What Happened to Stawski?? - The Sand Pebbles (1966) Discussion

[–] BilligerVogel 18 years ago

Didn't you know?
He cross-rated over to the Marine Corps, changed his name to Thomas Moore and was promoted to General. He was Greg (Pappy) Boyington's boss.

(And some people say I watch too much TV...)

Because the world is rushing toward entropy. What's your excuse?

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[–] layton59 11 years ago

If you want to see Simon Oakland play an even more brutal character then I ante up the film Chato's Land.

Simon plays Jubal Hooker and he is evil personnafied.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Chato%27s_Land

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Sig Line:

Many cynics and skeptics mistake their hubris negativity for actual intelligence.

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[–] Lonixcap 18 years ago

Seriously, he had to stay onboard ship to run the engine.

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[–] INdeep7503 18 years ago

He came back to The States and changed name to Vern St. Cloud.

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[–] porfle 18 years ago

He became a cop and got paired up with some guy named Hutch.

http://www.bumscorner.com

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[–] Polaris01313-1 16 years ago

I think he was killed off when the San Pablo confronted those Chinese junks near the end.

If he wasn't, he ought to have been. I never did like that pig-eyed sack of s**t.

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[–] ScopeWatcher 15 years ago

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I think he was killed off when the San Pablo confronted those Chinese junks near the end.

If he wasn't, he ought to have been. I never did like that pig-eyed sack of s**t.

Remember that Ensign Bordelles relays the order "Minimum crew in the engine spaces!" Holman confirms the order, then (as chief engineering officer) assigns two or three sailors to specific engine-room positions, adding, "The rest of you, on deck."

Stawski is one of the crew whom Holman "spares" (in effect) by directing him to engine-room duty away from imminent battle. Holman, of course, goes up on deck with everybody else to report for combat.

But as repulsive as Stawski the character is in this film, Simon Oakland's performance is wonderful; I virtually always enjoy his work. For trivia, I recall offhand Robert Wise casting him before SAND PEBBLES in I WANT TO LIVE! and WEST SIDE STORY; while it can't be accidental that Oakland later ends up (in a welcome likable role) as McQueen's supportive police superior in BULLITT.

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[–] rcvincelli 15 years ago

Well, we didn't see him die, so you would have to assume he survived the battle at the boom. Either way, Simon was magnificent in his role.

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[–] pjwoodall1 15 years ago

He also became a psychiatrist and explained Norman Bates' problems.

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[–] wongsaur 15 years ago

He also was Daren McGavin's boss in the Night Stalker movies and TV series.

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Kanamit99 14 years ago

Well, he continued his role of "angry white man" in many other TV shows and movies.

He seem to specialize in these angry guy roles throughout his career. I remember him in Hawaii Five-O, playing an angry WWII Vet confronting a Japanese War Criminal.

He often play these "bullying" type charactors. Probably because he is a very big man and can look intimadating.

On the other hand he does play people in postion of authority like the psycholgist in Psycho and the police captain in Bullitt.

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[–] swd_ist 14 years ago

He was in charge of the engine room, during the fight at the boom.

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[–] kelley-michael 11 years ago

Actually, when you think about it. we don't know if he or any one else is alive.
Keep in mind that Collins & Holman are now dead in an attempt to buy the two sailors and the missionary girl time to get back to the San Pablo and get away, they probably didn't buy them much if any time. because the Chinese probably split their forces. some of the soldiers stayed to fight at the Mission while the rest probably hid in the flanks around the Mission and the path to the ship waiting for whoever was going to get out. they might have been ambushed and killed (with maybe the exception of the girl who they took and may have raped and then killed or kept prisoner and held ransom. - but I doubt that since I don't think during the actual incidents of that happening.)
BUT lets say the last three did make it back to the ship. they go back to a ship that is probably horribly undermanned - most are injured and/or dead and probably not enough of the rest to probably run a ship back to the boon and beyond in time to beat the enemy there. and that's assuming that the ship is still there. they probably left after a realistic amount of time (assuming that everyone at the mission is dead or captured.)
THEN you have to keep in mind that the surviving sailors of the ship are inexperienced and they are without the Captain & head Engineer. probably low on ammo and the Sand Pablo is damaged maybe and they still have to go back to the boon and fight their way out again as well as fighting off snipers and other obstacles along the way to the boon. no one knows they are their anyway so reinforcements won't be available or get their in time. so it's possible that Stawski did end up having to fight and is probably dead.

the first time is saw this movie. I stayed up most of the night lying in bead thinking about what happened next because you know it wasn't going to be good.
My imagination kept going to dark and tragic scenarios when I thought about what happened next. this is why The Sand Pebbles is such a good movie to me.

paid for by the Catherine Bell & Carla Gugino campaign for President and Vice President.

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