Andre Dawson: The Hawk soars

Andre Dawson with the Montreal Expos in the '80s.

Source: https://flasportshof.org/fshofmember/andre-dawson/

(May be subject to copyright)

He moved so effortlessly in the outfield and on the base paths, no wonder his nickname was “Hawk”. At the time, I did not appreciate his greatness, until he had left the Montreal Expos.

Andre Dawson was one of my favourite baseball players of all time, so I was a little sad to hear he recently contacted the Baseball Hall of Fame to request the hat he was inducted wearing be changed from an Expos hat to a Chicago Cubs hat.

It reminded me of his career in the 1980s, and why he left the Expos in the first place.

Our own backyard
Andre Dawson began his major league career playing rookie ball in the Pioneer League for – the Lethbridge Expos in 1975. As kids, we would collect baseball cards at school, and at various times one or another of us marveled at the fact the guy we were watching on TV, actually used to play just a few miles away in Lethbridge.

If I am not mistaken, my brother actually saw him play in Lethbridge.

Dawson wouldn’t stay in Southern Alberta long.

He was destined for much bigger things.

The years before
Dawson cruised through the minor-league system and made his major league debut with the Montreal Expos in 1976, playing in 24 games after being called up in September. He batted .235 with 20 hits including four doubles, a triple and seven runs batted in.

The next year, the 1977 season, Dawson became an every day player in centre field for the Expos He batted .282 with 148 hits, including 19 home runs, nine triples and 26 doubles, drove in 65 runs and had 21 stolen bases. For his efforts, he was named the National League rookie of the year. The Expos, playing the first season in Olympic Stadium, finished fifth in the National League East with a 75-87 record.

In 1978, Dawson batted .253 with 154 hits, including 25 home runs, eight triples, and 24 doubles, drove in 72 runs, and stole 28 bases. The Expos finished with a record of 76-86, good enough for fourth in the National League East.

In 1979, he batted .275 with 176 hits, including 25 home runs, 12 triples, 24 doubles, had 92 runs batted in, and 35 stolen bases. The Expos had their first winning season, and best record as the Expos, finishing 95-65. They finished second in the National League East, two games behind the eventual World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

As the 1980s dawned, it seemed Andre Dawson was poised to break out and become a star for the Montreal Expos.

Off to stardom
The Expos built on their success of 1979 by challenging for the National League East Division title again. This time they battled the Philadelphia Phillies down to the wire, before finishing second with a 90-72 record, one game behind the Phillies.

Dawson batted .308 with 178 hits, including 17 home runs, seven triples, 41 doubles, and 87 runs batted in. He also stole 34 bases, and he won his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards.

Blue Monday
The 1981 season would be the most successful for the Expos, with Andre Dawson helping lead the way. There was a strike part way through the season. When play resumed, Major League Baseball decided to have a unique playoff system. The season would start all over. However, the teams leading their divisions when the season ended would play the teams who led their divisions before the strike.

The Expos won the second half National League East division title and would play the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-five divisional playoff. The Expos won that and faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-five National League Championship Series. The teams battled back and forth. In the fifth and deciding game, the Dodgers got a late home run by Rick Monday to win the series. They advanced to the World Series where they defeated the New York Yankees for the championship. The game has forever been called “Blue Monday”.

Dawson batted .302 and had 119 hits, including 24 home runs, three triples, 21 doubles and 64 runs batted in. He also stole 26 bases. For his efforts he was named to his first all-star game, won his second Glove Glove and Silver Slugger awards, and was runner up for National League Most Valuable Player behind Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sustained success
Once again in 1982, Andre Dawson was an all star and won another Gold Glove. He batted .301 with 183 hit, including 23 home runs, seven triples, 37 doubles, and 83 runs batted in. He also stole 39 bases. The Expos went 86-76, finishing in third place, six games behind St. Louis who would gone on to win the World Series.

Dawson had another excellent season in 1983, earning his third straight all-star selection, winning Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards again, and was runner up for National League Most Valuable Player behind Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves. He led the league with 189 hits, and batted .299 with 32 home runs, 10 triples, 36 doubles and 113 runs batted in. He also stole 25 bases. Montreal finished 82-80, good enough for third place, eight games back of Philadelphia.

In 1984, Dawson won his fifth straight Gold Glove, while batting .248, with 132 hits, including 17 home runs, six triples, 23 doubles, and 86 runs batted in. He also had 13 stolen bases. Injuries were already beginning to affect him, as he appeared in just 138 games. The Expos finished 78-83 and fifth in the National League East.

The 1985 season saw Dawson win his sixth straight Gold Glove, as he batted .255, with 135 hits, including 23 home runs, two triples, 27 doubles, and 91 runs batted in. He again stole 13 bases, and again missed a lot of games due to injury, appearing in just 139 games. Montreal finished 84-77 and third in the National League East.

The next year, 1986, would be the end of the line for Andre Dawson in Montreal. He appeared in a career-low 130 games, where he batted a solid .284, recording 141 hits, including 20 home runs, two triples, 32 doubles, and 78 runs batted in. Montreal finished 78-83, fourth in the National League East Division.

His contract was up and Dawson was not returning to Montreal. The concrete hard outfield had contributed significantly to Dawson’s knee injuries, so he realized he had to play on natural grass.

Interestingly, teams weren’t beating down the door to sign Andre Dawson. Ultimately, he had his agent take around an open contract to the teams that played on natural grass. I remember thinking Andre Dawson was done.

Boy was I wrong.

Most Valuable Player
Dawson signed with the Chicago Cubs, and rejuvenated his career. In fact, he had a career season in 1987, winning the National League Most Valuable Player award. He also earned another all-star selection, won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, and led the National League in home runs with 49 and runs batted in with 137. He batted .287 with 178 hits including two triples and 24 doubles, and stole 11 bases.

The rest of the decade
In 1988, Dawson followed up his most valuable player season with another all-star, Gold Glove season as he batted .303 with 179 hits, including 24 home runs, eight triples, 31 doubles, 79 runs batted in, and he stole eight bases.

The 1989 season saw the Chicago Cubs win the National League East Division title. They faced the San Francisco Giants in the National League Championship Series, who beat the Cubs four games to one. Dawson was again named an all star, as he batted .252 with 105 hits, including 21 home runs, six triples, 18 doubles, and 77 runs batted in.

The years after
Andre Dawson would play for Chicago until the end of the 1992 season, moving on to Boston for two seasons, and the Florida Marlins for two more, retiring after the 1996 season. He was an eight-time all star; eight-time Gold Glover; four-time Silver Slugger; and won most valuable player and rookie-of-the year awards.

He finished his career appearing in 2,627 games, with a .279 batting average; 2,774 hits; 438 home runs; 98 triples; 503 doubles; and 1,591 runs batted in.

Andre Dawson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Parting thoughts
Several images of Andre Dawson come to mind when I hear his name. One is that loping stride that covered so much ground in the outfield and on the base paths. Another is that same stride, only much more laboured, in his last years in Montreal as he was already hobbled by injury. A third is that look of concentration and focus every time he came to the plate. Finally, there was this look of defiance that first year in Chicago where he played with fierce determination. You could tell he thought he had something to prove.

I can appreciate how he may wish to change caps in the Hall of Fame, because it was in Montreal where he sustained those injuries, and it seemed nothing was done to change the situation.

Whether that happens or not, it was a pleasure to watch “The Hawk” soar throughout the ‘80s.

Robert DeNiro: Just keeps on trucking

Robert Deniro, at right, in "Midnight Run" in 1988, with co-star Charles Grodin.

Source: https://filmforum.org/film/midnight-run-road-movies

(May be subject to copyright)

Imagine being hired to track someone down who is a fugitive and a criminal, and bring them back to justice. Only, when you meet the guy, he isn’t as much a criminal as he is a guy who was trying to do the right thing. He only jumped bail so he could prove it. Do you change your mind about the guy? Do you still bring him in?

That was what happened to Robert DeNiro when he played Jack Walsh in the movie “Midnight Run”.

I saw DeNiro today, railing against the Gotham Awards for altering the contents of an acceptance speech he was giving.

Seeing DeNiro reminded me of “Midnight Run”, his movies with Martin Scorcese, and the other work he did in the 1980s. That all acted as a springboard to the amazing career still going strong at the age of 80.

The years before
Robert DeNiro had made quite a name for himself as the 1980s dawned. He started appearing in movies in 1965, and really got rolling with a part in “The Godfather Part II” in 1974, for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

He soon teamed with director Martin Scorcese in the beginning of a series of movies, starting with “Taxi Driver” in 1976, for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor; and “New York, New York” in 1977. He followed that up with “The Deer Hunter” in 1978, directed by Michael Cimino, where he was nominated for another Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

DeNiro would only get busier, and more prolific in the 1980s.

More Martin
He started the decade starring in “Raging Bull” in 1980, another movie directed by Scorcese. DeNiro plays legendary boxer Jake LaMotta, a performance that earned him an Oscar for Best Actor.

The first time I actually saw DeNiro was in “The King of Comedy”, a 1982 movie that I saw later. I was in Grade 8 hanging out with my friend Mike Hartman, and accompanied him to do some babysitting. The people he babysat for had Pay-TV. When we tuned in, this strange movie was playing.

This deranged fan named Rupert Pupkin, kidnapped a comic, and was staging his own talk show with him, actually trying to be the comic. It was the end of the movie, and did not make a lot of sense to me.

We didn’t have much time to digest it either, because the people came home from their night out.

Robert DeNiro played Rupert Pupkin.

Prolific actor
Robert DeNiro kept on making movies as the decade proceeded – and a lot of them. In 1984, he was in “Once Upon a Time in America” about Jewish gangsters in New York, and “Falling in Love”, where he stars opposite Meryl Streep. I recall “Falling in Love” billed as starring two Oscar winners in a love story.

In 1985, he appeared in “Brazil” a dystopic science fiction movie directed by Terry Gilliam, who made his name as part of Monty Python.

In 1986, he was in “The Mission” where he co-starred with Jeremy Irons about two missionaries in South America in the 18th Century. My good friend David Perlich saw this movie when we were in high school and loved it. Another friend in university raved about the music in the movie.

I did not see these movies, but I did see his next one.

The devil you say
“Angel Heart” came out early in 1987 when I was still in high school. It was greeted with some controversy because of a scene Lisa Bonet did, that was deemed sexually explicit. At the time she was best known as the eldest daughter in the smash television comedy “The Cosby Show”. The censors were going to give the movie an X-rating if the scene was not deleted. It was.

Mickey Rourke stars in “Angel Heart” as private detective Harry Angel, who is hired to look into a man’s disappearance. He follows the trail to New Orleans and the world of voodoo, witchcraft, and a shadowy man named Louis Cyphre, who hired Angel. DeNiro played Louis Cyphre.

He turned in a memorable performance as Louis Cyphre combining a looming, foreboding presence with slick charm. You can tell he is not what he appears to be and definitely has a hidden, darker agenda.

DeNiro also played Al Capone in the theatrical update of “The Untouchables” in 1987 but, again, I never saw the movie in its entirety.

I was told by several people I missed out, but I definitely did not miss out on his next movie.

It remains one of my favourite DeNiro movies.

Running
It was the summer of 1988, and I was home after my first year of university. While I was gone away to school, a new theatre complex cropped up in Lethbridge, providing so many more screens to see movies.

I was hanging out with my friend and neighbour Bill, and we went to a lot of movies, because they were cheap and accessible.

So one day we decided to go see this movie that looked interesting, although we really hadn’t heard anything about it, other than it was a comedy.

It was called “Midnight Run”.

DeNiro plays bounty hunter Jack Walsh hired to bring back a nebbish accountant named Jonathan Mardukas, played by Charles Grodin, who embezzled $15 million from a mobster. However, the FBI wants Mardukas so he can testify against the mobster. And the mobster wants Mardukas to get his money back, and of course, kill the embezzler. When Walsh finally captures Mardukas, he discovers Mardukas is afraid of flying, meaning he has to take him back cross country to Los Angeles by any means necessary.

It is a great movie, part comedy, part drama and part action. The chemistry between DeNiro and Grodin is immediate as the bounty hunter comes to like the accountant, who isn’t a bad guy at all.

I saw it again a few years ago, and it still a great movie.

It also really shows DeNiro's versatility as an actor who can play it straight and do comedy.

The years after
Robert DeNiro just keeps making great movies where he demonstrates his talent and versatility. Given he was nominated for all those Oscars so early in his career, it’s hard to comprehend how it was possible for him to keep making so many great movies in the years after the 1980s.

Those include “Goodfellas” and “Awakenings” in 1990; “Guilty by Suspicion”, “Backdraft”, and “Cape Fear” in 1991; “Mad Dog and Glory” and “A Bronx Tale” in 1993; “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” in 1994; “Casino” and “Heat” in 1995; “The Fan” in 1996; “Cop Land”, “Jackie Brown”, and “Wag the Dog” in 1997; “Great Expectations” and “Ronin” in 1998; “Analyze This” in 1999; “Meet the Parents” in 2000; “Analyze That” in 2002; “Meet the Fockers” in 2004; “Little Fockers” in 2010; “Silver Linings Playbook” in 2012; “Joker” in 2019, where his character pays tribute to Rupert Pupkin; “The War with Grandpa” in 2020; “Killers of the Flower Moon” in 2023; and so, so many more.

Parting thoughts
Robert DeNiro is an incredibly versatile actor, whose career has just evolved and changed with the times.

I have seen some of his dramatic movies, but I have to admit I love him more in comedy. As he has aged, and is less believable as a dramatic or action hero, he has just increased his reputation as a comedic actor.

The epitome of his comedic work is playing Jack Walsh in “Midnight Run”, where he is this hard-boiled, ex-cop bounty hunter who has his heart melted by the endearing and engaging Jonathan Mardukas.

It amazes me that Robert DeNiro has been acting longer than I have been alive, and he just keeps on trucking.

Ed Harris: The right stuff for the movies

Ed Harris as astronaut John Glenn in "The Right Stuff" in 1983.

Source: https://movieweb.com/the-right-stuff-realistic-space-movie-streaming-free/

(May be subject to copyright)

He would go on to some remarkable performances in movies such as “Apollo 13”, “The Truman Show”, “Step Mom”, “The Rock”, “A Beautiful Mind”, “Pollock”, and so much more, but I will always remember when I first saw him.

He was playing John Glenn, who trying to become the first man in space, as part of the United States Space Program in “The Right Stuff”.

It is Ed Harris’ birthday today, and hearing that took me back to the epic movie and some of his other iconic performances.

Going into space
Ed Harris appeared in a few movies in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, but came to prominence when he played a true American hero in “The Right Stuff” in 1983.

The movie chronicled the American Air Force, Navy and Marine test pilots flying at Edwards Air Force Base in California in the 1960s, as well as the pilots chosen for the space program.

Sam Shepherd plays Chuck Yeager who was the first pilot to break the sound barrier; Scott Glen plays Alan B. Shepard; Dennis Quaid plays Gordon Cooper; Lance Henriksen plays Wally Schirra; Scott Paulin plays Deke Slayton; Fred Ward plays my favourite, Virgil Grissom; and Ed Harris plays John Glenn.

It was Harris’ first major role and he not only looked, but acted the part.

“The Right Stuff” was another movie I watched on a Sunday night on Channel 13 of the peasant vision dial, all broken up by commercial breaks. It went so long, I had to keep the volume down really low, so I didn’t keep my parents up. Consequently, I am not sure I picked up everything that was happening.

In any event, that movie taught me a lot about the space program, and the men who were part of it.

It is a good companion piece to the “Space” miniseries I saw a year later.

“Swing Shift”
The next time I saw Ed Harris was a couple years later. I was in Grade 12 and had already been accepted to the University of Alberta in Edmonton. My cousin Nina was finishing her final year at the U of A, and she offered to take me on a campus tour. So my Mom, my sister and I drove up to Edmonton and stayed the night. Nina took me on a tour, which was quite overwhelming to be honest. Everything was kind of a blur. We went to supper at a place called Maxwell Taylor’s where I had the “Chicken Mushroom Chicken”, a meal that would become my favourite over the next few years.

Then we went back to Nina’s apartment in Newton Place which, in 1987, was across from the campus. It is now part of campus as the university bought the building. Nina had two roommates, for this two-bedroom apartment, so a bedroom had been crafted out of half of the living room. It seemed to suit her roommate fine.

We stayed on the floor on the other half of the living room.

It was Saturday night, so Nina suggested we watch a movie. “Swing Shift” was playing on the equivalent of Channel 13 in Edmonton, which was another CTV affiliate. The movie came out in 1984 and starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Hawn plays a woman who goes to work in a munitions factory after her husband enlists in the army following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Russell plays a plant worker who has a romantic interest in her.

Harris plays the husband who goes off to war.

It was another supporting role for Harris, but I do recall enjoying that movie, despite all the commercials.

The Abyss
Ed Harris also appeared in two other notable movies that I never have seen but should – “Under Fire” in 1983 and “Places in the Heart” in 1984.

The next time I saw him, I was in a very different place in my life. It was 1989 and I was in my third year of university. I had moved on to a floor where the people loved to go out and do things. They saw a lot of movies, and I saw my fair share with them.

One the of the best was called “The Abyss”. It’s about an American submarine that sinks in the Carribbean. When a search and rescue team works to rescue them, they battle Soviets and find an alien visitor down below.

Harris plays the foreman of an underwater drilling platform that is used as a base of operations. He is also the estranged husband of the platform’s designer, so that adds another level of drama.

I remember the characters, especially Harris’, being engaging and leaving the theatre really liking the movie, partly because it was not what I had expected.

The years after
Ed Harris would go on to movies such as “Glengarry Glen Ross” in 1992; “The Firm” and “Needful Things” in 1993; “Nixon” and “Apollo 13” in 1995; “The Rock” in 1996; “The Truman Show” and “Stepmom” in 1998; “Pollock” in 2000; “”A Beautiful Mind” in 2001; “The Hours” in 2002; “Radio” in 2003; and much more.

He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a leading Role for “Pollock” and Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for “Apollo 13”; “The Truman Show”; and “The Hours”.

Harris has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy awards.

Parting thoughts
Whenever I think of Ed Harris, I think of his performance as Gene Kranz in “Apollo 13” and Christof in “The Truman Show”.

So, when I think of Ed Harris in the ‘80s, I think of an actor who was just getting started.

He was on his way to finding the right stuff.

Harrison Ford: No slowing down

One minute he’s taking on a Death Star with his ship the Millennium Falcon, the next minute he is battling humanoid robots in a futuristic dystopic Los Angeles, and the minute after that he is fleeing from a giant boulder.

To say Harrison Ford was a big part of movies in the ‘80s is an understatement.

Whether he was Han Solo, Rick Deckard or Dr. Indiana Jones, he was one of my favourite actors.

Tonight we watched an episode of “Shrinking”, one of his latest TV projects.

It again reminded me that he is still not only one of my favourite actors, but why.

Harrison Ford as Han Solo in "Return of the Jedi.".

Source: https://www.imdb.com

(May be subject to copyright)

Star Wars
Harrison Ford may have been in “American Graffiti” before it, but his career really started with one movie – "Star Wars".

I may have been the only kid in existence who did not see “Star Wars” when it first came out in 1977. That was just part of living on a farm with no real access to a daily newspaper and three channels on TV.

However, the movie was such a hit, news reports started coming out how people were seeing it over and over, sometimes dozens and even hundreds of times.

Consequently, it was one of the very few movies that came back to the theatres in Lethbridge. By this point I had heard all about it, played with the trading cards, and even tried to reproduce the movie poster in Grade 3 art class.

So, when “Star Wars” was back at the Paramount Theatre my big sister, who had seen it when it first came out, took me to see it.

With all the special effects, light sabre duels and bantering robots, one thing stood out for me – Han Solo.

He was a freight runner who had run afoul of authorities and criminals, and seemed to just be a mercenary. Yet, after he decides to help Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi, we see he is much more than that.

It wasn’t just the wise cracking and the jokes, the banter with Chewbacca the Wookie, and the tough talk. It was the loyalty he had for Luke Skywalker, especially in the end when he came back to provide protection when Luke went in to destroy the Death Star.

It was Harrison Ford who brought that depth to the character of Han Solo, and left me asking one question: When do we get to see Han Solo again?

That would take another three years, but we would see Harrison Ford before that.

Interlude
He would appear in movies such as “Heroes”; “Force 10 from Navarone”; “Apocalypse Now”; “The Frisco Kid”; and “More American Graffiti”.

It was always as a supporting actor or in a bit part, and that was how the 1970s ended.

In the ‘80s, his career would really take off as he reprised a familiar role, then avoided typecasting by taking on a number of different roles.

In the process, he created another iconic character.

On ice
Even though the decade was just a few months old, “Empire Strikes Back”, the sequel to “Star Wars” was one of the most anticipated movies of the decade. After Darth Vader went spinning off into space after the Death Star was destroyed, what was next for the Rebel Alliance? What was in store for our young hero Luke Skywalker and the princess he rescued?

Many of those questions were answered, but even more were posed in “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980.

Again, Harrison Ford shines as Han Solo. He is now an officer in the Rebel Alliance, and his first order of business is to save Luke Skywalker’s life on the icy plains of the ice planet Hoth. While Luke would then go off to meet his destiny, Han Solo would eventually meet up with, and be double-crossed by, his old associate Lando Calrissian. Since there was a bounty on Han Solo’s head for double crossing an intergalactic criminal, he was frozen solid and given to a bounty hunter to claim the reward.

One of the biggest questions from “The Empire Strikes Back” was, what will happen to Han Solo?

His performance was just amazing. There are also a few scenes that stand out.

In one, he is arguing with Leia when she exclaims, “I would rather kiss a wookie.”

“I can arrange that,” he responds.

In another, after his betrayal, he is tortured by the Empire. When he is dumped back in the holding cell, you can see the pain on his face. You can hear how bewildered and puzzled he is when he mutters, “They didn’t ask me any questions.”

The third is when he is being taken into the freezing chamber. As he is being lowered, Leia yells,”I love you.”

“I know," he responds.

Those are his last words in the movie.

What a way to an end an amazing performance.

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, here with Sean Connery as his father Henry.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097576/mediaviewer/rm2794622208/

(May be subject to copyright)

From the Empire to the Third Reich
Harrison Ford did not waste any time in creating another iconic character.

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg between them had created the biggest movies in history to that point. Lucas was responsible for “Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back” while Spielberg made “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.

They both loved the Saturday afternoon serials they saw in the theatre growing up, and wanted to create and update them for the 1980s.

The result was the release of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981. The commercials even advertised the movie was from the creators of the four aforementioned movies.

At the centre of this adventure movie is archaeology professor, Dr. Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford.

From beginning to end, the action rarely slows down. Ford demonstrates his talents as an actor, portraying a man looking for the long lost Ark of the Covenant.

The movie begins with Jones gaining access to a sacred idol. He suspects it may be booby-trapped so, as he grabs the idol, he swaps it simultaneously with a bag of sand. He quickly discovers the weight isn’t quite the same. It triggers a giant boulder that chases Indy out of the tomb and would easily crush him if it caught him.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” rarely slows down, right down to the climactic scene where he and his companion Marion Ravenwood keep their eyes closed as the angel of death melts all the bad guys. It was a pretty scary scene, I remember that.

I also remember the night we went to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. My cousin Carl wanted to see “Clash of the Titans”, but we prevailed.

I think we made the right choice.

The other memory is collecting “Raiders of the Lost Ark” cards. The image I have in my mind is a head shot of Harrison Ford that just personifies the 1940s’ adventurer.

Shortly after, Harrison Ford would go from the past into the dystopic future.

Blade Runner
It was 1982 and I was home sick from school. The custom of the time was to camp out on the couch so we could watch TV while we convalesced. That day I watched “Canada AM” for the first time, and still recall hosts Norm Perry and Pamela Wallin with Sandy Rinaldo doing the news. One of the features was a review of a brand new movie just entering the theatres.

It was called “Blade Runner” and it starred Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a private detective in a Los Angeles of the future. In this L.A., it rains all the time, and there are rogue androids lurking that Deckard must track down.

I never did see “Blade Runner” in the theatre, nor even in the 1980s, but when I did get to see it I really appreciated it.

It was part of a film studies course in 1990, so we discussed the plot, the writing, and the performance of Harrison Ford. I thought he was awesome.

I even wrote a paper on “Blade Runner”, focusing on the lighting. We had watched it once in class, but I needed to see it again. One of the guys in my class, Mike Cohen, had lived in res and now lived over in Garneau. He invited me to come over Sunday night and watch it with him. That was an excellent move because we talked and analyzed as we watched. The paper was due the next day, so I went back to res and wrote it that night. When I got my paper back, our professor, Peter Clovin, wrote on my paper that I had a good eye for lighting detail. It just wasn’t enough for a mark beyond a seven on the nine-point scale.

Writing that paper, and seeing “Blade Runner” twice in a relatively short period of time, really made me appreciate Harrison Ford’s performance.

End of an era
It was the end of an era in 1983 with the release of “Return of the Jedi”, the third and final installment of the “Star Wars” trilogy.

Harrison Ford was back as Han Solo and he was one of the best parts of the show.

Initially, he is still frozen in a block when Luke Skywalker sees him. When Solo is revived, he asks Luke how things are going.

“Same as always,” Luke responds.

“That bad eh,” Han Solo says.

The freezing has rendered him temporarily blind, so he relies on the droids and Chewbacca to tell him what’s happening. When he hears Luke is a Jedi, he responds, “A Jedi. I leave for awhile and he gets delusions of grandeur.”

Later, when he and Chewbacca are piloting a ship and trying to stay out of the clutches of the Empire, he tells Chewbacca, “Fly close, but not too close. I don’t know, fly casual.”

There are so many other moments where he is the comic relief, but Ford is more than that. By now, once recovered, he is one of the leaders of the rebellion. He plays a major role in repelling the Empire’s attack on Endor, and the ultimate defeat of the enemy.

Another highlight is when Princess Leia has a talk with him about Luke. He says he will be happy to disappear and let them be happy. She tries to tell him, then has to interrupt him, with the news Luke is her brother. He stops and they get together. He was classic as the jilted lover turned romantic lead.

And nothing tops his reunion with Princess Leia at the victory celebration at the end of the movie, after they had professed their love for each other.

Doomed
In 1984, Ford appeared in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, the much-anticipated sequel to “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. It is actually a prequel, set before the first movie.

I ended up seeing that movie a couple times in the theatre, but it really is the least favourite of the trilogy. It is full of wild special effects, action and adventure, but it really has no soul.

Harrison Ford turns in a solid performance, but Indiana Jones is not as likable or as engaging as in “Raiders”.

Harrison Ford had set a high standard by then.

Harrison Ford as John Book in "Witness".

Source: https://www.timeout.com/movies/witness

(May be subject to copyright)

Hiding out
Harrison Ford’s next movie was our first glimpse at how talented and versatile an actor he is. In “Witness”, released in 1985, Ford plays police detective John Book. A young Amish boy witnesses a murder, so Book initially investigates then, when it turns out to involve corrupt police, he hides out in their Amish community while offering them protection.

His performance earned him an Oscar nomination, and broke any mold or typecasting he may have fallen victim to.

I saw the movie when I rented it with my sister in the summer of 1986. I was staying with her while I went to driver’s education.

It remains one of my favourite movies.

Romantic lead
Ford would continue to branch out with “The Mosquito Coast” in 1986 and “Frantic” in 1988, two movies I have never seen.

The next movie I saw Ford in was “Working Girl” in 1988. He is a man caught in a love triangle between Melanie Griffith, the working girl in the title, and her boss played by Sigourney Weaver.

Ford again branches out, this time into romantic comedy. Again he is excellent.

My fondest memory of this is going to see “Working Girl” during my Christmas break in 1988 with my Mom and my sister. It played at the brand new theatres in the new Park Place Mall in Lethbridge.

End of an era II
It was the end of another era in 1989 when Harrison Ford starred in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, the third and final installment of that trilogy.

The franchise got its soul back. We got to see a young Indiana Jones, played by River Phoenix, and how he developed his fear of snakes. We also met Indy’s father played by Sean Connery.

Connery was a brilliant casting choice as the on-screen chemistry between him and Ford was immediate.

It was a great way to end the trilogy.

Parting thoughts
It is not surprising that Harrison Ford’s current output is so high, because it seems he has always been that way. In the 1980s, he had a movie come out every year except in 1987, but then had two releases in 1988.

It is amazing there is not a single bad movie in the bunch. They are all good, and many are excellent.

That is not a coincidence, because Ford turned in solid performance after solid performance.

He has the ability to be engaging, charming, and disarming, but also angry, vengeful and lethal.

Moreover, he continued to put out great movies for the next 30 years. Now he is turning out excellent television shows.

For Harrison Ford, at the age of 81, there is no slowing down.

Artists United Against Apartheid: Ain’t gonna play Sun City

The other day I was part of a high school project where a group of students gave a presentation on Apartheid. It was weird to think these students were born more than a decade after Apartheid ended in South Africa.

One of the comments the teacher made struck me. She said the world’s attention was brought to the injustice of Apartheid when artists began protesting by refusing to perform in South Africa.

It reminded me of a group that formed called “Artists United Against Apartheid”, and the song of protest they sang.

The video was similar in style to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid; “Tears Are Not Enough” by Northern Lights; and “We Are the World” by USA for Africa.

The song was called “Ain’t Gonna Play Sun City”.

Apartheid
It is hard to believe it has been 30 years since the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa. It was the most malignant form of discrimination. Blacks were settled on Bantustans, which were like First Nations Reserves in Canada. In fact, South Africa modeled Bantustans on the Canadian Reserve system.

What was so galling was South Africa had considered itself a democracy, and it was – if you were white. Consequently, for decades, other nations also treated South Africa as a democracy. As always, financial concerns also played into matters as South Africa had products the world coveted.

Eventually, that was not enough, as the world began to see what South Africa really was – a nation built on state-sponsored racism and segregation.

Canada helped usher South Africa out of the Commonwealth in the1960s, and slowly nations began to increase their economic sanctions.

Still, in the 1980s, Apartheid was in full force, and it really did not look like things would change.

Yet, as in so many other things in the decade, it was musicians who shone a light on the situation.

Sun City
Sun City was a luxury casino and resort that opened in 1979. It even provided entertainment banned elsewhere in South Africa.

For years, according to Wikipedia, artists boycotted performing at Sun City although some did anyway, such as the Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Queen.

Artist United Against Apartheid
Steven Van Zandt was best known as being part of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and he wrote “Sun City” in 1985 as a protest against Apartheid.

Wikipedia says Van Zandt was reluctant to ask Springsteen to participate, but another member of the project had no problem asking.

Ultimately, Van Zandt assembled Artists United Against Apartheid, a group that included DJ Kool Herc; Grandmaster Melle Mel; Ruben Blades; Bob Dylan; Pat Benatar; Herbie Hancock; Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey; Lou Reed; Run D.M.C.; Peter Gabriel; Bob Geldof; Clarence Clemons, another member of the E Street Band; David Ruffin; Eddie Kendricks; Darlene Love; Bobby Womack; Afrika Bambaataa; Kurtis Blow; The Fat Boys; Jackson Browne; Darryl Hannah; Peter Wolf; Bono; George Clinton; Keith Richards; Ronnie Wood; Bonnie Raitt; Hall and Oates; Jimmy Cliff; Big Youth; Michael Monroe; Stiv Bators; Peter Garrett; Ron Carter; Ray Barretto; Gil Scott-Heron; Nona Hendryx; Kashif; Lotti Golden; L. Shankar; Miles Davis; and Joey Ramone.

These artists also would not perform at Sun City. That would be like giving a tacit endorsement to Apartheid.

I recall the day I saw “Sun City”. It was in 1985, on an episode of “Entertainment Tonight”, after a lot of hype and fanfare.

I remember thinking this song was angry.

That was exactly what it had to be because Apartheid was maddening.

The song
“Sun City” went to number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December of 1985. Interestingly, about half of American radio stations did not play “Sun City” because it criticized American policy on South Africa.

However, in other countries it was a solid hit.

“Sun City” went to number 10 in Canada; number three in the Netherlands; and number four in Australia.

It was banned in South Africa. No surprise there, again illustrating how democratic the country was – if you agreed with them.

The single, and album it was on, would go on to raise more than $1 million for anti-Apartheid projects.

Parting thoughts
Art often leads other institutions.

Artists United Against apartheid was such a leader. It raised the world’s awareness of Apartheid, bringing together an incredibly diverse group of artists to expose it for the racist, brutal, archaic institution it was.

Artists United Against Apartheid, along with the artists’ boycotts, contributed to all the sanctions that helped bring the pressure to bear on the white South African government to end Apartheid.

That enabled the Black majority in South Africa to finally throw off the chains of Apartheid and govern themselves.

Going into “Space” with Beau Bridges

Beau Bridges, at left, as astronaut Randall Claggett, in the television miniseries "Space" with co-star Harry Hamlin, as astronaut John Pope.

Source: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/15776-space?language=es

(May be subject to copyright)

The picture is stark. An astronaut orbiting the moon is fading fast, overcome by something, and crashes into the moon. It was part of an epic miniseries in 1985 called “Space”.

Beau Bridges played Randall Claggett, the hotshot pilot turned astronaut, who suffered that horrible fate.

My spouse and I were watching “Lessons in Chemistry” yesterday when Beau Bridges made a guest appearance as the representative of an endowment fund that supported chemistry labs.

Seeing him brought back memories of “Space”, a comedy he was in with Canadian Helen Shaver, and the famous acting family he comes from.

All in the family
Beau Bridges is the son of famed actor Lloyd Bridges, and brother of Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges. When he was little, he and his brother Jeff even appeared with their father in his TV series “Sea Hunt”. Wikipedia reveals the brothers are close, as Beau acted as a surrogate father because their dad was away working so much when they were kids.

The years before
Beau Bridges started acting in movies in the 1940s, but really hit his stride in the 1970s with “The Other Side of the Mountain”; “Two-Minute Warning”; “Greased Lightning”; and “Norma Rae”.

He was excellent in “Norma Rae”. Sally Field plays a woman trying to unionize the plant she is working at, after her co-workers start to get sick. Bridges plays her boyfriend then husband.

Bridges was also very active on television, starting with a guest spot on “My Three Sons” in 1960, and appearing in shows such as “The Real McCoys”; “Wagon Train”; “Rawhide”; “Ben Casey”; “Gunsmoke”; “The Fugitive”; and “Bonanza”.

In the 1970s, he appeared in a string of made for television movies.

As the 1980s dawned, Beau Bridges was set to keep his career rolling.

Only in America
“TV Guide” used to highlight special events with a box that gave it special attention and covered about an eighth of a page or so. Often they were for the debut of a show, an episode with a special theme, an event such as the Super Bowl, or to highlight a miniseries.

One week, I was reading “TV Guide” and one of these boxes highlighted a new show on Channel 7 on Sunday night. It was called “United States” but didn’t have any sort of picture, just a graphic. On that particular Sunday, we had gone to visit family in Brooks so, although I intended to watch it, resigned myself to the fact I wouldn’t be home in time.

We did get home in time and I remembered to turn the TV to Channel 7. There was only about 10 or 15 minutes left, and not what I expected. It starred Beau Bridges and Helen Shaver, and I did see them on screen but that’s all I remember. I don’t even recall it even being on again.

The show came out in March of 1980, focused on what happens in a marriage between two people, and came from the creator of “M*A*S*H”. They made 13 episodes, and only aired nine.

He’s really out there
The next time I saw Beau Bridges. He was absolutely excellent as a pilot who is recruited to the space program in the 1985 miniseries “Space”.

Based on the novel of the same name by James Michener, “Space” focused on the lives of several key players in the American space program, over five parts.

James Garner played a senator and congressional supporter of the program; Michael York played German rocket scientist Dieter Kolff, who was spirited away after the Second World War; Harry Hamlin played John Pope, an ambitious pilot who does whatever it takes to make the space program; Blair Brown plays his wife who helps him in that endeavour; and Beau Bridges plays wild, daring and shoot straight from the hip pilot Randall Claggett, who makes the space program because he really is the best.

Claggett and Pope are good friends, and come up together through the space program. In the end, they are part of a daring mission to the moon. Sadly, Claggett is exposed to something that causes him to lose consciousness and crash into the moon. Pope manages to limp back to earth.

It was compelling drama, at least for this 14 year old from Coaldale.

Blinded by rage
A year later Beau Bridges was back in “Outrage!”, a 1986 thriller. Robert Preston plays a father whose daughter is raped and murdered, only to have the killer go free on a technicality. He is so, well, outraged he kills the man himself. He then refuses to plead insanity, so his lawyer, played by Bridges, has to resort to desperate means.

This is an interesting movie. I got a VCR for Christmas in 1985, and taped a lot of shows. By the Spring of 1986, I had a job after school and the beginnings of a social life. I remember taping “Outrage!”. I even watched the first scene to make sure it taped, where Robert Preston’s character is buying a gun – but that’s it. I never went back to watch.

It sounds good too.

Breaking out
Although it is really hard to say Beau Bridges broke out in 1989, given he had been acting for 40 years, he achieved his biggest success with the theatrical release “The Fabulous Baker Boys”. I never saw it, but Wikipedia reveals it was about a piano duo consisting of brothers played by real-life siblings Beau and Jeff Bridges. They then hire an attractive singer, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, to revive their waning career. The movie was subsequently nominated for four Academy Awards.

The years after
Beau Bridges went on to a lot of success on TV and in film. He has been nominated for 14 Emmys and won three, all in miniseries. In the 1993-1994 season he appeared with his father Lloyd in “Harts of the West”, a comedy-western set at a dude ranch in Nevada that lasted 15 episodes. He also guest starred in “The Outer Limits”; “Will and Grace”; “The Agency”; “Stargate: SG-1”; “My Name is Earl”, where he was nominated for an Emmy; “Desperate Housewives”; “The Closer”; “Brothers and Sisters”; “Franklin and Brash”; “The Millers”; “Black-ish”; “Homeland”; and most recently “Lessons in Chemistry”.

He also appeared in “Million Dollar Babies”, a 1994 CBC movie about the Dionne Quintuplets. I did not realize it was co-produced by CBS, and aired in the States on CBS.

Parting thoughts
Beau Bridges has had a solid career, especially in television movies and guest-starring spots on TV series. He has appeared in a wide array of roles, been nominated for and won numerous awards and keeps on acting.

Wikipedia says Beau Bridges best-known role may be in “The Fabulous Baker Boys”, but he will always be cowboy astronaut Randall Claggett to me.

Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”: A lasting impact

It was a song, a movie and became a TV series.

Last night when I watched the Dallas Cowboys host the Washington football club on American Thanksgiving, the halftime show was being done by Dolly Parton.

What else would she be singing but “9 to 5”.

That brought back memories of the song and the movie that became a TV series.

The song
Dolly Parton recorded “9 to 5” in 1980 for the movie “9 to 5”. Wikipedia reveals the song and movie were inspired by 9to5, an organization created in 1973 to bring about fair pay and equal treatment for women in the workplace.

In 1981, the song went all the way to number one on the Billboard Country chart in January; then in February went all the way to number one on Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and the Billboard Hot 100.

Parton was nominated for four Grammys for the song in 1982. She won for Best Country Song, and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. She was also nominated for Best Album or Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special; and for Song of the Year.

“9 to 5” was nominated for an Oscar in 1981 for Best Original Song as well.

The main cast from the movie "9 to 5". Standing from left are Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, while sitting is Dabney Coleman.

Source: https://www.ifccenter.com/films/9-to-5/

(May be subject to copyright)

The movie
“9 to 5” is a comedy that appealed to anyone who ever had a terrible boss they wanted to show him or her the error of their ways.

It starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as three secretaries working for an awful boss. One day, they have had enough. They kidnap and hold him hostage, while keeping it all a secret and acting like things are business as usual at the office. Dabney Coleman does a great job as the mean old sexist, autocratic boss.

I recall watching this movie on TV, Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial to be precise. As always, it was cut up by commercial breaks.

One of the things I recall was laughing at the ways the three secretaries tormented their boss, including put him in a dog collar and dangling him from the ceiling with the simple push of a button.

The TV show
Like so many popular movies, “9 to 5” spawned a TV series. It aired on Channel 7 in the peasant vision universe from 1982 to 1983. Rachel Dennison, who is Dolly Parton’s sister, played the role Parton had, while Rita Moreno took over for Lily Tomlin and Valerie Curtin took over for Jane Fonda. Leah Ayres would join the cast in its third season with a character that replaced Curtin’s. Jeffrey Tambor played the original sexist boss, but was replaced by Peter Bonerz for the rest of the run of the show.

Wikipedia reveals “9 to 5” also aired in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Sally Struthers replaced Rita Moreno, while Valerie Curtin returned with her original character. I never saw a single episode of this quasi-re-boot. I suspect either it was on when I stopped watching a lot of TV in Grade 12, when I was at university, or it never aired on peasant vision. A lot of these first-run syndicated series never made it to the farm. A total of 85 episodes were made.

My best recollection was reading in “TV Guide” I believe, and seeing on “Entertainment Tonight” that Jane Fonda was going to make a guest appearance. She ended up appearing as a security guard on the TV series, for one episode.

Parting thoughts
I have read “9 to 5” described as an anthem for working women, and it certainly carries a strong message. In fact, it helped make the phrase “9 to 5” part of the vernacular. The song still resonates because of its message and its powerful, energetic, upbeat performance by Dolly Parton.

The movie was funny too and the television series had its moments.

However, I guarantee you, if you ask the average person what “9 to 5” means to them, they’ll tell you it’s the song.

That’s having an impact.

Hearing Eddie Murphy: Get ready to laugh

Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop".

Source: https://nikdirga.com/2020/04/11/movies-i-have-never-seen-6-beverly-hills-cop-1984/

(May be subject to copyright)

One minute he was a Detroit cop in Beverly Hills, then he was looking for a very special child, then he was a prince trying to find his way in America.

Today I saw Eddie Murphy has a movie coming out for Christmas, and it just reminded me of all these roles, and more, as he really got his career going in the ‘80s.

Live, it’s Saturday night
Eddie Murphy was still a teenager, 18 years old I believe, when he came to prominence on “Saturday Night Live”, with characters such as Buckwheat.

Sadly, back then, peasant vision did not carry “Saturday Night Live”. I never did get to see Eddie Murphy on the show until later in clips and reruns.

Movie bound
I don’t know why it was, but I had this desire to see all of Eddie Murphy’s movies, kind of like wanting to complete a set of hockey cards.

His first two movies were good, and sent him on his way.

It started with “48 Hrs.” in 1982, where Murphy teamed up with Nick Nolte to catch two bad guys. Nolte plays a cop and Murphy plays a convict, who have 48 hours to solve the crime.

“Trading Places” came out in 1983, and tells the story of a rich stock broker, played by Dan Aykroyd, and a poor street hustler, played by Murphy, who trade places.

One of the jokes I remember takes place in a bar where Nolte and Murphy are about to order drinks. The bartender looks at Murphy and says, “Maybe you should have a Black Russian” and laughs hardily. Murphy’s reaction is priceless. He just starts laughing harder and harder, making the bartender look stupid. It was my first look at part of his comedic timing and his charm.

It is interesting that these movies, both comedies, explore the idea of different worlds colliding. In “48 Hrs.” it is the different worlds of cop and convict, while in “Trading Places” it is the different worlds of rich and poor.

Incidentally, I completed this set, by watching both movies on TV. That meant they were edited for content, including language, and were cut up by commercials.

Turning point
The year 1984 would be a turning point in Eddie Murphy’s career. It started with a role in “Best Defence”. I have never seen this movie, and all I really know about it is that it involved tanks, starred Dudley Moore and was one of four movies Kate Capshaw was in that year, along with “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “Windy City”, and “Dreamscape”.

Later that same year, Eddie Murphy was in a movie that catapulted him to super stardom.

Beverly Hills Cop
It was called “Beverly Hills Cop”. Murphy played Axel Foley, a Detroit city detective, who chases a case to Beverly Hills where he runs afoul of the local police, but then works with them to get the bad guys.

I wanted to see this movie in the theatre. It was around Christmas time, and my grandmother was dying in the hospital. To get our mind off things, my sister and I decided to go to a movie. We went to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Lethbridge. Our first choice was “Beverly Hills Cop”, but it was rated “R” and I was only 14 years old, so I couldn’t get in. Our second choice was “Dune”. It was also rate “R”. We eventually settled on “2010: Odyssey Two”.

It was another year before I actually saw “Beverly Hills Cop”, when my best friend Chris Vining and I rented and watched it at his place in Coaldale.

The scene I will always remember is when Axel Foley is in a holding cell with a pay phone. The police come to get him and he pauses, and says they have to wait. “I just ordered a pizza.”

The really funny thing is I got to see chunks of the movie because the soundtrack was so popular. Music videos for “The Heat is On,” by Glenn Frey; “The Neutron Dane” by the Pointer Sisters; and the instrumental “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer all had excerpts from the movie.

More than anything, I recall laughing a lot.

He’s golden
It was hard for me to believe Murphy’s next movie was made in 1986, because I saw it much later.

“The Golden Child” came out in 1986 and has Eddie Murphy playing a social worker who discovers he may be the chosen one. He has to save the aforementioned Golden Child, who has mythical powers but has been kidnapped.

I did not see “The Golden Child” until the Fall of 1987. It was on pay TV when I lived in student residence on the University of Alberta campus.

The scene I will always remember is one my spouse and I just referred to the other day. Murphy is being confronted by one of the bad guys, grabs him by the lapels and gets really close.

Murphy winces.

“There’s a whole thing of Tic-Tacs in my pocket. Take as many as you like,” he said. “Please.”

In another scene, someone with mystical powers twists a pop can into a live aluminum man, that starts dancing.

A guy on our floor in res, Scott Reeb, saw that movie. He dug into our pile of used bottles and cans, and turned pop cans into those little men. He even gave me one which I kept in my room for the rest of the school year.

Sequel
The next Eddie Murphy movie I actually saw in the theatre, was in the Spring of 1987. It was the sequel, “Beverly Hills Cop II”.

That night will be burned in my memory forever.

I was in Grade 12, and thought this girl I liked in Grade 11 liked me too. I started talking to her and there was kind of a connection. She was big into drama, and I had actually written a play earlier that year. I told her about it, and she expressed interest in reading it. She was headed off on a band trip that week, so I slipped a little poem in with the play to ask her out.

The next day, a friend of hers passed a note the girl had given me. It was a poem of her own, accepting my date.

I ended up going on a date with her that was an absolute disaster. We went to see the movie “The Secret of My Success”, and it was like a completely different person was with me. In school she had been cheery, flirty, and energetic. In my car, she just shut right down. She did not say anything unless I asked her a question, and even then it was a yes or no answer. It was so awkward. I have never experienced anything like it in my whole life. I ended up taking her home right after the movie.

That should have been it, but I was too dumb to take that as a hint. Plus grad was coming up soon after, and I really did not want to go alone.

So, I asked her out again. Just as surprising, she said yes again.

This time, I was a bit more prepared. I knew exactly what movie to go see – “Beverly Hills Cop II”.

It seemed to work. The movie was hilarious, and I remember laughing from beginning to end. Not only was Eddie Murphy awesome, but so was Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood, one of the Beverly Hills detectives. Every so often, I snuck a peek at my date and she was laughing just as hard. She was having a good time. That gave me some hope.

We talked about the movie on the way home. When I dropped her off, I still remember what she said.

“That movie was aces.”

I did take her to grad, and saw her one more time after that.

Movie music

One of the outstanding memories of “Beverly Hills Cop II” was the booming soundtrack song “Shakedown”, by Bob Seger, minus the Silver Bullet Band. It was a number one hit too.

This time around, I had actually seen the movie, before I saw scenes of it in the music video for “Shakedown.”

Coming to Lethbridge
While I was away at university, a new theatre complex was built in Lethbridge. When I moved back to the farm in the Spring of 1988, after my first year of university I did two things. One was renewing a friendship with Billy Joe Ebner, a a neighbour who was a year younger and two grades behind me. The other was take full advantage of those new theatres.

Bill and I went to a few movies together, but the one that sticks out is “Coming to America”. Murphy plays an African prince who comes to America seeking true love, and fleeing an arranged marriage. He is accompanied by Semmi, his sidekick or wing man, played by Arsenio Hall, who is always chasing women.

Murphy hits another home run with “Coming to America”, because it is another very funny movie.

A couple weeks after we saw “Coming to America”, we were cruising down Mayor Magrath one Friday night, when we caught the eye of these girls in a car beside us. We started following each other, and playing a game of cat and mouse up and down the strip. It was a pretty common game to play back then, or at least it was for us.

Well, at one point they led us to this parking lot, presumably to actually talk to us.

As Bill pulled up, he said, “Hey Semmi…”

I laughed pretty hard.

By the way, it turned out we really didn’t have too much to say to each other. I guess the magic was literally in the chase – for all of us.

Music man
Eddie Murphy could also sing. In 1985, he released the single “Party All the Time”, from his debut album “How Could it Be”. It was a catchy tune that went all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

I remember in English 20, we were doing some group work, and one of the girls asked what are you doing this weekend.

One of the guys replied, “Partying.”

At that point, he started singing, “My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time…”

The girl then said how surprised she was Eddie Murphy sang that song, but that in the video he looked so cut with his head phones. Not cut like handsome, but cute like a little boy.

After all, Eddie Murphy was about 25 years old at the time.

The years after
“Coming to America” was the last Eddie Murphy movie I saw in the 1980s. He also did “Eddie Murphy: Raw” in 1987, which I never saw, but I did hear it on tape. He had some pretty funny bits in it too. And he did “Harlem Nights” in 1989.

Over the next few years he had varying degrees of success with movies such as “Another 48 Hrs.”; “Boomerang”; “The Distinguished Gentleman”; “Beverly Hills Cop III”; “The Nutty Professor”; “Metro”; “Dr. Dolittle”; “Bowfinger”; “The Adventures of Pluto Nash”; “I Spy”; “Dreamgirls” and so much more.

Parting thoughts
Eddie Murphy is a talented actor and comedian. That really comes out in the very different projects he has done over the years.

“Raw” was just that, and could have been shorthand for “Raw-nchy” because there is some pretty crude humour in there.

Yet, he could also be fun-loving like he was as Axel Foley in “Beverly Hills Cop”, but still with an edge.

Then, he was downright adorable as the prince in “Coming to America”, where he was understated in his humour, and even compared to Cary Grant by Larry Day on “The Movie Show”.

At the end of the day, I always knew when I went to an Eddie Murphy, I was prepared to laugh.

He never disappointed.

Luc Tousignant: One of a kind

Luc Tousignant is the only French-Canadian quarterback to start a game in the CFL.

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/luc-tousignant-montreal-1982--44191640078568627/

(May be subject to copyright)

With the Montreal Alouettes winning the Grey Cup, and the heavy presence of French-Canadian players on their roster, I was reminded of another French-Canadian player who suited up for Montreal back in the 1980s.

Back then, they briefly played under another name – the Montreal Concordes.

In fact, he was the last French-Canadian to start at quarterback for Montreal or any other team.

He entered the league with high expectations, that he just couldn’t meet.

Yet, it sure was cool hearing about him, watching him play, and learning to spell his last name.

His name was Luc Tousignant.

Quarterback controversy
Montreal Alouettes owner Nelson Skalbania wanted to make a splash in 1981 so he signed heralded quarterback Vince Ferragamo, one year removed from leading the Los Angeles Rams to within a quarter of winning the Super Bowl.

However, Ferragamo’s success did not translate to the Canadian game. By the end of the 1981 season, he wasn’t even starting. He had been benched and replaced by veteran Ken Johnson for the last three games of the regular season, and the Alouettes’ lone playoff game.

After the season, Ferragamo was gone almost as fast as he came, and back in the NFL.

That left Montreal wondering – who will their quarterback be?

They had their eye on one particular player.

The prospect
Meanwhile in West Virginia, a quarterback from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec was making a name for himself.

Luc Tousignant played for Fairmont State University, of the Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, from 1978 to 1981. In 1981, he was a second team All-American, the conference’s offensive player of the year, and a first-team all-league selection.

Wikipedia reveals he led the Fairmont State University Falcons to the conference title with a 9-2 record, and a trip to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics playoffs. His 4,737 yards passing and 30 career touchdown passes were school records that lasted for 14 years.

Tousignant was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the 1982 NFL Draft, taken in the eighth round, 218th overall.

However, Montreal wanted a Quebec-born quarterback, so they made a trade with Ottawa to secure his rights, then outbid the Bills and signed him to a contract.

I remember watching the sports news one night, and they had a piece on the Concordes' signing of Tousignant. I recall being struck by how tall he was, and how cool it was to have a French-Canadian quarterback playing for the only CFL team located in Quebec. I also remember being surprised a French-Canadian quarterback had played college football in the States and been drafted by an NFL team.

He was standing with club president Sam Etcheverry at that press conference, as they held a white Concordes helmet with that unique logo.

It’s go time
After Ferragamo’s departure, Johnson had done enough for Montreal to expect him to be their starter for the 1982 season. He could also mentor Tousignant.

However, Johnson did not show up, so Tousignant was pressed into action as the Concordes’ starter.

It did not go well, but ir was not all bad either. Montreal finished last in the East Division with a 2-14 record, but Tousignant was the starter for both of Montreal’s wins. He appeared in all 16 of Montreal’s games and started five of them. By August, he had been replaced at starting quarterback by John Evans.

Tousignant finished the year completing 75 of 174 passes for 989 yards, four touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was also sacked 16 times, and rushed for 200 yards on 39 carries. His best game was a loss to Hamilton where he threw for 308 yards and a touchdown, while completing 24 of 36 passes.

He went to training camp in 1983, but was released and never played again.

Luc Tousignant was one of a few Canadian quarterbacks to start in the CFL. What makes him stand out is that, to this day, he is the only French-Canadian to start at quarterback.

For his efforts, the Fairmont State University Athletic Association voted him to the Fairmont State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

Parting thoughts
I always wonder if Canadian quarterbacks get the same chance as their American counterparts. Whether there is an inherent bias or not, I have seen too many times where Canadian quarterbacks are given a short leash. Meanwhile, ineffective American quarterbacks seem to be given chance after chance after chance, well past the time they can prove their effectiveness.

It would seem Luc Tousignant would have had some upside as a quarterback. He did win two of his five starts, and passed for more than 300 yards in a game.

Beyond that, from a business perspective it would have made sense to have a home-grown quarterback on the roster for his marketing value alone.

Yet, Luc Tousignant was not given that same second and third and fourth chance as a lot of American quarterbacks.

Still, he holds a special place in history as the only ever French-Canadian starting quarterback.

History, and the CFL, really should honour that achievement because Luc Tousignant really is one of a kind.

Gerry Dattilio: Great Canadian quarterback

Canadian quarterback Gerry Dattilio in his second stint with the Montreal Alouettes.

Source: https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2019/01/17/tips-quebecois-qb-made-pros/

(May be subject to copyright)

It wasn’t just seeing the Montreal Alouettes win the Grey Cup, but also seeing the run of Canadian quarterbacks starting with Nathan Rourke last year, and Tre Ford this year.

That all reminded me of one of the best Canadian quarterbacks ever.

He is second to Russ Jackson in a lot of categories, and was likely the last long-term Canadian starting quarterback in the CFL.

However, if I was to mention the name Gerry Datillio to the average fan, they likely wouldn’t know who he was.

I do, and I remember him in two incarnations – with the Montreal Alouettes then with the Calgary Stampeders.

Pre-history
Gerry Dattilio was originally from Quebec, but played his college football at Northern Colorado from 1972 to 1974. He was a territorial protection of Montreal, but was released and picked up by Toronto in 1975.

They too released him the next season, after he suited up just once for the Double Blue, and rejoined the Alouettes for the 1976 season. He was the third string quarterback behind Sonny Wade and Joe Barnes, so Dattilio didn’t see much action.

In fact, in the 1976 season, he appeared in all 16 games, but only completed one of three passes for 14 yards. He also rushed four times for 15 yards. Wikipedia said Dattilio found other ways to contribute early in his career in Montreal, so he caught two passes for 19 yards.

Things were pretty much the same in the 1977 season, where Dattilio appeared in all 16 games again, completing one of two passes for 20 yards and one touchdown. He also returned a punt for nine years, and blocked a kick. That year, he earned his first Grey Cup ring as the Alouettes beat the Edmonton Eskimos in the “Ice Bowl”.

In 1978, Dattilio saw more playing time, as Joe Barnes became the starter and Sonny Wade was in his last year in the Canadian Football League. Dattilio appeared in all 16 games yet again, completing 78 of 142 passes for 1,120 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed 31 times for 212 yards and a touchdown, and caught one pass for 14 yards, as Montreal advanced all the way to the Grey Cup before losing to Edmonton.

In 1979, Dattilio played in 16 games, completing nine out of 21 passes for 115 yards and three interceptions, while rushing for 18 yards on six carries, and caught four passes for 80 yards. Montreal advanced to their third straight Grey Cup, losing again to the Edmonton Eskimos.

At the dawn of the new decade, change was coming to Montreal, and Gerry Dattilio’s playing time would increase dramatically.

Career season
The 1980 season started with Joe Barnes planted firmly as Montreal’s starting quarterback. Yet, after six games he had not lived up to the expectations of the team, so they benched Barnes and soon after dealt him to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Gerry Dattilio would now get his shot as a starting quarterback.

He made the most of that opportunity.

Dattilio would have a career season, playing in all 16 regular season games, where he completed 179 out of 311 passes for 2,892 yards, 19 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, while rushing for 324 yards and two touchdowns on 61 carries. The Alouettes would finish second in the East Division with an 8-8 record and defeat Ottawa in the East Semi Final. They then lost in the East Final to Hamilton, who would go on to lose in the Grey Cup to Edmonton.

Gerry Dattilio was named an East Division All Star; was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian; and was the CFL East Most Outstanding Player, runner-up for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award to fellow quarterback Dieter Brock of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Back of the line
Businessman Nelson Skalbania purchased the Montreal Alouettes in 1981 and decided to bring in a lot of high-priced talent from the NFL. His biggest signing was quarterback Vince Ferragamo, who had just led the Los Angeles Rams to within a few minutes of winning the Super Bowl.

Obviously, Ferragamo was not going to sit behind anyone and learn the Canadian game. Instead, Dattilio was relegated to backing up Ferragamo. He watching Ferragamo struggle to adjust to the Canadian game and, after one season, return to the United States and the NFL.

Still, Dattilio appeared in all 16 games, completing 69 out of 122 passes for 1,095 yards, four touchdowns, seven interceptions, and rush 12 times for 43 yards. He also passed for 427 yards in one game. That was a single-game record for a Canadian quarterback that held up until Nathan Rourke broke it in 2022. Montreal wound up with a 3-13 record but, incredibly, finished third in the East Division, ahead of Toronto who was 2-14 and behind Ottawa who was 5-11. They faced Ottawa in the East Semi Final, losing to the Rough Riders at Landsdowne Park in Ottawa.

After the season, Dattilio was on the move to the Calgary Stampeders. With a few games remaining in the 1981 season, Calgary sent quarterback Ken Johnson, linebacker John Palazeti, and linebacker Frank Kosec to Montreal for a player to be named later. In fact, Johnson replaced Ferragamo as starter for the last three regular season games and the East Semi Final against Ottawa.

Dattilio was that player to be named later who went to Calgary.

Cowtown quarterback
Gerry Dattilio was named the starting quarterback for the Stampeders for the 1982 season. This is where I really got to see him play, and really got to like him. He played in all 16 games for Calgary, completing 194 of 387 passes for 2,788 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions, while also rushing for 254 yards and four touchdowns on 46 carries. It was the last time a Candian quarterback passed for more than 2,000 yards until Rourke did it in the 2022 season.

While Joe Barnes was leading a renaissance in Toronton, Dattilio helped Calgary have a pretty good season too. The Stampeders finished third in the West Division, with a record of 9-6-1, but were thumped by Winnipeg who went on to lose the West Final to Edmonton. The Eskimos would then win their fifth straight Grey Cup, over Joe Barnes’ Toronto Argonauts.

In 1983, the Stampeders decided to go in a different direction, starting rookie quarterback Bernard Quarles and relegating Dattilio to back up yet again. Still, he appeared in 16 games where he completed 104 of 183 passes for 1,213 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while rushing for 65 yards on 13 carries.

Calgary finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Before the start of the 1984 season, Dattlio was traded back to Montreal for defensive lineman Lyall Woznesensky.

End of the road
He would finish out his playing days as a back-up in Montreal. He appeared in 16 games in 1984, completing 48 of 75 passes for 568 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions, while rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Montreal finished third in the East Division with a record of 6-9-1, and lost to Hamilton in the East Semi Final.

The 1985 season would be Dattilio’s last. He appeared in 16 games, completing 13 of 25 passes for 127 yards, was intercepted four times, and rushed twice for minus-two yards. He also caught one pass for 13 yards. Montreal finished second in the East Division with an 8-8 record, the same as Hamilton who was awarded first on the basis of a tie-breaker. The Concordes defeated Ottawa in the East Semi Final before losing to Hamilton in the East Final.

Gerry Datillio finished his career second in most significant categories for Canadian quarterbacks. He is second all time in passing yards with 9,952, completing 697 of 1,271 passes with 53 touchdowns and 79 interceptions. He also rushed for 993 yards on 189 carries and eight touchdowns.

Parting thoughts
The first time I heard of Gerry Dattilio was when I first got into watching football. My friend and neigbour Mike told me about the Montreal Alouettes and their two quarterbacks – Joe Barnes and Joe Dattilio. Only when I started watching did I realize his name was actually Gerry.

I also didn’t realize he was Canadian, because they never really made a big deal about it. Not that I recall anyway.

It was a big deal though, because he put up some impressive numbers, especially when compared to other Canadian quarterbacks. In fact, he was one of the few Canadian quarterbacks to see significant playing time since Russ Jackson and until Nathan Rourke and Tre Ford came along.

Yet, Gerry Dattilio is rarely mentioned when the subject of Canadian quarterbacks comes up.

Maybe it’s because people don’t realize he is Canadian. After all, I didn’t know that at first.

It is all beside the point, because Gerry Dattilio is a great Canadian quarterback, one of the greatest in history.

Remembering “2001: A Space Odyssey”: Do you get the ending?

the movie poster for "2001: A Space Odyssey".

Source: https://baddogposters.com

(May be subject to copyright)

Seeing a monkey smashing a bunch of bones with another bone, then seeing one of the shards spinning upwards towards the sky and seamlessly transforming into a space satellite is – weird.

My spouse and I watched “Barbie” two nights ago, and the movie opened by paying homage to that very scene. The way they did it was very tongue in cheek.

That scene is from “2001: A Space Odyssey”, a movie I saw a few times in the ‘80s, although it was made in 1968, and it brings back some memories. The biggest one is that I never really understood the end of the movie, but we’ll get to that.

Night time on CBC
The first time I saw “2001: A Space Odyssey”, I was maybe 10 years old. I was flipping channels and I came upon this scene of monkeys milling around. It caught my interest enough to keep watching. Suddenly, one of the monkeys started bashing a bunch of bones with a bone like a hammer and, pretty soon, we were seeing the view in outer space.

I found it odd then, and ended up watching something else. One of the things I did, which was easy to do in the three channel universe, is flipped to other channels when the show I was watching was in commercials. So I periodically flipped back to “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

The last time was right near the end. There was this astronaut in his orange space suit walking on what looked like a black and white checkerboard floor. Soon he was turning into a baby.

I was so confused.

Grade 8 science
One of the units that I, and my good friend David Perlich looked forward to in Grade 8 science was the unit on space. Dave and I had a common interest in science fiction and space. We had even written science fiction stories in Grade 6 and part of Grade 7, and sold them to our classmates. It was a series we called “Space Search”, and it was based on “Star Trek”.

Mr. Matson was our science teacher. He decided one of the ways to demonstrate space, and some of the stuff we were studying, would be to have us watch “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

So, we gathered in his room one day, and watched the first hour or so of the movie. That part of the movie really did illustrate life in space, and it was really interesting.

However, class ended before we saw the rest of the movie. Beyond that, Mr. Matson said, it really did not show much more that was related to our science class.

I was really hoping to see the rest of the movie. I recall hoping if I saw it when I was older, I would understand the ending.

I suspect other students had also asked Mr. Matson about seeing the rest of the movie. So he actually set it up for us to watch during our lunch hour.

So, again, we gathered in his room, and watched it. Sadly, it really did not shed much light on the subject for me. I still didn’t get the ending.

I think we asked Mr. Matson, and he didn’t have any answers for us either.

Sequel time
A couple years after that, my sister and I went to see the sequel to “2001: A Space Odyssey”. It was called “2010: The Year We Make Contact”, and came out in 1984.

Interestingly, the thrust of the plot involves a mission to find out what actually happened in deep space. In the end, I still really didn’t understand what happened at the end of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, but I did like its sequel.

Parting thoughts
I checked out Wikipedia to see if it had a succinct explanation for the end of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and it detailed a number of possibilities.

I was just glad I was not the only one who could make no sense of the ending.

Joe Barnes: A great clutch quarterback

Quarterback Joe Barnes with the Toronto Argonauts.

Source: https://www.cflapedia.com/Players/b/barnes_joe_a.htm

(May be subject to copyright)

He was a solid quarterback who helped take one team to a Grey Cup championship, resurrected the fortunes of another, then came off the bench to a lead a third to a Grey Cup championship.

I recall a lot of memorable moments about Joe Barnes that span the entire decade of the 1980s.

It is fitting on Grey Cup Sunday, with Montreal making their first appearance in more than a decade, that I reflect on the first Grey Cup I ever saw because it involved Montreal.

Joe Barnes was the starting quarterback for the Alouettes that day.

That began a long association with a player who became one of my favourite CFL quarterbacks ever.

The years before
Joe Barnes played college football at Texas Tech and had the drawl to match. He was taken in the 13th round of the 1974 NFL Draft by Chicago and played two games for the Bears that year.

In 1976 he signed with the Montreal Alouettes and would play the better part of four seasons with them, closing out the decade.

He began by splitting playing time with fellow quarterback Sonny Wade. Barnes was a scrambler who could use his legs either to extend a play or gain a first down.

In 1976, Barnes appeared in 13 games, when the CFL still played a 16-game schedule. He completed 29 of 56 passes for 392 yards, one touchdown and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. The Alouettes finished third in the East Division with a 7-8-1 record, and were shut out in the East Division Semi-Final by a score of 23-0.

In 1977, he played in eight games, completing 77 of 141 passes for 991 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for a career-high 485 yards and three touchdowns on 61 carries. The Alouettes finished first in the East with a record of 11-5, then beat Ottawa 21-18 in the East Final, and won the Grey Cup in the infamous “Ice Bowl” game, by a score of 41-6.

The 1978 season saw Joe Barnes largely become the starting quarterback, starting 12 games while Sonny Wade started four. Barnes completed 72 of 137 passes for 1,177 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and rushed for 147 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries. Montreal finished second in the East Division with an 8-7-1 record. They defeated Hamilton 35-20 in the East Semi Final and Ottawa by a score of 21-16 in the East Final, before losing in the Grey Cup to Edmonton by a score of 20-13.

Barnes was the unchallenged starting quarterback in 1979, starting all 16 regular season games for the Alouettes, where he completed 163 of 305 passes for 2,456 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 269 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries. Montreal finished first in the East Division with an 11-4-1 record. They defeated Ottawa by a 17-6 score in the East Final, before losing to Edmonton for the second straight year in the Grey Cup, this year by a score of 17-9.

As the 1980s dawned, Joe Barnes and his Montreal Alouettes had a great run, making three Grey Cups in his first four years in the league, winning one and coming within a touchdown the other two times.

The 1979 Grey Cup would be the last one Montreal played in until the year 2000, but Joe Barnes would go on to have a lot of success in the 1980s.

Restoring Rider pride
Joe Barnes began the 1980 season as Montreal’s starter, playing the first six games of the season. He completed 37 of 75 passes for 403 yards, no touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 74 yards on 20 carries. Montreal soured on Barnes, replaced him with quarterback Gerry Dattilio. Later, they shipped Barnes to the lowly Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for defensive back Al Chorney.

Barnes played in 10 games for the Riders, completing 106 of 205 yards for 1,322 yards, eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 17 yards and a touchdown. The Riders had signed quarterback John Hufnagel from the Calgary Stampeders before the start of the season, so when Barnes arrived in Regina he shared playing time with Hufnagel. Saskatchewan was 1-5 when Barnes arrived, and finished the season with a record of 2-14, and last in the West Division.

However, things turned around for the Riders the next year. Saskatchewan hired Joe Faragalli, the offensive line coach for the Grey Cup champion Edmonton Eskimos, as their coach for the 1981 season, and he brought a new attitude to Regina.

Barnes and Hufnagel platooned at quarterback in 1981, and were affectionately dubbed “Barnagel”. They helped turn around the fortunes of the Riders, along with a defence that was much improved.

The Riders went from that 2-14 record in 1980, to a much-improved and respectable 9-7 record. Unfortunately, in the tough and highly competitive West Division, the Riders finished fourth, one game out of the playoffs. Had the cross-over that exists now, existed then, Sasaktachewan would have easily made the playoffs. In the East Division, Ottawa finished second with a 5-11 record and Montreal was third with a 3-13 record. They both made the playoffs and the Riders didn’t. Yet, Ottawa went on to shock everyone by coming within a field goal of winning the Grey Cup.

Barnes played in all 16 games for the Riders, completing 151 out of 290 passes for 2,130 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

However, the best was yet to come for Joe Barnes as he was on the move again before the start of the next season.

Argo blue
In 1981, the Toronto Argonauts had finished with the worst record in the Canadian Football League, winning just two out of 16 games. By contrast, the last place team in the CFL West, the Calgary Stampeders, had finished 6-10.

The Argonauts re-tooled very quickly for the 1982 season, hiring Bob O’Billovich as their head coach, and Mouse Davis as their offensive coordinator. Davis had pioneered his “run and shoot” offence at Portland State, and was implementing it in Toronto. It emphasized the pass, relied on unlimited motion, and a quicker tempo.

Toronto had a solid quarterback in Condredge Holloway, but then made a trade with Saskatchewan, acquiring Joe Barnes in exchange for defensive back Marcellus Greene. Once more, Barnes would be platooning with another quality quarterback.

The Argonauts had one of the greatest turn arounds in CFL history, finishing the 1982 with a record of 9-6-1, good enough for first place in the East Division. They defeated Ottawa in the East Final by a score of 44-7, but the clock struck midnight for Cinderella. The Argonauts ran into the juggernaut Edmonton Eskimos, who had won the previous four Grey Cups and were appearing in their ninth Grey Cup in 10 years. They defeated Toronto by a score of 32-16, but the game was not lost on the Argos. They would be back in 1983.

Condredge Holloway had an exceptional season, winning the league’s most valuable player award, but Barnes served as Holloway’s back up for that year. Appearing in 10 games, he completed 26 of 61 passes for 322 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 36 yards on seven carries.

Things would be very different the next season.

Coming off the bench
The Toronto Argonauts attacked the 1983 season with a vengeance, finishing with the best record in the CFL at 12-4. Finishing first in the East Division gave them a first round bye and a date with Hamilton in the East Division Final, which they won by a score of 41-36.

Barnes and Holloway became a true platoon that season, passing for more than 5,000 combined yards. Barnes completed 149 of 271 passes for 2,274 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while rushing for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. Meanwhile, Holloway passed for 3,184 yards.

Holloway started the Grey Cup. However, trailing 17-7 at halftime, O’Billovich called on Barnes to come off the bench in the second half. He responded, moving the ball into field-goal range three times only to have kicker Hank Ilesic miss three field goals. Two went for singles to cut the Lion lead to 17-9. He later made a field goal, making the score 17-12.

With four minutes left, Barnes again had the Argos on the move. They scored with 2:44 to play as Barnes found Cedric Minter in the end zone for a touchdown and an 18-17 lead. Toronto went for a two-point conversion to extend their lead to three points, but their attempt failed.

B.C. had one more chance but the Argonaut defence held firm, forced the Lions to punt, and Barnes pretty much ran out the clock, leaving B.C. with one last hail mary that fell incomplete.

For his efforts, Joe Barnes was named the Grey Cup most valuable player on offence, as he helped Toronto end a championship drought that dated back to 1952.

The next year, the 1984 season, Barnes had an even better regular season, completing 231 of 378 passes for a career-high 3,128 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while rushing for 278 yards and three touchdowns on 52 carries. He was also named an East Division All-star. Toronto again finished first in the East Division with a 9-6-1 record, but were upended by Hamilton in the East Final by a score of 14-13, as the Tiger-Cats advanced to the Grey Cup, only to get thrashed 47-17 by Winnipeg.

Before the start of the 1985 season, Joe Barnes was on the move again, as the Argonauts traded him to Calgary for defensive end Walter Ballard, offensive lineman Jeff Inglis, and a draft pick.

Cowtown quarterback
The Stampeders had a disastrous 1985 season that ended with the real possibility they may fold before the start of the 1986 season. Very little seemed to go right for Calgary that season.

Statistically, Barnes had a good season with the Stampeders. He appeared in 11 games, completing 212 of 362 passes for 2,864 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, while rushing for 198 yards on 42 carries.

One bright spot was a Saturday night game at B.C. Place, where Barnes engineered an upset of the eventual Grey Cup champion Lions.

However, the Stampeders decided to go in another direction and, after 11 games, traded Barnes back to where it all started – Montreal.

Same place, different name
The Alouettes had folded and been replaced by the Montreal Concordes by the time Joe Barnes arrived to finish the 1985 season. He appeared in four games, completing 53 of 91 passes for 568 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 65 yards on 16 carries.

The Alouettes made the playoffs in 1985, finishing second in the East Division with a record of 8-8, and defeated Ottawa in the East Semi-final before losing to Hamilton in the East Final.

Barnes was back in Montreal for the 1986 season when they were once again the Alouettes, appearing in seven games where he completed 44 of 82 passes for 454 yards, one touchdown and seven interceptions, while rushing for 14 yards on six carries.

He retired shortly after that.

Parting thoughts
Initially, I didn’t really like anything about the Montreal Alouettes, including Joe Barnes, but that quickly changed. I really came to enjoy the way he played when he helped return the Saskatchewan Roughriders to respectability, then came off the bench to lead the Toronto Argonauts to the Grey Cup championship.

When he played for my beloved Stampeders, I rested my hopes on the possibility he could do the same thing in Calgary he had done in Regina.

That didn’t quite work out, but he gave me one of my best football memories with that shocking upset of the B.C, Lions in Vancouver.

Put it all together, and I think Joe Barnes was a great clutch quarterback.