Re: Thirteen Days

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 9:10:49 PM UTC-4, Steve M. Galbraith wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 11:03:22 PM UTC-4, John Corbett wrote:=20
> > 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 =
for)=20
> > > > RFK about the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a source material for th=
e made=20
> > > > for TV program The Missiles of October which was essentially a tele=
vised=20
> > > > stage play. Several decades later it was made into a major motion p=
icture=20
> > > > of the same name as the book. However there was something curious a=
bout=20
> > > > the movie which I still don't understand. Kenny O'Donnell was barel=
y=20
> > > > mentioned in the book and had only one scene in the Missiles of Oct=
ober.=20
> > > > In the movie Thirteen Days, he was made the central character playe=
d 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 whe=
n it=20
> > > > seemed from RFK's book that he was barely involved in the managemen=
t of=20
> > > > the crisis. Was there other source material that indicated O'Donnel=
l's=20
> > > > involvement was much greater than what it appeared in the book? If =
anyone=20
> > > > has an information as to why the movie expanded O'Donnell's role be=
yond=20
> > > > what the book indicated, I would appreciate it.=20
> > > https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-22-ca-15450-story.ht=
ml=20
> > Unfortunately this article requires an LA Times subscription which I do=
n'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 stat=
us=20
> > of key player- "it's like making Rosencrantz or Guildenstern the lead i=
n=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, hel=
ped=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 audien=
ces=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 te=
am,=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 mo=
vie=20
> > indicates, his friend Bobby would have given him more than just a passi=
ng=20
> > mention in his book.
> I'm sure you saw this quote from McNamara when he asked which "lead role"=
=20
> Costner was playing.=20
>=20
> "What character is he playing?" He said, "Kenny O=E2=80=99Donnell." I=20
> said, "For God=E2=80=99s sakes, Kenny O=E2=80=99Donnell didn=E2=80=99t=20
> have any role whatsoever in the missile crisis; he was a political=20
> appointment secretary to the President; that=E2=80=99s absurd. So I=20
> won=E2=80=99t see it," I said. "

Actually I did not see the quote but I am not surprised by it. A pretty 
clear picture is emerging that the movie greatly embellished O'Donnell's 
role. This is a pet peeve of mine. I understand that a certain amount of 
artistic license is taken when making historical films. Things like 
composite characters and crafting scenes and dialog that nobody was privy 
to are understandable. However an effort should be made to get the 
fundamental facts right and it seems that was not done with this movie.