Two years later; well maybe only 18 months; an envelope arrived in the mail; yes, the U.S. Mail; and in it was the signed copy of the review of his autobiography which I had sent, minus the cover letter. To say that I was thrilled is an understatement. It hangs, framed, on my wall.
Long before “McHale’s Navy”, Ernest Borgnine was serious actor, even winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in the film “Marty”. In that film he plays a lonely butcher who lives at home with his mother and spends his evenings with his other unwed friends; drinking, going to dance clubs; always looking to “score”. It’s an empty life, and Marty longs for more, even as he thinks himself too ugly to find true love.
But, even before that came his portrayal of “Fatso”, the sadistic Sargent
in charge of the brig in Pearl Harbor, just on the brink of World War Two. The
irony of that role is that in real life Mr. Borgnine had just returned from
duty at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. He spent the rest of the war
patrolling the rivers of New York City on a yacht. It was there that he absorbed the
ability to play the two greatest roles of his long career. The city gave him a
chance to really observe people, and record all that he was seeing. He would use
those observations in the years after the war to great advantage as an actor.
He was brilliant alongside Bette Davis and Debbie Reynolds
in “The Catered Affair”, in which Mr. Borgnine plays a cab driver saving to buy
his own cab; and just as he arrives at his goal, his daughter is planning a “catered”
wedding; which will, of course, keep him from realizing his goal. In “Bad Day at Black Rock” he plays a sadistic killer who works for William Holden, a rancher who has killed an innocent Japanese farmer for his land; even as the dead man’s son was fighting for America in the Pacific. His intensity in that role, alongside Spencer Tracy and Lee Marvin is palpable.
I watched all of those movies on TV as a kid, always
mesmerized by the strength of his performance. I didn’t even have to like the
movie – just watching him act was enough for me. Later he was re-created as the
seemingly errant Lt. McHale in “McHale’s Navy”, opposite the bumbling character
of Captain Bighamton, played by Joe Flynn.
In his later years, he did voice overs for both “The
Simpsons”, as well as “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Talk about versatility! His
ability to adapt kept him vital for over 60 years in show business, weathering
each technological change with the tenacity of the sailor he was so long ago. “Fair
winds and following seas” to you “Ernie.” Through the medium of film, you will
always be with us.
To read a review of his truly entertaining autobiography, go
here;
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