Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O’Connor, is a fascinating cultural pivot point for American television. He was a Lout, a bigot and perpetually angry, disconcerted by the social progress made in the United States in the 1970s. He frequently turned to the past and remembers the way life was simpler; It is not surprising that the theme song of his show, “All in the family”, was called “it’s the days”. Bunker was not a good person … and nevertheless continuously shown vulnerability and heart. Nostalgia is good, but we may not want to go from the past; It was not always better for everyone. It is not surprising that “Family Guy” regularly makes lamps “in the family” with such a verve.
While “everything in the family” progressed, Bunker has proven again and again that he was capable of compassion, and could – if he was determined – go beyond his prejudices. “All in the family” is a story of the way a terrible man, long calcified, develops a sense of principles. He was a fanatic, but could sometimes learn not to be.
O’Connor, meanwhile, was quite the opposite. Indeed, O’Connor Once appeared on “The Dick Cavett Show” To explain Archie Bunker in simple and unflattering terms. O’Connor saw Archie as an unhappy person. He does not do so in the modern world, having been poisoned by hatred and fanaticism at an early age. O’Connor knew that the common descriptor of Archie Bunker from “The Lovable Bigot” was an oxymoron.
Beyond his wise vision of Archie Bunker, O’Connor was also deeply based on principles, and has already refused to draw scenes from “everything in the family” because of his integrity. According to an interview with The Plain Dealer (Easily transcribed by Metv), O’Connor remained away from the whole of “All in the Family” when the workers of the CBS went on strike. He refused to film with anyone who would cross the picking line.
Carroll O’Connor refused to cross the lines of strike
For a little context, there were eight CBS eight -week technicians in 1972, while “All in the Family” was in his third season. The strike lasted from November 3 and was only properly settled on December 29, as reported by the New York Times. The strike focused on how CBS wanted to replace many technicians with automated machines, and how former technicians would not keep domination over some of the new digital devices withdrawn into several productions. The regulation of the strike was hardly unanimous – the vote to settle was 364 to 206 – but it was enough to bring the technicians back to work in a little better conditions.
O’Connor, a man from Union for life, believed technicians. During the strike, he could have continued to shoot “All in the Family”, but should have worked with superiors denying the fairness of technicians, or with crusts that were not struck. O’Connor was plains on this subject, saying:
“I was a union man all my life. […] I can’t work with Strikebreakers. If I worked with management staff, I would like to break a border. But the fact is that I cannot work – by the best comic book actor on the best show of comics on television – in an atmosphere of work conflicts. […] As soon as the strike is over, I will present myself to work. If they no longer need me, I will come back home. “”
There was speculation as to whether O’Connor’s relationship with the creator of “All in the Family” Norman Lear was tense by his comments. O’Connor commented that Lear often doubted the actor’s sincerity, and often involved that O’Connor was working against the best interests of the show; Their relationship was conventionally tense. Of course, Lear is well known for his bickering with his biggest starsSo O’Connor probably followed his heart … and went to Lear a little in the process.
