independent Cast of Minds (#1.3)}

Martin Sheen
. . . "Freedom: A History of Us" (2003)
{Independence (#1.1)}

Henry Strozier
. . . "The American Experience" (1988)
{Alexander Hamilton (#19.15)}

Torin Thatcher
. . . "Daniel Boone" (1964)
{Take the Southbound Stage (#3.27)}

Howard Wendell
. . . "You Are There" (1953)
{Washington Crosses the Delaware (December 25, 1776) (#4.15)}

James Woods
. . . "Founding Fathers" (2000)
. . . Founding Brothers (2002) (TV)

THE TOONIVERSE
Billy Crystal
. . . "Liberty's Kids: Est. 1776" (2002)

Maurice LaMarche
. . . "Animaniacs" (1993)
{The Presidents/Don't Tread on Us/The Flame Returns (#3.6)}

SKITLANDIA
Chris Elliott
. . . "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993)

William Shatner
. . . Swing Out, Sweet Land (1970)

DREAM SEQUENCE
Ben Piazza
. . . "Family Ties" (1982)
{Philadelphia Story (#3.15)}

A few notes.....
Many of these portrayals were voice-overs in Ken Burns-styled documentaries.

There are enough portrayals of John Adams in mini-series and TV movies to be spread out among other TV dimensions, as Toobworld Central has designated for other historical figures like Kennedy, Lincoln, and Marilyn Monroe.

In whatever TV dimension that gets the story of George Washington (as played by Barry Bostwick), the character of John Adams becomes a recastaway - in the first production, he was played by Hal Holbrook and in the second, he was played by Paul Collins. The simplest splainin to get out of this is that even though most of the characters were played by the same actors as in the first mini-series, 'George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation' takes place in an alternate dimension in which the DNA for John Adams was different.
William Daniels is probably the best known John Adams from the movie universe, recreating the role he originated in the Broadway production of '1776'. However, he also got the chance to play the role twice on television. I may be wrong on this (it's not uncommon), but I believe his performance in "The American Revolution" was as a voice-over. Still, the TV movie "The Rebels" completes the multi-verse position for John Adams as played by William Daniels.

So a tip of the tri-corner hat to John Adams, Founding Father and the latest inductee into the TV Crossover Hall of Fame! Not many others can claim that; the Pigeon Sisters, Gwendolyn and Cecily, come to mind....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: F.W. DE KLERK

F.W. DE KLERK

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Matthew Marsh

Frederik Willem "F.W." de Klerk had an opportunity to teach law, but chose to go into the family business — politics. Throughout much of his career in a variety of ministerial positions under Prime Minister P.W. Botha, he supported university segregation and showed little interest in apartheid reform.

Yet, in his very first speech after being elected state president in 1989, de Klerk called for a non-racist South Africa and for negotiations about the country's future. Within two years, he had lifted the government's ban on the ANC and released Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners.

De Klerk was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993 for helping to bring apartheid to an end and drafting a new constitution based on "one person, one vote." He subsequently joined Mandela's Government of National Unity as second deputy president.

De Klerk announced his retirement from politics in 1997, going on to establish the F.W. de Klerk Foundation in 2000 and the Global Leadership Foundation in 2004.
[from pbs.org]

BCnU!

VETERANS' DAY: LIEUTENANT COLUMBO

Today is Veteran's Day, and as we hope it is to be a tradition here at Inner Toob, we're saluting a particular TV character who served TV-America ("Telemerica") in the military. (On Memorial Day, we remember a TV character whom we've since lost.) In the past, we've honored Admiral Harriman Nelson ('Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'), Mac Tyler ('CSI:NY') and Leroy Jethro Gibbs ('NCIS') and last year, Major Margaret Houlihan ('M*A*S*H').

This year we're saluting Lieutenant 'Columbo' of the Los Angeles Police Department, Homicide division. Not much is known about his service in the Army during the Korean War - if you do a search online for info, you'll find the same sentence over and over again which was gleaned from the book "The Columbo Phile" by Mark Dawidziak:

"After serving in the Army during the Korean War, Columbo joined the New York police force and was assigned to the 12th precinct."

(This is one of the few places that gives proper credit for that information... information... information.)

At least three of the murderers he investigated had connections to the Korean Conflict as well: General Martin Hollister, actor Ward Fowler, and double agent Nelson Brenner.

We may not have more details about his service in Korea (Columbo kept things close to the vest), but I can send you to a site that has an excellent fanfic story about his time there. And best of all for Toobworld, it has a connection to a certain other show that was set in Korea during the war.....

DISCHARGE BY DEATH

(Has a nice Quinn Martin feel to that title, doesn't it?)

Think of all the other TV characters he might have met over there - Jim Rockford, Bob Hartley, Don Draper - oops! I mean, Dick Whitman.....

And when you finish that story, and if you're interested in more along those lines for 'Columbo' stories, check out the rest of Martin's site,

JUST ONE MORE PARAGRAPH.

So here's to you, Lieutenant Columbo. Toobworld Central salutes you and your service to your country.

BCnU!

PS

The image of Peter Falk in wartime is anachronistic, not to mention from the Cineverse and not from Toobworld. It's from the movie "Anzio".

AS SEEN ON TV: THABO MBEKI

THABO MBEKI

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Chiwetel Ejiofor

The child of teachers-activists, Thabo Mbeki has said he was "born into the struggle," and got involved in political activism at a young age. Mbeki left the country in 1962 under orders from the ANC. The exiled expatriate took the over its department of information and publicity in the 1980s as right-hand man to ANC president Oliver Tambo.

Later that decade, as director of international affairs, he was a key figure in ANC negotiations with the apartheid government, most notably leading the delegation in the "talks about talks" dramatized in "Endgame".

Chosen by Nelson Mandela to be the first deputy president of the new Government of National Unity in 1994, Mbeki became president of the ANC in 1997, and two years later was elected president of South Africa.

Mbeki drew criticism and praise during his tenure, gaining notoriety for his position that AIDS was not caused by a virus. He resigned as president in 2008, after the allegation that he interfered in a corruption case against his former deputy and ultimate successor Jacob Zuma — a charge he denies. (Zuma, as head of ANC intelligence, had attended three of the meetings dramatized in Endgame.) Mbeki stepped down the same week several African leaders lauded him for brokering a deal in Zimbabwe between President Robert Mugabe and his opposition.
[from pbs.org]

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: RUDOLPH AGNEW

Rudolph Agnew was a fourth generation "gold" man when he began working for the British mining company Consolidated Gold Fields in 1957. Agnew became CEO and Chairman of the Board in his 40s.

During the apartheid era, the company's South African holdings represented the largest private investment in the country by a British corporation. Agnew himself drew criticism for refusing to withdraw from South Africa, though the businessman later said he thought the best way to destroy apartheid was to "feed it rather than starve it."

He provided funding and support for Michael Young to engage in the secret talks dramatized in Endgame, although Agnew made it clear that his involvement could not be overt.

Consolidate Gold Fields was taken over by another British conglomerate in 1989. Agnew went on to serve as chairman of other companies. In addition, he served as chairman of the board for the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center, where he continues as director.

Agnew received a knighthood for services to international human rights and conservation.
(from pbs.org)

RUDOLPH AGNEW

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
Derek Jacobi

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

We're interrupting the look at the historical figures connected to the end of apartheid in South Africa (as depicted in "Endgame") to mark the anniversary of the death of Neville Chamberlain.....

Arthur Neville Chamberlain, more commonly known as Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940. Chamberlain is best known for appeasement foreign policy, in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany, and, when Germany continued its aggression, for declaring war on Germany on 3 September 1939 and leading Britain through the first eight months of World War II.

(from Wikipedia)

NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

AS SEEN IN:
'Roads To Freedom'

AS PLAYED BY:
Michael Goodliffe

Other portrayals of Chamberlain in Toobworld:

Michael Aldridge
. . . Countdown to War (1989)

Robin Bailey
. . . "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1951) {The Gathering Storm (#24.2)}

Patrick Cargill
. . . "Heil, Honey I'm Home" (1990) {(#1.1)}

Richard Clarke
. . . "The Kennedys of Massachusetts" (1990)

David Frankham
. . . "The Waltons" (1972) {The Hawk (#6.1)}

Christopher Good
. . . Dunkirk (2004) (TV)

Michael Goodliffe
. . . "Roads to Freedom" (1970) {The Reprieve: Part 1 (#1.7)}
. . . "Roads to Freedom" (1970) {The Reprieve: Part 2 (#1.8)}
. . . "Roads to Freedom" (1970) {The Reprieve: Part 3 (#1.9)}

Edward Jewesbury
. . . Churchill and the Generals (1979)

Eric Porter
. . . "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years" (1981)

BCnU!

TUGGING THE MEMORY BANKS

When I posted the picture of Nehemiah Persoff as Andrei Gromyko back in my thirteen day remembrance of "The Missiles Of October", there was something about the screen capture that reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite place it.

And then a week or so later, it came to me when I talked with character actor George Murdock again at work......... BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: OLIVER R. TAMBO

OLIVER REGINALD TAMBO

AS SEEN IN:
"Endgame"

AS PLAYED BY:
John Kani

Oliver Reginald Tambo was president of the ANC from 1967 to 1991. He kept the black nationalist organization together from a home base in Lusaka, Zambia, after being banned by the South African government in 1960. Thanks to Tambo's ability to attract powerful young activists to the cause — including Thabo Mbeki — the ANC transformed itself into the voice for black South Africans under apartheid.

In the 1980s, Tambo asked Michael Young to help him "build a bridge" between the apartheid government and the ANC. Mbeki, who became his second-in-command, attended the secret talks organized by Young, reporting back to Tambo. As work toward a negotiations continued, Tambo suffered a stroke and underwent extensive medical treatment.

Tambo returned to his homeland in 1991 and was elected national chairman of the ANC and chair of its emancipation commission. He suffered another stroke and died in 1993. One year later, South Africa held its first democratic elections with people of all races being able to vote.
[from pbs.org]

BCnU!