FALCONETTI GETS HIS ASS KICKED.....WILLIAM SMITH....

[FTWEVERYONE]

If not for the casting of @Bill @Smith as @FALCONETTI the character if cast from the description of the SHAW Book,was a FAT SLOB with a TURNIP shaped head,would have made this Mini-Series a minor endeavor to say the least!

[expanding]

William Smith is a great actor, mainly as a villain. I never watched Laredo, so I can't judge him for that role, but his appearance in Hawaii Five-0 last season was bad, a poor substitute to James MacArthur.

[FTWEVERYONE]

@Bill @Smith ((IS)) !!! He IS the real thing.....the "Thing" that most "Actors" try their WHOLE career to be.....

[fruitcake4t]

I always thought his name was Falcon Eddie ?

Didn't he have a tattoo of a falcon on his hand ???

[diamondmoney007]

Damn,,, Falconetti used the black man as a punk and bootie slammed him,, that is so sick

[RAIDERS58th]

Weird. I was driving to staples to get some ink for my printer, when suddenly the name Charles Estep sprang very loudly into my head. It was if someone was shouting - CHARLES ESTEP!!!! I coudn't remember where I'd heard the name so I put it into google and here I am. I'm 46 and the last time I saw this show I think I was 11 or 12. It's strange how the mind works.

[mastermold2011]

The music for this show was terrible, just not appropriate at all. And the sound effects when they're fighting are just ridiculous.

[eyaaah]

I was about 14 yrs old during the time this mini-series aired. I was starting to get interested in bodybuilding. then i saw William Smith's arms and I was awestruck.

I'vd been a fan of his ever since. I never get tired of watching him in his movies or TV cameos

[filtact]

Will Smith sure was an imposing man Psyically! Not the best actor, but did a decent job here as a good bully. His facial expression when Tom dropped the coffer on his face of shock and the look of fear and doubt when the fight was set to go were very good. I think he sensed that Tom was going to be no pushover! In the book after Tom kicks his ass, he teases him relentlessly and Falconetti commits suiside.

[filtact]

agree that in rel life will smith would kick Nolte's ass, but in "reel" life Tom was a trained boxer, which means no matter how big and tough Falconetti was he stood little chance.. A decent boxer like Tom would have carved him to pieces with some space. That said the fight scene was emotionally satisfying but poorly staged and edited. Also a bit unrelistic in that Tom would never, ever turn his back on a guy like that...and he did it twice!

[FTWEVERYONE]

FALCONETTI The Ships' Bully/Resident @Lunatic and OBVIOUS Ex-Jailbird...played with Dynamite Sincerity by @Bill @Smith !

[FTWEVERYONE]

In the Irwin Shaw book...Dwyer was White,a sissy and named: "Bunny" Dwyer. I necer understood why Tom would befriend someone like that. Notice on the ship and all the @Falconetti Conflicts,the "Musical Shirts" being played. Bill Smith with a MASSIVE built,at times and this Fight has his Build Concealed against Noltes' rather moderate Athletic physique. Herbert Jefferson Jr (Dwyer)Actually has a Muscular Build,but NOT shown with @Falconetti .That you'll see later in the series.

[FTWEVERYONE]

When you get down to cases..... @Bill @Smith is the TOUGHEST Great actor EVER seen. In the 70's Television started using @Sissies as "Tough Guys" which probably had Bill doing the Cheaper biker films....but what a Great Collection OF those films!

[monsta64]

I swear the face William Smith makes @ 2:30 KILLS me!!!

[you2449]

I saw this when I was 8 years old, and it left a big impression on me.

Funny that I always thought the name was "Falcon Eddy"

[Arbeedubya]

In real life Bill Smith would have mopped the floor with Nolte's face. Btw, does anyone know what his rank was in the Air Force?

[FTWEVERYONE]

@BILL @SMITH Such a GREAT Actor.....in THIS Scene,the look on his face when @NOLTE dumps the coffee on his head is actual SHOCK that ANYONE would oppose him,more than Anger....THAT is terrific acting!

[ILLKICKALUNGOUTTAYA]

@FTWEVERYONE I agree...what an actor!

[FTWEVERYONE]

@WILLIAM @SMITH in addition to ALL the greatness he is...is ALWAYS Funny as Hell!

[FTWEVERYONE]

Wm Smith the BEST Tough-Guy EVER! This scene was a somewhat poorly Executed

when Nolte SLOWLY climbs up the ladder to Buy Time for Smith to rise up and stab him.....NOT realistic,also the Black Eye patch we see LATER in the series worn by Smith was on his RIGHT eye rather than the Left as we see it as he's on the stretcher!

[ArthurFalconetti]

To all you punks who said I lost this one...I had coffee in my eyes!!!! Plus..."Loverboy" got his at the end on the pier by the end of the mini-series!

[Hendrikdevuile]

When I saw this so many years ago I never realised that Falconetti's assault on the black deckhand was sexual and included sodomy. I suppose it was not possible to make it more explicit at that time or maybe the incident in question was omitted from the version shown in the UK. Smith has been in a fair amount of rubbish, but he was really great in this rôle as an unforgettably evil, menacing, and entirely detestable monster.

[wudaddy]

Is 1:04 where the expression "Who's your daddy?" came from?

[terrafirma91]

Falconetti's mug would have looked like ground beef had he really taken a beating like that. His face doesn't look all that bad when he's being carried off on the stretcher. Smith sure can make the perfect facial expressions in this role. This was the best TV serials in the 70's, bar none. Everyone was a Tom Jordache fan, and everyone hated, but admired Wm. Smith. Outstanding performances by all involved.

[valarmanwe]

@terrafirma91 I remember WS being interviewed on British TV not many years after RMPM was aired, and I remember him saying that he couldn`t walk down the streets of America without having bottles thrown at him - because of what he did to "Tom."

[terrafirma91]

@valarmanwe : This is actually a very good indication of Wm. Smith's great acting ability. He's the sort that plays a bad guy very well, he seems very believable. (My brother and I would refer to Falconetti as "Falcon Edwards") Ha!

[valarmanwe]

@terrafirma91 I agree - a totally believable performance.

[grbquattro]

I was in high school during the series. When Falconetti had Tom killed, it was so unexpected, the whole neighborhood went into shock. Loved to hate Falconetti

[ncblkking252]

oh snap he fucked him!

[jkoff76]

God. Did William Smith always make a good bad guy or what!! Even as a Russian in Red Dawn.

[quelemon]

phew

that got my heart beating faster!

hav'nt seen it since I sat glued to the screen when it played in dk the first time

anybody remembers when?

I remember how I hated Falconetti and worshiped Tom:)

[jaybee7414]

If I'm not mistaken a very young Freddy Roach choreographed all the fight scenes in Rich Man Poor man.

I liked the scene where a 16 year old Tom (Nolte) easily clobbers an enormous serviceman (played by Dick Butkus).

[MrFlyingalong]

great scence and very good

[pwreric]

Falconetti-Bill Smith was a multiple time world arm wrestling champ. Holds the record for reverse curl. Air force weightlifting champ. has a masters in Russian studies UCLA and was going for Phd. when signed with MGM. Had CIA and NSA clearance. Speaks 4 languages. Was 31-1 in amature boxing studied kenpo.Played semi pro football, competed in motocross and downhill skiing. How does one guy do all that? I'd say he ran the gamete of acomplishments-physically,mili­tarily and academic

[johnrunion]

@pwreric as a child he had a uncredited role in the ghost of frankenstein. he was paid a roll of dimes.

[pwreric]

@johnrunion Wow didn't know that

[johnrunion]

@pwreric yes, a few years back he did an interview with FILMFAX magazine and he talked about it. there is a scene where someone kicks a ball to or at another kid. he is the other kid. there is a fan page for william smith on both facebook and myspace.

[johnrunion]

@pwreric he was also offered and turned down the role of tarzan. this would be probably at the time the tarzan producers went with mike henry.

[no288]

Nice....loved that tv-series when it first aird in the 70s. it was before i could afford a VCR, not many had those back then, so l would tape it and listen to it instead. it's funny i still can recall every sound, music and dialogue from this scene, from listen to my tapes :) Great scene...we all loved it when Tom finaly would beat up Falconetti! It was such a thrill to watch that tv-series back then!!

Cheers from Denmark

[Vorwahl0221]

WS was at least 40 yrs at this scene! Impressive physique. And impressive acting of course!

[Nashthebigsmasher]

@Vorwahl0221 Remember Smith in Conan?

[Vorwahl0221]

@Nashthebigsmasher Yeah Conan´s father. He was almoust 50 years in 1982 and had a gr8 body!

[sierria64]

@Vorwahl0221 di'nt he rape the black guy ,, i think

[Vorwahl0221]

@sierria64 Do you think? I thought they talked about football. You have a dirty phantasy LOL

[FTWEVERYONE]

The studio had Muscular WS wearing a long sleeve shirt so as to NOT show up the NOTHING build of the Sleeveless NOLTE!

[METHODICK92]

WELL DONE !!! TOM

[ArchStantonSavage]

This was the most memorable scene for me of "Rich Man Poor Man". William Smith played the inimitable bad guy. For those who may be unaware, Will Smith actually was in "Son of Frankenstein" as a small boy. I emailed him a few years ago, he got pissed because I thought, as a twelve year old, that his charachter's name was pronounced "Falcon Eddie". But he'd just got home from back surgery, wer'e all human.

[Abrading1]

@ArchStantonSavage I remember my mother being "hooked" on this show. I too always thought his name was "Falcon Eddie". LOL.

[Gritchen227]

Oh I hate Falconetti !

[morgandrim]

I remember the actor who played Falconetti being interviewed on TV a short time after RMPM was aired for the first time. He said he couldn`t walk down the streets of America without getting stones and bottles thrown at him.

[Gritchen227]

@morgandrim Dump people who do this. That's not fair, he is only the actor. But he did a good job !

[lookingoutpfunk]

part of my childhood. part of the reason why i loved conan the barbarian and nick nolte. a great miniseries.

[theironclads]

I read in an interview once with Big Bill Smith that he was approached to portray Tarzan for TV in the '60s. No question he could have played the part. One fierce guy & one of my favorite actors. Followed him since his days as a Texas Ranger on the terrific TV western Laredo(1965-'67).

[mpb1472]

Smith is great all the time.

[mrgeneski]

One of, if not the greatest ever mini series.

[utd1981]

William Smith played a great bad guy, but you had to love it when Tom Jordache whipped his ass...great TV...great mini-series RMPM was.

[the430movie]

what a great mini-series... havent see a good one in ages!

[jkoff76]

Ugh now that I think about it, Falconetti is one big douchebag!!

[jkoff76]

Love William Smith, go Falconetti, love the bad guys!!!

[joe80dman]

Falconetti got what he deserved. His mug would have looked much worse than just a patch covering one eye in reality had this actually happened.

[saltifish]

"Cast off ze bow line!" hehe William Smith inspired me as a boy to get into bodybuilding.. I remember watching 'Darker Than Amber" and wishing I was a big muscle man and getting pretty women. Great Actor.

[jbreikert]

tom is gud