Dragnet
Harry Morgan
November 21, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Before he was Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H, Harry Morgan was one of Hollywood’s cornerstone character actors. He shared the silver screen with legends.
Inherit the Wind with Spencer Tracy and Fredric March.
High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
The Glenn Miller Story with Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson.
The Shootist with John Wayne.
Frankie and Johnny with Elvis Presley.
Support Your Local Sheriff with James Garner.
Dragnet with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd. In Dragnet, Morgan reprises his role of Bill Gannon from the television series of the same name in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Gannon has climbed the ranks to become a police captain.
Morgan played Pete Porter in the television series December Bride and its spinoff -- Pete & Gladys. He also played Judge Bell in the trio of 1990’s Incident tv-movies starring Walter Matthau -- The Incident, Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore, Incident in a Small Town.
But Harry Morgan’s role of the authoritative, compassionate, and wise Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H is likely the role most identified with Morgan. Potter is Morgan’s signature character.
Morgan had big shoes to fill. When M*A*S*H producers killed off Colonel Henry Blake in the spring of 1975, the creative decision sparked shock, dismay, and even outrage. Who ever heard of a show killing a major, beloved, and valuable character? Blake’s death offered no chance for a spinoff, return appearance, or revival.
While McLean Stevenson’s popularity soared as the affable, bumbling, and concerned Colonel Blake who was also one of the guys, Harry Morgan won the respect of fans by playing Colonel Potter with dignity, understanding, and a voice of experience.
Potter led Hawkeye, B.J. and the rest of the M*A*S*H 4077th, but he never talked down to them. He was a Regular Army style solider but he ignored the rules and regulations if they interfered with treating wounded soldiers.
Potter was a combat veteran who became a doctor. But he never forgot the courage of soldiers in the field.
In a vicious ocean of injury, violence, and death, Morgan’s Colonel Potter was the calm oasis of experience, wisdom, and compassion.
Harry Morgan actually made a pre-Potter appearance on M*A*S*H. In the third season premiere -- The General Flipped At Dawn -- he plays General Steele, a half-crazed general. Morgan received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance in this episode that kicked off the 1975-76 season.
For his role as Colonel Potter, Morgan received eight nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He won once. He also received an Emmy nomination for Best Director.
Harry Morgan continued playing Colonel Potter in the sequel After M*A*S*H. The show is set in a stateside Veterans Administration hospital in Missouri. Jamie Farr and William Christopher joined Morgan to continue their roles as Max Klinger and Father Mulcahy respectively.
After After M*A*S*H, Morgan mostly enjoyed guest appearances on television shows -- The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Grace Under Fire, Third Rock from the Sun, and The Simpsons.
On The Simpsons, Morgan once again reprised his role of Bill Gannon.
david@davidkrell.com
Before he was Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H, Harry Morgan was one of Hollywood’s cornerstone character actors. He shared the silver screen with legends.
Inherit the Wind with Spencer Tracy and Fredric March.
High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
The Glenn Miller Story with Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson.
The Shootist with John Wayne.
Frankie and Johnny with Elvis Presley.
Support Your Local Sheriff with James Garner.
Dragnet with Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd. In Dragnet, Morgan reprises his role of Bill Gannon from the television series of the same name in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Gannon has climbed the ranks to become a police captain.
Morgan played Pete Porter in the television series December Bride and its spinoff -- Pete & Gladys. He also played Judge Bell in the trio of 1990’s Incident tv-movies starring Walter Matthau -- The Incident, Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore, Incident in a Small Town.
But Harry Morgan’s role of the authoritative, compassionate, and wise Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H is likely the role most identified with Morgan. Potter is Morgan’s signature character.
Morgan had big shoes to fill. When M*A*S*H producers killed off Colonel Henry Blake in the spring of 1975, the creative decision sparked shock, dismay, and even outrage. Who ever heard of a show killing a major, beloved, and valuable character? Blake’s death offered no chance for a spinoff, return appearance, or revival.
While McLean Stevenson’s popularity soared as the affable, bumbling, and concerned Colonel Blake who was also one of the guys, Harry Morgan won the respect of fans by playing Colonel Potter with dignity, understanding, and a voice of experience.
Potter led Hawkeye, B.J. and the rest of the M*A*S*H 4077th, but he never talked down to them. He was a Regular Army style solider but he ignored the rules and regulations if they interfered with treating wounded soldiers.
Potter was a combat veteran who became a doctor. But he never forgot the courage of soldiers in the field.
In a vicious ocean of injury, violence, and death, Morgan’s Colonel Potter was the calm oasis of experience, wisdom, and compassion.
Harry Morgan actually made a pre-Potter appearance on M*A*S*H. In the third season premiere -- The General Flipped At Dawn -- he plays General Steele, a half-crazed general. Morgan received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance in this episode that kicked off the 1975-76 season.
For his role as Colonel Potter, Morgan received eight nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He won once. He also received an Emmy nomination for Best Director.
Harry Morgan continued playing Colonel Potter in the sequel After M*A*S*H. The show is set in a stateside Veterans Administration hospital in Missouri. Jamie Farr and William Christopher joined Morgan to continue their roles as Max Klinger and Father Mulcahy respectively.
After After M*A*S*H, Morgan mostly enjoyed guest appearances on television shows -- The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Grace Under Fire, Third Rock from the Sun, and The Simpsons.
On The Simpsons, Morgan once again reprised his role of Bill Gannon.
Badge of Honor
June 26, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy, the 1997 movie L.A. Confidential boasts an outstanding cast.
Guy Pearce.
Russell Crowe.
Kevin Spacey.
Kim Basinger.
Danny DeVito.
James Cromwell.
David Straithairn.
But it also has a treat for fans of classic television.
In the setting of 1953, the popular television show of the day is Badge of Honor, a direct nod to Dragnet.
Kevin Spacey's character of Detective Jack Vincennes is Technical Director on the show.
He's a friend of the show's star, Brett Chase. Television veteran Matt McCoy plays Chase. McCoy is probably most recognizable to Seinfeld fans from his guest appearances as Lloyd Braun, childhood rival of George Costanza.
Vincennes clearly enjoys the aura of celebrity.
In an early scene, he's dancing with a girl who is enamored with Jack's glamourous nexus to Brett Chase and the world of television.
Indeed, Vincennes is a Hollywood detective.
Badge of Honor plays a highly significant role in the relationship between Pearce's novice Detective Edmund Exley and the veteran Detective Jack Vincennes.
When Exley has to figure a scheme to rat out certain cops, he convinces the higher-ups to use Vincennes' Badge of Honor job as leverage against him so he'll testify against the bad apples in the department.
He knows Vincennes lives for the glory that the show gives him.
With the police department's threat of disallowing Vincennes' association with Badge of Honor, Vincennes agrees to testify.
Vincennes counters, however, and tells Exley he simply testified against old-timers who were close to retirement anyway. He gets to keep his Badge of Honor job. The bosses are satisfied.
Vincennes plays his Hollywood connections like Yitzhak Perlman plays the violin -- with sheer expertise.
He has an information-sharing arrangement with Sid Hudgens, a sleazy tabloid writer played by Danny DeVito.
Think Louie DePalma of Taxi with a typewriter but with more cunning, deceitfulness, and an absolute lack of morals.
Vincennes gains fame with Hollywood busts of celebrities and Hudgens increases circulation with stories of the same.
Vincennes becomes embroiled in the investigation at the heart of L.A. Confidential.
And later in the movie, we see that Jack Vincennes does a 180-degree turn with his own morals. He fatally pays for his conscience.
In L.A. Confidential, we actually see a snippet of Badge of Honor, the show within a movie. And the famous phrase attributed to its real-life counterpart appears as a clear nod -- Just the facts.
The first incarnation of Dragnet occurred in the same time frame as L.A. Confidential, 1951-1959.
david@davidkrell.com
Based on the novel of the same name by James Ellroy, the 1997 movie L.A. Confidential boasts an outstanding cast.
Guy Pearce.
Russell Crowe.
Kevin Spacey.
Kim Basinger.
Danny DeVito.
James Cromwell.
David Straithairn.
But it also has a treat for fans of classic television.
In the setting of 1953, the popular television show of the day is Badge of Honor, a direct nod to Dragnet.
Kevin Spacey's character of Detective Jack Vincennes is Technical Director on the show.
He's a friend of the show's star, Brett Chase. Television veteran Matt McCoy plays Chase. McCoy is probably most recognizable to Seinfeld fans from his guest appearances as Lloyd Braun, childhood rival of George Costanza.
Vincennes clearly enjoys the aura of celebrity.
In an early scene, he's dancing with a girl who is enamored with Jack's glamourous nexus to Brett Chase and the world of television.
Indeed, Vincennes is a Hollywood detective.
Badge of Honor plays a highly significant role in the relationship between Pearce's novice Detective Edmund Exley and the veteran Detective Jack Vincennes.
When Exley has to figure a scheme to rat out certain cops, he convinces the higher-ups to use Vincennes' Badge of Honor job as leverage against him so he'll testify against the bad apples in the department.
He knows Vincennes lives for the glory that the show gives him.
With the police department's threat of disallowing Vincennes' association with Badge of Honor, Vincennes agrees to testify.
Vincennes counters, however, and tells Exley he simply testified against old-timers who were close to retirement anyway. He gets to keep his Badge of Honor job. The bosses are satisfied.
Vincennes plays his Hollywood connections like Yitzhak Perlman plays the violin -- with sheer expertise.
He has an information-sharing arrangement with Sid Hudgens, a sleazy tabloid writer played by Danny DeVito.
Think Louie DePalma of Taxi with a typewriter but with more cunning, deceitfulness, and an absolute lack of morals.
Vincennes gains fame with Hollywood busts of celebrities and Hudgens increases circulation with stories of the same.
Vincennes becomes embroiled in the investigation at the heart of L.A. Confidential.
And later in the movie, we see that Jack Vincennes does a 180-degree turn with his own morals. He fatally pays for his conscience.
In L.A. Confidential, we actually see a snippet of Badge of Honor, the show within a movie. And the famous phrase attributed to its real-life counterpart appears as a clear nod -- Just the facts.
The first incarnation of Dragnet occurred in the same time frame as L.A. Confidential, 1951-1959.