James 'Danno' MacArthur 1937-2010 - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

steevo · 10-29-2010, 06:35 PM

James.

Zoneboy · 10-29-2010, 08:31 PM

Link

When the phone rang in her Santa Monica, Calif., home Wednesday afternoon, Rose Freeman wasn't expecting the powerful farewell that came next. The widow of Leonard Freeman, the creative force behind the original "Hawaii Five-0," found herself on the line with James MacArthur just hours before his death.

The actor's wife, former golf pro H.B. MacArthur, had wanted to prepare Freeman. She put the two friends together.

"She put the phone to Jim's ear," Freeman said. "He heard me say goodbye. I am so blessed to have been given that gift."

Freeman read the end of a poem by Don Blanding that actor Jack Lord always read before shooting started each season of "Five-0." To repeat it almost makes her cry.

"It's said a hundred different ways, in sadness and in joy, aloha means I love you, so I say aloha oe," Freeman said.

James MacArthur and Leonard Freeman will always be linked in TV history. After Freeman shot the pilot for the series, which premiered in 1968, he decided he needed another actor to play the part of Detective Danny "Danno" Williams. So he went to an actor he had met while working on the film "Hang 'Em High" -- the 30-year-old MacArthur -- and cast him for his boyish looks and tough but sincere delivery.

"Len absolutely adored him and I grew to adore him," Rose Freeman said.

Whenever Freeman's three daughters came to visit their father and the set of "Five-0," MacArthur was the first to greet them.

Leonard Freeman died in 1974, several years before the show ended its run in 1980. But MacArthur remained a close friend of the Freeman family. He was always a warm, special friend, Rose Freeman said.

MacArthur's wife understood that when she placed the call.

"She knew Jim and I had a bond that was very special after Len died," Rose Freeman said. "He was just one of the most special people in our lives. I am so grateful to be able to say goodbye."

catlover79 · 10-29-2010, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollywood Rock Chic

I read somewhere, that the reason why MacArthur left, during the show's 11th Season; because, he was, just tired, of playing the role of Danny "Danno" Williams, and the Hawaii Five-O (in his opinion) just did not appeal to him anymore.

Yes, that's the story I always heard.

catlover79 · 10-29-2010, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollywood Rock Chic

Jack Lord was also a perfectionist, and demanded the BEST from everyone; and was not shy, when it came to expressing his displeasure, if he found fault in another actor's performance, especially on HIS show!

I don't doubt that!!!

Theda Bara · 10-29-2010, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I don't doubt that!!!

Yes, but besides all of his faults; there was a good side to Jack Lord. When he died, he and wife wife, Marie (who passed away in 2005) left, an endowment of over 40 million dollars to fund various charities in Hawaii.

catlover79 · 10-30-2010, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollywood Rock Chic

Yes, but besides all of his faults; there was a good side to Jack Lord. When he died, he and wife wife, Marie (who passed away in 2005) left, an endowment of over 40 million dollars to fund various charities in Hawaii.

How sweet.

Didn't they make Hawaii their permanent home for the rest of their lives?

Mr. Television · 10-30-2010, 06:54 PM

R.I.P Danno.

megamanj2004 · 11-02-2010, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

How sweet.

Didn't they make Hawaii their permanent home for the rest of their lives?

Yes they did.

Another rumor about Jack Lord was that he was supposedly part of the reason why Zulu (real name Gilbert Lani Kauhi) who played Kono from 1968-72 was fired after S4. Rumor has it that at one Five-O convention Zulu said that "Jack can go to hell!"

Kam Fong who played Chin Ho Kelly from 1968-78 called Jack Lord "a strict task master and always a perfectionist." And also said that he wasn't a socialable person off-set, but did say that he often tried to help others perform better.

catlover79 · 11-02-2010, 01:32 AM

^ Thank you for confirming that!!

megamanj2004 · 11-02-2010, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

^ Thank you for confirming that!!

You're welcomed!

vrinda · 07-06-2013, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megamanj2004

Yes they did.

Another rumor about Jack Lord was that he was supposedly part of the reason why Zulu (real name Gilbert Lani Kauhi) who played Kono from 1968-72 was fired after S4. Rumor has it that at one Five-O convention Zulu said that "Jack can go to hell!"

Kam Fong who played Chin Ho Kelly from 1968-78 called Jack Lord "a strict task master and always a perfectionist." And also said that he wasn't a socialable person off-set, but did say that he often tried to help others perform better.

All you people did is quote rumors and gossip, and you act as bad as Jack's co-stars. "He was an egomaniac, bla, bla, bla" - according to who, some nasty co-stars who were not doing their jobs? What was Jack doing that was egomaniacal? Explain that. You can't.

All this tabloid trash aside, the reason why Zulu was fired was because he yelled anti-Semitic remarks at Les Weissman, a publicist for the show. Zulu was bullying Weissman for not promoting him more. Zulu started to yell anti-Semitic comments at Weissman, who just backed off.

Jack went to speak to Weissman later on another issue that was unrelated, and when he saw how glum Weissman looked, he asked him way, and Weissman told him about the incident with Zulu. Jack then called Leonard Freeman, the executive producer of Hawaii Five-O, who was in LA at the time, and told him what happened. Freeman had Zulu fired. I don't know what other recourse Jack should have taken, other than that. Would any of you condone the kind of behavior Zulu displayed there?

I've read this story in a few places over the years, so I don't know the original source of it but, it makes sense, since Zulu did not have much of a film or TV career afterwards, and Hollywood is has many Jews working there.

All the press did was write narratives from the writers' perspectives when the writers never even interviewed Jack, and made up their own stories. I've read some of these tabloid articles from the '70s, and they're all full of BS. There is no documented source and no names given. Just anonymous references - a director, an actor, a source close to the show, etc.

Zulu used to come to set late, forget his lines, and sleep. Is that appropriate? So what if Jack didn't socialize? You people talk like he committed a crime.

As far as the perfectionist label, Jack admitted to being one, but that doesn't mean he was a bad person. People are mistaking being a perfectionist for being picky over trivial things and ordering people around over unimportant whims. Again, we have no evidence Jack did that. According to statements he made, he was particular about technical details involving placement of cameras, lights, props, and rewrites of the scripts, and the overall storyline, but that doesn't mean he was bullying people for no reason over these details, or making them film him more often than the others or change the scripts to give him more lines. That would be egotistical behavior, but if you watch the shows and notice the absence of any evidence to prove it, you'll see that is not the case.

Barbara Luna, a veteran actress who was on 2 episodes of H5O, even commented on how inept the crew was when she guest-starred in 1969 and how, if not for Jack, things would not have gotten done. Marj Dusay and Michael Anderson, Jr., who guest-starred on different episodes, said that some actors came to the set drunk or hungover. What is Jack supposed to do then, be nice to them? They're being unprofessional, and deserved whatever tongue-lashing he gave them, if at all.

It's easy to repeat gossip. Try getting the facts, instead of passing gossip off as such.

robyrob · 07-06-2013, 10:33 AM

Danno

jrobinson45abc · 09-05-2013, 09:24 PM

There were 2 comments by James MacArthur on his website before he died that paint perhaps a complex picture of his and others relationship with Jack Lord. One was complimentary. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, some people had a problem with Jack because he demanded the best and hard work from everyone and always came to work fully prepared. Since that's the way I liked to work too, I did not have a problem with this...

The other was in a canned q and a section on the site, where J. M. was "asked" who was his favoriate villain on the show and the answer given was "Jack Lord." Tongue in check, yet....

Although we should be sensitive to privacy, I'm wondering if any more details about his cause of death were ever released. In the year before his death pictures of J. M. showed a dramatic weight loss and a very distant unhealthy look in his eyes.

He was an excellent actor (beyond H5 too) and is missed!

10-29-2010, 06:35 PM	#16
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,474	James.
	__________________ "God be gracious to us and bless us..." Psalm 67:1

10-29-2010, 08:31 PM	#17
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	'Five-0' creator's widow gets to bid actor 'aloha oe' Link When the phone rang in her Santa Monica, Calif., home Wednesday afternoon, Rose Freeman wasn't expecting the powerful farewell that came next. The widow of Leonard Freeman, the creative force behind the original "Hawaii Five-0," found herself on the line with James MacArthur just hours before his death. The actor's wife, former golf pro H.B. MacArthur, had wanted to prepare Freeman. She put the two friends together. "She put the phone to Jim's ear," Freeman said. "He heard me say goodbye. I am so blessed to have been given that gift." Freeman read the end of a poem by Don Blanding that actor Jack Lord always read before shooting started each season of "Five-0." To repeat it almost makes her cry. "It's said a hundred different ways, in sadness and in joy, aloha means I love you, so I say aloha oe," Freeman said. James MacArthur and Leonard Freeman will always be linked in TV history. After Freeman shot the pilot for the series, which premiered in 1968, he decided he needed another actor to play the part of Detective Danny "Danno" Williams. So he went to an actor he had met while working on the film "Hang 'Em High" -- the 30-year-old MacArthur -- and cast him for his boyish looks and tough but sincere delivery. "Len absolutely adored him and I grew to adore him," Rose Freeman said. Whenever Freeman's three daughters came to visit their father and the set of "Five-0," MacArthur was the first to greet them. Leonard Freeman died in 1974, several years before the show ended its run in 1980. But MacArthur remained a close friend of the Freeman family. He was always a warm, special friend, Rose Freeman said. MacArthur's wife understood that when she placed the call. "She knew Jim and I had a bond that was very special after Len died," Rose Freeman said. "He was just one of the most special people in our lives. I am so grateful to be able to say goodbye."
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

10-30-2010, 06:54 PM	#22
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	R.I.P Danno.
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07-06-2013, 10:33 AM	#27
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,179	Danno
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11-02-2010, 01:32 AM	#24
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^ Thank you for confirming that!!

09-05-2013, 09:24 PM	#28
jrobinson45abc Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Sep 03, 2013 Posts: 4	There were 2 comments by James MacArthur on his website before he died that paint perhaps a complex picture of his and others relationship with Jack Lord. One was complimentary. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, some people had a problem with Jack because he demanded the best and hard work from everyone and always came to work fully prepared. Since that's the way I liked to work too, I did not have a problem with this... The other was in a canned q and a section on the site, where J. M. was "asked" who was his favoriate villain on the show and the answer given was "Jack Lord." Tongue in check, yet.... Although we should be sensitive to privacy, I'm wondering if any more details about his cause of death were ever released. In the year before his death pictures of J. M. showed a dramatic weight loss and a very distant unhealthy look in his eyes. He was an excellent actor (beyond H5 too) and is missed!