Fox News Network
February 13, 2009 Friday
SHOW: THE O’REILLY FACTOR 8:00 PM EST
Factor TV Icon: Mike Connors
Host: Bill O’Reilly
GUESTS: Mike Connors
O’REILLY: "Factor TV Icon" segment: 1967 to 1975, there was no one
tougher on TV than this guy.
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(MUSIC)
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O’REILLY: Mr. Connors, first of all, I have to say for an 83-year-old
man you’re looking pretty good out there. You look younger than I do.
MIKE CONNORS, ACTOR: That’s the Armenian in me, I guess. I try and
swim. I play golf. I’m lucky. I’ve had a very good marriage. It will
be 60 years this year.
O’REILLY: Six-zero.
CONNORS: Yes.
O’REILLY: Sixty years, congratulations.
CONNORS: The first 59 were the toughest. It’s gotten a little
easier. But I just try and enjoy life and then realize how lucky I’ve
been.
O’REILLY: You’re not really a Hollywood kind of guy. I mean, a big
success in "Mannix."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONNORS: I’m a private investigator. My name is Mannix.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: Did you fit in with the Hollywood mentality?
CONNORS: When you first got successful in this business, most — most
people that I started with went off the deep end with big fancy cars
and houses they couldn’t afford. And I tried to stay away from that. I
tried to realize that everything comes to an end. And to try and
accept what was there at the moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONNORS: What is it this time? Drugs? Diamonds? Precious metals?
Charlie, I’m your friend. Now, I can help you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: You were Mannix, and the tough guy cop, the straight arrow,
that traditional Americans looked at as kind of a role model. But the
whole society was turbulent. It was going like this. Did that have any
influence on the program?
CONNORS: I know that I kept saying I want this character to be as real
as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told you I don’t know any Rose Anderson. That’s a
$300 suit.
CONNORS: Talk fast, puffy. I know it’s hijacked and I know you’re in
it up to your double chin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CONNORS: To feel the emotions, the ups and the downs, to shed a tear,
whatever it took that happens to the average human being. I think
that’s one of the reasons the show was fairly popular is because we
tried to stay as close to reality as possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a girl who walked into the water, period.
CONNORS: Yes, that’s your story, sergeant. I say she was pushed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: You’re on Mannix. You become a big star eight
years. Everybody in the country knows you. And then you did a couple
of other series. But you didn’t really duplicate the success of
Mannix. Again, did you understand at the time that it would be
impossible to duplicate?
CONNORS: Pretty much so, because the success of that show and my being
on it was pretty rare. And I enjoyed it. It was something I just knew
couldn’t last forever. Nothing does.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONNORS: I’ve been at this desk all afternoon. That can be
checked. Check it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: And how did you feel when it ended?
CONNORS: I was sad because I, you know, that group of people I worked
with were like another family. We — we had a great
relationship. Everybody got along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, if you remember that, Joe, get out of here.
CONNORS: I’ll never forget it, Charlie. No dice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: You had a number of young actors come through there: Diane
Keaton, Martin Sheen, John Ritter. A lot of young talent funneling
through the program. Tell us about that.
CONNORS: Take Diane Keaton. When she first came on, she was an
unknown. But she was so off beat, so unusual, so different, the whole
company fell in love with her. We all said this girl is going places.
John Ritter, I’ll never forget, he came up to me and he said, "Your
show is the first show I did, and I was supposed to hit you on the
back of the head. And I accidentally really hit you in the back of the
head with a gun." And he said, "You went to your knees, and I thought,
‘Well, there goes my career.’"
Martin Sheen, you know, he was ready to give up, he was so disgusted
with Hollywood. And I said, "Marty, you know, you’ve got a
quality. You’ve got to stick with it." And he became a star. I’m
always shocked when I run into somebody and they’ll say, "Boy, one of
the first shows I did was ‘Mannix’," and today they’re big stars in
television or motion pictures.
O’REILLY: Well, you are a TV Icon, Mr. Connors, and it’s a pleasure to
talk with you. And we — I just can’t get over you’re 83 years
old. You look great. You’ve got a great life, and you deserve it.
CONNORS: Yes. Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You’re acting a little uptight.
CONNORS: Well, this is an uptight world, Betty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O’REILLY: Very good guy.
"Pinheads & Patriots" is next, tonight starring Adam and Eve. Right
back with it.
O’REILLY: Time now for "pinheads and patriots." Our pal, Warner Wolf,
who does sports on the "Imus" radio program and opined on Valentine’s
Day with a little joke. "Do you know what Adam said when Eve asked him
if he loved her?"
"Who else?"
Now, if you like the joke, Mr. Wolf is a patriot. If you don’t, well
you didn’t (ph). I thought it was kind of cute. Who else? There’s
nobody else.
On the pinhead front, times are very tough for the airline industry,
competition brutal. A British carrier, Virgin Airlines, are now flying
from Boston and New York to L.A., and some U.S. carriers don’t like
that at all, saying it’s better to fly American airlines. Well, Virgin
CEO, Richard Branson, put on a Wonder Woman costume and replied.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD BRANSON, CEO, VIRGIN AIRLINES: I tell you what, Alaska
Airways, they put out a statement yesterday saying that we weren’t
really American, and I’d like to say to Alaska Airlines. (PULLS UP
SKIRT AND "MOONS" CAMERA)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O’REILLY: Is Branson a pinhead? You make the call.
And finally tonight, the mail. First, we’d like to remind you that we
have a very interesting poll on BillOReilly.com. Should I, your humble
correspondent, apologize to Helen Thomas? You may remember a woman’s
group demand idea I do that after I made fun of Miss Thomas earlier
this week. The Wicked Witch of Oz was involved, and all of that. It’s
on YouTube a gazillion times. And we’ll give you the results of this
poll on Monday.
Also, if you buy a copy of "Bold Fresh" on BillOReilly.com, we’ll send
you free a "Don’t Be a Pinhead" bumper sticker, and I’m sure you know
what to do with that.
Again, I want to thank everybody, because "Bold Fresh" has been on the
best seller list for 18 weeks.
And one more thing: premium membership on BillOReilly.com is surging
now, because we’re going to be adding a number of features like the
post- game show in March. So please check that out, and we’ll have
more details coming up in a few days.
Nick Sasso, Toms River, New Jersey: "Bill, like you I am very upset
over the octuplet fiasco. This is the other side of the ‘don’t tell me
what to do with my body’ argument."
Michelle Den Hartigh, Zeeland, Michigan: "O’Reilly, why is that mother
automatically nuts? I don’t want the government telling me how many
children I can have or calling me ‘nuts’ for having a large family."
Now, let me break this to you gently, madam. This woman has put 14
babies at great risk. So whatever ideology has a grip on you, lose
it. Every American should be looking out for innocent kids. Giving
birth is not a game.
Lori Jeffries, Phenix City, Alabama: "O’Reilly, I share your outrage
but disagree with your solution. Who should the doctors report the
woman’s conduct to? I don’t want to grant the government any more
control."
Again, ideology walks on this one, Laurie. If you put your children at
risk or hurt them, the state has a right to take your kids away from
you. That’s what’s in play here. Any doctor who would do this, in
vitro guy, was implanting six embryos and more, could have reported
him to the American Medical Association, should have.
Maureen Daley, Sonoma, California: "Senator Specter has no
conscience. He sold out! Laura Ingraham is right. Sometimes you go too
far with the fair and balanced thing."
Richard Doyle, Clayton, Missouri: "Ingraham thinks Specter sold out,
but that’s ridiculous. His 30-year career of public service speaks for
itself."
Michael Mingee, Washington, D.C.: "Specter was not drinking wine at
the White House; he was drinking Kool-Aid."
Gene Irvin, Waltham, Massachusetts: "Laura should be careful when
messing with Mr. Justice Specter!"
Andrew Shive, Greenville, South Carolina: "Oil prices continue to drop
worldwide so why is gas going up in the USA?"
As we reported in "The Reality Check" yesterday, Andrew, the American
oil companies are cutting back refining capacity in order to boost
prices. Isn’t that nice? At least that’s what we hear they’re doing.
Ray Burdett, Bunson, Missouri: "Hey, Bill, any chance of doing an
interview with Sean Penn while you’re out in California next week?"
None.
Susan Zaznets, Hereford, Arizona: "O’Reilly, shame on you for not
respecting your elders. What you said about Helen Thomas was not
appropriate."
Since I don’t know how old you are, Susan, I will not call you a
pinhead, but I might be thinking it.
Kate Kennedy, California: "My professor in Women’s Studies provided us
a link to your comments on Helen Thomas."
Oh, boy. I’d love to hear that discussion, Kate. If you can tape that
class and send that to me, I’ll send you a "No Pinheads" mat.
And Gary Leonard, Lincoln, California: "As a career law enforcement
guy, I loved ‘Bold Fresh.’ Wish I had read it when I was 20. You are
right with the lessons you teach, O’Reilly."
I appreciate that, Mr. Leonard. Glad you enjoyed "Bold Fresh."
How about our Web site:
And then please e-mail us with pithy comments: [email protected],
[email protected] Name and town if you wish to opine, and please
when writing to us, do not be a miscreant. Not good.
And that is it for us today. "The Factor" continues 24/7 on
BillOReilly.com. Remember, BillOReilly.com is my Web site. All right?
And the FOX Web site slash O’Reilly, that’s the "Factor" Web site. Two
different entities. Sometimes people get confused.
"Hannity" up next, Mike Huckabee.
I am Bill O’Reilly. We do hope to see you again next time. Remember,
the spin stops here, because we’re definitely looking out for you.
SUBJECT: Radio & Television; "Mannix"; Entertainment