Re: Thirteen Days

On Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 10:02:56 AM UTC-4, John Corbett wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 9:10:49 PM UTC-4, Steve M. Galbraith wrote=
:=20
> > 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 writte=
n for)=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 te=
levised=20
> > > > > stage play. Several decades later it was made into a major motion=
 picture=20
> > > > > of the same name as the book. However there was something curious=
 about=20
> > > > > the movie which I still don't understand. Kenny O'Donnell was bar=
ely=20
> > > > > mentioned in the book and had only one scene in the Missiles of O=
ctober.=20
> > > > > In the movie Thirteen Days, he was made the central character pla=
yed 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 w=
hen it=20
> > > > > seemed from RFK's book that he was barely involved in the managem=
ent of=20
> > > > > the crisis. Was there other source material that indicated O'Donn=
ell's=20
> > > > > involvement was much greater than what it appeared in the book? I=
f anyone=20
> > > > > has an information as to why the movie expanded O'Donnell's role =
beyond=20
> > > > > what the book indicated, I would appreciate it.=20
> > > > https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-22-ca-15450-story.=
html=20
> > > 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 rol=
e 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 st=
atus=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, h=
elped=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 audi=
ences=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 reas=
on,=20
> > > I think if O'Donnell had played as major a role in the crisis as the =
movie=20
> > > indicates, his friend Bobby would have given him more than just a pas=
sing=20
> > > mention in his book.=20
> > I'm sure you saw this quote from McNamara when he asked which "lead rol=
e"=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=
=20
> clear picture is emerging that the movie greatly embellished O'Donnell's=
=20
> role. This is a pet peeve of mine. I understand that a certain amount of=
=20
> artistic license is taken when making historical films. Things like=20
> composite characters and crafting scenes and dialog that nobody was privy=
=20
> to are understandable. However an effort should be made to get the=20
> fundamental facts right and it seems that was not done with this movie.

Max Holland's views on the "Hollywoodization" of history makes the same 
points.

 Here's the first paragraph in his piece:

"I used to have this annual argument at Christmas with my brother-in-law, 
a well-regarded film editor in Hollywood. I would arrive brimming with 
complaints about a movie like Argo, said to be =E2=80=9Cbased on actual 
events=E2=80=9D but with an entirely fictitious Keystone Kops-like airport 
chase scene. I would rail about the disservice to history and the 
misleading effects as an increasing number of Americans learn their 
history from Hollywood features. He would defend dramatic license. 
I=E2=80=99d respond by saying a driver=E2=80=99s license doesn=E2=80=99t 
give one the right to do anything one wants on the road. Round and round 
we=E2=80=99d go, until we reached his final redoubt: =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s 
only a movie.=E2=80=9D

He also mentions how RFK's "Thirteen Days" was not accurate either because 
it presented RFK as a dove when the evidence is that at the start of the 
crisis he was quite hawkish. As the tapes indicate.

Rest here: https://www.maxholland.info/2017/10/the-white-rat.html