tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408368436169661319.post60135046387772426..comments2024-03-28T18:49:48.571-04:00Comments on Joe Torcivia's The Issue At Hand Blog: R.I.P. Terry Becker. Joe Torciviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408368436169661319.post-23577476942726015372015-01-22T12:19:36.133-05:002015-01-22T12:19:36.133-05:00I completely agree, TC!
“Man of Many Faces” was...I completely agree, TC! <br /><br /><i>“Man of Many Faces”</i> was certainly “up-there” as 4th Season goes, but I’ll put it behind <i>“Fires of Death”</i> and <i>“A Time to Die”</i> / <i>“No Way Back”</i> due to the great guest starring roles of Victor Jory and Henry Jones, respectively. <br /><br />I’ll also cite <i>“The Deadly Dolls”</i> and <i>“Cave of the Dead”</i> for Vincent Price and Warren Stevens. <br /><br />But, yes… I love the “Home Economics” bit for Sharkey! And there should have been more episodes like <i>“Man of Many Faces”</i>.Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408368436169661319.post-89975582671833584582015-01-22T11:58:40.585-05:002015-01-22T11:58:40.585-05:00There was also a good comic relief scene in "...There was also a good comic relief scene in "Man of Many Faces" (possibly the best Fourth Season episode) where Nelson interrogates Sharkey and asks personal questions to ascertain that the chief is not an imposter. You can see his nervousness and embarrassment as he admits that his best subject in high school was Home Economics and that he got an "A" in cooking class.<br /><br />And yet, Chief Sharkey was never reduced to just a comic relief buffoon. He could be funny, but he was also believable as a competent petty officer, efficiently carrying out his duties. A tribute to Mr. Becker's considerable acting talent.<br /><br />TCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408368436169661319.post-67596617560456613092015-01-21T20:11:02.010-05:002015-01-21T20:11:02.010-05:00That scene in “The Peacemaker” was particularly in...That scene in <i>“The Peacemaker”</i> was particularly interesting as it was both a comedy relief bit between Sharkey and Riley – AND then transforms into a more dramatic moment indicating the effect of Dr. Lang and the bomb on members of the crew! <br /><br />As you note, <i>“Terror on Dinosaur Island”</i>, with the bit about Sharkey being forced to burn his “little black book” to start a signal fire, <i>“The Fossil Men” (“The ROCK… It’s movin’!”)</i> -- and I’ll add <i>“Night of Terror”</i> with Nelson and Sharkey, and the great character actor Henry Jones stranded on an illusion-producing island (with a real dinosaur) were all great comedic moments for Chief Sharkey. <br /><br />Yet, again… Terry Becker never played him completely for laughs. It was a nicely balanced characterization.Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5408368436169661319.post-79326668657754285062015-01-19T12:28:09.544-05:002015-01-19T12:28:09.544-05:00Becker and Basehart (and, consequently, Sharkey an...Becker and Basehart (and, consequently, Sharkey and Nelson) had a very real and interesting chemistry that worked well in both the dramatic scenes and in the comedy relief. You could see the chief's loyalty, and their mutual respect.<br /><br />In "The Haunted Submarine," the admiral sought out the CPO, rather than one of the other commissioned officers (Crane or Morton) for advice. That is not unheard of IRL; officers (the smart ones, anyway) often rely on senior NCO's/petty officers for advice, because they tend to have a lot of experience.<br /><br />And it was fitting that Sharkey would be the last hold-out in "Blow-Up." NCO's and petty officers tend to be very loyal to their superiors, and very reluctant to openly question their competence, and even more reluctant to disobey orders.<br /><br />The one scene that didn't quite ring true, IIRC, was in the episode ("The Peacemaker"?) where the madman was threatening to detonate a bomb, and Sharkey wanted to rush him, going against orders to wait him out. A CPO or sergeant would not disobey an officer's orders unless the officer was obviously irrational (and I mean to the point where that officer would be legally certifiable as insane or incompetent), and/or if the order were clearly illegal. But, that scene between the chief and the seaman on guard did provide some needed comic relief in a tense episode.<br /><br />Speaking of comedy relief, there were some nice scenes between the admiral and chief in "Terror on Dinosaur Island." Also, in "The Fossil Men," there is a scene reminiscent of Abbott & Costello, where Sharkey sees the monster coming to life before the admiral (whose back is turned) does. <br /><br />I've nothing more to add, except to echo your sentiments: RIP, Mr. Becker, and thanks for all the great moments aboard the SSRN Seaview. <br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com