Angel the Chessmaster
jcollins25
Little Chicken."
This game's over, man. You got to move your boss or Rocky's going to lay a
subpoena on him.
I mean his torpedo, he's going to smoke your old lady and all your heavies will
be doing time. Except for maybe your mouthpiece and Rocky's sheriff's got him
put in the corner. You got nothing left except punks and junkies. You're
through, Jimmy.
j.r._johnson
This WAS a great scene! First of all, it was surprising to me that
Angel would even know about chess in the first place. But, that
description was *pure* Angel. Hilarious!
Thanks for transcribing it Joe.
Johnny
JosephLoya
Can anyone confirm my vague recollection that Angel had a rather odd
pronunciation for "subpoena"?
Another Joe.
jcollins25
>pronunciation for "subpoena"?
Yes, Angle did have an odd pronounciation... something like "supeeny."
I transcribed it from a video recording (I tape the midnight CT showing on
TVLand and watch it the next evening). Unfortunately, I taped over the last
few minutes of Angel's "eulogy." Does anyone else have it?
As you may have noticed, "Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken" is perhaps my
favorite episode. Among the many reasons are three of the best pieces of TV
writing in any show... Angel's chess analysis, Chet Sierra's urban
horticulturalist soliloquy, and Angel's eulogy.
A hat trick!
jcollins25
>This WAS a great scene! First of all, it was surprising to me that
>Angel would even know about chess in the first place. But, that
>description was *pure* Angel. Hilarious!
Since Angel's sister was married to Aaron Kiel, the publisher of an LA daily
and the eventual police commissioner, is it possible that Angel was the
prodigal son of a good family? If so, perhaps he had a refined childhood and
knew chess. Don't forget, in "The No Cut Contract" he knew that "Sturtevant"
was a Dutch name and that the Dutch settled South Africa. Not many low lifes
would know that.
Until recently, I was a public defender. There aren't too many bright
criminals. that's why they're criminals.
j.r._johnson
Very good point. That's quite possible. Of course, I suppose he
*could* have picked it up in the joint. While most of the people
there are doing good to play checkers, still people like Jim were
there and I know he didn't sit around playing checkers all the time.
BTW, Joe, I DO have a copy of "Chicken Little" on tape that I can
try to transcribe the eulogy from. Earlier, I was so intent on
watching the exchange of the brief cases that I never got to hear it
all myself. I'll see what I can get on this sometime this weekend.
Johny
Adam H. Kerman
>Until recently, I was a public defender. There aren't too many bright
>criminals. that's why they're criminals.
At least that's why they're caught.
Weltanscha
Am I the only one who thought this was *way* too clever to be spoken by a
fast-talking human in real time? Every time I hear Angel's bit it just screams
out at me: Angel's reading a script. Angel's reading a script.
- Tom
Righter
"Weltanscha" <welta...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020712062539...@mb-fl.aol.com...
No WAY. Angel had the gift of gab, that was nothing new. That he knew all
that prison talk and was still actively using it in everyday discourse
wasn't a surprise either. I still remember the first time I heard it. And
yes, it was terribly clever, but even though Angel had a screw loose, he was
fairly intelligent, and new how to throw a few words together and make them
work. I just laughed at it, and accepted it as vintage Angel.
jcollins25
>> Am I the only one who thought this was *way* too clever to be spoken by a
>> fast-talking human in real time? Every time I hear Angel's bit it just
>screams
>> out at me: Angel's reading a script. Angel's reading a script.
>>
>> - Tom
>>
>
>No WAY. Angel had the gift of gab, that was nothing new. That he knew all
>that prison talk and was still actively using it in everyday discourse
>wasn't a surprise either. I still remember the first time I heard it. And
>yes, it was terribly clever, but even though Angel had a screw loose, he was
>fairly intelligent, and new how to throw a few words together and make them
>work. I just laughed at it, and accepted it as vintage Angel.
>
Don't forget all the cons Angel worked with Jim where he played diamond
appraisers or European butlers. Angel had a gift for language and
impersonation.
Gary Moheban
> jcoll...@aol.com (jcollins25) wrote:
> >Here's Angel's analysis of Jim and Rocky's chess game in "Chicken Little
Is a Little Chicken." ... <snip>
> Am I the only one who thought this was *way* too clever to be spoken by a
fast-talking human in real time? Every time I hear Angel's bit it just
screams out at me: Angel's reading a script. Angel's reading a script.
Also keep in mind that Angel spent many years in prison (at San Quentin and
several other institutions) where inmates have plenty of time and not enough
activity to occupy it. It would therefore not surprise me that Angel spent
many hours playing chess in prison and became fairly knowledgable in the
game. He did use "street words" to describe the various chess pieces, and
that was believable.
Having said all that, I do see your point and I did also think it sounded a
bit scripted the first time I heard it. Angel walks in and within seconds
he has analyzed the chess board and delivered his eloquent play by play.
But I didn't have a problem with it. Time compression and dramatic effect
are necessary in a television series. Without it, the show becomes a
documentary.
Bill Anderson
If you want to get really technical, Rocky captures a pawn but moving it
to another square. And I believe the chess pieces are in different
positions between scenes.
Bill Anderson
bcnmason
"Bill Anderson" <bil...@primenet.com> wrote in message
news:3D3939A8...@primenet.com...
>
> If you want to get really technical, Rocky captures a pawn but moving it
> to another square. And I believe the chess pieces are in different
> positions between scenes.
>
> Bill Anderson
Now, who do we blame for that oversight,....the prop department, or was
there an actual game taking place between scenes that we were not aware of?
Given the year, that would leave Rob off the hook, as far as the prop end of
it goes anyhow. Classic Angel dialogue!
Brian
Bill Anderson
I don't think anybody on staff at time could really play chess, and it
showed...
The Angel dialogue is simply a classic...
...but people are forgetting the best line of all.
When leaving the police station, Angel wouldn't give a full explanation
of what just occurred to Jim, citing "a bad case of the Fifth Amendment."