“Maverick” Views On Blankley’s EuroSocialists
by Steve Finefrock – [scriptwriter]
James Garner James Garner played zip-gun with my mother’s playgroup when he visited Shawnee, his periodic refuge from the juvenile authorities in his native Norman, Oklahoma. One of the great asses of Hollywood – for his ego as much as his leftwing views – jump-started his career playing TV’s famous “Maverick” before moving to film, and back to TV as a detective with only semi-macho inclinations.
One of his forays into movie near-stardom was as Charlie Madison, Lt. Commander of dog-robber midnight requisitioning for his Navy admiral in wartime London. Ramping up for D-Day led him into the sheets of British babe Emily Barham, played by Julie Andrews at the rise of her stardom, in “The Americanization of Emily” – written by that lefty American doubter, Paddy Chayefsky.
Meeting Emily’s mother, Charlie slams the snobbery of Europeans towards the tacky Americans in a manner not typical of Chayefsky in subsequent writings. Garner delivers it preciously, as perfectly as any hardcore Palinophile would like it to be presented to the audience. Herewith the text of his speech on Euro-snobbery, again in the rising turbulence of the mid-60s:
You American haters bore me to tears, Ms. Barham. I’ve dealt with Europeans all my life. I know all about us parvenus from the States who come over here and race around your old Cathedral towns with our cameras and Coca-Cola bottles… Brawl in your pubs, paw at your women, and act like we own the world. We over-tip, we talk too loud, we think we can buy anything with a Hershey bar. I’ve had Germans and Italians tell me how politically ingenuous we are, and perhaps so. But we haven’t managed a Hitler or a Mussolini yet. I’ve had Frenchmen call me a savage because I only took half an hour for lunch. Hell, Ms. Barham, the only reason the French take two hours for lunch is because the service in their restaurants is lousy. The most tedious lot are you British. We crass Americans didn’t introduce war into your little island. This war, Ms. Barham to which we Americans are so insensitive, is the result of 2,000 years of European greed, barbarism, superstition, and stupidity. Don’t blame it on our Coca-Cola bottles. Europe was a growing brothel long before we came to town.
Is there a better answer to the Euro-philes who are feeling tingly leg sensations over Barack Obama? And our traitorous comrades in conservative conclaves who adore his supposed superior temperament and intellect?
As so many were enraptured for Obama The One [OTO] speaking to roaring crowds in Europe – albeit drawn by a rock concert first [showbiz is showbiz, sayeth P.T. ‘sucker born every minute’ Barnum] – they now are including ever more who are intrigued by his European-ness.
Tony Blankley’s retort to the retreaters in our midst notes OTO & Co. will “reveal itself soon to be both multiculturalists and Eurosocialist. We will be engaged in a struggle to the political death for the soul of the country.” Like Mrs. Barham and her dishy daughter Emily, Blankley is British born – but an American by choice, onetime the administrator for Newt Gingrich during that brief, embattled Speakership. His piece is precious and prescient – for there is to be borne again a conservative movement. Those who abandoned the circle of conservatives – Noonan, Brooks, Buckley, Parker [NB2P] et al – may wish to participate in the very-very-very-American flavor that resurgence will pursue.
For unlike Mrs. Barham, we ain’t down on America – and we ain’t cheered by an OTO regency. And we ain’t runnin’ fer the tall grass when the going gets tough. Unlike that nasty, conservative poison formula of NB2P. Fellow Okie Garner may not like this rightwinger borrowing his leftwing talent’s delivery of a great line – written by a leftwinger, back when a few of them had such unapologetic attitudes toward their nation.
But there it is, a very “mavericky” line, by “Maverick” himself, worthy of citing to those who think we should now amend Charlie’s caustic assessment, fifty-plus years since we bailed Euro-Socialist errors out of the heap of fascism and near-communism.
Nope, nuttin’s changed since that speech on the big screen. Charlie’s creed still applies – to the NB2P adorers of OTO.
It’s so good that Mac the Maverick should steal from it with glee – memorize parts of it and drive Garner crazy. The question for OTO still is valid: does he take only a half-hour for lunch? That bit of Euro-snobbery is still in play. Hollywood films in France require, by law, a two hour full-service lunch, for cast and crew and even extras, with silver service, and wine service, with waiters at the waiting, driving costs thru the roof. When they come to Hollywood to learn the craft, the French and other Euro-cinemeisters are startled at 12-hour workdays, and sometimes ten days running work before a hiatus.
How can we do that, they ask – the HWD reply is, You’ll never catch up if you don’t. Doubtless, they still see us as barbarians for those, and other, reasons. Charlie’s creed still rings true, 44 years later. And interestingly, that’s the same time lapse since the “Daisy Ad” which foretold how Palin would be treated. Lots of those daisy petals shoved up lots of mavericky orifices this final month of the campaign.
Blankley the Brit-turned-American has it on the nose. There will be a resurgence, regardless of Mac or OTO prevailing, in conservatism. And Charlie’s Creed is one to remember when the president seeks solace and huggy-wetkisses with the Eurosocialists. And if our Maverick is true to his former form, he may be almost as eager for that suckface approval as OTO – President McCain may wish to mend fences, to ‘get along’ like he did in those days when such sentiments gave us McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy. That is a sneak-peek at the conversation to begin on the Ides of November.
Whichever tries to suck face with the Euros, remember Charlie Madison, as wise in his own cinematic way as was James Madison. And remember to bar participation on the re-birth of conservatism to the NB2P miscreants. If they love the Euros so much, let them meet Charlie. ExileStreet
copyright 2008 Steve Finefrock
Finefrock is founder of Hollywood Forum, a speaker-bureau and panel-discussion vehicle to “Bring the Potomac to the Palisades” on issues that overlap politics and culture with the Hollywood film-TV influence on such national concerns. His scripts have addressed politics [including a TV series pilot/bible package about state political combat, called “A State of the Union”], hazardous materials [from twelve years in emergency management, including six years managing FEMA’s Superfund curriculum for hazmat], terrorism, equestrian reincarnation, serial murderer killing journalists in the nation’s capitol, and fantasy about time-wasters. Finefrock is proprietor of PhoneBooth: The Smallest Space in Hollywood…
November 30th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Having been a fan of Mr. Garner’s for over 50 years, and having heard hundreds of friends, fans and other actors describing him as one of the finest gentlemen to ever grace the screen, I have to wonder if your description of him as an “ass” might be influenced by the fact that he describes himself as a “bleeding heart liberal.”
“Bleeding heart” being the operant phrase here, since Mr. Garner is essentially apolitical, but is well known for his philanthropy.
He also fought – and almost died – for his country in the Korean War. How about your own service record?
Man, it’s dangerous to disagree with you.