Random Thoughts: June 2013

There is a grudging respect you must have for Edward Snowden. At thirty, he has become the most wanted man in the world by the most powerful country in the world. He gleefully thumbed his nose at the authorities in this country and is now giving us the finger from his current foreign--- and very much anti-American--- location. Some call him a hero, some a traitor. I fall into the latter group. Snowden, a brash, young government worker,  who has worked at various times with the CIA as a technical contractor, and, the National Security Agency [ NSA] as a contractor, has spilled some serious beans about how our government is very much monitoring our every move by invading our privacy. He claims that mass-surveillance of our e-mails, regular mail, and phone conversations is standard operating procedure in governemnt circles. He reasoning: '' To inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.'' U.S. fedreal prosecutors, who do not share his way of thinking, have charged him with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful communication of classified intelligence. In short, he is charged with espionage. As I have said , Snowden has his supporters, basically, the people who hate the government and all that it does. That is not to say that, at times, they have valid points. The government is, and always has been, prying into our private lives, while mainting it is for our ''national security and best interests.'' I will grant the point that the government does protect, many times without our ever knowing the facts, with safety for its citizens. Some things I believe are best not known. However much we have the right to know doesn't mean that we should know. Edward Snowden believes otherwise. He believes--- and he expects us to be shocked by these revelations of chicanery and invasions of privacy--- that the government must expose everything, that the people have a right to know. He also has a point there. It is our government, we elect them, we invest our futures with these people, so, we have a right to know everything. But, I come back to the point of if we should know everything. Many disclosures of our secrets have been made throughout the years. This informs the public, but, also puts us at serious risk to our safety. There have been disclosures of sensitive materials that have cost of the lives of agents working in the field. Some were spies, some working innocently at a location that was soon targeted by our enemies. You can have serious debates about the laying out of the information for all to see, but, when it kills people, the discussion flies to another level. That is when you have to be very careful on what you disclose. The ''leaker'' may have the most honorable intentions in his or her own heart. But, honorable intentions do not flow in every human's heart. It should be interesting to see how this all plays out...... The recent passing of actor James Gandolfini still absorbs my thinking. I loved his acting. His Tony Soprano in ''The Sopranos'' remains the template of the future of television acting. No finer performance has graced the small- screen than his [ and, only a dozen or so on the big-screen]. In watching his eulogy across the coverage on TV and the Internet, inevitably, the media would come back to the final scene in the final episode of ''The Sopranos''. The famous scene where it is an open question of whether Tony lived or died. That show, which was broadcast in June, 2007, immediately was cause for conversations and arguments all over the world as everyone had an opinion on his fate. To recap, Tony, his wife Carmela, and his son, AJ, are sitting in a diner awaiting the arrival of Meadow, Tony and Carmela's daughter. The scene starts with Tony sitting alone looking for music to play. He finally selects ''Don't Stop Believing'' by Journey. Carmela soon makes her entrance [ ''A small-town girl, living in a lonely world.''] as the song begins and joins Tony. Then, as this show has always so brilliantly done, the tension rises. We are aware, as is Tony, that there are people in the diner who look suspicious, especially, a man sitting at the counter wearing a Member's Only jacket. Tony scouts the room. He must. That is the life he has made for himself. A person who deals in crime must always be looking over their shoulder for danger. AJ lumbers in as the song continues. There are a few more shots of people around the room, and, once again, the man in the Member's Only jacket. Meanwhile, Meadow is outside trying desperately to park her car. Her parallel parking is not working out as she struggles and struggles. The scene cuts back to the table, where onion rings are brought. The Member's Only guy gets up and walks towards the bathroom, where he enters. Outside, finally, Meadow has succeeded in parking her car. She rushes across the street and through the diner door. Tony looks up, as the song says,, ''Don't Stop...'' and, the screen suddenly goes black. There is the black screen for ten seconds. Then, the credits slowly roll. There is no music, for the first and only time in the show. Immediately, this ending created an uproar among the fans. Some loved it, some hated it. The question about what Tony's fate was is not answered, at least in a clear black and white way. Did the sudden blackout mean that Tony was shot, possibly, by the Member's Only jacket guy coming out of the bathroom with a gun, ala ''The Godfather''? Or, did Tony survive, with a premonition of this was what his life would be like for him and his family, always on guard, always ready for violence? The scene plays both ways. If you want Tony to die, then you are correct. If you want Tony to live and to kill another day, he lives and you are correct. The viewer holds the final piece to the puzzle, actually, there are two pieces. Both fit into the puzzle to end the story. I side with the ''Tony got his'' crowd and was shot. It would explain the suddenness of the ending where not a sound is heard. It goes back to the first episode of that season when Tony and his brother-in-law, Bobby, are sitting in the boat and say that you probably don't even know when it hits you. And, to the film ''Goodfellas'', where Henry Hill says when he is arrested that he knew there were cops behind him instead of wiseguys. If they were wiseguys, Henry says, he wouldn't have heard anything. He would have been dead.  However you choose to believe how this marvelous show ended it is the final moment of a beloved and revolutionary show. With Gandolfini's death, Tony is forever gone. But, he lives on in our memories. An unforgettable character, played by an unforgettable actor. Thank you, James. Rest In Peace, brother...... The BlackHawks win another Stanley Cup!! It was an incredible series, with many people [ including, at times, myself] counting them out. The Hawks had an outstanding season, yes, it was shortened because of the lockout, but, you play the schedule that the league gives you. The Hawks stormed through the regular season, taking no prisoners. Then, the playoffs started and they seemed to lose some focus and energy. They almost lost the series with Detroit-- their arch-rival. The playing of Toews and Kane and Sharp disappeared, along with their much admired defensive play. At times, they looked unfocused, but, they came back and won, as any championship team does. The final series with the Bruins was entirely watched on the edge of your seat. Nail biting went along with your beers and nachos. And, the final game, Game 6, turned all Hawks fans into emotional whirlwinds. Inside of two minutes, the Hawks were down 2-1, and, it looked like the series was coming back here for the final game. But, championship teams never go out quietly and the boys tied, and, then won with two goals in the extraordinary finish. It was nice to win, with this city still starved for championships after decades of losing and disappointments. The usual celebration ensued of crowds in the streets coming out of bars. I often wonder how many people run to the street without paying their tabs. Some bars must take quite a bath on moments like this. The players celebrated on the ice with the media swarming in. An athlete, in any sport, commenting is always a source of amusement. They are commenting on something that doesn't need analysis. They won a title, of course, they are happy. The joy of the celebration is how they express their feelings to each other. There are hugs of joy, as men do who have gone to war with each other. They share a bond that no other person can understand, not even their closest family and friends. They hug and celebrate with a pride for a job well done. And, they also know that they celebrate for us too. We live, at least for a few moments, vicariously through their triumph. The most poignant moment of this triumph must be said. It was involving Corey Crawford, the much maligned goalie for the Hawks. He has taken a great amount of heat from fans in this town, unfairly. He has always played with honor and dignity. It must have grated on his nerves that people questioned his toughness and ability while he played the most frightening position on the ice. But, he handles it with class, and, at the end, was redeemed. He should have won the ''Conn Smythe'' trophy as the most valuable player in the Finals, but, he lost to the media darling, Patrick Kane. But, the moment I liked with Corey Crawford came when he embraced his father. I know nothing of his relationship with his father, but, in that hug, there was only love and deep feeling expressed. Think of the years his family and him fought to get where he is, with junior hockey and slogging through the bad to get to this good. The family must be proud of him, mostly, because he survived the adversity that a sports athlete must endure from the public. I liked that hug between father and son. Media members watching by them were also touched. There will be parades and celebrations in the months ahead for their achievement. Good, lets have fun and be proud! But, to me, the thing I will remember from the championship game is that hug.....

Great Movie: ''Jaws''

The scenario, as the Mayor explains to the Chief, is simple. A girl goes swimming late at night, goes too far out, and, well, a boat propellor probably killed her. The newspaper man and coroner will back up the Mayor's theory. Its happened before, so, why shouldn't the same unfortunate accident happen again. The Chief, fairly new on the job, reluctantly goes along with the phony story. He knows the story is being buried because the Mayor and his cronies do not want word to get out and spoil the summer tourist season. A boat propellor killing the girl will be the accepted story. But, the Chief has seen the body. He knows the truth. It wasn't a boat that tore up this woman's body. It was a shark...... This scene is in the beginning of the movie ''Jaws'', a movie most people have seen in their lives. The story is simple and well known. A New England town, Amity, is bedeviled by a Great White Shark that terrorises the community. The first victim is a drifter named Chrissie Watkins, who after a beach party, takes a late-night swim and encounters the beast from below. Chief Brody finds the body the next day and immediately wants to close the beaches to save lives. But, the powerful men in town, led by Mayor Vaughn, talk him out of it. The beaches stay open, and, then, soon enough, more shark attacks happen until the town has no other option than to close the beaches and hire a professional fisherman to kill the shark. The fisherman, Quint, wants ten thousand dollars and a new color TV and apricot brandy as his price. The town gives him what he wants, and, the second half of the movie concerns Quint, Brody, and the shark expert Hooper, out on Quint's rickety boat hunting the shark...... I will not go further in explaining the plot because there might be some reading this who have not seen the movie and I hate it when key plot points are ruined by others. If you have not seen this movie, you need to. It is one of the essential movies that a film lover must see. When the film came out June 20, 1975, it took the world by storm. ''Jawsmania'' ensued, with, for the first time, marketing of a film went hand in hand with the actual film itself. Overnight, shark sightings and shark stories abounded. T-shirts, coffeecups, posters, etc, became common. I had a shark poster adorning my wall in my bedroom. Quickly, the film became the most financially successful movie of all-time, until ''Star Wars'' broke the record two years later. But, ''Jaws'' is always called the first blockbuster film. Before the summer of 75, the movie theaters were dumping grounds for the studios. They believed that the public would not want to sit in a dark theater when it wanted to be out in the nice weather. ''Jaws'' changed all of that. Along with the new concept of advertising a film on TV --- which had never been done before--- the studio, Universal, decided to open the film ''wide'', meaning many theaters, not just one or two in a town which had been the procedure for years. With this marketing strategy, ''Jaws'' became the most popular film in history. And, it opened the door for more blockbuster movies to open. Now, it seems like every weekend a new, big-budget film invades the theaters. ''Jaws'' broke the seal for this type of movie. You can conclude for yourself if this was a good thing or bad thing for movies........ The film is based on the 1974 novel by a novice writer named Peter Benchley. What Benchley did was essentially take the story of ''Moby Dick'', modernize it, add a shark instead of a whale as the villian, and wrote his book. The book is not very good. It brings in the subplots of infidelity and the mob. Also, the characters in the book are not very likable. When Steven Spielberg, the future director of ''Jaws'', first read the novel he said he rooted for the shark. So, when the producers, Richard Zanuck and David Brown, first bought the rights to the book, they wisely saw the flaws in ''Jaws'' and concentrated on the central story of the shark attacks and the hunt for the shark. And, mostly, the best move these two giants in the film industry did was hire an unknown, twenty-four year-old director named Spielberg to helm the project. Spielberg showed for the first time [ but, certainly not the last ] why he is a cinematic genius. The first half of the film we do not see the shark. That was because during the making of the film the mechanical shark needed for these scenes did not work. So, while the repairs were being made, Spielberg had to improvise. Instead of seeing the actual shark kill the victims, we , the audience, would be the shark. Underwater, the camera would move about and slowly, but, with mounting tension, prey upon the swimmers. This, along with the legendary score by John Williams, led more terror to the attacks than if we just witnessed the attacks first-hand by the shark. Suspense was introduced, and, it is this feeling that the audience is always on the edge of their seats, worrying about the next attack. Steven Spielberg also has fun with this technique. He plays us very well, manipulating our fears and emotions. This is what a director should do, have some fun at our expense. He gives us terror, but, he also gives us laughs. Despite the premise and the scary moments, the movie is great fun. When we scream in fright, it is the scream we use on a rollercoaster or some other ride that we willingly let ourselves be scared by. Being scared with an audience in a theater is great joy. After the fright, you can feel the emotions and the deflating of the fear. We all catch a collective sigh of relief. More than any other filmmaker in history, we have allowed ourselves to be putty in Steven Spielberg's hands. He takes us on a journey--- and, we grateful go along with the ride....... The film has so many marvelous scenes and moments. There is the boy on the raft. There are the guys on the pier. There is Brody and Hooper out on Hooper's boat late at night looking for a fellow fisherman. There are false alarms and then real jolts of terror. And, then there is that last hour in the film, where the three men are out looking for the shark. The acting in this movie is superb. Chief Brody is played by the great Roy Scheider. Hooper, the cocky shark expert, is played by the equally cocky, but, appealling Richard Dreyfuss. And, Quint, the shark hunter, the grisled veteran who is the old man of the sea, is played royally by Robert Shaw, with his chewing the scenery with the bigness of his character. The acting by these three is always overlooked. After all, the real star of the movie is a shark. To play opposite such an uncontrollable force many times can be an exercise in frustration for an actor. Not these three. They all have standout moments that is suitable for their characters. And, the fact that all three weren't movie stars was crucial [ they became stars after the movie's success]. They provide the ordinary feeling that is needed. Scheider, especially, is us on the movie screen. He behaves as we all would behave: scared, appalled, confused, and sad. Hooper explains to us the technical details we need to know, but, is never patronizing or unlikable in doing so. He is the most charming character in the film. And, Quint provides the revenge angle. We want that shark killed. Quint himself wants that shark killed for a different reason. We find out why in the single best scene in the movie........ It is late at night of the first day at sea. The men have finished their dinner, and it looks like drinks have been served. Perhaps, the apricot brandy that Quint demanded. The men relax around each other and both Quint and Hooper start to compare their war stories about close encounters with sharks. It is a funny scene and it bonds the characters with each other. Then, after the laughs have been laughed, Hooper notices a tattoo on the arm of Quint that is removed. Quint explains that the tattoo is from the ''USS INDIANAPOLIS''. Hooper quickly sobers up when he hears this. Brody, unaware of what that name means, asks about it. Perhaps, because it is late at night, when a person's emotions are more open than any other time of the day--- and, maybe, because he is weary from the brandy and is lonely and wants to talk---- Quint explains the story of the ship. In the dying days of World War Two, Quint was on the Indianapolis, where he and his mates delivered the nuclear bomb that would soon be dropped on Hiroshima. After dropping the bomb off, and while they were heading home, their ship was cut in half by a Japanese torpedo. Eleven hundred men went into the water and the ship went down in less than a half-hour. Quint then describes in graphic detail on how they were sitting ducks for the sharks in the water. The men were picked off and eaten by these sharks for the next few days, until help arrived. This story, which is a true story from World War Two, is played brilliantly by Robert Shaw. The storytelling and the acting blend into a marvelous monologue. The other men, Brody and Hooper, are spellbound listening to him, as is the audience. After he has concluded his tale, there is a brief silence as the characters and the audience take in the information and silently process its full impact. Now, we know why Quint has a special reason for hunting sharks. It is his living, yes, but, also, he is trying to avenge the wrongs that were committed against his lost comrades aboard that ship. The scene is extraordinary. And, more so, because for a few minutes, we forget all about the shark they are hunting and just listen to this man and his pain. Then, Steven Spielberg, in another example of his directing genius, shows us from the outside the shark coming close to the boat, looking for the men. We have let our emotional guard down. Now, it is time to bring it back up again...... The ending is different than the book, thank goodness. Again, for those who have not seen it I will not go further. But, it fits with the rest of the movie........ This movie I saw in that summer of 1975. It was at the old and now long-gone Golf Mill Theaters in Park Ridge. It was the first movie that I ever stood in a long line for. I went with my Dad, brother Tommy, and my Uncle Tom. It remains the most vivid moviegoing experience of my life. I even can tell you what I was wearing that night: an Acapulco T-shirt. I had just gotten back from a vacation in Mexico with my Uncle and brother and Grandmother. We went in the ocean on that trip. After I saw the movie, there were no more trips in the ocean........

LeBron, The Villian

LeBron James seems to elicit many opinions and feelings, most of them negative. He is seen as an arrogant, selfish, egotistical athlete who does not share the affection for his public that previous athletes have with their adoring public. The fact he is good, very good, at his trade--- and, lets everyone know it also--- further alienates him from us. Therefore, when he plays, not only are you rooting for your team, but, you are also actively rooting for ruin for his team. And, the man himself..... It seems like we always have to have a villian. In any walk of life, be it your boss, co-worker, next-door-neighbor, etc. And, we love to target our hatred towards the rich and famous who have it all while we have shit. Politicians inspire the greatest ire. But, performers, be they in acting, music, or sports seem to hold a special spot in our hearts. We all have our favorites that we hold dear. The people who enrich our lives by their very acts or their physical appearance. We like to think that we know them. If we see them in an interview and they come across well, then we feel we can speak for them more. ''He seems like a nice guy'', or, ''I heard she is really a sweet person.'' But, we don't know that for sure. We like them, so, why can't we convince everyone else to like them too?.... There is the flip side to admiring a public person: hating them. The passions that we have run a thin line between positive and negative. For some reason, there is a release when you blast someone who grates on your nerves. I have my villians, like everyone else. Ted Kennedy [ may God not rest his soul ] was a prime example. Because of his behavior concerning Mary Jo Kopechne, along with his many destructive social programs, he is an anathema to me. When he did something sensible I would try to spin it in my mind where it was not a good thing. Other people I know feel that way about Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Barack Obama. We need to have a target of our rage directed towards someone. Part of it is envy. We may wish to be in that all-powerful position of influence and wealth. Part of it is also a sense of helplessness at our inability to correct the behavior of said person. Every once in a while you come across someone who flaunts so much in your face that it brings you to almost uncontrollable rage. LeBron James is the sports villian....... Here I differ with the public. I do not hate LeBron James because I do not know him as a person. I will not call myself a fan because my interest in basketball has slid considerably in the last decade. He is fun to watch. I root for good sports action, so, I wish him success on the court. Many, if not most of the public, wants him to fail. He is not personable, he is not friendly. He does not have the magic to capture the public's fancy like a Jordan. But, he does his job and he does it well. Need we ask more? He commands a handsome buck. You can have endless debates about whether any person deserves the millions of dollars that he pockets. He does deliver the money back to his franchise, so the Miami Heat have to be happy with the economic return on their investment. And, he has brought Miami a title, with another one very likely this year....... But, he is not playing in Chicago and that is what is at heart of why this town has him as a goat. We made the pitch for him a few years back when he was a free-agent. We wanted him desperately. The red carpet was rolled out and the town was his for a few days. Sports radio was blaring, ''We Want LeBron!'' through their every pore. For a short time, it looked good that we would get him. He was leaving Cleveland, where his team was suffering, and, he wanted to test the waters somewhere else. There, too, LeBron took the heat. He was accused of being a turncoat, someone not loyal to his team. Well, he was loyal to them and played hard. He never shanked in his job and always gave his best. It was just after years of losing --- and, the franchise headed for more losing--- that he did what every one of us would have done. He scouted around for another job and put his feelers out. Teams, including our team that resides on West Madison, opened the doors and made a pitch for him. Finally, he made his choice of Miami [ after, I grant you, an ill-conceived prime time show announcing his pick] . Suddenly, our future anointed one, the player to lead us to the promised land, became Public Enemy Number 1. How dare he not choose us!!! What a selfish prick he is to not choose us!!! Well, he wanted to win. Miami is a better team. Ask yourself this LeBron hater: in your job, if other companies wanted your services and were prepared to pay top dollar for those services, would you stay with your struggling company, or, would you go where you would have the most success, where your dreams would all come true? Need I answer for you?........ Now, LeBron may be a tool. Who knows? You will get stories on both sides of the aisle. But, lets say he is a bad person, a scumbag. We, in this town, are not without sin when embracing a controversial athlete. We have had them and looked the other way when it came to their personal behavior. We had Sammy Sosa, with his cheating on steroids and his breaking a rum bottle over his wife's head. We had Albert Belle, perhaps the most vile and unpleasant person to play baseball in this town. We had Dennis Rodman, a cheap-shot artist and someone who was reviled around the NBA league with his behavior and attitude. And, now, we have Patrick Kane, who if the stories are true about him, is not very nice to the ladies in the world when it comes to his way of treating them. All of the above athletes we embraced--- and Kane we still do--- because they serve the purpose of providing us with a winning team in town. If LeBron is to be burned at the steak, then there is room at the pit for our sports heroes. Chicago is many great things, but, it has selective memory at times about the people playing on our teams. If we like them--- and, they play here-- the excuses come rolling out....... As I have said many times, it is not necessary for us to like the people who entertain us. Peter Sellers, the great comic, was not a nice person in real life. However, his movies still entertain me. That is all I care about. The fact he had his demons--- and, pushed so much entertainment and humor out through those demons--- showed great courage on his part. The same with Gleason. LeBron James will always alienate people, which is a person's right to not like him. Free will. But, he is who we make of him, good or bad......

All In The Family

Consider this concept on paper. A situation comedy show set in New York in the early 1970's. There is a middle-aged couple, with their young adult daughter and son-in-law. The father is a bigot, rallying against all kinds of various people in the world. He slams everyone that is not him. Mainly, he targets Blacks, Jews, Homosexuals, all kinds of Religions, Women, etc. He uses every cliche word of prejudice to describe why he hates them. The son-in-law [ whom he calls ''Meathead''] is an ardent liberal, championing all of the minorities that the bigot slams. He is backed up by a daughter who is torn between her loyalties between her husband and father, ultimately choosing the husband's side. The bigot's wife is a sweet-tempered person with little intelligence. All of these ingrediants are thrown into the pot of trying to wring laughs out of this show. When all the evidence is gathered, it would be a very tough show to embrace. And, yet, through its sheer audacity to not play by the rules, and to challenge its audience, it succeeds beyond anyone's expectations. It becomes a cultural signpost for its times. The writing, directing, and, above all else, the extraordinary acting of its emsemble create the finest comedy series in television history........ In January, 1971, CBS premiered this show. It was called ''All In The Family.'' The origin came from a British TV show in the 1960's called, ''Til Death Do Us Part.'' Both shows had the central character of a hard-hat, blue-collar, average Joe. In the American version, the character, Archie Bunker, was the central focus of every show. His views reflected the course on which way every episode would take its focus and stand. Television at that time in the early 70's was a vast landfill of silly sitcoms and no topical humor. The networks were terrified of anything controversial [ a stand that still remains today], so, a show that did not fit the norm was viewed with deep anxiety and suspicion. But, the times we were living in demanded that television make the move towards relevance. Movies were leading the way, now that the decades long shackles of censorship were lifted, and, therefore, previous taboo topics were now playing out on the big screen with refreshing regularity. Music had kicked open the door in the 1960's with the same sense of experimentation and subjects of real life, as had comedy scene in the underground clubs. Television, always the most conservative of mediums, was last in line coming to the party with a new approach. Many performers wanted to kick open that door and challenge the public right smack in their living rooms. It wasn't an ambush, because for the last decade, the public was being barraged with one crises after another. From Civil Right to the threat of Nuclear War to the bloody war in Vietnam, Americans were seeing the images on the news and living out the chaos in the streets. The country was being torn apart internally. All other entertainment fields were expressing the sentiment of the times. TV was quiet, with it sitcoms of genies and country humor. Producer Norman Lear changed that....... Norman Lear grew up in a bigoted household. His father, whom he loved, was the epitome of Archie Bunker. He slammed all minorities and religions. Lear, a liberal, was in the habit of challenging his father about his views. The arguments were loud. Both would not back down from their positions. And, the echoes of those arguments would become the spine of the relationship between Archie and his son-in-law, Mike ''Meathead'' Stivic. Norman Lear made his bones in network TV throughout the 1950's and 1960's, working his apprenticeship with comedy giants like Sid Caesar and Martin and Lewis. When his chance to do a show like he always wanted to came about in the late 60's, Lear hit a brick wall with all three networks. Nobody wanted to touch his type of show, with these characters that seemed so unlikable. Likability is very key in any network approving a show. They rightfully want the public to like the characters they are watching, so, the show will become popular and the money rolls in. ''All In The Family'' did not have those characters. The lead actor was calling his wife a ''dingbat'', telling her to ''stifle'', while he called his daughter ''little girl'' in an almost offensive way. And, then he had the ''Meathead'' as the mooch in the house refusing to quit that liberal school and to go out and get a job. Finally, after much tenacity, Lear succeeded and got his foot in the door with CBS for a committment of thirteen trial shows from the network. Such was the fear of the network that before the first episode there was a scrawl on the screen describing this new show and its desire to '' shed some light and call attention to life's prejudices.'' CBS was clearly trying to cover its ass for the onslaught of negative feedback from its viewers...... There was some negative feedback about the show after its January, 1971 premiere, but, not as much as the network had feared. ''All In The Family'' was not a ratings success at first, and, received mostly lukewarm reviews from the critics. The cast and crew were convinced that there was no way this show, with its subject matter, would survive those thirteen weeks. And, at first, as with any show, the first few episodes were very rough in form and content. Seeing the reruns now, you can see them trying to find a unifying them of family built around the topics they were addressing. The actors were trying to find their voice and backbone of their roles, which is why the acting was very helter-skelter. Finally, by the last episode, a chemistry had been found and the cast and creators were in sync. The problem was no one thought it would last........ Then, a miracle happened. They became the talk of the entertainment business. By the end of the 1970/71 TV season, when the Emmy Awards were announced, ''All In The Family'' received multiple nominations. The public, which had only heard about the show casually, now saw it honored by the TV academy. Jean Stapleton won for her portrayal of Edith. The rest of the show was shut-out, but, it received an invaluable amount of publicity. When the show was rerun in the summer of 1971, the public embraced it. Suddenly, this show that was a ticking time bomb because of its subject matter and hard-to-embrace characters, was the hottest, most-talked about show. ''All In The Family'' shot to Number 1 in the ratings [ which it would stay at for five seasons in a row ] and the actors and its creator, Norman Lear, were the new saviors of television......... The writing was the best on television. The directing was A Plus. From head to toe, the show was filled with quality. But, it was the acting, the marvelous synergy of this most talented cast, that was its heart and soul. Sally Struthers played Gloria, the ''little girl.'' She was a freshed-faced kid in her early 20's when she landed the role. She only made a mark briefly in the Jack Nicholson movie, '' Five Easy Pieces'' playing the floozy waitress Nicholson picks up. Rob Reiner was the son of Hollywood legend, Carl Reiner. Rob wanted to be a writer like his old man and thought acting was only a way to get his foot in the door until he gathered real power for his own projects. Jean Stapleton was a character actress who had been around Broadway and TV for over a decade, but, had not made a mark yet. She was respected and admired, but, mostly unknown when Lear gave her the part of Edith. And, Carroll O'Connor was very much like Stapleton in that he had bounced around show business for a long time with very little success. He was the third choice to play Archie, after Jackie Gleason and Mickey Rooney both turned the part down. While Rob and Sally turned in fine performances in their roles, it was the brilliant acting of Carroll and Jean that was the engine of the show. O'Connor took his character beyond the gruff and bitter man that was Archie and expanded him into area not planned by Lear. Archie became like your relative or friend who was essentially a good person who had views that you put up with. I don't think Archie Bunker ever became beloved by the public, but, he became accepted and you understood his battles in life. Archie would never burn a cross on a person's home and would never bring harm to anyone. He just wanted to be left alone away from a world that was changing from his experiences and comfort level. The dark secret of why Archie Bunker and the show were so popular is the fact that a sizable part of the population---- and all ethnic groups watching--- secretly agreed with Archie and his views. That was what the actors and the show's creator believed was the real reason why the show was such a success [ that, and, it was a funny show ]. And, all of this can be traced directly to the brilliant acting of Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton. She made Edith a multi- versatile woman. She was simple, yes, but, also had an inner wisdom and common sense that set her apart. Edith loved her Archie, faults and all. And, Archie, for all of his running off at the mouth, loved his wife and daughter, and, also his son-in-law. Beneath all of the sharp edged social commentary and hard laughs was a strong affection for the characters for one another. The actors brought this out. Love through the sometimes bitter fighting among people you love the most. Just like a family........ The show addressed topics that the viewers knew only too well. Bigotry. Alienation. The Battle Of The Sexes. Rape. Political divide. Racial divide.Harassment. Abandonment. All were thrown together week after week into a comedy show. I ask you again: with the mixture that this show is on paper, would you believe this could be a comedy? In prime time? Embraced by the public so fiercely?..... It was. Strongly. Listen to the laughs of the TV audience in the studio during a taping. This was back in the days when comedy shows had AN ACTUAL AUDIENCE in the studio with them. The laughter from '' All In The Family'' was from the gut. There was no ''sweetening'' of the laughter as most shows do, like ''Seinfeld'' and ''Friends'' always did. Their audience reaction was enhanced in the editing room. Not ''All In The Family''. The laughter was roaring and real. It has been said that the longest laugh from an audience in TV history is from the episode on ''All In The Family'' where Sammy Davis Jr kissed Archie on the cheek. The editors had to edit the laugh down to a mere thirty seconds for the broadcast from its original five minute duration. Honest laughter from real people because of a real situation. Doesn't happen anymore......... The show ran from 1971 to 1979. It went out on its own accord and rules as it had during its run. In 1978, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers left and the show went on for another year, and, even went on as ''Archie Bunker's Place'' for several years with Carroll O'Connor as its sole survivor from the original show. But, ''All In The Family'' truly ended when Reiner and Struthers left in 78. The goodbye episode--- where Mike and Gloria move to California and Archie and Edith are devastated--- is a piece of acting Hall Of Fame. The emotions in the studio ran very high as these great characters and actors said goodbye to each other. Again, listen to the studio audience for this show. You can hear actual crying from the audience going on. The most poignant moments are between Archie and Mike. Their long-buried love for each other is finally brought to the surface. If you can watch this episode and not tear up, then the show was never really for you. The show ends with Archie and Edith sitting quietly in their chairs after Mike and Gloria are gone. They stare out sadly, as the camera slowly pulls back. The characters are remembering the fights, and above all else, the love that only a family can have for each other. The show fades to black and the audience claps. But, for once, the applause is intrusive. The show which came in with such a bang should quietly fade away with the memories of moments, very special moments. This show has earned its tears and fond memories........ The show will forever leave its mark on television. This show was the  longest of long-shots that created moments unparalled in popular entertainment. A show like this would never make it on network TV today [ maybe, on cable] because all of TV is safe now. Characters cannot grow anymore. Every show has to have a fast-paced formula. Quiet moments of reflection and calm are not allowed anymore. Acting and writing quality is almost non-existant. But, there was a time when it reigned supreme. And, ''All In The Family'' is the finest example...... Those were the days......