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What Catherine O'Hara REALLY Thinks About Alan Alda ?


A few years ago I heard a comment Catherine O'Hara made regarding her Betsy's Wedding co-star, Alan Alda, and have always wondered exactly what it was she meant since it is one brief, thinly-veiled reference made in passing, that she never follows up on.
I post this here in hopes that someone with first-hand knowledge will be able to help clarify, since it has been driving me nuts ever since I first heard it.

The passing reference is as follows, and comes from an audio commentary track that Ms. O'Hara recorded with Andrea Martin for an episode of SCTV that was released on dvd in 2004 (SCTV - Volume 2: Episode #94, Original Air Date: December 18, 1981):


ANDREA MARTIN: You worked with Alan Alda, didn't you?

CATHERINE O'HARA: I did........And that will be as much as I say about that.


The comment came during a parody done on the show entitled, Neil Simon's Nutcracker Suite, that features Joe Flaherty's "impression" of Alan Alda.

On it's surface the comment may not mean much, but to hear the way it comes up so innocently, and the way Ms. O'Hara suddenly gets very "careful" about her word selection, before curtly making her comment and then quickly changing the subject; naturally leads one to read VOLUMES into the true meaning behind the words.

Is there anyone out there that has any actual knowledge of just what Catherine O'Hara may have meant regarding her movie experience with Alan Alda?

Inquiring minds want to know!!

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Apparently he's mellowed in recent years, but when I was obsessed with him and M*A*S*H and followed every bit of his career, I'd heard a few stories about him being difficult to work with. Especially since he directed Betsy's Wedding, it wouldn't surprise me if he was very particular and pushy about things.

Flaherty did another Alda impersonation that was pretty unflattering, with him demanding a higher salary. I think that was a direct parody of something that actually happened.

Was there BOOZE in there?! You ass!

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Thanks, "moon"!!! Yeah, if you've ever heard the commentary track I referred to, it's very difficult to assume Ms. O'Hara's comment could allude to anything very "positive" regarding Mr. Alda. But because it's left so open-ended, the listener has no way of knowing what actually happened, since it's never followed up on or explained more fully.

I greatly appreciate your help in trying to get to the bottom of this little "mystery"!


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I guess Alda was difficult to work with when he was also writing and directing films.
Its that man again!!

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