William Petersen
Long Gone
April 19, 2010
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Long Gone is a 1987 tv-movie that first appeared on HBO.
Based on a novel by Richard Hemphill, it’s a tale about baseball, corruption, and sex centered on a minor league baseball team in Florida in the late 1950’s.
At the heart of the Tampico Stogies baseball team is Cecil “Stud” Cantrell, a long-time minor-league pitcher, manager, and slugger who almost made the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He competed with Stan Musial. Cantrell says that he hit the ball harder but Stan the Man had a prettier swing. It was at the dawn of World War II. Cantrell served his country, but war injuries prevented him from going farther than minor league ball.
William Petersen of CSI fame plays Cantrell.
His protégé is Jamie Don Weeks, played by Dermot Mulroney. At first a naive player who simply wants to play baseball, Jamie transforms into a grown man and emulates Stud’s mannerisms.
He also gets his girlfriend pregnant -- Esther Wrenn, played by Katy Boyer.
Cantrell’s girlfriend is the young but world-wise Dixie Lee Boxx, played by Virginia Madsen.
Henry Gibson plays Hale Buchman, owner of the Stogies. Teller of Penn and Teller plays his son in a rare talking performance.
Larry Riley plays Joe Louis Brown, a catcher with tremendous power. In one scene, the KKK stops the Stogies’ team bus in the middle of the night. The Stogies chase off the Klan with baseball bats and Brown knocks a burning cross to the ground with a powerful swing.
The Stogies’ chief rival is the Dothan Cardinals. J. Harrell Smythe, the Cardinals’ owner, makes Cantrell and Riley an offer. Throw a decisive game against the Cardinals. Brown gets a brand new car. Cantrell gets a contract with the Dothan Cardinals. An enticing offer for Cantrell considering he never gave up his dream of working in the Cardinals’ organization after losing a spot to Musial.
To see how the story ends, check out Long Gone if you can find it.
Long Gone may be long gone, but not forgotten.
david@davidkrell.com
Long Gone is a 1987 tv-movie that first appeared on HBO.
Based on a novel by Richard Hemphill, it’s a tale about baseball, corruption, and sex centered on a minor league baseball team in Florida in the late 1950’s.
At the heart of the Tampico Stogies baseball team is Cecil “Stud” Cantrell, a long-time minor-league pitcher, manager, and slugger who almost made the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He competed with Stan Musial. Cantrell says that he hit the ball harder but Stan the Man had a prettier swing. It was at the dawn of World War II. Cantrell served his country, but war injuries prevented him from going farther than minor league ball.
William Petersen of CSI fame plays Cantrell.
His protégé is Jamie Don Weeks, played by Dermot Mulroney. At first a naive player who simply wants to play baseball, Jamie transforms into a grown man and emulates Stud’s mannerisms.
He also gets his girlfriend pregnant -- Esther Wrenn, played by Katy Boyer.
Cantrell’s girlfriend is the young but world-wise Dixie Lee Boxx, played by Virginia Madsen.
Henry Gibson plays Hale Buchman, owner of the Stogies. Teller of Penn and Teller plays his son in a rare talking performance.
Larry Riley plays Joe Louis Brown, a catcher with tremendous power. In one scene, the KKK stops the Stogies’ team bus in the middle of the night. The Stogies chase off the Klan with baseball bats and Brown knocks a burning cross to the ground with a powerful swing.
The Stogies’ chief rival is the Dothan Cardinals. J. Harrell Smythe, the Cardinals’ owner, makes Cantrell and Riley an offer. Throw a decisive game against the Cardinals. Brown gets a brand new car. Cantrell gets a contract with the Dothan Cardinals. An enticing offer for Cantrell considering he never gave up his dream of working in the Cardinals’ organization after losing a spot to Musial.
To see how the story ends, check out Long Gone if you can find it.
Long Gone may be long gone, but not forgotten.
Gil Grissom
July 28, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Two days after Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and became the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009, another transfer of power took place.
Laurence Fishburne took over the lead role on CSI after a story arc introducing his character -- Dr. Raymond Langston, a former pathologist turned professor.
Las Vegas CSI team leader Gil Grissom met Dr. Langston when he audited one of the professor's classes where a serial killer is interviewed via satellite by students. William Petersen plays Grissom who also has a Ph.D.
Grissom's quest, as always, is to find information that will help him in a current case.
His cover is blown after he shouts a question that Langston immediately recognizes as one that would only be asked by a cop.
During his tenure on CSI, Petersen's depiction of Grissom showed a multi-layered character. Fascinated by people and their motives, psychology, and behavior, Grissom took a pure observer's role in his investigations.
One CSI episode dealt with furry fandom, a lifestyle where people dress up in full-body animal costumes and sometimes engage in sexual behavior.
While team member Catherine Willows thought the lifestyle was disgusting, Grissom looked at it as a scientist observing a subculture.
Grissom also became entranced with Lady Heather, a dominatrix played expertly by Melinda Clarke.
Clarke made several appearances on CSI that led to an ambiguous relationship between the Ph.D. entymologist turned crime solver and the dominatrix.
When Grissom walked through the CSI offices for the last time, he looked at the members of his team doing their jobs. And a smile crossed his face, telling the audience that he'll miss his co-workers but he knows they can move forward without him.
Perhaps the greatest expression of the love the team had for its leader took place as Grissom looked at Catherine Willows and Jim Brass through a window as they discussed a case in a conference room. Paul Guilfoyle plays Brass and Marg Helgenberger plays Catherine.
Played by the ageless, beautiful, and deeply talented Helgenberger, Catherine looks up and sees Grissom. She slowly winks at him and they share a smile that reveals the tremendous love, respect, and friendship linking the two veteran CSI investigators.
In the last scene, we see Grissom's destiny. He's walking through a jungle in Costa Rica with a GPS guiding him.
Grissom finds his way to a camp where he sees his former love and CSI subordinate Sara Sidle, played by Jorja Fox. Their romance initially took place in seasons past.
Fox left the show and returned for a short stint only to leave again.
Grissom and Sara embrace, thereby satisfying fans who wanted this particular case of television romance closed.
david@davidkrell.com
Two days after Barack Obama took the Oath of Office and became the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009, another transfer of power took place.
Laurence Fishburne took over the lead role on CSI after a story arc introducing his character -- Dr. Raymond Langston, a former pathologist turned professor.
Las Vegas CSI team leader Gil Grissom met Dr. Langston when he audited one of the professor's classes where a serial killer is interviewed via satellite by students. William Petersen plays Grissom who also has a Ph.D.
Grissom's quest, as always, is to find information that will help him in a current case.
His cover is blown after he shouts a question that Langston immediately recognizes as one that would only be asked by a cop.
During his tenure on CSI, Petersen's depiction of Grissom showed a multi-layered character. Fascinated by people and their motives, psychology, and behavior, Grissom took a pure observer's role in his investigations.
One CSI episode dealt with furry fandom, a lifestyle where people dress up in full-body animal costumes and sometimes engage in sexual behavior.
While team member Catherine Willows thought the lifestyle was disgusting, Grissom looked at it as a scientist observing a subculture.
Grissom also became entranced with Lady Heather, a dominatrix played expertly by Melinda Clarke.
Clarke made several appearances on CSI that led to an ambiguous relationship between the Ph.D. entymologist turned crime solver and the dominatrix.
When Grissom walked through the CSI offices for the last time, he looked at the members of his team doing their jobs. And a smile crossed his face, telling the audience that he'll miss his co-workers but he knows they can move forward without him.
Perhaps the greatest expression of the love the team had for its leader took place as Grissom looked at Catherine Willows and Jim Brass through a window as they discussed a case in a conference room. Paul Guilfoyle plays Brass and Marg Helgenberger plays Catherine.
Played by the ageless, beautiful, and deeply talented Helgenberger, Catherine looks up and sees Grissom. She slowly winks at him and they share a smile that reveals the tremendous love, respect, and friendship linking the two veteran CSI investigators.
In the last scene, we see Grissom's destiny. He's walking through a jungle in Costa Rica with a GPS guiding him.
Grissom finds his way to a camp where he sees his former love and CSI subordinate Sara Sidle, played by Jorja Fox. Their romance initially took place in seasons past.
Fox left the show and returned for a short stint only to leave again.
Grissom and Sara embrace, thereby satisfying fans who wanted this particular case of television romance closed.