Manett

[William R.]

TRF has a several hoodlums with similar sounding names throughout the
series:

1) "Lions & Tigers" - Tommy MANETT
2) "Alligators" - Joseph MANETT
3) "Sleight of Hand" - Vince MINETTE
4) "Kirkoff Case" - Muzzy VINETTE
5) "Chicken Little" - Marty FRISHETTE

Best guess is that there is someone in real life, with a name like any of
the above, that had some role in Jim Garner's life, or in the
creation/production of TRF. Couldn't find any clues in the Robertson book.

Does anyone have any information on this?

Thanks in advance,
William R.

P.S.: some of the above actors have Italian real names, but play French
named goons. Can't figure that one out either.

[AGCLARKSON]

Wiliam R writes: "TRF has several hoodlums with similar names...."

IMO good across-eps observations!

I've vaguely noticed this nominal similarity--in fact, before your list I kept
thinking that in a few cases, especially "Manett," it might have been one guy.

I have no real info on the "why" of these similarities.

Haven't checked into which writers wrote which eps.

But suspect strongly there was close coordination--perhaps a few story
conferences?--among the teleplay authors.

Lately especially, it seems to me, the Berlin Wall, Warehouse, Food Humor etc
consistencies we've been noting are interesting.

"Motifs" or recurring devices and themes across the nevertheless diverse eps.

I find these interesting.

[William R.]

One thing is for sure. Even the aforementioned French sounding names sound
more appropriate for mobsters that does the notorious Tuner Watson.

William R.

"AGCLARKSON" <agcla...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040904125106...@mb-m27.aol.com...

[Erich Wise]

"William R." <wer...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:RQyZc.231701$Oi.104368@fed1read04...

I had assumed that the Minettes were related, sort of like the Sopranos.
When Patsy first mentions the name Joseph Manette in "To Protect and Serve",
Jim answers, "Of the Manette family?" Maybe he was speaking literally as
well as figuratively. Why else use the same name over?

But what about Moss and Ross? In the first season there were Melvyn Moss in
"The Big Ripoff"; Moss Williams in "Counter Gambit"; Edward Moss in
"Roundabout"; Floyd Ross in "Say Goodbye to Jennifer" and another Ross in
"The Four Pound Brick."

There were characters named "B.J." in "Caledonia, It's Worth a Fortune," one
in "The House on Willis Avenue" and another in "Never Send a Boy King...",
plus a relative of "Cousin Lou" is named B.J. in the phone message of
"Resurrection in Black and White."

[AGCLARKSON]

William R, Erich Wise et al.:

Moss, Ross, BJ, Manett, Minette, Vinette, Frishette...

This is funny. Good cross checks.

Just a coupla guesses (whimsical) as to the "why":

Maybe if you're writing teleplays to deadline & you're good writers, then:

i) If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Maybe just rhyme it sometimes.

Plus writers' fun: Hey look, I rhymed a new mobster off your old one. Or: I
kept the name chain going.

ii) "subliminal" reinforcement of viewer expectations ("unities") across eps.
Or something like that.

(i) and (ii) can coexist, I guess.

So: maybe "Tuner Watson" led to a short paycheck for that writer.

[Bill Anderson]

AGCLARKSON wrote:

>
> So: maybe "Tuner Watson" led to a short paycheck for that writer.

That would have been the episode "White on White and Nearly Perfect",
the introduction of Lance White.

That would have been Stephen Cannell himself who wrote it.

No paycheck worries for him <g>.

Bill

[William R.]

There was no live actor that played Joseph Manett in "Protect & Serve", but
there were references to him and his family. In both this and "Alligators",
Manett employed Tony Gagglio and Syl.

Speaking of Syl .... the writers may have given him two lives. If memory
serves me right, Syl was shot dead at the marina in "Protect & Serve". As
Becker was chewing out Lianne Sweeney, he was alluding to the unnecessary
death (Syl's?) that was due to her interference. Somehow Syl bounced back
to make an appearance in "Alligators".

My only explanation is that maybe the police thought at first that Syl was
shot dead, but he really was just badly wounded.

William R.

"Erich Wise" <epw...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:Ceq_c.553361$Gx4.2...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

[AGCLARKSON]

Bill Anderson writes: "No paycheck worries for Cannell (in creating Tuner
Watson)."

Good humorous stuff.

Yeah, since it's Cannell, you're right.

But just wait until Marty Frishette and the Manett's find out Stephen's put a
Scotch-Irish wiseguy in an ep, too!

A familial insult leading to fatal payback intentions reminiscent of those of
the social-climbing hood in his Rolls publically humiliated at his Hollywood
debutante party by the Pleshette Dwarf.

And hey: Pleshette. Frishette.

Hmmm.

Yet another minor inconsistency in TRF?

Well, not really.

Anyway, back to Scotch-Irish mobsters. British-Isles-lineal mobsters may be
deadly, but somehow....

Anyway, to return even further back to my original topic after these digressing
flights:

I figure that last full paycheck of Cannell's despite Tuner won't carry Stephen
too far in the Witness Protection Program.

BTW: Maybe it was decided by TPTB against mobster-stereotyping Marty's last
name.

It'd have been easy by ending it not with the existing "e" but with an "i"
(not to mention doing the same with "Ross") and ending Manette with instead of
the "e" an "a."

Ditto most other TRF mobsters/wiseguys.

But just avoiding the stereoptype with French-sounding wise guy names--seems in
line with TRF as a latterday hipper version of the PI storyline.

Enough already.

[Tony DeAngelo]

Robertson mentioned this in his book. He said that the "Manett"
character was a reference to Larry Manetti. To de-tune the Italianess
of it (didn't want to rile the Sons of Italy) they made it "Manett".

I've noticed several recurring character names, such as Roland Clementi
(showed up in a "Kolchak" ep written by David Chase) and Dick Gautier's
character "Carl Brego" (an homage to John D. Mac Donalds Travis McGee).