Re: Thirteen Days

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 11:03:22 PM UTC-4, John Corbett wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 3:40:23 PM UTC-4, Pamela Brown wrote:=20
> > On Monday, April 5, 2021 at 6:39:08 PM UTC-5, John Corbett wrote:=20
> > > Thirteen Days was the title of a book written by (or ghost written fo=
r)=20
> > > RFK about the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a source material for the =
made=20
> > > for TV program The Missiles of October which was essentially a televi=
sed=20
> > > stage play. Several decades later it was made into a major motion pic=
ture=20
> > > of the same name as the book. However there was something curious abo=
ut=20
> > > the movie which I still don't understand. Kenny O'Donnell was barely=
=20
> > > mentioned in the book and had only one scene in the Missiles of Octob=
er.=20
> > > In the movie Thirteen Days, he was made the central character played =
by=20
> > > Kevin Costner. Essentially the crisis played out through his eyes. I'=
ve=20
> > > always wondered why the producers chose to go in that direction when =
it=20
> > > seemed from RFK's book that he was barely involved in the management =
of=20
> > > the crisis. Was there other source material that indicated O'Donnell'=
s=20
> > > involvement was much greater than what it appeared in the book? If an=
yone=20
> > > has an information as to why the movie expanded O'Donnell's role beyo=
nd=20
> > > what the book indicated, I would appreciate it.=20
> > https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-22-ca-15450-story.html
> Unfortunately this article requires an LA Times subscription which I don'=
t=20
> have but gave me the idea to search for other old newspaper articles on=
=20
> the subject and I found this one from the guardian.=20
>=20
> https://groups.google.com/g/alt.assassination.jfk/c/OxC4lcyr5E0=20
>=20
> There seems to be a difference of opinion about Kenny O'Donnell's role in=
=20
> managing the crisis but these might be the most intriguing paragraphs"=20
>=20
> "Not only has the film perplexed historians by elevating O'Donnell,=20
> hitherto seen as no more than a backroom White House fixer, to the status=
=20
> of key player- "it's like making Rosencrantz or Guildenstern the lead in=
=20
> Hamlet", one joked - but it has angered the American military by=20
> suggesting they tried to corral the Kennedys into all-out war.=20
>=20
> The furor has also raised awkward questions about the role O'Donnell's=20
> family played behind the scenes. His son Kevin, an internet tycoon, helpe=
d=20
> bankroll a buyout of Beacon Entertainment, which made the movie, and=20
> appears to have been the partial inspiration for promoting his father -=
=20
> played by Kevin Costner - to the role of the "ordinary Joe" hero audience=
s=20
> identify with."=20
>=20
> There is no doubt Kenny O'Donnell was close with the Kennedys,=20
> particularly Bobby since they were teammates on the Harvard football team=
,=20
> O'Donnell being the quarterback while Bobby played end. For that reason,=
=20
> I think if O'Donnell had played as major a role in the crisis as the movi=
e=20
> indicates, his friend Bobby would have given him more than just a passing=
=20
> mention in his book.

I'm sure you saw this quote from McNamara when he asked which "lead role" 
Costner was playing.

 "What character is he playing?" He said, "Kenny O=E2=80=99Donnell." I 
said, "For God=E2=80=99s sakes, Kenny O=E2=80=99Donnell didn=E2=80=99t 
have any role whatsoever in the missile crisis; he was a political 
appointment secretary to the President; that=E2=80=99s absurd. So I 
won=E2=80=99t see it," I said. "