tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post8898191257684507510..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: In praise of Alan AldaBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73948045117672004562016-06-09T17:23:15.018-07:002016-06-09T17:23:15.018-07:00Also, I should add: It's a great idea to start...Also, I should add: It's a great idea to start celebrating great talents when they're alive. Alda sounds like an amazing collaborator, and is clearly a brilliant and smart talent. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69062122831187997822016-06-09T16:31:55.672-07:002016-06-09T16:31:55.672-07:00A Cornell professor friend of mine posted a little...A Cornell professor friend of mine posted a little while ago about Alda visiting there and talking about how scientists can better communicate with lay audiences. My friend had nothing but good to say about both Alda and the communication material, and his posting about it on Facebook got a huge number of Likes and many "I'm so jealous" comments.Tom Gallowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17164851214377133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28605192441768704662016-06-09T06:30:08.502-07:002016-06-09T06:30:08.502-07:00@ Greg Ehrbar - not sure if you'll see this no...@ Greg Ehrbar - not sure if you'll see this now, but I LOVED the Atalanta story on that album. I was around 6 or so, I guess, when FTBYAM came out, I listened to it all the time. Shaped me in many ways to be the (hopefully) open-minded human I strive to be. It's a shame the lessons didn't really stick in the world at large.<br /><br />Also when I was around 9 or so I was in an acting class and we did a play version of Free to Be. I played the 'big sister' in the 'The Pain and the Great One' and I was the horrid little girl in Ladies First who got eaten by a tiger. :)Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202427531137840740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85922182583689196842016-06-09T05:45:32.012-07:002016-06-09T05:45:32.012-07:00Didn't know anything about Adam Alda or M.A.S....Didn't know anything about Adam Alda or M.A.S.H but I did remember Captain Hawkeye. I did some extensive reading about him and the show here http://bit.ly/1U3faU1<br />It had garnered quite a lot of fan following and stirred up a controversy for portraying Nurses as sex symbols.Kyle Connornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22929044162157356602016-06-09T02:20:59.809-07:002016-06-09T02:20:59.809-07:00It is on YouTube It is on YouTube Sifnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54141926747630305302016-06-08T19:16:33.937-07:002016-06-08T19:16:33.937-07:00Re Roger Owen Green's comment: "A Final ...Re Roger Owen Green's comment: "A Final JEOPARDY! this week in the category Historic TV: "An authentic Bell H-13 Sioux air ambulance was used in the opening credits of this television series." Two of the contestants got it. I knew it instantly."<br /><br />Yes, I was watching, too. Hmmm...historic TV. Thinking early TV and not knowing anything about helicopter models, my guess was "Whirlybirds," which, even if it didn't feature the helicopter, would have better fit a category titled "historical TV"...or even better, "prehistoric TV." Damn, those Jeopardy writers know their stuff. There is a difference between "historic" and "historical." I marvel at their precision in crafting the answers.Lorimartiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67972944932624957312016-06-08T19:08:02.694-07:002016-06-08T19:08:02.694-07:00In The West Wing, he ends up being named Secretary...In The West Wing, he ends up being named Secretary of State by the man he lost to, so the President would not have to fear him as a rival four years later.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25608031088775617412016-06-08T19:07:08.477-07:002016-06-08T19:07:08.477-07:00>Alan steals scenes before you know they are mi...>Alan steals scenes before you know they are missing. <br /><br />It would be weird if you know they are missing before he steals them.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7616060435208908872016-06-08T17:49:48.115-07:002016-06-08T17:49:48.115-07:00Even if you're not Yankee fans, if you get the...Even if you're not Yankee fans, if you get the YES Network, it's worth setting a reminder if they rerun the "Centerstage" when Michael Kay interviews him. As always, Alda's charming and funny, and it's obvious that more good stuff had to be edited for time.<br /><br />He and his wife Arlene have a great, true "meet cute" story and the way he talks about her as she's sitting in the audience makes your heart melt. <br /><br />At the end of each episode, Kay does his version of the Proust/Pivot/Lipton questionnaire. One of his questions is "Who would you want in a foxhole with you?" I've heard it answered dozens of times, usually predictably. Alda pauses for a second and says, "The leader of the country that's shooting at me." chalmersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42793359589400627762016-06-08T16:48:58.116-07:002016-06-08T16:48:58.116-07:00Thanks for this piece, Ken. Really lovely. One phr...Thanks for this piece, Ken. Really lovely. One phrase that sticks with me that was used to describe his performance as Hawkeye was "seemingly effortless." There are so many times when I'm watching the show when that description comes to mind. He just wears that role like a second skin. Which reminds me… I think "A Night at Rosie's" was one of your scripts, right? When he's dancing with himself in Rosie's as Charles comes up to him, that is just Hawkeye being 100% Hawkeye. Bravo to you both.B.G.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3811549718098648672016-06-08T15:41:20.863-07:002016-06-08T15:41:20.863-07:00Don't forget he is a major science advocate in...Don't forget he is a major science advocate in addition to his day job as actor/writer. Sifnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1810868301853408722016-06-08T15:02:36.046-07:002016-06-08T15:02:36.046-07:00I first saw Alan Alda in the mid-'60s in THAT ...I first saw Alan Alda in the mid-'60s in THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS. He made an impression even then. Sadly, I've read that at least most of the episodes of that show no longer exist.<br /><br />As to his character in CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, I've wondered whether at least part of that character was based on Steve Allen. As I recall, Allen, like Alda's character, carried around a small tape recorder into which he would dictate ideas as they occurred to him over the course of the day; a secretary would later type up these notes.Mark Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07463881222804863326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84769914755373598282016-06-08T14:39:33.736-07:002016-06-08T14:39:33.736-07:00I'd also like to throw a little love Alda'...I'd also like to throw a little love Alda's way for the first time I remember seeing him on screen, pre-MASH, as writer George Plimpton in 1968's "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063410/" rel="nofollow">Paper Lion</a>", with Alex Karras and Lauren Hutton. The 10-year-old in me still loves the image of Alda running into the goal post.J Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15175515543694122729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84391861017042047812016-06-08T14:36:47.989-07:002016-06-08T14:36:47.989-07:00Alda's one of the most well-liked people in th...Alda's one of the most well-liked people in the industry. In the 1960s Alda worked on stage with Henry Morgan (the radio comedian and game-show panelist, NOT Harry Morgan from MASH). Henry settled a ton of scores in his memoir HERE'S MORGAN, but was incapable of saying anything nasty about Alda.AndrewJhttp://www.scribd.com/Andrew_Milnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84851492059617156632016-06-08T14:19:29.741-07:002016-06-08T14:19:29.741-07:00One thing I always notice about him is how he can ...One thing I always notice about him is how he can laugh on camera an it comes off as natural. I imagine that "fake laughing" is one of the harder things to do naturally.Jabronivillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07318218102203693195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69062931242199984322016-06-08T14:17:21.218-07:002016-06-08T14:17:21.218-07:00In my humble opinion, along with bringing great in...In my humble opinion, along with bringing great intelligence and humor to his work, no one marries the written word with the excitement of organic improvisation better than Mr. Alda. He is simply a genius at it. Early in my stay at MASH, I asked him to recommend an acting teacher. Instead of naming some of the better known folks in L.A., he said, "There's only one I'd suggest, Viola Spolin. She's in New York, but if you can ever work with her, that would be my choice."<br /><br />Ironically, she showed up in Los Angeles two weeks later and I leaped at her. I spent a year with her and later another two years her protege, Stephen Book. It was the most creative and enlightening experience of my life. And I owe it to Alan.<br /><br />He recently appeared at Cal Tech in Pasadena, CA. He is very involved in using improv as a way of helping scientists communicate their ideas with each other and us mortals. He effortlessly mesmerized me and all the smart folks for over an hour, making us laugh and think. <br /><br />I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of his work. He is a gem, a nice guy, and a gift to us all.<br /> <br />Check out Whispers In The Dark. It's not brilliant movie, but Alan is lots of fun.Jeff Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01708037522976667642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19237713265820863832016-06-08T14:13:52.554-07:002016-06-08T14:13:52.554-07:00Now you and David just need to come up with a new ...Now you and David just need to come up with a new series starring Alan Alda and Ted Danson. Two great performers who are evidently even finer men than they are actors. Tomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35010229568838169022016-06-08T13:52:53.010-07:002016-06-08T13:52:53.010-07:00I recently grabbed a pawnshop copy of a late West ...I recently grabbed a pawnshop copy of a late West Wing season - so I could see how cute Elizabeth Moss was as first daughter. <br /><br />(pretty doggone cute)<br /><br />Now, with Alda, I have another reason to check out that set. Jahn Ghaltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87560055035158279732016-06-08T13:51:58.712-07:002016-06-08T13:51:58.712-07:00Yes, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS! After growing up wit...Yes, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS! After growing up with him as Hawkeye Pierce I never realized how far that character was from Hawkeye and, yes, he made it look effortless.VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9633404186746789162016-06-08T13:16:43.383-07:002016-06-08T13:16:43.383-07:00Oh how 13 year old me loved Alan Alda! All of the...Oh how 13 year old me loved Alan Alda! All of the reasons you list, plus those shower scenes on MASH were, shall we say, revelatory about the future direction of a certain aspect of my life. It's not a coincidence my first boyfriend bore a striking resemblance to him. john not mccainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67478308619354359462016-06-08T13:08:08.193-07:002016-06-08T13:08:08.193-07:00A liberal? In Hollywood? That is strange indeed....A liberal? In Hollywood? That is strange indeed.thomas tuckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241537308195762967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14082301949170390232016-06-08T13:06:34.253-07:002016-06-08T13:06:34.253-07:00The thing I don't get about Alda's charact...The thing I don't get about Alda's character in C&M is that it's reportedly based on Larry Gelbart. Right up to lifting phrases he would say. Do you know anything about this? If it's true, why would Alda agree to perform such an unflattering portrait?Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30449321114687524482016-06-08T12:50:05.830-07:002016-06-08T12:50:05.830-07:00I always thought one of his greatest performances ...I always thought one of his greatest performances was in "Oh, How We Danced," the episode in which he surreptitiously records B.J. so that Peg can do a video for their anniversary. As they're watching in Potter's office, when he gleefully asks B.J. if he was surprised, it was just so natural. And so was the scene at the end when Margaret dances with B.J., and they're all welling up, especially Alda ... and especially as I am just writing about it.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65962297736374649062016-06-08T12:07:21.574-07:002016-06-08T12:07:21.574-07:00My dad, whose name was Harold, was a classmate of ...My dad, whose name was Harold, was a classmate of Alda in high school and remembered him as the same kind of likable, funny fellow he continues to be. Each time they passed in the school hallway, Alda would call him "Haah!" and Dad would call him "Aaah!"<br /><br />@Carol- It's not generally mentioned that he not only sang "William's Doll" with Marlo Thomas (a controversial--at the time--children's book that was actually discussed in an episode of "All in the Family), he also directed all the stories, poems and a very funny comedy bit in which Mel Brooks and Thomas voiced puppet babies. <br /><br />Well ahead of its time was a story called "Atalanta," about a princess who, rather than marry the man her father chooses, makes him agree to a foot race against the suitors with the winner marrying her. Ultimately, she befriends the young man who ties in the race with her and it ends with "maybe they'll marry, maybe they will not." This record album (and the TV special) told an "empowered" princess story decades before most of other mainstream media started to tout it. It's never been out of print.Greg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/yogi-bear-or-magilla-gorilla-for-president/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67445910434445981062016-06-08T11:53:44.007-07:002016-06-08T11:53:44.007-07:00I think he might have gotten work as a writer even...I think he might have gotten work as a writer even if MASH hadn't paved the way. I always loved the line he gave to Carol Burnett in <i>The Four Seasons</i>: "Is this the fun part? Are we having fun yet?"gottacooknoreply@blogger.com