Wild Wild West TV Series DVD question
Alric Knebel
WILD WEST, the TV series from the 60s. One of the extra features is
what they're calling the rediscovered original animation for the opening
sequence. Anyone who's seen that show remembers that animation, where a
central figure in western clothes -- looking nothing like James West in
sartorial or attitudinal style, but representative of him nonetheless --
which takes on one after the other the animated figures in the squares
around him. A man wielding a pistol backs out of a bar and bumps into
"West," who immediately responds by foiling his escape. Then one by one
a similar thing occurs from the other squares. The last square in the
lower right-hand features a woman. "West" invades that square, grabs
the woman, and kisses her. She responds at first, then behind his back
she unsheathes a knife and attempts to plunge it into his back. He
spins her away -- and this is the critical part -- and then he PUNCHES
her, and she sprawls back into the square. He returns to his own
square, turns on his heel, and recedes. The thing is, I don't remember
it any other way, episode after episode, for the entire run of the
series. But on these DVDs, each episode begins almost the same, except
when he gets to the woman with the knife. Here he responds to her
threat by spinning her away from him, and she slumps against the inside
of the frame of her square.
There is a special feature on the first disc that claims that they've
located the "original" opening animation, and it's featured ONLY on the
pilot episode of the set. In fact, in this pilot episode the style of
the bumper animation -- I'm talking about where a cliffhanger scene
becomes a still picture, then we pull back from the scene, and it
replaces one of the animated figures in the square of the opening
sequence -- is entirely different in style. It becomes a drawing in the
style matching that of the opening sequence, while in further episodes
it's a black & white picture rendered to resemble an etching. After
that pilot episode, all of the other episodes have what looks to me like
a newer opening sequence, with the woman only slumping against her
frame.
What I want to know is, am I remembering this correctly? Didn't the
West figure slug that woman all the time in those years for the first
run? I mean, it seems like I wouldn't have remembered it all these
years if it had happened only once. When the package claimed that the
original opening animation had been recovered, I thought they were
talking about some obscure thing that never made it into any final
print. But now it seems as if they're talking about the original
opening sequence that was somehow removed in later airings, perhaps in
syndication. Maybe the idea of an animated West slugging a woman was
considered too violent in more enlightened times, and was altered. If
that's the case, then this set doesn't restore the episodes to their
original broadcast presentation. That is, if I'm remembering correctly.
Thanks in advance to anyone who knows anything about this.
--
______________________________________________
Alric Knebel
http://www.ironeyefortress.com/C-SPAN_loon.html
http://www.ironeyefortress.com
Uniblab
"Alric Knebel" <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote in message
news:12uk7oh...@corp.supernews.com...
>A couple of weeks ago, I bought the first season DVD set of THE WILD WILD
>WEST, the TV series from the 60s. One of the extra features is what
>they're calling the rediscovered original animation for the opening
>sequence. Anyone who's seen that show remembers that animation, where a
>central figure in western clothes -- looking nothing like James West in
>sartorial or attitudinal style, but representative of him nonetheless --
> which takes on one after the other the animated figures in the squares
> around him. A man wielding a pistol backs out of a bar and bumps into
> "West," who immediately responds by foiling his escape. Then one by one a
> similar thing occurs from the other squares. The last square in the lower
> right-hand features a woman. "West" invades that square, grabs the woman,
> and kisses her. She responds at first, then behind his back she
> unsheathes a knife and attempts to plunge it into his back. He spins her
> away -- and this is the critical part -- and then he PUNCHES her, and she
> sprawls back into the square. He returns to his own square, turns on his
> heel, and recedes. The thing is, I don't remember it any other way,
> episode after episode, for the entire run of the series. But on these
> DVDs, each episode begins almost the same, except when he gets to the
> woman with the knife. Here he responds to her threat by spinning her away
> from him, and she slumps against the inside of the frame of her square.
>
without punching her. In the color opening from seasons 2-4, he punches her.
It's always been this way, as far as I know.
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Micky DuPree
: "Alric Knebel" <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote in message
: news:12uk7oh...@corp.supernews.com...
:: But on these DVDs, each episode begins almost the same, except when
:: he gets to the woman with the knife. Here he responds to her threat
:: by spinning her away from him, and she slumps against the inside of
:: the frame of her square.
:
: In the B&W opening from the first season, West turns away from the
: woman without punching her. In the color opening from seasons 2-4, he
: punches her. It's always been this way, as far as I know.
My memory is the same. In the first season (the black-and-white
episodes), West just tips his hat and turns away after the kiss. The
woman is overcome by the expertise of the kiss and slumps against the
wall. In all the subsequent seasons (the color episodes), West belts
her and she ends up sprawled out on her keyster. I've never heard an
explanation for the change. Women's lib? I thought the first version
was funnier, though, spoofing the axiomatic seductiveness of James Bond.
(How many times did West convert/subvert an evil henchwoman in the
series via pitching a woo?)
Hey, are there any interviews or audio commentaries on the DVDs?
-Micky
EGK
Robert Conrad has some audio commentaries before episodes. I was looking
forward to this DVD and rented it via Netflix. I was sorely disappointed.
It was one of those best left to memory as they seemed awfully repetitious.
I couldn't even make it through them all. By far the best episodes were
the ones with his arch nemesis Dr Loveless.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"There would be a lot more civility in this world if people
didn't take that as an invitation to walk all over you"
(Calvin and Hobbes)
Anim8rFSK
MDu...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply (Micky DuPree) wrote:
Yeah, but they need to be avoided. Basically each episode starts with
Conrad saying stuff like "be sure to watch for the shock surprise ending
when Uniblab is unmasked and revealed to be special guest star Mickey
Dupree" -- um, I didn't want to hear that FIRST, and if I watched, I
didn't need to hear that AFTER, and there's no chapter mark for the
start of the actual show, so you have to just mute the into and sit
through a still art card.
>
> -Micky
Alric Knebel
About that opening, like I said, the very first episode had the sequence
in which the woman is knocked down. I never knew it was any different,
so your memory is better than mine in that regard. You might be right
about the second season and further. The animation for the menu of each
disc has the opening sequence in color, as I originally remembered it,
with the woman being knocked out. Maybe you're right. And I'm assuming
you mean women's liberation later made it permissible to punch out a bad
woman, just as you would a man.
As to your question, there are no commentaries, but, as the other poster
in this thread noted, Robert Conrad has an audio introduction for each
episode, and sometimes shares little tidbits. For instance, Ross Martin
was a trained violinist. I'm only up to the third disc, so I can't say
what all the extra features are in the rest of the disc, but there were
audio interviews with some of the creative background people, and there
was a segment from a daytime talk show in which Robert Conrad and Ross
Martin discussed an upcoming made-for-TV comeback. The appearance on
this talk show was after 1980, after Conrad had starred in CENTENNIAL.
I don't know what other features are on the last couple of discs.
I do want to say, contrary to the other man in this thread, I found that
I truly liked this show after all. The first episode was good, and it
was followed by a couple not so good. Then the series really hit its
stride, with a slight science-fiction feel to it (a feature I distinctly
remember), such as the episode about a cannon that shoots fire and a man
seriously injured in the Civil War who rebuilds himself from metal. I'm
not sure, but I think further ahead there will be the episode about the
villain who melts diamonds (I think), and drinks the concoction, which
gives him the ability to move faster than the human eye can see.
In retrospect, I remember really loving this show in its initial run.
Then later as I settled comfortably into my teens, I got too cool for
it. For some reason, I came to think Conrad was somewhat of a
tight-ass. Now I'm looking at things differently, and when I saw the
entire set for a mere $20, I jumped on it. I mean, come on, at twenty
bucks, that's a fair price to satisfy my curiosity. After watching
three of the discs, I realize that Robert Conrad was an incredible
athlete, and he really was cool after all. Not only that, in the
segment on the talk show, he revealed himself to be a warm and funny
guy. This is a side I never saw before. If you liked the show then, I
think you'd like this set. I don't know what other features are
included on the remaining discs, but the picture quality is terrific and
it's just a nice trip to take. I think I'm going to buy the second
season.
I do know this. After watching now several different DVD collections (I
also bought the first season of DEADWOOD, the first season MISSION:
IMPOSSIBLE, and the first season THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; and watched
the entire first season BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, SMALLVILLE, and ROME),
the production values for modern TV adventure and drama series are much,
much higher.
Alric Knebel
As soon as the card appears, hit "play." You don't have to hit "mute"
or anything else. The intro is avoided. But I listen anyway, because I
want to hear what he's got to say. He sometimes includes bits of trivia
I find interesting.
Invid Fan
<MDu...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply> wrote:
I think the network made them make the change to the kiss for the first
season, but once the show was a hit the creators went back to the
original opening.
> Hey, are there any interviews or audio commentaries on the DVDs?
>
Last disk has lots of extras. I seem to recall a commentary on the
first episode, although my memory could be bad.
--
Chris Mack "Refugee, total shit. That's how I've always seen us.
'Invid Fan' Not a help, you'll admit, to agreement between us."
-'Deal/No Deal', CHESS
WQ
> In article <esdnae$pg...@pcls4.std.com>, Micky DuPree
>
>
>
> <MDuP...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply> wrote:
--- The pilot episode I bought a few years ago of the VHS copy, that I
guess predates the DVD, has only the kiss, no punch.
Anim8rFSK
Invid Fan <in...@localnet.com> wrote:
Here's the complete list of extras:
Disc One
Night of the Inferno - Audio Commentary by Robert Conrad
Extras
Ross Martin Sketch€Original Pilot Opening and Bumpers€Pilot Promo
Audio Interviews: Audio Interview: John Kneubuhl (writer, created Dr.
Loveless) and Ethyl Winant (casting)
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Disc 2
Intro Blooper
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Audio Interview: Little Fredy Freiberger, the man who intentionally
made bad television
Disc 3
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Audio Interview: Audio Interview: John Kneubuhl (writer, created Dr.
Loveless)
Robert Conrad and Ross Martin on EVERY DAY
Disc 4
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Disc 5
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Audio Interview: Tim Smyth (special effects)
Disc 6
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Audio Interview: John Kneubuhl (writer, created Dr. Loveless)
Disc 7
Audio Interview: John Kneubuhl, writer, created Dr. Loveless
Robert Conrad Audio Intros
Network Promo
Theme Scoring Sessions
Audio Interview: Richard Markowitz (music)
Everyready Commercial
Photo Gallery
>"Alric Knebel" <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote in message
> One of the extra features is what
>they're calling the rediscovered original animation for the opening
>sequence.
I don't see anything like that listed at all. Unless he means THE NIGHT
OF THE INFERNO
and
son of a gun
In the original pilot animation, where it's just called THE WILD WEST,
he does punch the woman.
In all the aired B&W episodes, he kisses her.
Then in color goes back to knocking her on her can.
How about that?
John Duncan Yoyo
>Robert Conrad has some audio commentaries before episodes. I was looking
>forward to this DVD and rented it via Netflix. I was sorely disappointed.
>It was one of those best left to memory as they seemed awfully repetitious.
>I couldn't even make it through them all. By far the best episodes were
>the ones with his arch nemesis Dr Loveless.
My favorite thing about WWW was the fight scenes. If you watch
closely it was often the same three guys. The red headed guy, Red West
was in 29 as a hench man, He also ended up on two Robert Conrad shows
Baa Baa Blacksheep and The Duke.
--
John Duncan Yoyo
------------------------------o)
Brought to you by the Binks for Senate campaign comittee.
Coruscant is far, far away from wesa on Naboo.
Anim8rFSK
John Duncan Yoyo <john-dun...@cox.net> wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:06:11 -0500, EGK <m...@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
> >Robert Conrad has some audio commentaries before episodes. I was looking
> >forward to this DVD and rented it via Netflix. I was sorely disappointed.
> >It was one of those best left to memory as they seemed awfully repetitious.
> >I couldn't even make it through them all. By far the best episodes were
> >the ones with his arch nemesis Dr Loveless.
>
> My favorite thing about WWW was the fight scenes. If you watch
> closely it was often the same three guys. The red headed guy, Red West
> was in 29 as a hench man, He also ended up on two Robert Conrad shows
> Baa Baa Blacksheep and The Duke.
One of those things I never noticed the first several viewings, but once
you know Red West from Black Sheep, you see him all OVER TW3.
John Duncan Yoyo
wrote:
That's when I noticed him as well. He still seems to be still getting
work as well.
Anim8rFSK
John Duncan Yoyo <john-dun...@cox.net> wrote:
> On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:34:45 -0700, Anim8rFSK <ANIM...@cox.net>
> wrote:
>
> >In article <k26qu21ed0odnh68p...@4ax.com>,
> > John Duncan Yoyo <john-dun...@cox.net> wrote:
> >
> >> On Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:06:11 -0500, EGK <m...@privacy.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> >Robert Conrad has some audio commentaries before episodes. I was
> >> >looking
> >> >forward to this DVD and rented it via Netflix. I was sorely
> >> >disappointed.
> >> >It was one of those best left to memory as they seemed awfully
> >> >repetitious.
> >> >I couldn't even make it through them all. By far the best episodes were
> >> >the ones with his arch nemesis Dr Loveless.
> >>
> >> My favorite thing about WWW was the fight scenes. If you watch
> >> closely it was often the same three guys. The red headed guy, Red West
> >> was in 29 as a hench man, He also ended up on two Robert Conrad shows
> >> Baa Baa Blacksheep and The Duke.
> >
> >One of those things I never noticed the first several viewings, but once
> >you know Red West from Black Sheep, you see him all OVER TW3.
>
> That's when I noticed him as well. He still seems to be still getting
> work as well.
cool. I didn't really start noticing the whole crew until after I read
the 'making of' TW3 book.
Beowulfie
> On Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:06:11 -0500, EGK <m...@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>>Robert Conrad has some audio commentaries before episodes. I was looking
>>forward to this DVD and rented it via Netflix. I was sorely disappointed.
>>It was one of those best left to memory as they seemed awfully repetitious.
>>I couldn't even make it through them all. By far the best episodes were
>>the ones with his arch nemesis Dr Loveless.
>
Those Loveless episodes are the main reason I'm buying the series. Loved
Michael Dunn as the not-so-good doctor!
Anim8rFSK
Beowulfie <eni...@hotmail.com> wrote:
TV Loveless rocked!
Movie Loveless . . . not so much. :\
Beowulfie
Ok, you mean the Will Smith fiasco, right?
The TV movies they made had Paul Williams as the Loveless, Junior. I'm
longtime fan of Mr. Williams and while he wasn't Michael Dunn, he was
fun in the role of his son.
Anim8rFSK
Beowulfie <eni...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Yes, he was an inspired choice. And Jo Ann Harris as his sister, with
whom he seemed to have an Angelina Jolie brand of sibling relationship
with. roooowwwwwrrrr
Williams rocks. Phantom of the Paradise is still a great movie. Saw
him in concert and girls were throwing roses on the stage. :)
hobb...@yahoo.com
> In article <12usd4eanrc1...@corp.supernews.com>,> > > In article <12us1ftcm47h...@corp.supernews.com>,
I have the Season 1 DVD. Have only screened the first disc. Ah, the
memories. I remember seeing this in syndication when I was a kid, and
yes, they did change the scene with the woman where he punched her
when they went to color. Never understood why they did it then, but
today, it'd be edited out by the PC police.
I had bought individual VHS tapes of "Night of the Inferno" and one
other ep cheap about a year and a half ago, then sold them last year
in anticipation of getting the DVD. The movie w/Will Smith & Kevin
Kline didn't work because no one bought into Smith as West. Had they
cast, say, George Clooney as West to go with Kline, it might've
worked.
J. C. Gilbert
Anim8rFSK
"hobb...@yahoo.com" <hobb...@yahoo.com> wrote:
I've got the first DVD set, and the second one's one pre-order.
Unfortunately I had trouble getting viewing accomplices for the B&W
episodes. I'm hoping that will turn around with the color shows.
I don't thing WWW would have worked no matter who they cast. You'd have
needed another writer and director. It's stupid they didn't get
somebody like Richard Donner, who cut his teeth on the original, and is
now a big time movie director. And wanted to do it.
puzzlr
<hobb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1173278364.4...@h3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I had bought individual VHS tapes of "Night of the Inferno" and one
> other ep cheap about a year and a half ago, then sold them last year
> in anticipation of getting the DVD. The movie w/Will Smith & Kevin
> Kline didn't work because no one bought into Smith as West. Had they
> cast, say, George Clooney as West to go with Kline, it might've
> worked.
I dunno. I would keep Smith and lose Kline. The guy overacts all the time.
Sheesh
Puzz
Anim8rFSK
"puzzlr" <puz...@usa.net> wrote:
I still say the problem is the script. Since when do West and Arti not
LIKE each other?
Alric Knebel
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE: I have only seen a bad late-night broadcasting
of this movie, and found it odd, but very, very good, with some fine
rock music. I see there's a DVD out for it. Have you seen it, and, if
so, was it a good transfer?
Alric Knebel
That's so true. Smith phoned it in, as they say. He's always Smith,
which is sort of too cool and too smug. And then there's the more
obvious thing, that he was black. I knew then that the people behind it
weren't thinking of this as an opportunity to apply a big-budget
treatment to high concept TV show that was hampered by TV-sized budgets.
It would instead accent the passing humor and coolness. Which, of
course, they did. Smith once again played Smith to everyone else's
dumbed-down presence. It's a shame, because the set design, special
effects, and outlandish madman did the show honor, in that it focused
more on the Jules Verne-like science fiction elements of the better
episodes. With its bigger budget, the movie visually and plot-wise had
it going on. The sad part is, once this was committed to celluloid, we
won't see a better adaptation for years to come, if at all. In other
words, that was the shot, and they squandered it. It became a Will
Smith vehicle.
After I bought these DVDs, I went to IMDb to read up on Conrad. The
year the Smith movie came out, it won a host of Razzies, and Conrad, to
express his displeasure at what was done with the source material,
accepted the awards and gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the film.
I've seen a mention here abouts that a sequel was considered, and just
recently. Of course, it would be the actors and director. Let's hope
not. If we get far enough away from it, maybe a second big-screen
adaptation will be possible, a kind of BATMAN BEGINS thing.
Alric Knebel
Actually, I thought the plot was pretty comparable to the TV series, and
it felt like a big-budget adaptation. It failed in the casting of Will
Smith, and possibly Sonnenfeld as director. Sonnenfeld enjoys the
comedic smirk too much.
John Duncan Yoyo
<alric@[cableone.net]> wrote:
>PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE: I have only seen a bad late-night broadcasting
>of this movie, and found it odd, but very, very good, with some fine
>rock music. I see there's a DVD out for it. Have you seen it, and, if
>so, was it a good transfer?
>
The DVD is only $4.97 at Amazon. The reviews didn't complain about
the transfer.
Anim8rFSK
John Duncan Yoyo <john-dun...@cox.net> wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Mar 2007 06:24:39 -0600, Alric Knebel
> <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote:
>
> >PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE: I have only seen a bad late-night broadcasting
> >of this movie, and found it odd, but very, very good, with some fine
> >rock music. I see there's a DVD out for it. Have you seen it, and, if
> >so, was it a good transfer?
> >
> The DVD is only $4.97 at Amazon. The reviews didn't complain about
> the transfer.
I haven't watched it in years. I know the laser transfer was messed up;
it was pan & scan except for when they absolutely couldn't, and then it
switched to letterbox, and then back, which was really frelling stupid.
But for $5 I'd absolutely grab it on DVD. I love that movie.
Beowulfie
I've got it on dvd and I have no problem with the look of the movie. It
looks good as far as I'm concerned.
Anim8rFSK
Beowulfie <eni...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Besides, it's not like we're going to get a Criterion special edition.
:(
Beowulfie
But we'll get that about the same time we get a special edition Blade
Runner or Lady Hawke.
Anim8rFSK
Beowulfie <eni...@hotmail.com> wrote:
LOL, um, I've had a special edition blade runner for awhile now. :D
puzzlr
"Alric Knebel" <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote in message
news:12v010c...@corp.supernews.com...
> hobb...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> I had bought individual VHS tapes of "Night of the Inferno" and one
>> other ep cheap about a year and a half ago, then sold them last year
>> in anticipation of getting the DVD. The movie w/Will Smith & Kevin
>> Kline didn't work because no one bought into Smith as West. Had they
>> cast, say, George Clooney as West to go with Kline, it might've
>> worked.
>
> That's so true. Smith phoned it in, as they say. He's always Smith,
> which is sort of too cool and too smug.
Wasn't that Conrads' schtick as well? He was always the cool, macho guy to
Artemis' cerebral approach.
> And then there's the more obvious thing, that he was black.
Huh? I thought it was covered that there had been black spys during the
Civil War and that perhaps, they had continued with the service. A service,
if memory serves, was created after Lincoln was shot. I had no problem with
him being black or with him being Smith. It wasn't like the original was
Shakespeare.
> After I bought these DVDs, I went to IMDb to read up on Conrad. The year
> the Smith movie came out, it won a host of Razzies, and Conrad, to express
> his displeasure at what was done with the source material, accepted the
> awards and gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the film.
>
More like his huge ego couldn't accept the fact that he wasn't asked to
reprise his role. I got that vibe from him at the time.
Puzz
Anim8rFSK
"puzzlr" <puz...@usa.net> wrote:
Massively untrue. He was asked to appear in the film and turned it down
because he thought Peters was an idiot and the film would be an
abomination, both of which are true. Smart money is they'd have had him
play President Grant.
>
>
> Puzz
Micky DuPree
: Micky DuPree wrote:
:: In the first season (the black-and-white episodes), West just tips
:: his hat and turns away after the kiss. The woman is overcome by the
:: expertise of the kiss and slumps against the wall. In all the
:: subsequent seasons (the color episodes), West belts her and she ends
:: up sprawled out on her keyster. I've never heard an explanation for
:: the change. Women's lib?
<snip>
: Maybe you're right. And I'm assuming you mean women's liberation
: later made it permissible to punch out a bad woman, just as you would
: a man.
Exactly, safety before chivalry. (And would you refuse to use physical
force against Dr. Loveless because it wouldn't be "sporting" to
overmatch a little person? Hell no! He's dangerous!) I never realized
that the producers had the punch opening planned all along, while it was
the network that was timid about it and lagging behind trends in
society.
: As to your question, there are no commentaries, but, as the other
: poster in this thread noted, Robert Conrad has an audio introduction
: for each episode, and sometimes shares little tidbits. For instance,
: Ross Martin was a trained violinist.
Huh. I didn't know that.
: I do want to say, contrary to the other man in this thread, I found
: that I truly liked this show after all.
I did too, but I think that if one isn't already familiar with it from
one's childhood/adolescence, then it won't play all that well with a
brand-new audience. The Loveless episodes stand up well, but the rest
of them need that added boost that nostalgia brings.
: Then the series really hit its stride, with a slight science-fiction
: feel to it (a feature I distinctly remember), such as the episode
: about a cannon that shoots fire and a man seriously injured in the
: Civil War who rebuilds himself from metal.
The only science-fiction espionage western buddy flick spoof ever. :)
(Well, I suppose _Brisco County, Jr._ had its moments.)
: For some reason, I came to think Conrad was somewhat of a tight-ass.
I've heard that you don't want to get on his bad side. Not for nothing
was he cast as G. Gordon Liddy.
: Now I'm looking at things differently, and when I saw the entire set
: for a mere $20, I jumped on it. I mean, come on, at twenty bucks,
: that's a fair price to satisfy my curiosity. After watching three of
: the discs, I realize that Robert Conrad was an incredible athlete, and
: he really was cool after all. Not only that, in the segment on the
: talk show, he revealed himself to be a warm and funny guy.
I no longer remember the source, but I remember Conrad appearing on a
talk show once and being asked a question something along the lines of,
"Was doing your own stunts what made _The Wild Wild West_?" And Conrad
replied, "An actor called Ross Martin was what 'made' _The Wild Wild
West_." Conrad's a generous team player, in spite of his pugnacious
reputation.
: If you liked the show then, I think you'd like this set. I don't know
: what other features are included on the remaining discs, but the
: picture quality is terrific and it's just a nice trip to take. I
: think I'm going to buy the second season.
The problem is that I have seen the series as an adult now, so I'd be
interested in the extras rather than in the episodes themselves. It
sounds like the sort of thing I'd borrow in an instant, but probably not
spring for.
: I do know this. After watching now several different DVD collections
: (I also bought the first season of DEADWOOD, the first season MISSION:
: IMPOSSIBLE, and the first season THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; and
: watched the entire first season BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, SMALLVILLE,
: and ROME), the production values for modern TV adventure and drama
: series are much, much higher.
Different times, different standards, different budgets. If you look at
some of the acknowledged masterpieces of cinema, the old tricks like
back projection and painted scenery stand out a mile, but at the time,
people bought it completely. You could never get away with those things
today. I personally end up grading on two scales: good for its time and
good for all time.
Some of the later eps. of _The Wild Wild West_ were so minimalist as to
be obviously shot with spotlights on a mostly empty soundstage, but I
thought that the period art design, props, and wardrobe for the first
season were surprisingly convincing for a TV show, and the bits of
harpischord (clavichord?) music were a nice touch. I don't think it was
until later that they spray-painted Conrad into what he called the
demented toreador costume. (Or as the mother of my high-school buddy
once remarked as we were watching the show, "If he farts, he'll blow his
shoes off.")
-Micky
Anim8rFSK
MDu...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply (Micky DuPree) wrote:
> I no longer remember the source, but I remember Conrad appearing on a
> talk show once and being asked a question something along the lines of,
> "Was doing your own stunts what made _The Wild Wild West_?" And Conrad
> replied, "An actor called Ross Martin was what 'made' _The Wild Wild
> West_." Conrad's a generous team player, in spite of his pugnacious
> reputation.
He wrote that in reply to a typically inane TV Guide article, where they
said that Conrad 'carried' the show. He wrote in that TW3 didn't NEED
carrying, and that, if anybody did in fact carry it, it was Ross Martin.
Stan Brown
<MDu...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply>:
> The only science-fiction espionage western buddy flick spoof ever. :)
> (Well, I suppose _Brisco County, Jr._ had its moments.)
As did /Firefly/.
--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
"You may be the Universe's butt puppet, but I'm its right-
hand fist of fate." -- /Wonderfalls/
Beowulfie
Yeah, I've got the "Director's Cut" but they have been talking for years
now about a double disc special edition being released. Like Legend.
Anim8rFSK
puzzlr
"Anim8rFSK" <ANIM...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:ANIM8Rfsk-52CEF...@news.phx.highwinds-media.com...
Really? That's not the impression that stays with me. I've always thought
of him as kinda like William Shatner, but without the sense of humor about
himself.
Puzz
Alric Knebel
> Alric Knebel <alric@[cableone.net]> writes:
>
> : As to your question, there are no commentaries, but, as the other
> : poster in this thread noted, Robert Conrad has an audio introduction
> : for each episode, and sometimes shares little tidbits. For instance,
> : Ross Martin was a trained violinist.
>
> Huh. I didn't know that.
Yes, it's true. In fact, Ross Martin was a kind of renaissance man.
The factoid about Martin's talent on the violin was in one of the
introductions, and Conrad says that in the segment in which Martin is
shown playing the violin, that's Martin actually playing it, and not
something dubbed in later.
> : I do want to say, contrary to the other man in this thread, I found
> : that I truly liked this show after all.
>
> I did too, but I think that if one isn't already familiar with it from
> one's childhood/adolescence, then it won't play all that well with a
> brand-new audience. The Loveless episodes stand up well, but the rest
> of them need that added boost that nostalgia brings.
I admit to that, too. It definitely wouldn't bring new converts to the
show, as the production values are clearly dated. And I glanced at it
sometime in the late 80s (I think) when TNT was running it in
syndication, and with the commercials in it, my own nostalgic
propensities wasn't enough to keep me watching. But I enjoy watching
the DVDs, with their fancy packaging and crystal clear pictures.
> : Then the series really hit its stride, with a slight science-fiction
> : feel to it (a feature I distinctly remember), such as the episode
> : about a cannon that shoots fire and a man seriously injured in the
> : Civil War who rebuilds himself from metal.
>
> The only science-fiction espionage western buddy flick spoof ever. :)
> (Well, I suppose _Brisco County, Jr._ had its moments.)
To my pleasure, my all-time favorite episode was part of the first
season, "The Night of the Burning Diamond." I loved this episode, in
which a scientist steals diamonds to melt them down, then drinks the
concoction. I can't even tell you how often I thought about it. There
were some very clever ideas presented with this concept. For example,
after shackling West and Gordon together and the three of them drinking
the formula, he holds out an item then lets it go. It was so slow
relative to their speed, it seemed to hang in midair. He informs them
that they'll be moving so fast, they'll be back out to catch it before
it hits the ground. Everything and everybody appeared frozen in time,
relative to the speed of these three. And I laughed out loud when
recently I saw OVER THE HEDGE, and this same concept was used. A
hyperactive squirrel was given a caffeinated drink, after which he moved
so fast, even water from a hose was suspended in time. Same idea.
Anyway, that was one of three or four episodes I remember from the
initial run back at CBS, and I didn't even know what season it was from.
I was so pleased to see it in this set.
> : For some reason, I came to think Conrad was somewhat of a tight-ass.
>
> I've heard that you don't want to get on his bad side. Not for nothing
> was he cast as G. Gordon Liddy.
>
> : Now I'm looking at things differently, and when I saw the entire set
> : for a mere $20, I jumped on it. I mean, come on, at twenty bucks,
> : that's a fair price to satisfy my curiosity. After watching three of
> : the discs, I realize that Robert Conrad was an incredible athlete, and
> : he really was cool after all. Not only that, in the segment on the
> : talk show, he revealed himself to be a warm and funny guy.
>
> I no longer remember the source, but I remember Conrad appearing on a
> talk show once and being asked a question something along the lines of,
> "Was doing your own stunts what made _The Wild Wild West_?" And Conrad
> replied, "An actor called Ross Martin was what 'made' _The Wild Wild
> West_." Conrad's a generous team player, in spite of his pugnacious
> reputation.
On a clip from a daytime talk show, the two of them seemed to be really
good friends. They were having a good laugh, and they seemed to have
had a good time with that show. Conrad said something about their
getting drunk at the end of the week, and I was amused at the idea that
to them, this was like a regular five-day week, 9-to-5 job, and just
like any job, you socialized and acted crazy after work.
> : If you liked the show then, I think you'd like this set. I don't know
> : what other features are included on the remaining discs, but the
> : picture quality is terrific and it's just a nice trip to take. I
> : think I'm going to buy the second season.
>
> The problem is that I have seen the series as an adult now, so I'd be
> interested in the extras rather than in the episodes themselves. It
> sounds like the sort of thing I'd borrow in an instant, but probably not
> spring for.
I just finished watching the entire set, and there aren't that many
extra features, even on the last disc. I already mentioned the segment
from the talk show. There are audio interviews, some as long at ten
minutes, from an author's archives who had researched the show, with
various technical people and the writer who thought up the character Dr.
Loveless. There's the famous Everyready battery commercial ("Knock it
off. I dare you"). I got the whole set for $20 at Wal-Mart, and I have
to say, it was disappointing in some spots, but fun anyway. It was
just fun to take that trip, and I came away with a new regard and
respect for Conrad, and mostly for the things I loved in my youth. For
a long time, I was snobbish toward the show, and sort of angry at Conrad
and whoever else was responsible for it, for taking advantage of the
naiveté that made me blind to such low production values. I had loved
this show. Then when I got cooler, I came to think of Robert Conrad as
just some second-rate actor who got by on his looks and physical
prowess, and who was shallow to boot. I definitely came to see him that
way in the 80s and 90s, when I'd catch the show in syndication every now
and then, and would try for nostalgia's sake to rediscover what I liked
about it. But I've gotten a new attitude after getting into collecting
DVDs. While all that stuff about Conrad might be true if one chooses to
be judgmental, what he did still required talent I myself don't have.
Mainly, he got at least one teenaged boy to wish he could be like James
West.
> : I do know this. After watching now several different DVD collections
> : (I also bought the first season of DEADWOOD, the first season MISSION:
> : IMPOSSIBLE, and the first season THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; and
> : watched the entire first season BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, SMALLVILLE,
> : and ROME), the production values for modern TV adventure and drama
> : series are much, much higher.
>
> Different times, different standards, different budgets. If you look at
> some of the acknowledged masterpieces of cinema, the old tricks like
> back projection and painted scenery stand out a mile, but at the time,
> people bought it completely. You could never get away with those things
> today. I personally end up grading on two scales: good for its time and
> good for all time.
I understand what you're saying, but we're not talking about just
production values here. The writing was sometimes so simplistic, it's
embarrassing. Especially how they presented the female characters.
They were literally empty-headed creatures who could be swayed by James
West, sometimes with just a kiss. Now matter how much of a villainess
they were prior to contact with West, they were converted in an instant,
reduced to fickle schoolgirls. Now, you can't say that's just the
collective perception of women at the time. There had been women in
other TV shows, and in cinema for fifty years, and in literature going
back for hundreds of years, and many, many times they were presented
with depth and dimension. In WWW, it was just plain ridiculous, women
characters as created by hack writers. It was awful. In light of that,
we're not talking about old cinematic tricks while the high drama and
great acting goes on in front of it. We're talking about low production
values AND some pretty terrible writing in some cases, and in ALL cases
in which the characters were women.
> Some of the later eps. of _The Wild Wild West_ were so minimalist as to
> be obviously shot with spotlights on a mostly empty soundstage, but I
> thought that the period art design, props, and wardrobe for the first
> season were surprisingly convincing for a TV show, and the bits of
> harpischord (clavichord?) music were a nice touch. I don't think it was
> until later that they spray-painted Conrad into what he called the
> demented toreador costume. (Or as the mother of my high-school buddy
> once remarked as we were watching the show, "If he farts, he'll blow his
> shoes off.")
I thought he looked great in that outfit. He was well made, in shape
without being fanatical about muscles. I didn't realize just how fit he
was in a mainstream way until this set.
As to the other things you're saying about the minimalist productions,
that's a bit of a disappointment. If it got more minimalist than this
first season, it would have to flat-out suck.
Alric Knebel
> "Alric Knebel" <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote in message
> news:12v010c...@corp.supernews.com...
>
>>hobb...@yahoo.com wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I had bought individual VHS tapes of "Night of the Inferno" and one
>>>other ep cheap about a year and a half ago, then sold them last year
>>>in anticipation of getting the DVD. The movie w/Will Smith & Kevin
>>>Kline didn't work because no one bought into Smith as West. Had they
>>>cast, say, George Clooney as West to go with Kline, it might've
>>>worked.
>>
>>That's so true. Smith phoned it in, as they say. He's always Smith,
>>which is sort of too cool and too smug.
>
>
> Wasn't that Conrads' schtick as well? He was always the cool, macho guy to
> Artemis' cerebral approach.
No, not really. He was cool like James Bond was cool, but he wasn't hip
and smug.
>>And then there's the more obvious thing, that he was black.
>
>
> Huh? I thought it was covered that there had been black spys during the
> Civil War and that perhaps, they had continued with the service. A service,
> if memory serves, was created after Lincoln was shot. I had no problem with
> him being black or with him being Smith. It wasn't like the original was
> Shakespeare.
Who "covered" it? Of course there were black spies during he Civil War
and afterward. I don't buy the premise that a spy in the situations
West found himself in could have been black. If you can, good for you.
I don't.
>>After I bought these DVDs, I went to IMDb to read up on Conrad. The year
>>the Smith movie came out, it won a host of Razzies, and Conrad, to express
>>his displeasure at what was done with the source material, accepted the
>>awards and gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the film.
>>
>
>
> More like his huge ego couldn't accept the fact that he wasn't asked to
> reprise his role. I got that vibe from him at the time.
Oh, bullshit. He would have been close to 60 years old and he wouldn't
have expected that. He got it right. It was a terrible idea to replace
the lead with a black man, and not so much the fact that he was back,
but that he brought with him a hip-hop attitude. A big-budget
adaptation should have taken what worked in the old show and enhanced it
(the special effects, useful for the science fiction element), and fixed
what was wrong with the series (such as the view of women as
simpletons).
Alric Knebel
>
> Massively untrue. He was asked to appear in the film and turned it down
> because he thought Peters was an idiot and the film would be an
> abomination, both of which are true. Smart money is they'd have had him
> play President Grant.
I'm glad to read this. I never knew this.
Anim8rFSK
"puzzlr" <puz...@usa.net> wrote:
Conrad laughs a lot in interviews, but I don't think anybody has as much
a sense of humor about himself as The Shat does.
Anyway, I've seen Conrad interviewed about his meeting with Peters.
It's pretty funny, and he's pretty merciless about what a goofball
Peters is.
I'll tell you where I *would* have liked to see him reprise his role;
the finale of BRISCO COUNTY JUNIOR set up a new series format with them
working for a government representative. It turned out to be Socrates
Poole, but it would have been a great role for Conrad. BCJ took place
30 years after TW3 as well, so the age thing wouldn't even have been a
problem.
puzzlr
> puzzlr wrote:
>
>> Huh? I thought it was covered that there had been black spies during the
>> Civil War and that perhaps, they had continued with the service. A
>> service, if memory serves, was created after Lincoln was shot. I had no
>> problem with him being black or with him being Smith. It wasn't like the
>> original was Shakespeare.
>
> Who "covered" it?
Obviously not your history teacher. In most biographies of Harriet Tubman,
it is said that she helped the Union army by leading them into the south as
a scout. And she wasn't the only former slave to do so.
> Of course there were black spies during he Civil War and afterward. I
> don't buy the premise that a spy in the situations West found himself in
> could have been black. If you can, good for you. I don't.
>
But you can buy someone fighting aliens in outer space in a galaxy far, far
away? Sheesh! Wonder how so many people can't suspend their disbelief when
it's an actor of color. And if you say it aint so, just read what you
typed....
> Oh, bullshit. He would have been close to 60 years old and he wouldn't
> have expected that. He got it right. It was a terrible idea to replace
> the lead with a black man, and not so much the fact that he was back,
You're saying that it wasn't because he was black, but because he was black.
If you didn't have a problem with his race, then you wouldn't
have brought it up. That was the problem most people had when the movie was
announced and
it was the same cited problem before the movie opened.
> but that he brought with him a hip-hop attitude.
Isn't that just another way of saying 'black'?
Puzz
Anim8rFSK
"puzzlr" <puz...@usa.net> wrote:
No, it's a way of saying "1999" unless you think blacks of 1865 were
into hip hop.
I think Smith was the best part of the movie, but it all still sucked.
No, I take that back. The best part of the movie was a few brief
seconds where they had a beauty shot of the train, and played the
original theme. None of the actors, none of the script. That was the
only good thing in WWW.
Alric Knebel
> "Alric Knebel" <alric@[cableone.net]> wrote in message
> news:12v9fkg...@corp.supernews.com...
>
>>puzzlr wrote:
>>
>
>
>>>Huh? I thought it was covered that there had been black spies during the
>>>Civil War and that perhaps, they had continued with the service. A
>>>service, if memory serves, was created after Lincoln was shot. I had no
>>>problem with him being black or with him being Smith. It wasn't like the
>>>original was Shakespeare.
>>
>>Who "covered" it?
>
>
> Obviously not your history teacher. In most biographies of Harriet Tubman,
> it is said that she helped the Union army by leading them into the south as
> a scout. And she wasn't the only former slave to do so.
Not the same thing. You should work on sticking to the situation at
hand and not work so hard at being a smartass. It's not working toward
impressing me as you'd like to. There were also spies who were white.
>>Of course there were black spies during he Civil War and afterward. I
>>don't buy the premise that a spy in the situations West found himself in
>>could have been black. If you can, good for you. I don't.
>>
>
>
> But you can buy someone fighting aliens in outer space in a galaxy far, far
> away? Sheesh! Wonder how so many people can't suspend their disbelief when
> it's an actor of color. And if you say it aint so, just read what you
> typed....
Oh. I see. You're playing the RACE card.
If this was Star Trek, that would work, a black in the lead. But it
wasn't. It was about the old west.
>>Oh, bullshit. He would have been close to 60 years old and he wouldn't
>>have expected that. He got it right. It was a terrible idea to replace
>>the lead with a black man, and not so much the fact that he was back,
>
>
> You're saying that it wasn't because he was black, but because he was black.
> If you didn't have a problem with his race, then you wouldn't
> have brought it up. That was the problem most people had when the movie was
> announced and
> it was the same cited problem before the movie opened.
Oh. I see. You're DETERMINED to play the race card. It's like this.
James West was WHITE. The series was about a secret agent who traveled
in a tricked-out train (not the underground railroad), used Bond-like
gadgets, utilized science fiction-oriented plots (in the best episodes),
and hobnobbed with elite crackpots. He was a spy on the level of, say,
Judith Plame, not Harriet Tubman (just in case you want to try the race
card again).
>>but that he brought with him a hip-hop attitude.
>
> Isn't that just another way of saying 'black'?
No. If they'd have gotten Eminem to play West, it would have been just
as bad. Maybe the WWW would have worked if they'd gotten, say, Denzel
Washington to play West Get it? If not, try harder. If you still
don't get it, let it go.
Micky DuPree
<alric@[cableone.net]> writes [to Micky DuPree]:
: For a long time, I was snobbish toward the show, and sort of angry at
: Conrad and whoever else was responsible for it, for taking advantage
: of the naivete that made me blind to such low production values. I
: had loved this show. Then when I got cooler, I came to think of
: Robert Conrad as just some second-rate actor who got by on his looks
: and physical prowess, and who was shallow to boot. I definitely came
: to see him that way in the 80s and 90s, when I'd catch the show in
: syndication every now and then, and would try for nostalgia's sake to
: rediscover what I liked about it. But I've gotten a new attitude
: after getting into collecting DVDs. While all that stuff about Conrad
: might be true if one chooses to be judgmental, what he did still
: required talent I myself don't have. Mainly, he got at least one
: teenaged boy to wish he could be like James West.
Because of the spoof element, I think what _The Wild Wild West_ mostly
asked of Conrad was the looks and the physicality. I think that Conrad
has a limited acting range, but he's good within those limits, e.g.,
_Black Sheep_ and the Liddy movie. Unlike Artemus Gordon, which was a
character actor's dream role, the role of James West just wasn't
designed to be artistically challenging. He was a generic James Bond
character transplanted to a fantasy Old West. In many ways he was
written to be such a stereotypical straight-and-narrow action hero that
he was almost a rock-jawed maypole that all the colorful character roles
danced around, especially Gordon and Loveless. He was a perfect
physical specimen, perfectly skilled in all matters martial, perfectly
courageous, irresistible to all women (more on that below), and didn't
have so much as a single personality quirk. I imagine that to a
teenaged boy, there was simply no down side. :)
:: Different times, different standards, different budgets. If you look
:: at some of the acknowledged masterpieces of cinema, the old tricks
:: like back projection and painted scenery stand out a mile, but at the
:: time, people bought it completely.
: I understand what you're saying, but we're not talking about just
: production values here. The writing was sometimes so simplistic, it's
: embarrassing. Especially how they presented the female characters.
: They were literally empty-headed creatures who could be swayed by
: James West, sometimes with just a kiss. Now matter how much of a
: villainess they were prior to contact with West, they were converted
: in an instant, reduced to fickle schoolgirls. Now, you can't say
: that's just the collective perception of women at the time.
I attribute a lot of that to the spoof element in the show. I think
James Bond converted most of the villainesses he encountered (except for
the one who was a lesbian in the books, and whom they killed off in the
movie), not through moral persuasion or monetary bribery, but purely
through sexual seduction. I saw the creators of James West as making
fun of that (although admittedly, when your only means of spoof is
exaggeration, what started out being a parody of the genre could end up
being an archetype of the genre). That's why I think that the network's
revision of the opening title sequence was actually pretty funny, with
the murderous murderess overcome by a mere kiss from James West.
:: I don't think it was until later that they spray-painted Conrad into
:: what he called the demented toreador costume. (Or as the mother of
:: my high-school buddy once remarked as we were watching the show, "If
:: he farts, he'll blow his shoes off.")
:
: I thought he looked great in that outfit. He was well made, in shape
: without being fanatical about muscles.
No argument, but when you think about it, it was no less silly than the
revealing costumes that Hollywood often makes actresses wear. The
producers certainly couldn't claim it was historically accurate. ;-)
Anyway, I was more into Artie. He was obviously the brains of the team.
: As to the other things you're saying about the minimalist productions,
: that's a bit of a disappointment. If it got more minimalist than this
: first season, it would have to flat-out suck.
Eh, I'm pretty tolerant of such stylistic tricks, especially if they
need to do it to save a buck. But it was interesting to recognize in
adulthood how a nominal western like WWW would sometimes steal wholesale
from the German expressionistic theater of the '20s (sharp spotlights,
deep shadows, garish imagery, out-of-kilter angles in the set design,
horror motifs).
Outside of the Loveless episodes, what I can remember and enjoy the most
about WWW are isolated great scenes, moments, and lines, which
unfortunately the writers usually didn't manage to sustain for whole
episodes at a time. I remember *literally* rolling on the floor
laughing when I reached adulthood and finally got the line, "It's a
wonder he didn't clank when he walked," and appreciated how they got
that one past the censors. But I can't for the life of me tell you what
the rest of the episode was about. Most of the plots aren't memorable
to me, but I'd love to see a compilation of all the best lines and
scenes in the series.
-Micky
Micky DuPree
<alric@[cableone.net]> writes:
: Of course there were black spies during he Civil War and afterward. I
: don't buy the premise that a spy in the situations West found himself
: in could have been black.
I don't buy that *anyone* could have found himself in the situations
James West found himself in. Deliberate anachronism was just one of the
impossible operating principles. As a result, I had no trouble buying a
fantasy Old West in the movie of _The Wild Wild West_ much like the
fantasy Old West of _The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr._, where a
black man could ride around unhindered as a bounty hunter calling
himself a lord, and nobody said boo about it.
My problem with the movie version of WWW was that the plot meandered and
the dialogue wasn't very snappy. A lot of the series episodes weren't
all that great either. I think a lot of fans remember the parts they
like best and don't dwell on the mediocre or boring parts.
: A big-budget adaptation should have taken what worked in the old show
: and enhanced it (the special effects, useful for the science fiction
: element), and fixed what was wrong with the series (such as the view
: of women as simpletons).
I'd wager a lot that the women falling for West were considered a
feature, not a bug of the original series. And if it was that simple to
take only what worked in a series and splash it up on the big screen,
there wouldn't be such a long list of bad big-budget movies based on old
baby boomer/Generation-X TV shows. I think that the cynical adaptation
process in Hollywood today is far more at fault in this case than
casting Will Smith.
-Micky
Micky DuPree
<the_sta...@fastmail.fm> writes:
: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 08:35:10 +0000 (UTC) from Micky DuPree
: <MDu...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply>:
:: The only science-fiction espionage western buddy flick spoof
:: ever. :) (Well, I suppose _Brisco County, Jr._ had its moments.)
:
: As did /Firefly/.
To pick nits: _Firefly_ had huge elements of SF and western, but I don't
remember a lot of espionage, spoof, or buddy-flick writing in _Firefly_
(ensemble work, yes, but best-buds, no), whereas the episodes of
_Brisco_ where County and Bowler rode together had that buddy-flick feel
to them, plus they were sometimes dispatched by a secret organization,
and the writing often winked at the audience.
I also never could get into _Firefly_.
-Micky
Anim8rFSK
MDu...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply (Micky DuPree) wrote:
> Because of the spoof element, I think what _The Wild Wild West_ mostly
> asked of Conrad was the looks and the physicality. I think that Conrad
> has a limited acting range, but he's good within those limits, e.g.,
> _Black Sheep_ and the Liddy movie. Unlike Artemus Gordon, which was a
> character actor's dream role, the role of James West just wasn't
> designed to be artistically challenging. He was a generic James Bond
> character transplanted to a fantasy Old West. In many ways he was
> written to be such a stereotypical straight-and-narrow action hero that
> he was almost a rock-jawed maypole that all the colorful character roles
> danced around, especially Gordon and Loveless. He was a perfect
> physical specimen, perfectly skilled in all matters martial, perfectly
> courageous, irresistible to all women (more on that below), and didn't
> have so much as a single personality quirk. I imagine that to a
> teenaged boy, there was simply no down side. :)
James West has some quirks. For one thing, he's mean. He often hits a
bad guy one more time than necessary, and he's absolutely a cold blooded
killer. But as you said, to a teenage boy, no down side at all!
> Outside of the Loveless episodes, what I can remember and enjoy the most
> about WWW are isolated great scenes, moments, and lines, which
> unfortunately the writers usually didn't manage to sustain for whole
> episodes at a time. I remember *literally* rolling on the floor
> laughing when I reached adulthood and finally got the line, "It's a
> wonder he didn't clank when he walked," and appreciated how they got
> that one past the censors. But I can't for the life of me tell you what
> the rest of the episode was about. Most of the plots aren't memorable
> to me, but I'd love to see a compilation of all the best lines and
> scenes in the series.
They did the 'clanked when he walked' joke twice as I recall; once in
early black and white ep and once in color (IIRC that was in one of the
reunion movies). What they'd done was strip him of all his gadgets, and
(at least in the black and white one) laid them out for display on a
table, hence the remark. I'm not really certain there's an intentional
subtext there that the censors missed.
hobb...@yahoo.com
> In article <etkp6f$n2...@pcls6.std.com>,
> MDuP...@theworld.com.snip.to.reply (Micky DuPree) wrote:
>
> > Because of the spoof element, I think what _The Wild Wild West_ mostly
> > asked of Conrad was the looks and the physicality. I think that Conrad
> > has a limited acting range, but he's good within those limits, e.g.,
> > _Black Sheep_ and the Liddy movie. Unlike Artemus Gordon, which was a
> > character actor's dream role, the role of James West just wasn't
> > designed to be artistically challenging. He was a generic James Bond
> > character transplanted to a fantasy Old West. In many ways he was
> > written to be such a stereotypical straight-and-narrow action hero that
> > he was almost a rock-jawed maypole that all the colorful character roles
> > danced around, especially Gordon and Loveless. He was a perfect
> > physical specimen, perfectly skilled in all matters martial, perfectly
> > courageous, irresistible to all women (more on that below), and didn't
> > have so much as a single personality quirk. I imagine that to a
> > teenaged boy, there was simply no down side. :)
>
> James West has some quirks. For one thing, he's mean. He often hits a
> bad guy one more time than necessary, and he's absolutely a cold blooded
> killer. But as you said, to a teenage boy, no down side at all!
Hey, he couldn't help hitting a bad guy more than once if the guy was
dumb enough to get up looking for more punishment. Fight scenes are
designed like that.
J. C. Gilbert
Anim8rFSK
"hobb...@yahoo.com" <hobb...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Yeah, but there are several times that he's holding an unmoving bad guy
up by the collar, looks at him, sees he's done, and punches him again
anyway, just for good measure.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Ubiquitous
> Then later as I settled comfortably into my teens, I got too cool for it.
> For some reason, I came to think Conrad was somewhat of a tight-ass.
I am guessing it was his pants.
--
It's now time for healing, and for fixing the damage the Democrats did to
America.