Almost every other character just appeared (Ben, Duke) or disappeared without explanation (Kono, Ben, even Danny after 11 seasons!). Why did they have Chin Ho killed? I didn't like that at all. Couldn't they just retire him or something?
shareAlmost every other character just appeared (Ben, Duke) or disappeared without explanation (Kono, Ben, even Danny after 11 seasons!). Why did they have Chin Ho killed? I didn't like that at all. Couldn't they just retire him or something? - justxme
Why did Kam Fong leave the series?
Kam Fong's character Chin Ho Kelly was murdered in the final episode of the 10th season, A Death in the Family. At the Five-O convention in 1996, Kam said that he originally wanted Chin Ho to "retire gracefully," and fought the idea of having his character murdered. There was even talk of the production company suing Kam for breaking his contract! Then someone told him that it was an honour if you were a regular in a TV show and you were knocked off ... this meant that no one else could play your character. Despite Chin Ho's demise, he reappeared to play a part in the "new" Five-O TV pilot filmed in 1997!
http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/fiveofaq.htm
See? Even Kam Fong himself was of the opinion that Chin Ho should have been allowed to retire. Being "knocked off" was hideous even though it gave MacGarret some higly personal case which was probably the reason why they did it that way.
See? Even Kam Fong himself was of the opinion that Chin Ho should have been allowed to retire. Being "knocked off" was hideous even though it gave MacGarret some higly personal case which was probably the reason why they did it that way. - justxme
Why was he wanting to leave the series? Don't get me wrong I loved the Chin Ho character, but Kam Fong didn't have producers breaking down his door with other offers for work.
shareWhy was he wanting to leave the series? Don't get me wrong I loved the Chin Ho character, but Kam Fong didn't have producers breaking down his door with other offers for work. - la_woman91
Daisy: Why did you quit Five-O before the series ended?
Jim: As I said in my last visit to chat here, Daisy, I left out of boredom, really. After Lenny Freeman died, the show began to stagnate. They told and retold the same stories. They didn’t keep it as ‘cutting edge’ as it had been when Lenny was alive.
http://www.jamesmacarthur.com/Maryland/Maryland.shtml
I had a government job. I was able to apply for and get a transfer to Hawaii. It was great! I was living in paradise. 7 years later I couldn't wait to move off that island. If you want to go ANYWHERE else it is a 5.5 hour flight just to get to LA. If you're living in Hawaii and you go for a ride in your car you can go 25 miles before you must either turn left or turn right. I think they just wanted to get off that island.
share
I had a government job. I was able to apply for and get a transfer to Hawaii. It was great! I was living in paradise. 7 years later I couldn't wait to move off that island. If you want to go ANYWHERE else it is a 5.5 hour flight just to get to LA. If you're living in Hawaii and you go for a ride in your car you can go 25 miles before you must either turn left or turn right. I think they just wanted to get off that island.
Yeah, I looked into it and he was happy to stay there. I met many people who were born there. Happy to stay, year after year. I felt like living there was an imitation of real life.
Now I live in California, drive up north, go south, drive up mountains, drive to Vegas. Have some land and a big house. Relief!
Jack Lord considered it a personal betrayal that Kam Fong and James MacArthur left the show. And who could blame him for feeling betrayed? "Hawaii Five-O" made stars of these people, they had steady work in a beautiful environment, and they were beloved by millions of viewers.
By leaving, Fong and MacArthur destroyed the series. Fong got what he deserved by having his character murdered, while Danny simply disappeared with no explanation. This speaks volumes about how Lord and the producers regarded the departures of these actors. Chin Ho at least got to have a death scene, while Danno completely deserted the force (the act of a coward) and never was mentioned again--which parallels what happened in real life.
Jack Lord considered it a personal betrayal that Kam Fong and James MacArthur left the show.
I don't believe either that it was ungrateful or even a betrayal for the actors to leave.
Zulu (who had played Kono) had complained that all he got to do most times was to come into MacGarrett's office, say two lines, receive new orders, say "Right, Boss!" and leave again. The Chin Ho character didn't have a lot more to do either. While watching the show I was hoping to see at least every now and then Danny, Chin Ho, Kono or Ben being the one who has the important idea or the one who chases and catches the bad guy. But 99,9% of the time it was Jack Lord's MacGarrett who got to do that which probably had to do with the fact that Lord saw himself as the star.
I think I've read somewhere that Al Harrington (who played Ben) knew from the moment that Leonard Freeman died that Jack Lord would have him kicked out. Somehow Lord felt threatened by Harrington but had to live with him because Harrington was a protégé of Freeman.
Kam Fong said at the 1996 Mahalo Convention that he left to do charity work and devote time to his family. He also said he used to flub his lines to the point where they were doing 14 takes. That may be why he didn't get much screen time.
I don't know what you were watching, but Jack Lord was not solving these cases 99.9% of the time. Sometimes, it was Che Fong's forensic analysis that solved the cases. I have seen Danny and Chin also coming up with solutions, Danny more so than Chin. Even if it was McGarrett solving the cases 99.9% of the time, so what? That only becomes a negative if you choose to make it that way. That is how the scripts were written, and no one's talents or existence were demeaned because of it.
People have been making a lot of assumptions about Jack, about what he thought, that he saw himself as the star, and there's no evidence to back it up. Just because he had star billing and got more screen time, that doesn't mean Jack made it happen. That is how shows were made back then. If you were the star of the show, you got star billing and your character got more screen time and got to do the heavier work. It's not about seeing yourself as the star because you are billed as such and it's all written out in your contract.
The writers wrote the dialogue, not Jack. Leonard Freeman was in charge of them. So why are you blaming Jack for that?
Al Harrington didn't say that Jack Lord would have him kicked out. He said Jack was against hiring because he "was too tall or something" but Harrington never said there was any trouble with Jack. We don't know what Jack or anyone thought, unless they spoke about it. We can't say Jack felt threatened by Al, because there was nothing to be threatened by. A friend of mine who has been to Hawaii many times and met him says that Al spoke highly of Jack. She did not ask him about Jack. Al brought up the subject himself. She said he was very genuine and there was nothing in his tone to indicate he was being diplomatic and not wanting to ruffle feathers.
Just what proof do you have that Steve McGarrett was solving all the crimes because Jack Lord "saw himself as the star"? You don't know what he was thinking. Jsust because the scripts had McGarrett solving most of the crimes - in your eyes - it doesn't prove Jack made it that way.
Moreover, is there a direct quote from Jack where he says he felt betrayed by Kam and James? I've never seen one anywhere, and no one has pointed it out. The 12th season, from what I read, was ordered at the last minute and Season 11 was thought to be the last season, as newspaper reports from that time speculated. Jack Lord also said in an AP interview in 1978 (it was published in the Chicago Tribune, but was done through AP) that the crew was getting tired of doing the show and he (Jack) wanted to do other things and not play McGarrett forever, so no, Jack was not looking to make Hawaii Five-O like Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke ran as long as it did because William S. Paley liked it. He had so many other shows canceled just to keep it on the air.
by justxme
"I don't believe either that it was ungrateful or even a betrayal for the actors to leave.
Zulu (who had played Kono) had complained that all he got to do most times was to come into MacGarrett's office, say two lines, receive new orders, say "Right, Boss!" and leave again. The Chin Ho character didn't have a lot more to do either. While watching the show I was hoping to see at least every now and then Danny, Chin Ho, Kono or Ben being the one who has the important idea or the one who chases and catches the bad guy. But 99,9% of the time it was Jack Lord's MacGarrett who got to do that which probably had to do with the fact that Lord saw himself as the star.
I think I've read somewhere that Al Harrington (who played Ben) knew from the moment that Leonard Freeman died that Jack Lord would have him kicked out. Somehow Lord felt threatened by Harrington but had to live with him because Harrington was a protégé of Freeman."
EXACTLY! YOU have posted my thoughts exactly! If anything, the show betrayed the Chin Ho, Kono, and Ben characters. Jack Lord clearly wanted everything to be about him -- and after the death of Freeman he got what he wanted in every way. No wonder the other actors wanted out and away from the nonsense. Jack Lord was very threatened by the 'Ben" character and did not stop until he had him removed. On season 7, Ben was hardly seen -- and the way they pushed him out was very disrespectful and disloyal. I was disgusted by this and started seeing Jack Lord as someone other than whom I always thought he was. In truth, Jack and James got most of the story lines and air time while the others were just there and given little respect. This did not sit well with me at all. I was upset when Kono was removed -- but then I grew to like the Ben character. Switching up characters at a moment's notice in addition to lesser quality in scripts contributed to the fall of such a great show. It lost its way because Jack Lord's ego got too big for the shows own good. When the others left, Lord could not carry the show on his own and it was cancelled.
Do you have any facts to back up this nonsense? Just like justxme, you're making a bunch of accusations, with no facts to back them up.
It's always blame Jack for everything with you people. There's no evidence, but because he was the star of the show and had more screen time, you automatically jump to conclusions and claim he didn't let the other actors get more screen time, or as justxme says, "He saw himself as the star." How do you or anyone else know what Jack thought or how he saw himself, unless he made an statements to that effect?
Unlike you, I read a lot of interviews with Jack, and he never said he was the star or anything to indicate that he thought the show was about him and no one else existed.
Zulu was booted out for making an anti-Semitic remark against a Jewish publicist. People have claimed it was about Jack wanting some award that Zulu was supposed to get, just to make Jack look bad even further, but that is garbage. Zulu got that award in 1975.
Kam Fong, Zulu, and Al Harrington were not innocent victims of anything, and were anxious to get away. Kam was on the show for 10 years - yeah, that's really anxious to get away. Al Harrington got job offers to sports marketing, which he jumped on.
You make it sound like before Freeman died, these guys were getting more screen time when they weren't. That shows you weren't paying attention to anything.
You don't know that Jack was threatened by Al Harrington. That would mean you know what Jack was thinking, and you don't. Instead of going by what was said and done, you make assumptions. That's very logical.
The scripts were written by writers on the mainland and submitted to Lenny Freeman, and when he died, they went to the supervising, assistant, and associate producers - all of whom were in LA. This was told to me by Doug Denoff, who was the assistant producer during the last two seasons. After they saw everything, the scripts went to Jack and the other producers in Hawaii. Lenny Freeman himself did not even tell the writers what to write.
Jack did not change anything to give himself more screentime and he did not have the final say in any scripts. No one came forward to support such a notion. Even Bernie Oseranksy, the production manager, was interviewed by the American Archive of Television and mentioned how he was told to go over the scripts with Jack, and made no mention of such a thing happening. No guest star or main cast member ever eluded to this.
How could the show "lose it's way because Jack Lord's ego got too big for the shows [sic] own good," when he was not even in charge of the script-writing? Just because Ben had less screen time, that's automatically Jack's fault? Where's your evidence? Lenny Freeman was around at the time, and the writers answered to him, so if Ben had less screen time, that was their doing. Even Kono had less screen time than the others, and this was when Lenny Freeman was calling the shots.
I spoke to John D.F. Black, one of the writers, and he said Jack had little to do with the scripts. He didn't remember him having a hand in editing them at all.
Kam Fong admitted to flubbing his lines all the time at a fan convention in 1996. Which producer or director in their right mind, would give him more screen time with that happening?
I was not there, but I'm not going to make assumptions about what a man was thinking. Jack never said he wanted everything to be about him, nor is there evidence he did. The show cannot have every scene revolving around McGarrett when crimes are committed, and there have to be guest stars playing the criminals, victims, suspects, plus the semi regulars Harry Endo, Al Eben, Glenn Cannon, Richard Denning, etc., plus Danno, Chin, and the others. To insist that Jack disregarded all that and wanted everything to be about him is idiotic, immature, and shows no reasoning at all.
The show didn't get cancelled. Season 12 was planned to be the last season. Jack Lord agreed to do it, provided it ended with McGarrett capturing Wo Fat.
Jack never said he wanted everything to be about him
You still have still not explained all the accusations you made. You've been watching too many reality shows. You only want to blame Jack for everything, acting as though you knew what he was thinking, when you know nothing.
Get this through your empty head: Jack Lord had nothing to do with the scripts. He didn't write them or choose them. You have no proof he had anything to do with his co-stars leaving.
Where does it say Jack's co-stars were such wonderful people? You're giving them too much slack and trashing Jack for everything.
You really take all this personally, don't you?
shareFunny, I saw an episode a few weeks ago where Danno provided the important clue to solve a case. I guess you forgot about "Yesterday Died and Tomorrow Won't Be Born," "Beautiful Screamer," "Force of Waves," "The 90-Second War, Part 1," and even V For Vashon, Part 3, where Danno finds the vital information.
These guys don't need to provide the clinching clue in each show to show that they are getting attention. It takes more than one character to work on these cases, and just because one in particular finds that final bit of evidence to close it, it doesn't mean they get all the credit or that it gives more glory to the actor playing him.
It looks like it's become a pastime to blame Jack for everything people don't like about this show. I'd like to know where you're getting all this from. No one said Jack was in charge of the scripts.
Al Harrington never said Jack fired him, either.
Herman Wedemeyer and Moe Keale were on the show till the end, so what is your explanation for that, and why did you not mention that before?
P.S. How is it a fact that Jack saw himself as the star? He never said such a thing. That is your opinion, and one based on nothing.
Have a look at some facts -- James MacArthur was the star of Disney blockbuster tv movies a decade before, and I was surprised when I first saw it to see he'd taken such a secondary role when "Hawaii Five-O" started.
shareThose films were theatrical releases, but even then, that doesn't automatically qualify a person for lead roles. The roles James played in those Disney films were not the same as Danny Williams. In the Disney films, he was someone's son, older brother, friend, etc., and he basically played himself.
James took the role because he wanted to show that he could something outside of the family-friendly stuff and shake loose that "Helen Hayes's son" label. He didn't want to be in her shadow and was trying to show he could stand on his own two feet. He said this in a TV Guide interview in the late '60s or early '70s. There is nothing demeaning about taking a secondary role. James was not the leading man in every film he did, either.
"After Lenny Freeman died, the show began to stagnate. They told and retold the same stories. They didn’t keep it as ‘cutting edge’ as it had been when Lenny was alive."
I agree with this statement. The show became something else entirely after Freeman died. The team did not even work together as they used to and most of the shows were written around mostly Steve or Steve and Danny. In season 10, Chin was hardly even used in a lot of the episodes -- and if there he was given small scenes. I think this is why the actor who played the part wanted out -- because he was no longer being appreciated as he had been before the death of Freeman. I started watching the show from the beginning on Netflix since it was way before my time -- and I found myself losing interest after Freeman's death. The show became indulgent and repetitive.
"After Lenny Freeman died, the show began to stagnate. They told and retold the same stories. They didn’t keep it as ‘cutting edge’ as it had been when Lenny was alive." - James "Danno" MacArthur
I agree with this statement. The show became something else entirely after Freeman died. The team did not even work together as they used to and most of the shows were written around mostly Steve or Steve and Danny. In season 10, Chin was hardly even used in a lot of the episodes -- and if there he was given small scenes. I think this is why the actor who played the part wanted out -- because he was no longer being appreciated as he had been before the death of Freeman. I started watching the show from the beginning on Netflix since it was way before my time -- and I found myself losing interest after Freeman's death. The show became indulgent and repetitive. - Yahdancy
Kam Fong said in an interview in 1996 that he left to do charity work and devote time to his family. He never said that Jack made him leave or didn't allow him to get more screen time. Even if you argue that he was being kind, that doesn't mean a damn thing. You don't have proof otherwise. He admitted to flubbing lines to the tune of 14 takes, so it's no surprise they have him less screen time.
As for the quality of shows after Freeman's death, you make it sound these episodes were all terrible. There were many great shows from Seasons 6-8. The quality dipped a little in Season 9, and during Seasons 10 and 11, a new CBS executive took over, and he made them cut out all the violence on cop shows. Jack was also fighting with CBS to get control of the show because of this. This is evident in newspaper articles and a memo from Jack that were published online.
None of this was Jack's fault. Indulgent and repetitive ... what a crock.
Calm down, my furious friend! I didn't mean to upset you or anybody else. As I said, I don't remember where I got the things from that I wrote about. Some of that is from this site http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/fiveofaq.htm.
I'm just a guy from another country with a H 5-0 DVD collection and an internet access. I like to watch the occasional movie or TV show and sometimes I read a little further about them.
I don't know anybody in American movie industry. How should I know whether to trust you or the site above or who else? All I see is that characters are removed from the show without explaination, and then I decide to dedicate 10 minutes of my spare time to read on the internet. Things seemed to fit. That's what I came up with. I won't lose any sleep over it.
I don't know whether it's contract business or whatever that decides what's happening on a TV show. All I know is I didn't like those parts of the show: I would have liked to see more of Chin Ho and Kono; I didn't like Chin Ho to be killed and I didn't like the unexplained disappearance of characters. And obviously I'm not alone on that.
I didn't mean to upset you or to claim you're wrong. So, no hard feelings on your part, I hope.
Based on everything I have read on here and elsewhere it does appear Lord did indeed have an ego. Two things I have read stand out:
1. I have read in several places that he wanted his scenes shot in a certain manner from a certain point of view. To me, this is bizarre in the least, for an actor on a set to tell the director which angle to shoot from in a scene involving the actor.
2. The reason given for Jack Lord not returning to any Bond films as Felix Leiter was that he wanted shared top billing with Sean Connery on subsequent appearances and the producers balked at that. That's why the Felix Leiter character was played by different actors after Dr. No.
Just these two points make me believe that Jack Lord had an inflated ego. And I'm a fan...but I do recognize the man's faults.
And don't forget: Jack Lord never allowed any of his co-stars to be billed as "Also Starring" or "Co-Starring", as is standard. Instead, it was always "With". That speaks VOLUMES.
shareWrong. Jack Lord never said that. There is no proof of it. Try reading that 1971 TV Guide article properly. Some CBS press agent said that CBS management did not want the other actors referred to as co-stars in a journalist's article. Two CBS execs mad that writer retract his statements later, which indicates he was either lying or exaggerating. It's rare that execs get involved like that, and it does mean that Jack anything to do with it. The show was a hit and they were minting money off it, but they could pull the plug whenever they wanted. That writer, Ben Wood, was angry because Jack didn't attend some silly roast (similar to the Friar's Club) that he organized.
There is no evidence on record that Jack didn't allow them to have co-star billing and no interview where he said such a thing. It's not to hard to read up on TV shows and how actors contracts are worked out. Actors agents negotiate screen billing with the network. No has ever seen any of the cast members' contracts, nor has anyone who would have been involved in the process ever come forward to verify if this rumor was true. Also, newspaper TV listings referred to Hawaii Five-O as starring Jack Lord, James MacArthur, etc. It would be impossible for Jack to control all the publications, and no one from any magazine or newspaper has said that Jack issued some order to them on how to refer to the other actors.
Get your head out of your ass. The evidence is right there on the screen: no one was allowed to be "co-star". An actor with James MacArthur's level of experience would typically get it. Agents do negotiate billing, but clearly the "co-star" option wasn't on the table (neither MacArthur or William Smith got it), so their agents couldn't negotiate for something that was not available.
That wasn't the producers's call, because it would be standard to give it. Anyone who has worked in television can tell you that. The execs had to retract the statement because Lord was pissed that it leaked out. Of course there would be no evidence on record - the network typically doesn't want to publicize a difficult star's demands, particularly when it comes to denying his co-stars something.
Stop acting like a know-it-all just because a friend of a friend was hired to do a bio on Lord. You clearly have NO analytical skills or background in television production. TV Guide is filled with information generated by publicists, nut it doesn't necessarily tell the whole story.
You're the one with your head in your ass. You don't know anything about television except the stupid facts you make up. You can't read properly. Did you flunk reading comprehension in school?
Look at the credits! What a joke. Because of what it says on the screen, you make up some story that Jack didn't allow the other actors to get screen credit? Where does it say Jack made those execs retract that statement? It doesn't say that anywhere. What are you going to say next, that Martians are invading?
Who said co-star billing it wasn't on the table? Your fairy tales don't equal facts. Jack's co-stars didn't starve or want for anything. They were all paid well and became famous despite some screen credits.
By the time William Smith joined the cast, it was the final season, and co-star billing wouldn't even matter by then. You make up some stupid stories, and think you're a credible source? You are as much of a degenerate as the people who worked with Jack.
The one being a know-it-all, and an illiterate. No friend of friend hired me to write a bio. Again, you're lying. I'm a co-authoring the book and doing research. Given that you twisted my statements around, it's clear you made up everything you wrote about Jack.
I didn't say it was the producer's call. I said the networks - that means network execs and sponsors as well.
You are the one with no analytical skills and what is your background in television exactly? I know how to read and not twist around people's comments like you did. You're a brainless jackass who repeats the rumors other losers have been spreading all these years. TV Guide were the first ones to publish that story, and I didn't say they were accurate. If they were not, then it is made-up.
Looking at the credits on the screen doesn't mean a damn thing. You provided no evidence whatsoever, and just used a bunch of assumptions as facts. You're just some silly little dirtbag with an empty head. Jack's co-stars were not mistreated, not when they were making enough money to pay their mortgages and send their kids to college, so painting them out to be victims when they were not.
Instead of name-calling and misinterpreting statements, why is it you provide no evidence other than your own speculation?
James MacArthur was not originally hired to play Danno. Tim O'Kelly played him in the pilot and got co-star billing. He was hired before Jack Lord, as were Kam and Zulu. Their billing might have have been worked out before Jack came on the scene, in which case Jack cannot be blamed for Kam and Zulu not getting co-star billing. Even if their billing was determined after the pilot was filmed when Jack was already there, there is still the fact that O'Kelly got co-star billing. If Jack had such an inflated ego, he would not have let O'Kelly get that much. O'Kelly was dropped when a testing audience for the pilot voted against him.
It was Lenny Freeman who hired James MacArthur. James played the preacher on Hang'em High, which Freeman directed. He then offered him the role of Danno. Knowing the producer, it's likely James and/or his agent negotiated his billing through him directly. Why would Jack have interfered when it was Freeman's decision to hire James in the first place and Freeman had the final word?
I also never saw any evidence to indicate Jack never allowed the other actors to get co-star billing. Many people have made this claim on the internet, and none of them ever provide valid sources. The TV Guide article Vrinda mentioned is where this B.S. started. Even though they are not a reputable magazine, it doesn't stop people from reading it and believing it. You are making this accusation based on seeing the opening credits, then what is your take on other '70s shows, where the casts got co-star billing, but were marginalized in the opening credits:
On Ironside, Raymond Burr's name comes before the title Ironside, and Don Galloway, Barbara Anderson, and Don Mitchell's names are piled up in one screen credit afterwards. Though they get co-star billing (probably due to them being contracted to Universal, who made the show), it was still clear that Raymond Burr was the one on whom the attention was focused - even on the show. Even though Jack's co-stars didn't get that kind of billing, notice that they were in the main credits. You actually saw them, and not their names piled up on one credit screen.
On Kojak, the opening credits was a montage of clips of Telly Savalas, with his name in big letters before the name "Kojak." Dan Frazer, George Savalas, and Kevin Dobson, who joined the cast later on, got co-star billing, but their names are not in the main credits, but appear over the first scene of Act I. Despite co-star billing, it's also clear here, like in Ironside, that only one actor was meant to stand out. The co-star billing was lip service.
If you watched both these shows, it's evident that Burr and Savalas were getting the most promotion and attention. Does that mean that they didn't allow their co-stars to get their fair share of attention?
Going back to Hawaii Five-O, why is it James MacArthur, Kam Fong, and Zulu never said that Jack didn't allow them to get more screentime? If anything, Zulu would have talked. Kam and Zulu had hardly any experience in television or fils except for bit parts. That would not get them a regular role on a TV series, let alone co-star billing, in Hollywood. Because Hawaii Five-O was set in Hawaii and they were locals, they were cast. Leonard Freeman took one look at that them at different auditions and hired them.
What you are writing about is nothing but rumor and conjecture with no facts.
I am working with the author who is writing Jack's biography, and I am also working with a producer who is putting together a TV documentary on Jack's life. I spoke to many people who worked with him - actors, writers, cameramen, etc., and none of what you said was true.
An ego is an awareness of one's self. That is something we all have. Modern English has given it a negative connotation so people use it the way you did.
Jack did not like closeups, but many actors don't, but he still filmed them. What is this ""a certain manner from a certain point of view"? That is unclear. He never specified being shot from certain angles. If he didn't like a shot, he would ask the director to redo the shot, but that was not common. They worked on a tight schedule and a tight budget. The technicians get paid overtime if they take too long, and many actors commented that Jack was a stickler for getting things done in one take. If he was making them film him from certain angles, the actors themselves would have talked. I came across no such comments from any source, named or otherwise, even in the movie magazines.
To you it may be bizarre because it doesn't sound like you know much about TV production. Tabloids are not credible sources of information. If Jack insisted on only being filmed in some certain way that no one even specified, wouldn't that show on film? Wouldn't people notice him only being filmed from certain sides and directions? I never noticed such a thing. On Hawaii Five-O, and his previous show, Stoney Burke, he was filmed from every angle.
That story about Jack asking for more money, co-star billing, etc. in the James Bond films was told in 1983 by Richard Maibaum in a magazine interview. He did not say how or when this conversation came up, or how he knew, when writers are not normally involved in the casting process. If he was a firsthand witness to this, he would have had more to say than the one sentence about this that he did in Starlog.
A friend of Jack's who knew him for the last 20 years of his life told me that Jack said he did not want to do a franchise anyway, and was not even asked back. If he wasn't asked back, where would be have the opportunity to make those demands? This conversation occurred before the 1983 article was ever published.
Jack was filming Stoney Burke and performing in rodeos all over the country in 1963, when casting for Goldfinger was going on. He didn't have an agent to take his messages, so how did the Bond films casting director or producers get in touch with him?
[deleted]
Can you all stop this and move on and discuss something else about the series?
shareI would, but jerks like that keep coming on here and starting more trouble. They base their comments on nothing but their own delusions, and claim to know so much, while demonstrating to know so little.
shareLet me reply with this first......
"WITH" (Defenitions) :
Accompanied by (another person or thing)/accompaniment
Joining with others to perform an action.
Also indicating the manner or attitude of the person doing something.
Indicating also voluntary responsibility or want in joining something
Happi :
In other words , 'with' meant the same thing as co-star or also starring. In essence ,it was TEAM effort. I don't believe (note I'm not saying I KNOW.because I wasn't there) that Jack Lord was such a task~master that he considered the people he worked with to be as replaceable as machinery.
I reccomend some of you,to refer to the season One DVD set.
Mainly, watch that 1996 special about Hawaii Five 0. James MacArthur stated on camera in that special that he was simply bored and wanted to leave. More likely he was burned out from filming 259 shows.
(Rounded off to 60 minutes even,259 hours. Equal to about 129 two hour movies!)
===========================================================
Same goes for Kam Fong. He was 50 when the show started & when he left he about to be 60. He'd certainly earned a rest as well. As for their characters. My guess here is Chin had been a cop for about 25 years (more or less) & Danny had been a cop for 15 years when he exited.
In a lot of TV shows back then ,when actors left ,their characters were never mentioned again. Why I really couldn't say excpet maybe laziness or just getting on weith the show but not understanding that these characters meant something special to the viewers.
The rest that left? I can only,again guess why, but just maybe they saw the
writing on the wall,that the show was getting older. (See Season By Season ratings below.)
Filming a TV series that requires great emotion from it's actors, as well as action ,takes A LOT of work & takes a lot out of a person. So ,when people decide after nearly or exactly a decade to leave,it shouldn;t be surprsing, shocking and certainly not considered "a betrayal."
Even seeing and working in a great place like Hawaii for that
long, would eventually become all too familiar to the point of being boring.
I feel whoever told Kam that "you're character getting killed" was an honor in TV was full of it. Name me ONE crime-drama before Hawaii Five 0 , where "a main character" police officer /detctive (Whatever) was killed. Seemingly ,they talked him into helping them get a "sweeps" rating victory, type episode.
=========================================================
Hawaii Five-0 Ratings :
1968-1969 #15 11.4
1969–1970 #19 21.1
1970–1971 #7 25.0
1971–1972 #12 23.6
1972–1973 #3 25.2
1973–1974 #5 24.0
1974–1975 #10 24.8
1975–1976 #13 23.1
1976–1977 #18 21.9
1977–1978 #23 20.4 <------
1978–1979 #26 19.2<--------
If anything speaks volumes it's Sea.'s 10 & 11. They fell out of
the top 20. Stil had millions of viewers but Season 12 took care of that.
1979–1980 - Not in the Top 30
Season 12 - Sept. to November 1979 ~ Thursdays at 9:00 p.m.
December 1979 ~ January 1980 ~ Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m.
March 1980 ~ April 1980 ~ Saturdays at 9:00 p.m.
I say, CBS only went with Season 12 because Jack still wanted to do it. ...and, they
had nothing better waiting in the wings then. Except DALLAS , which was about to be huge a few months later ,after nealry 2 years on the air.
Go for it or just be a gopher!
(MR.) happipuppi13 🐕 *arf,man!*
His exit was a lot more dignified than his bizarre entrances in the pilot, Cocoon. Maybe they were gearing him up to be the comic relief and wisely reconsidered.
share"Chin Ho Kelly is here!"
He doesn't seem like the comic-relief type.
Last thing a this show needed is a "comic relief". That's pretty
much provided by some of the dumber criminals Steve & crew arrest.
Not to mention some of the uneccessary
car tire screeching ,the sound effects people put it.
Go for it or just be a gopher!
(MR.) happipuppi13 🐕 *arf,man!*
@ ngihts ago ,I finally saw the "Death In The Family" episode on DVD.
I knew his end was coming but I didn't know how. (In '78 ,I
was kid watchng sitcoms mostly ,so I didn;t see it then or in reruns.)
I had read his body would be thrown in front of the Ilani Palace but
in all honesty ,the intensity of that episode never elt up for a second!
From the unusual opening arrest sequecnes ,to his cover being blown and seeinghis body flung out of the moving car. I seriously got severe chills up my spine at that grusome moment.
I knew one thing ,Steve would give more than one 'knuckle-sandwhich' to Chin's killer. That's why again i say ,Kam Fong ,n agreeing to have his character 'offed' ,gave CBS a season ending 'sweeps' ratings victory.
What Kam said he was told, on 1996 TV , Five 0 special ,in interview :
"It's an honor to have your character killed."
"That way no one else can play the role."
What a con job!
Go for it or just be a gopher!
(MR.) happipuppi13 🐕 *arf,man!*