Nixons rechte Hand - Der Fall G. Gordon Liddy

(Very Minor Spoilers) Even though G.Gordon Liddy, Robert Conrad, is mostly known for his involvement in the Watergate break in on the evening of June 16/17, 1972 the movie "Will:G Gordon Liddy" concentrates more on his steadfastness and loyalty to those whom he was working, and in agreement. That bull-bullheadedness like loyalty in the end put him in a number of brutal federal prisons for almost five years,longer then the US was involved in WWII as Liddy always likes to say.

To it's and Liddy's credit, who's book the movie is based on,the film does in no way make any excuses for Liddy's actions during the Watergate scandal as well as his actions before that when he was an FBI man and Nixon campaign worker. It does, and somewhat rightfully so, complain of the severe sentence handed down to Liddy and his fellow Watergate conspirator who received between 20 to 40 years behind bars for a crime where nothing of any monetary value was taken or anybody was hurt.

In prison Liddy is shown to take his punishment, from prisoners and guards alike, without any complaints and the only time he loses it is when he wife Fran, Katherine Cannon, is made to feel that he's having an affair, through the mail,with another woman by the prison officials. This is underhanded tactic done to brake him down psychologically and make him talk against his fellow Watergate conspirators.

Liddy earns the grudging respect of both prisoners and prison officials alike who at first had nothing but disdain and revulsion for him. Allying himself with his fellow prisoners most of them being black and Hispanic, whom he had no use for before he entered prison, Liddy's skills as a lawyer won them their rights and privileges that the corrupt Prison Warden took away from them. Toward the end of the film we see his fellow prisoners cheering and applauding Liddy as he's driven around the prison yard on a lift giving them, what seem to me to be, the Fascist Salute.

Liddy's strength seemed to come from his German background and his fascination with German 19th century writer and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and historic German militarism that dated back to the Germanic tribes who defeated the Roman Legions in the first century A.D. Even at the end of the film we hear Liddy as his being released from prison answer the reporters, who are asking him questions, in German.

Again the film "Will:G. Gordon Liddy" doesn't excuse his actions during the Watergate era it only tries to show us a history lesson about that interesting man and those turbulent times that he lived and participated in.

Hilariously funny bio flick. Right wing kook Liddy is shown for what he is, a Hitler loving, constitution hating creep. This one is full to the brim with great moments; young Liddy terrorized by the phallic Hindenburg (complete with spilled milk), G's rat eating, and the ever popular finger burning in the restaurant. See Liddy's plan to make war protesters disappear into "the night and fog." See liddy be too extreme for the Nixon White House. See Liddy.s personal vendetta against Tim Leery (He later toured with him) Great line "the panties are dropping as much as the acid." Worthy of Jack Webb. All this in all one of the most entertaining TV movies

Robert Conrad was one of the standard bearers (along with Tom Selleck) of Hollywood's supposed right wing (until he got nailed for drunk driving here a coupla years back): Ba Ba Black Sheep & this Liddy movie. Not sure why, but I guess the summertime soldiers needed an epic flick: Cal Thomas directs The Ten Commandments.

The title Will: what Liddy had to withstand thousand shocks that he was heir to. Miltown County prosecutor, the FBI, committee to re-elect the President. He sure did have it tough: just shout "God, flag, country" & boom! you're in law enforcement.

So then, were we supposed to feel sorry that Liddy made enemies every time he broke the law? Suddenly, he could empathize with the poor & downtrodden?

Saw this movie on Lifetime about 7 or 8 years ago. By then, he'd taken the Liddy persona into commercials: "Knock it off my should; I dare ya."

Some woosies make careers outta being tough guys: Liddy & Conrad were two. If the shoe fits, shove your whole head in.

This is the film story which was to come from the book, ' Autobiography of G.Gordon Liddy', "Will". Mr. Liddy was the technical advisor at the beginning of this Robert Conrad film when a writers' or actors' strike occurred. The strike delayed the filming schedule, which overlapped into Mr. Liddy's earlier prearranged schedule of having to be out of the country. Mr. Liddy had to honor his other appointment and leave. After the strike, a new director was assigned to the project, who evidentially hated the film. He began distorting the facts from the book. Robert Conrad tried to reason that this was a person's life, not fiction, and that they needed to stick to the facts.

If you read the book first, the string of events will not confuse you. The first factual distortion is the opening scene where the young Liddy is terrified of the dirigible (blimp). Liddy is portrayed as being 9-10 years of age when actually, this event occurred when he was a toddler. Last factual distortion...The last scene in the prison yard, where Mr. Liddy rides the forklift never occurred.

Mr. Robert Conrad does a SUPERB JOB of capturing the Liddy essence! Bravo! This usually underrated actor needs to appear in more and more meaty roles to display his excellent acting abilities! He is not just another 'pretty face'!

There are many memorable events in this movie, memorable events he remembered, overcoming childhood fears, his education, later service to his country and loyalty to his Commander-in-Chief. I found it particularly interesting that in his early life, his housekeeper was of German ancestry and how she exposed young Gordon to German broadcasts which stayed with him. How later in life he used some of this to his benefit such as singing "Die Fahne Hoch" in the prison shower, completely confounding and overpowering the aggressors. Later, his showing of the then prohibited "Triumph of the Will" to his workforce as the premier propaganda film and the compelling example of control. Always victorious, he even converted prison degradation into an asset. Right or wrong, one must salute him for his honor. Few like him ever pass our way.