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On the Jazz - Vol 01 Issue 13
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The totally unofficial A-Team electronic mail newsletter
Submission address: onthejazz
Administrivia: Nicole Pellegrini
Please use the following addresses for subscribe/unsubscribe
and back issue requests:
pellegri, nicpell
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DATE: February 27, 1995
ISSUE: 13
VOLUME: 1
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Hey everyone,
Issue 13, a day late but better than never. As promised,
you get more of the TV Guide article, as much as I was able to
type in before my fingers went numb. The conclusion of the
article will appear in the next issue.
This issue I'm also starting a new feature which I hope you'll
all find enjoyable and/or informative, A-Team trivia questions.
See how much you know about picky little details from the show
and amaze your friends and colleagues. :-) Answers will appear in
the next issue.
So now, here's this week's question:
-> Script writer and 4th season stroy editor Bill Nuss made a
brief cameo appearance in one episode that he wrote. What episode
was it and who did he play?
Now here's the article, hopefully typo-free but I won't promise
anything.
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The scene being shot this morning has reporter Tawnia Baker
(Heasley) meeting up with the team for the first time. The
morning's sequence calls for Heasley to deliver a rapid series
of complicated speeches. She's a bit unsteady finding her
rhythm at first and stumbles over some dialogue. After a take
is printed, Peppard tells her, "Looks good, Marla."
"George has been really helpful," Heasley says later. "He
will take me aside and tell me little things that you should
know when you're doing a series. He's been around for a long
time, so he's got some very good advice."
Peppard can be seen between takes talking something over
with Mr. T, apparently giving practical advice. "When the
season's over, do all of that sort of thing you want," he says,
"but in the meantime, never mind."
"Good idea," says T.
A few moments later, a bushed-looking Peppard asks a
publicity person to verify an appointment the next morning at
L.A. tv station KABC-TV. "I'm doing an interview with
Barbara Walters for Good Morning America," he explains.
"Live to New York, 5:15 A.M. I've got the day off."
"You can use it, after that," says the publicity man.
"I can use it now," says Peppard.
DAY THREE. A luxury condo tower on Wilshire Boulevard. The
A Teamers have taken over the entire floor of vacant suites.
In one apartment, The Face and Tawnia are involved in a
tete-a-tete, to be interrupted by the appearance of bad guys
who toss The Face out the window into (according to the
script) a convenient swimming pool below.
On the balcony of another apartment down the hall,
Benedict's double waits to do the seven-story fall the
second unit has spent all morning coordinating. The stunt is
set to go. I make my way to a vantage point in an empty room
that provides a clear view of the setup. The double, his
hair and suit identical to Benedict's, is loosening up by
hopping lightly back and forth on a wooden platform built
eye level with the balcony ledge. At a signal from an
assistant below, the stuntman leaps into space. He waves his
arms, turns slightly and hits the air bag with a solid impact
clearly audible thofough sealed glass seven stories above.
Conditioned by decades of television viewing, I fully expect
him to rise, give a victory wave, and hobble off to the
sound of the second unit's cheers. But the stuntman does not
rise. He lies flat on his back on the air bag, his face pale
with shock and pain. Half a dozen people move in to check
his limbs and torso. A brace is placed around his neck. Very
tenderly he is lifted onto a stretcher and carried toward a
waiting ambulance.
DAY FOUR: Interior: a cliffside estate in Paradise Cove, west
of Malibu. The Team is wrapping up some close-ups before
breaking for lunch. Dwight Schultz sits off-camera in a
director's chair, giving an autograph to a 10-year-old boy.
Schultz had done almost all of his acting on stage, in
regional theaters and in New York, before flying to L.A. to
read for the part of Murdock. His normal speaking voice is
restrained and articulate, laegues away from the comic
cadence he affects for his bizarre role. I ask him if signing
onto the A Team has changed his life dramatically.
"It's like a jolt of electricity," he says. "I guess I've
done about 10 years of normal living in one--including getting
married. The rapidity of the work, the speed with which you go
before the camera and just do it--you're filming rehearsals, in
effect--that's still very novel and invigorating to me. And
usually your days are completely consumed by this.
"People complain about that, but...I don't see how you can.
You're doing what you want to do. It's not a struggle, it's a
thrill--something to be grateful for."
One former Team member, the departed Melinda Culea, has
been vocal about her dissatisfaction with her series role. What
about her absence this year?
"Well," Schultz answers in a roundabout fashion, "the last
thing I did in New York was an off-Broadway play. It was
tremendously successful. The reviews were the best I have ever
received from the big three major critics. There were lots of
rumors of it going on to Broadway. One day I picked up the paper
and read that the show was indeed going on to Broadway--but with
another actor, not me. I was shocked. Obviously something had
been wrong, but I'll never know the reason I was replaced.
"And I think it's much the same case with Melinda. There
were lots of little problems...But whatever happened in the
offices over there, we'll never really know. They made the
decision it was the best thing to replace her.
"But every actor is replaced at one point or another.
That's what this business is about: replacing, and being
replaced...being on top one year, then unemployed the next two
or three, then up again. That's the name of the game."
The company has broken for lunch. Schultz nods his head at
the now-empty set. "But this is just a terrific bunch," he says.
"It's been a joy. I couldn't imagine something more fortunate."
He pauses, and for a moment his eyes reveal a sliver of
Murdock's manic gleam. "Except a leading role in a major motion
picture, with Meryl Streep as my co-star!" Then he laughs.
As we walk outside toward the company's lunch tables, we
pass an equipment truck whose open door features a formidable
array of Mr. T posters and photographs. "He is amazing," Schultz
says, looking at these pictures of his co-star. "The man is a
tycoon. He's so smart. When he started out, he said, 'Before
this is done, I'm gonna get money even from people who hate me.
I'm having a *dart board* made.' That's what he said!"
...to be continued next issue
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Quote of the week:
"Don't you smile at me like that! That's not even a real
smile, that's just a bunch of teeth playing with my mind!"
--Face in "Diamonds 'n' Dust"
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On to this issue's posts...
Subj: Mr.T's other work?
Date: Sun, Feb 19, 1995 11:22 PM EST
From: gt6161c
X-From: gt6161c (Chris Sidi *A man with a passion to
create*)
To: onthejazz
I won't attempt to go over all the movies he's been in, but here's some
other works of art:
"Mr.T's 10 commandments"
record (inspired by Muhammed Ali vs. Mr.Tooth Decay?)
"Mr.T's Be Somebody or Be somebody's fool"
(Children, VHS)
Mr.T's coloring books
Mr.T's "?" cereal
If anyone has 10 commandments, please make me a tape...
I have seen Be somebody or be somebody's fool...it's not to be missed
"Hey, don't bring anyones mother into this...She isn't here...and if it
wasn't for her, you wouldn't be here...so remember, when you put down one
mother, you're putting down mothers all over the world" which seemily
contradicts in Episode "Cowboy George" where he tells Murdock in a dress,
"Murdock, you the ugliest woman I ever seen." and then face likes him
better as a woman!...it has me confused - but realizing that BA is very
different from Mr.T has helped...Mr.T probably has only a slight rational
fear of all forms of transportation.
Chris
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>then face likes him better as a woman!
Ah yes, but the most priceless part of that scene is Face's,
er...'facial' expression to Murdock's "we don't have time for
that now" retort.
I happen to love that episode, even if it is about the
cheesiest one they ever did.
Face: "I'm an artist booking-agent!"
Murdock: "Wrong. You're a scam-agent booking artists."
or something like that.
--nicole
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Subj: CD
Date: Thu, Feb 23, 1995 7:02 AM EST
From: P.J.Hewlett
To: onthejazz
Dear Nicole and everyone else,
I've just finished reading all the back issues of the newsletter and I
must say that it`s great to find other people who appreciate the programme as
much as I do. I'm gradually building up my collection of episodes on video
(I have about 70) as luckily they screen episodes pretty frequently in the
region which I am at University.
Anyway, just thought I'd give a few details about the theme music CD
which was mentioned a few weeks ago. I actually ordered a copy about a year
ago so it must still be available (at least in the UK). I'm not sure if the
music is from any particular episode but it would seem so from the titles of
the tracks. The cover just says `Music From The Original Television Score`.
The tracks are as follows :
i) Theme From THe A-Team ix) Showtime
ii) Young Hannibal x) Move, Sucker
iii) BA`s Ride xi) Let`s Get Busted
iv) The A-Team In New York City xii) Murdock`s "Face"
v) Bandits! xiii) Helicopters
vi) Taxi Chase xiv) More Bandits
vii) The A-Team Escape xv) Theme From The A-Team
viii) The A-Team Prepare For War
It's good to listen to as you can really imagine what would be showing
on screen when the tracks are played.
If anyone wants a copy the address on the back is Silva Screen Records
Silva House, 261 Royal College Street, London, NW1 9LU, UK. Catalogue no. is
FILMCD701 (FILMC701 for cassette) in UK and SIL5701.2 (SIL5701.4 for
cassette)
in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Elsewhere I don`t know about. Cost was
6.99 uk pounds which is very cheap for the UK.
I hope this is of interest to somebody - if anyone wants a copy and is
having problems just let me know and I'll try and help out.
Cheers,
Peter
Exeter, UK
en92pjh
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Thanks for the information, Peter, I know I need to own
a copy of any cd that has a track called "Move, Sucker" on
it :-)
The only other music-related A-Team item I've ever come
across--and this is only remotely related--is a cassette
I saw in a grungy used record store, called "The Mr. T Experience."
Apparently this is the name of a band or something, that's the
only relation to the team or T as far as I could tell from the cover.
Ever though it was only a few dollars I didn't feel like
splurging (since I was already buying about 30 dollars worth
of stuff that I didn't need...), so I have no clue as to what
type of music it was. Great band title, though if I had a rock
band I would want to name it "Closed for Remodeling." (Bonus
points to the die-hard fans who pick up on that TAT reference :-)
--nicole
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