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Entertainment extra • 2/6/98 thru 2/12/98
Carroll O'Connor: A Life Worth
Reading About
By Sally Stone
With the skill of a bom story teller
(which he acknowledges may well be
b . a genetic Celtic trait since—’’the Irish
appear to have no problem talking
about themselves nor about any one
else”) —Carroll O’Connor has written
a book which is a fascinating insight
not only into his life, but also into a
changing America in which he grew
from the tough New York City kid who
thought he knew everything about
everything, into the strong, thoughtful
man who, at some point in his journey
through life, became a celebrity, but
never let his celebrity sidetrack him
from the man he was and is.
In O’Connor’s book, “I Think I’m
u. Outta Here—A Memoir of All My
Families,” published this month by
Pocket Books, he introduces us to his
family and his friends. We learn how
he met his wife, Nancy, and about their
marriage in Dublin. We go with him
when he revisits his old New York City
neighborhoods. We see how his career
as an actor develops over time, and
how he takes on the role of Archie
Bunker in “All In the Family,” the
series that forever changed American
television.
In some of the most gripping writ
ing you can ever expect to read any
where, O’Connor shares with us his
hopes for his late son, Hugh, and how
he came to realize that there may well
be no hope for Hugh to come back
from the depths of his drug addiction.
Asked if he found writing the book
especially painful because he knew he
would have to tell about Hugh’s sui
cide, Carroll O’Connor said, “Os
course it was. Hugh took his life just
as the book was being finished, and I
knew I would have to write about it. It
would have been painful at any point
but since his suicide was still so close
in, I sometimes thought, I can’t do it.
But, of course, I had to do it.”
Movie Review
By Mickey Greene
WAG THE DOG
Recent polls have found that we as
a people are quite cynical about poli
tics and politicians. Just take the last
few elections. Less than half the peo
ple registered to vote actually turned
out on Election Day. That’s sad. This
flick plays on that cynicism by pre
senting us with a view of inside polit
’'' ical workings that is as astounding as
it is fictional. Yet somehow, it seems
plausible.
As the film opens, the presidential
election is only two weeks away. The
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Carroll O’Connor
There is also a great deal of joy in
O’Connor’s book.
“Well, there has been much joy in
my life,” he says. “I think people who
write autobiographies that talk only of
how terrible their lives were, and mean
people were to them, probably do so
because they’ve been told that that’s
what will sell their books They’re told
readers want to read the worst about
people. I don’t think so. I believe they
want to know about the good things.”
From what the book says about
O’Connor as a youngster, he did seem
to be what we New Yorkers would call
a “smart Alec.”
“That’s true,” he said. ‘Y used to
tell people where they went wrong and
tell them what I thought they should
do. At one point, I was told if I was so
willing to teach, I should become a
school teacher and get paid for it.
“And I did that for a while,
although I was only a substitute
teacher.”
The first half of the book’s title
“I’m Outta Here,” came out of
O’Connor’s experience with a theater
critic who reviewed a play he put on in
San Francisco.
tour the White House. What to do?
How can this incident be “spun” so
that no damage is done to the presi
dent and his re-election efforts. Enter
the master of all spin doctors, Conrad
Brean (Robert DeNiro). He proposes
staging a “war” in Albania. As he puts
it, “It won’t be a real war... more like
a pageant.”
To accomplish this task, Brean
calls on Hollywood producer Stanley
Motss (Dusan Hoffman), a guy who
is so successful, he can “do” meetings
while reclining in a tanning bed!
Motss loves the challenge and says
he’s having more fun than when he
did live TV as he sets about to “film”
the war.
Motss stages an entire war cam-
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‘I decided it just wasn’t worth
going through all that you go through
to put on a play that you believe in,
and which, by the way was extremely
well received by other reviewers, with
fine actors you and the audience
respect, just to have one man who,
based on what he wrote, didn’t even
follow the action on stage, attack it as
he did. I could accept a well-written,
well-thought-out review. But what I
couldn’t accept is that he chose to see
the standing applause we got at the
final curtain as an appreciation of
Carroll O’Connor, not of the play.
That was unacceptable. And, I’m
sorry to say, we see more critics like
him these days.”
Carroll laughed when told that in
Woody Alien’s movie, there’s a spe
cial place in Hell for critics.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” he
says. “But it’s an amusing thought.”
In “I’m Outta Here...” Carroll
O’Connor discusses his decision to
close the chapter of his remarkable
career in the theater. Is there a chance
it might ever be reopened?
‘I don’t think so,” he said. “But life
does go on even if I never walk across
a stage again.”
There’s an old Irish tradition that
even predates St. Patrick’s use of the
shamrock to describe the Trinity, that
good things come in threes. So, will
there be at least two more books from
Carroll O’Connor?
“Well, maybe,” he laughed. “I told
them (the publisher) that I had a novel
in my computer, and they said they’d
like to see it. I showed it to them.
They liked it So that’s two. And there
could be a third.”
Editor’s Note: ABC changed the
date of last week's cover movie,
"Pelham 1,2,3: after we went to press.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
©1998 King Features Synd., Inc.
The “victim” is actually an aspiring
Hollywood starlet filmed behind a
blue backdrop into which is dropped
the ficdonal village. Motss brings in a
songwriter, Johnny Green, (Willie
Nelson) to come up with a rousing
anthem to move the people a la “We
Are The World.” He also finds a war
hero, known as “Old Shoe,” a soldier
(Woody Harrelson) picked at random.
However, the “hero” turns out to be a
psycho from an army stockade who’s
been imprisoned for raping a nun.
This hilarious, irreverent satire is a
joy to behold. Director Barry
Levinson is in top form here, as are
the leading players and supporting
actors (Anne Heche and William H.
Macy). Even if you’re not into poli
tick, yduTrertjby lt. Don’t fniss it. I
give it three and a half stars.
King Features Synd., Inc: ~
MUSIC/VIPEO RATINGS
Top Rhythm & Dance
1. Busta Rhymes “Dangerous” (Elektra/EEG) Last Week: No. 1
2. Destiny’s Child “No, No, No” (Columbia) No. 2
3. Uncle Sam “I Don’t Ever Want To See You Again” (Stonecreek/Epic) No. 4
4. The Notorious 8.1. G. (Feat Puff Daddy & Mase) “Mo Money Mo Problems”
(Bad Boy/Arista) No. 5
5. Rare Essence “Player Halers” (Rare One/Liaison) New Entry
6. Militia “Bum” (Red Ant) No. 6
7. Heat “Two Wrongs” (R & D Productions) No. 9
8. Martha Wash Feat. RuPaul ‘lt’s Raining Men—-The Sequel” (Logic) No. 8
9. KP. & Envyi “Swing My Way” (EastWest/EEG) No. 16
10. L.L. Cool J “4,3,2,1” (Def Jam/Mercury) No. 7
Top 10 Singles
1. Janet ‘Together Again” (Virgin) Last Week: No. I
2. Savage Garden ‘Truly Madly Deeply” (Columbia) No. 2
3. Busta Rhymes “Dangerous” (Elektra) No. 6
4. Le Ann Rimes “How Do I Live” (Curb) No. 4
5. Elton John “Something About The Way You Look Tonight/Candle In The
Wind 1997’(Rocket) No. 5
6. Chumbawamba “ Tubthumping “ (Republic/Universal) No. 14
7. Third Eye Blind “Semi Charmed Life” (Elektra) No. 7
8. Uncle Sam “I Don’t Ever Want To See You Again" (Stoncreek/Epic) No. 9
9. Usher “You Make Me Wanna” (Laface/Arista) No. 11
10. Paula Cole T Don’t Want To Wait” (Warner) No. 3
Top Video Rentals
1. My Best Friend’s Wedding starring Julia Roberts (Columbia Tri Star - Rated:
PG-13)Last Week: No. 2
2. Men In Blade Will Smith (Columbia TriStar - PG-13) No. I
3. Con Air Nicolas Cage (Touchstone - R) No. 3
4. Face/Off John Travolta (Paramount - R) No. 4
5. Contact Jodie Foster (Warner R) No. 5
6. Spawn Martin Sheen (Warner R) No. 6
7. Speed 2: Cruise Control Sandra Bullock (Fox Video - PG-I) No. 8
8. Chasing Amy Ben Affleck (Buena Vista - R) No. 9
9. Austin Powers Michael Myers (Warner - PG-13) No. 7
10. How To Be A Player Bill Bellamy (PolyGram - R) No. 21
11. Grosse Point Blank John Cusack (Buena Vista-R) No. 11
12. Air Bud Kevin Zegers (Buena Vista - PG) No. 20
13.187 Samuel L. Jackson (Warner - R) No. 19
14. The fifth Element Bruce Willis (Columbia TriStar - R) No. 10
15. Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion Mira Sorvino
(Buena Vista-R) No. 12
Top 10 Movies ............
1. Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio
2. Fallen Denzel Washington
3. Good Will Hunting Robin Williams
4. As Good As It Gets Jack Nicholson
5. Hard Rain Morgan Freeman
6. Wag The Dog Dustin Hoffman > , •
7. Tomorrow Never Dies Pierce Brosnan ;
8. Half Baked Dave Chappelle
9. Amistad Anthony Hopkins
10 Ffrint Nathan I aw 7'
Country & Western Top 10
1. Alan Jackson “Between The Devil And Me” (Arista Nashville) Last Week: No. 1
2. Sammy Kershaw “Love Os My Life” (Mercury) No. 3
1 AmuCochran (ttowiih slowWariXr) -What KI Said” (Wa™> No. ?
9 12
10 Lee Ann Womack “You’ve Got To Talk To Me” (Decca) Nd. 7
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