Dusk for the Sundance Kid .... (Dissent is fine. Dishonest propaganda is not)

JWR ^ | Oct. 29, 2007 | Bill O'Reilly

[IrishMike]

Reese Witherspoon can't be pleased with the performance of her new movie "Rendition." It is a colossal bomb and will disappear as quickly as one of the movie's characters, courtesy of the evil CIA, of course.

Once again, Hollywood is on a "let's make America look bad" binge. This is directly caused by loathing for the Bush administration, which the entertainment left sees as a combination of the Third Reich and Emperor Nero. Thus, a series of earnest "America is a human-rights violator" films are coming to a theater near you, and the odds are you will ignore them. Good.

The Sundance Kid, Robert Redford, has directed a movie called "Lions for Lambs," of which Variety opines: "Back-bendingly liberal but also deeply patriotic."

Well, that doesn't sound so bad, but then Redford goes to Rome and says this about the USA: "We have lost lives, we've lost sacred freedoms, we've lost financial stability."

Really, Bob? You seem mighty rich to me, and I believe you can make movies that say anything you want them to say. So what's this loss of "sacred freedoms" deal?

While researching this column, I came across a letter written by Samuel Goldwyn in 1961. Goldwyn was a major movie mogul responsible for hundreds of classic films. In this letter Goldwyn tells producer Jerry Wald: "Today we are at a crucial period in history. Even if the cold war never develops into a hot one, our country still has its hands full all over the world. The pictures we send abroad have an effect in every corner of the globe.

[chilepepper]

There was also a time when Hollywood was pro America during war.

only if the USSR happened to be an ally during that war...

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Only one I saw was The Natural, because I liked the Malamud story so much.

So, you've only ever seen one Redford flick?

Big mistake! That flick is an abomination. Redford changed a great baseball story almost beyond recognition. The movie --starring himself, of course-- is Hollywood drivel.

Pfft. Movies are rarely true to the books on which they're based. It doesn't mean they aren't good movies in their own rights.

[Ghengis]

I know people who were around Redford when he did Brubaker in 1980. A few of the comments offered to me:
"He's pretty homely up close."
"He's quiet and seems sort of stuck on himself."
"He's a very small guy when you see him in real life."
"I was around him for three weeks and all he could talk about was how superficial the Columbus suburbanites were and how they obsessed over their lawns."
"He talks like he's a Ph.D. but he really isn't very sharp."

These were unsolicited comments from local people involved in the Brubaker production to me. Every person went into the experience a fan of Redford and walked away at least a little disillusioned with his personality after their time with him.

[Soliton]

"So, you're saying that you didn't like any of these movies: The Hot Rock, The Candidate, Jerimiah Johnson, The Sting, The Great Waldo Pepper, Three Days of the Condor, A Bridge Too Far, The Electric Horseman or The Natural?"

To paraphrase my Christian frieds, "it is okay to love the acting but hate the actor"

[Free Vulcan]

And damn Witherspoon because she was one of the few that made good, positive movies. She’s lost alot of favor with me.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

To paraphrase my Christian frieds, "it is okay to love the acting but hate the actor"

Exactly. I used to avoid flicks that had actors with whom I disagreed with their political positions.

I've worked with flaming liberals, but as long as I didn't discuss politics, we were fine.

Same thing with flicks. Tom Selleck or Bruce Willis are good examples. They're both rock-solid conservatives. This doesn't automatically mean that all of their movies are winners (or even good), however.

[synbad600]

I think one point of the movie is the fact that they never killed anyone when they committed crimes; only after they "went straight" were they forced to kill.

Newman rode Ms. Ross on the bike.

And honestly, I never knew it was supposed to be a western. I just figured it for another chick flick w/ the leading men of the day.

[Bush gal in LA]

Thanks for the ping! What is it with these people?!! I was always taught to have pride in my country and stand up for it. I don’t get what their continuous obsession is with their constant BASHING of their OWN country.Always saying America is to blame for everything wrong with the world and we are the evil villains. WHAT DO THEY GET OUT OF IT?!! They definitely have some kind of sadomasochistic bent going on........

[Army Air Corps]

I think that it ultimately has to do with guilt. They feel guilty for being in a nation that does serve as a fertile environment for their efforts to bear fruit. They seem to think that they are somehow not worthy of such blessings, so they feel compelled to deny that this nation is a blessing. Just my very humble opinion.

[Tolik]

Bill O'Reilly:

While researching this column, I came across a letter written by Samuel Goldwyn in 1961. Goldwyn was a major movie mogul responsible for hundreds of classic films. In this letter Goldwyn tells producer Jerry Wald:

"Today we are at a crucial period in history. Even if the cold war never develops into a hot one, our country still has its hands full all over the world. The pictures we send abroad have an effect in every corner of the globe.

"We should never lose sight of the fact that, no matter how entertaining a picture may be or how much money it may make, it can do our country a great deal of harm if it plays into the hands of our enemies.

... We have a great responsibility in this regard — far greater than almost any other segment of our country — and we must guide ourselves accordingly."

I believe Samuel Goldwyn, if he were alive today, would be appalled at how radically leftist the American entertainment industry has become. He would, I suspect, also suggest to Redford that he tone it down.

There is no question that every time a Robert Redford, Sean Penn or Barbra Streisand bash the United States to the overseas press, millions of America-haters rub their hands with glee. Prop up Hugo Chavez, sure. Shake hands with the Iranian fascists, certainly.

But the tide has turned against these showbiz pinheads, and the failure of movies like "Rendition" proves it. Dissent is fine. Dishonest propaganda is not.

Nailed It!

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[Rummyfan]

I agree he's a lousy actor. Other than Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which was carried by Newman and Ross (hubba hubba!), his only other good flick was Jeremiah Johnson, where he had virtually no dialogue.

[Rummyfan]

Only one I saw was The Natural, because I liked the Malamud story so much.

The movie The Natural was a total bastardization of Malamud's novel..... One of the worst baseball movies ever.

[IrishMike]

Excellent post Tolik

[shhrubbery!]

The movie The Natural was a total bastardization of Malamud's novel..... One of the worst baseball movies ever.

Yup, it was not only a bastardization of the book, but "good stunk in its own right" (to paraphrase Ol' Dan above).