In this era when actors spout off to look like “good guys” in the face of terror, Herbert Lom (remember Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther films?) sounds a very different tune at age 87. But then the one-time Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchacevich ze Schluderpacheru of Czechoslovakia has “been there, done that” when it comes to totalitarianism. Here’s Lom in his London apartment now speaking to a reporter from The Independent:
“I have spent my life learning other people’s lines,” he says. “Now I want to say some of my own.” He then reads the following from his own scrawled notes. “We are constantly told that our prime minister is a charlatan, a liar, a cheat, a poodle. Not once but 15 times a day. I have lived in Czechoslovakia, France and England and I have never known anything like it.” He looks up from his note pad. “You know,” he adds, “I am as scared of Clare Short as I am of Saddam Hussein. She can bring this Government down, I think. As a woman I find her very attractive, but she is a pain in the arse. Tony Blair is a brilliant and brave prime minister. It must distress him that chopping off heads, which has become fashionable among those villains in the desert, is not considered as wicked as failing to find the so-called weapons of mass destruction.” (hat tip: Sheryl)
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33 Comments
1. Kevin P:Roger:
I think Lom is right on the mark as he responds to the banality of much the political opponents of the war. They wallow in triviality instead of looking at the big picture. They would rather take down Bush and Blair then remove Saddam and the Taliban. They focus on armoured humvee’s rather then take notice of the historic election in Afghanistan. They talk of delaying the Iraq election so the rejectionist Sunni’s can participate in a election that they don’t want to take place.
It would be one thing if they proposed a better way to bring Democracy to the middle east. But they don’t. By their words and their support of a corrupt UN they state clearly that they want the status qou in the middle east. They wail over the death of 15,000 to 100,000 Iraqi’s while ignoring the fact that if we had followed their advice the government that had killed 7 MILLION Iraqi’s would still be in power. They claim that the UN policy of embargo and containment was working but it clearly was not. It killed just as many Iraqi’s as the war has and there was no movement to regime change or change in the Middle East. Iraq was falling apart under the UN mandate. It created death and destruction while bringing no change to the country. It was sacrafice for no purpose. I would like any critic of the war to explain how they were going to bring change and democracy to Iraq without killing anyone. Before the war there was no chance of removing Saddam and ending the torment. It just allowed Saddam to stay in power and delay what he had been doing for his entire life. Bush and Blair removed 2 dictatorships and are creating 2 fledgling democracies. The critics of the war need to explain how they were going to achieve this without killing anyone. Before these two leaders the world was going to leave these thugs and murderers in control. They need to say how they were going to achieve what Blair and Bush have done before they begin their attacks.
Dec 18, 2004 - 10:56 am 2. Wallace:A great character actor, a man of sage wisdom born of experience…..and who can ever forget his guest appearance on Hawaii 5-0.
Dec 18, 2004 - 12:19 pm 3. Paul Snively:This ranks up there with Christopher Lee’s “That’s not what it sounds like when a man is stabbed in the back.” Thank God for these gentlemen who who saw evil face-to-face and remember. I wonder what Charles Durning, who was among those who stormed the beach at Normandy, thinks of current world events?
More importantly, I wonder what we will do when those who remember have passed?
Dec 18, 2004 - 1:00 pm 4. Dylan:Kevin,
I think many people realize that blood will be shed, whether by SUQ (Sadaam, Uday and Qusay) or by us. The problem is that most peaceniks believe that it’s far better that the blood does not stain their hands.
I think many believe that as long as they don’t sanction killing then they are not responsible for the blood that is shed.
Thank God that your CIC realized that the American people should not continue living out that lie.
Dec 18, 2004 - 1:41 pm 5. TmjUtah:Paul -
For sentry removal we (USMC) were taught left or weak hand (not arm, you can be thrown by a pro) pull around the throat, knife up and into the kidneys. The movements are simultaneous: snatch and strike then ride the target down as he arches and falls. It’s almost a ballet movement. Shock and blood loss brings unconsciousness almost instantly. There’s none of that gurgling, or even worse, convulsion, business that almost always accompanies a neck or botched pith (point, base of skull) strike.
I’ve talked with some scary folks, too. You KNOW if you are getting the school course or practical app.
In “Goodbye Darkness” William Manchester described his experiences as a Marine Scout during the island hopping campaigns in the Pacific. Night work on narrow jungle trails was often done with a Ka-Bar knife. As a largish guy he found the Marine Way of the full arm upswing from groin to brisket would keep him alive where a shot from a pistol would have brought the other Japanese down on him. Powerful stuff.
Dec 18, 2004 - 2:31 pm 6. PeterUK:Clare Short did a Kerryesque flip-flop over the Iraq war,she was for it before she was against it.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0%2C9061%2C954752%2C00.html
More in a spirit of vengence than anything
Herbert Lom a wonderful character actor,why didn’t he get a knighthood? He does need his eyes testing though.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3488642.stm
Dec 18, 2004 - 2:55 pm 7. richard mcenroe:TMJUtah ó Lee was trained by the Fairbairn-school crowd with that skinny little knife they used.
Actually, many of the Brits of that period have some solid cred in this area. Guinness commanded a landing craft on D-Day; Niven was a FAC with the paras in Arnhem.
Of course, Norman Mailer was Our Fighting Company Clerk, so we Americans can hold our heads up…
Dec 18, 2004 - 3:05 pm 8. richard mcenroe:And if you want to talk about Guys Who Have Seen Some Shit…
Dec 18, 2004 - 3:13 pm 9. PeterUK:The Fairburn is a handy little tool but I believe some were quite fond of the Smachet,a quite awe inspiring piece of kit.
Dec 18, 2004 - 3:15 pm 10. David Thomson:“I am as scared of Clare Short as I am of Saddam Husseinî, says
Herbert Lom. Is the well known actor engaging in a bit of hyperbole? I adamantly believe that this is not the case. There is no doubt that Clare Short means well, but her subconscious or even conscious Marxist perspective, makes it near impossible for her to fight Great Britainís enemies. In Short’s heart of hearts, she is convinced that our war against the Islamic terrorists and those more secular like Saddam Hussein, is merely the blowback result of the Westís oppression the Arab world. If one truly holds this view—then invading Iraq and other military actions are mostly a waste of time. It could even make things worse. We may succeed in only further enraging our ìvictims.î
Dec 18, 2004 - 3:19 pm 11. Kevin P:Peter:
Sounds like Clare is dumping the third way Blair approach and trying to re-establish her old labour bona fides. Could this be the start of a labour civil war or will Brown be able to lead a regicide against Blair while at the same time keep labour from going back to it’s old radical tendincies? Would Brown cut and run in Iraq or will he maintain the spine that Blair has? Many Americans have no idea how much guts Blair showed by taking such an agressive stance in Iraq when the natural stance of his party would lean to a more passive foreign policy.
Dec 18, 2004 - 3:31 pm 12. PeterUK:Kevin P,
The realtionship between Blair and Brown is somewhat like a marraige Blair, gets to decide who to go to war with,shake hands with the worlds leaders and be an international statesman and Brown decides what the money is spent on.
Brown is an old school redistributionalist marxist, as is the majority of NuLabor.
Blair was chosen as front man of an unelectable party,he got them to shave off their beards,ditch the pullovers, corduroy trousers,socks and sandals for suits.He then shamelessly stole all the Tory party policies and presented himself to middle England as LabourLite,thus covering the fact that Brown is the most confiscatory Chancellor since the Atlee government.
What you are witnessing is a faustian pact between a left wing party that wants power and a Prime Minister who gives it to them, the price is the WoT. Behind the scenes it is Julius Ceasar revisited.
Clare Short has reverted to type and is busy ingratiating herself with the grass roots,along with other alumni like Robin Cook.
However the plot thicken,since Blair wishes fervently to sell us down the river into Europe,Constitution,Euro and all,this means that if Brown did stage a palace coup all he would inherit is an empty shell, all power having devolved to Brussels.
The adoption of the Euro,particularly would be a slap in the face for Brown’s much vaunted fiscal prudence,after all if his stewardship of Sterling has been so good why give control to a bunch of foreign bankers?
So whilst Blair is busy bringing freedom to Iraq the British are being dragged into serfdom.
BTW The food parcels stopped coming in 1958,I hope all is well.
Dec 18, 2004 - 4:18 pm 13. Terrye:Gale’s father was sent out alone with a piece of piano wire to take out German guards. The man had nightmares about it for the rest of his life. No, there are not many of them left.
What I would like to know is what is the anti war lobby going to say to the newly elected head of state in Iraq? Your are not Saddam Hussein, our hero and mentor, but I guess you have to do? Or how about: This is just awful…who will shoot the babies now that Saddam is gone?
So far the anti war people have made ridiculous claims they can not prove, such as 100,000 dead and no popular support for democracy while at the same time accsuing everyone else of lying. Well excuse me, but I don’t believe a word most of these poeple say and from now on I will believe none of their claims without proof.
And as far as the whole wmd business is concerned, nobody has ever really explained what Saddam did with the weapons they know he had. And nobody has ever explained how we would ever have figured out what we do know without this invasion. The truth is if Bush had not gone to the UN and gotten Resolution 1441 and then enforced it the world would still believe Saddam had stockpiles of weapons in Iraq and the food for oil scam would still be going strong.
And Blair is intelligent enough to understand all that. Too bad the rest of his countrymen can not do the same.
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:17 pm 14. richard mcenroe:Terryeó They will have nothing to say to him at all. If our progressive betters are willing to paint Blair and Howard as “poodles” for supporting the US in Iraq, then what legitimacy do you think the elected head of an Iraqi state will have in their eyes? Why, the ignorant brown fuzzy-wuzzies are actually going to elect whoever it will be without the benevolent oversite of their pallid European superiors! Look at the contempt with which they treat the leaders of Israel, the product of half a century of vociferous democracy, or the ill-disguised scorn they have for the Turks, who’ve been the only functional Islamic democracy in the Middle East for even longer.
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:30 pm 15. richard mcenroe:PeterUK ó Brown is also busily disarming Britain with swinging defense cuts; their action in Iraq is likely the last time they will be able to conduct such operations again.
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:32 pm 16. Andrew X:Now, now. Let’s not pick on Clare Short. After all, she has a keen eye and a stout heart for confronting tyranny, even if the UN hasn’t signed off on it….
“The truth is this is a war. Wars are vile… It’s against an evil, monstrous regime that has caused a terrible war and displacement, raping and killing people. Now it is doing it again. This evil will be reversed. We will succeed, the sooner the better… But we will do what is necessary. It will be done and we will look after people and get them home…Please everyone think what is at stake here… This is a challenge for our generation. We must do what is right otherwise evil will triumph, Europe will have fascism back in it and all the instabilities that will lead to increasing conflict… Please be steady everyone. We’ve got to do what is right and we will do it”.
- Clare Short, May 23, 1999, on the need for war against the Serbs.
Way-uhl, gollleee, Clare! Thanks for your courage when, um, the EUROPEAN UNION’s stability is threatened by a tyrant. I’m sure you are equally willing to confront “evil, monstrous regime(s) that have caused a terrible war and displacement” elsewhere… right?? Uh huh.
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:33 pm 17. TmjUtah:The Fairbairn is indeed an exquisite tool. The Brits who invented it built an entire fighting style around it.
The materials used in construction are what makes the thing work so well, though. The full-tanged, double edged, hollow-ground blade demands superb metallurgy (sp?) to get just right. I am kicking around a clone concept along the Sykes line for my future forge work but I doubt I’ll get the steel as strong or flexible as the original.
The contemporary lack of enthusiasm for daggers on the part of our guys stems from the fact that they don’t lend themselves to utility use. That’s why I’m concentrating on a Bowie and a modified Tanto profile for my first work. After the Platte River skinner, of course.
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:34 pm 18. Kevin P:Peter:
Why would the UK want to join that mess in Brussels to begin with? Their economy would prosper more outside of a United Europe without all of the regulations and debt that the new federal government will develop. It seems to me that the UK will always be a minor party behind Germany and France in this new setup and will incur more costs then benifits. It seems to be a fashionable choice rather then a practicle choice. If europe tried to isolate the UK economically there seems to be options in the far east and the americas and because they wouldn’t have to get the approval of Brussels they would have the chance to be more nimble in their economic affairs and would have no problems outmanuevering their less productive neighbors. By staying independent they would be able to take advantage of the EU in trade and commerace without having to pay for the new bloated federal government.I understand why some of the poorer and smaller countries want to join but not the UK.I don’t get it.
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:49 pm 19. Skookumchuk:I’ve always thought that the citizens of a democratic, stable and prosperous Iraq would be disdained by the multi-culti left as a kind of living rebuke to their beliefs. Or resolutely ignored. Like Cuban-Americans or Vietnamese immigrants.
TmjUtah:
What does a Platte River skinner look like?
He asked, turning away from the workbench where he was inletting the new crescent stock on his 1894 Marlin . . .
Dec 18, 2004 - 5:58 pm 20. PeterUK:KevinP,
You don’t get! There is a good part of 60 million people here that don’t get it.Why do you think Blair doesn’t want a referendum on the EU?
I think that one of the problems in the civilised west is that there was no “big game” for the ruling elite to play any more,mostly it was tinkering with what already existed,usually detrimentally. Now they have the grand design,power and influence in the world.Make no mistake though, there is a large majority in the UK and Europe against the project.Personally, I think that “pooling sovereignty” is like pooling virginity.What is taking place is the end of representational democracy in Europe,reading the EU Constitution,the Civil Contingencies Act(UK) and jiggery pokery like this going on,http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=331284&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=&ct=5
As to Brown cutting down the armed forces,it really won’t matter if the European Constitution is ratified since the UK would not be allowed to go war independently.
Dec 18, 2004 - 6:23 pm 21. PeterUK:Terye,
Outside of the WoT Blair is further left than the lunatic fringe of your Democratic Party,literally everyhing that he touches goes wrong.We Brits are beginning to think that Blair is too high a price for us to pay for freedom in Iraq.
Look,if you get a post box number we’ll stick him in a jiffy bag and you will get him by Christmas.
$50,and thats all I can afford.
Dec 18, 2004 - 6:44 pm 22. richard mcenroe:TMJUtah, skookumchuck ó Back in the 70’s, when custom knives started getting trendy, a lot of folks dissed the Ka-Bar but I have to say it was the most useful general knife I ever owned…
Check atlantacutlery.com for some interesting knife shapes, especially their do-it-yerself blanks. I think they’ve got a couple flavors of Green River and other period knives. You might have to order their print catalogue to see the full selection.
Dec 18, 2004 - 6:59 pm 23. richard mcenroe:PeterUK ó Prior to, and with the exception of, his support on the WOT, Blair always struck me as something of a British Clinton, a man of no fixed principle save political ambition, who was very gifted at hearing the promises people wanted made… and less so at fulfilling them.
Dec 18, 2004 - 7:21 pm 24. PeterUK:Richard,
Blair is like Mr Toad there is not a new fad or bandwagon he won’t jump on,his finest hour was hijacked the Princes of Wales funeral,when jump on terror I personally thought here we go again.you woiuld have to live here to understand it.
Dec 18, 2004 - 7:46 pm 25. richard mcenroe:PeterUK ó You mean because of stuff like this?
Tories attack email deletion order
Tony Blair was accused of fostering a cover-up culture after civil servants were ordered to delete millions of emails.
The Cabinet Office, effectively the Prime Minister’s department, says messages more than three months old must be wiped, The Times revealed.
The deadline comes just 11 days before the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act comes into force. ó Sunday Telegraph
Dec 18, 2004 - 8:01 pm 26. TmjUtah:Skook-
Check this href=”http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Camping-tramping/Camping-tramping/Other/auction-19222069.htm”>link and imagine the radius tightening up the last third of the blade length at the tip vice the constant in the knife in the picture. It’s a big knife, with more blade thickness at the head than at the hilt. The last couple inches of the cutting edge end up facing forward enough for you to push along underneath the hide of large, thick-skinned animals.
I can’t find a call anywhere on the web for “Platte River Skinner”.
Tthe example I saw identified as such was owned by a wildlife biologist who helped us skin out my friend’s once-in-a-lifetime buffalo out on Antelope Island. Overall length was about a foot. The sheath design is almost as interesting as the knife itself since you have to accomadate the aggressive hook at the end.
*burns with envy for your Marlin* I am looking for an old used one in .38/.357 with a long barrel. My Cowboy Action Shooting kit is all long tube stuff; pistols are 7.5″. Not as fast as some but I don’t miss much.
Apologies for the O/T.
Dec 18, 2004 - 8:21 pm 27. PeterUK:TmjUtah.
Your wish may be granted look here http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/
Richard,Yes.
Dec 18, 2004 - 8:35 pm 28. richard mcenroe:Skook ó Like this?
Dec 18, 2004 - 8:39 pm 29. richard mcenroe:SkookÔøΩ Dixie Gun Works has it…
Dec 18, 2004 - 9:11 pm 30. David Thomson:ìWay-uhl, gollleee, Clare! Thanks for your courage when, um, the EUROPEAN UNION’s stability is threatened by a tyrant. I’m sure you are equally willing to confront “evil, monstrous regime(s) that have caused a terrible war and displacement” elsewhere… right?? Uh huh.î
The European situation essentially involved white people. Saddam Hussein is a man of ìcolor.î He is brown skinned and dark haired. That fact alone prevents Clare Short and other Marxist influenced thinkers from approaching the war on terror in a rational manner. A non-white individual is by definition a victim of an imperialist western power structure. We are supposedly responsible for their evil actions. Who are we to take them to task?
Dec 19, 2004 - 3:30 am 31. foreign devil:One of my absolute favourite actors. I didn’t know that along with John Rhys-Davies and Mr. Bean, Herbert Lom was an anti-idiotarian too, but I might have guessed. He was the funniest foil to Peter Seller’s buffoon, Clouseau. His patented nervousbreakdown almost stole the films from Sellers, but I’m sure Sellers didn’t mind. He loved good talent too!
BTW, Roger, I’ve read Ali’s last post. Can you shed any light at all? He seems to feel betrayed and I feel very bad about it but short of posting a message and sending an email, I am bereft of ideas…
Dec 19, 2004 - 11:35 am 32. Inspector Callahan:Herbert Lom played Johnny Smith’s psychiatrist in “The Dead Zone”, Dr. Weizak. He had an interesting line, which kind of fits this post:
Johnny: “suppose you came across Hitler. Would you kill him or let him live?”
Dr. Weizak: “As a physician, and as a person who loves people, I would have no choice but to kill the son-of-a-bitch.”
TV (Harry)
Dec 20, 2004 - 8:13 am 33. Pat Curley:“I think I’ve just cut off my thumb!”
How ironic is it that the man who spoke that line also wrote a book about Dr Guillotine?
For a great many people, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. There was a hilarious post somewhere late last year about Saddam emerging on the campaign trail as a candidate for the Democratic nomination and scoring big in the primaries. It was funny because it was only a slight exaggeration.
Dec 20, 2004 - 12:04 pm