Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ernest Borgnine, Lying Coward

In 1964, many an eyebrow was raised when Ethel Merman married Ernest Borgnine. Foreheads fell back into place when the marriage ended after just a few days. Merman filed for divorce on the grounds of extreme cruelty, and neither she nor Borgnine would ever publicly discuss what was obviously a very painful experience for both of them.

Well, Mr. Borgnine has finally decided to vomit on his ex-wife's memory. In his recently published 2008 autobiography and interviews relating to it, Borgnine claims that other passengers on their honeymoon cruise did not recognize Merman, setting her into a rage that led to the quick break-up. So if you believe Borgnine, one of the most infamous break-ups in show business history occurred because he was better known than Merman.

What anobvious load of crap! While it is true that in 1964 Borgnine was an Academy Award-winning actor and star of the popular sitcom McHales Navy, Merman had been a stage and screen star for three decades, and had just enjoyed international acclaim in the hit comedy film It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). A frequent guest on television's top rated talk and variety shows, Merman was one of the most recognizable celebrities in America. To suggest that her fame was substantially less than Borgnine's is not just a lie, but a clumsy one.

The fact that Borgnine is now 92 does not make his attack on Merman any less despicable. Interviews make it obvious that he is clear headed and in full control of his faculties, so he knows what he is saying. To do this when Merman is no longer around to tell her side of the story forever marks Borgnine as a coward, and a lying coward at that. If there was one ounce of truth in what Borgnne says, he could have told his side of the story when Merman was alive with little to fear. No, he waited until she was dead for a quarter century to spew this vile nonsense. Whatever the truth of the Borgnine-Merman marriage is, it is clearly so humiliating to Borgnine that he finds it necessary to close out his life by lying about it.

Shame on you, Mr. Borgnine. Whatever you have been as an actor, you are finally nothing but a disgrace as a human being. You will soon join Merman in death, and this is how you will be remembered -- as a lying coward. Rest assured that plenty of us will mark you as such for decades to come.

And a p.s. to Robert Osbourne of TCM -- you can call yourself a "journalist and film historian" all you lie, but your interview of Mr. Borgnine makes it clear that you are neither. Any journalist or historian would have challenged Borgnine's cowardly attack on Merman. By merely sitting there and nodding as he heaped calumny on the dead, you proved to be nothing more than another fawning TV celebrity brown nose. You are an embarassment to those of us who treat show business history as a serious subject, and have about as much right to call yourself a journalist-historian as Tyra Banks.

4 comments:

BansheeMilk said...

I have a friend who is a champion swimmer Olympic skill but when it is suggested to him that he is amazing enough to qualify, he simply pashaws it away.
While I would never imply that E.Merman was anything less than a marvel of talent and star power(I am a big fan), it is possible that her own opinion of herself was lacking. Many a great soul suffers from low self esteem and to assume Borgnine is a liar when he was there and knows a sight more about his marriage than the rest of us is unfair.
Is it possible he is a big liar? Sure. That could be. It could also be that Ethel isn't really dead and actually was an alien sent to kill Borgnine and take over his body so that at 93 she could say a bunch of stuff using his mouth forever tainting his image. But I doubt it.
I choose to assume I know nothing about them other than they were two great performers who entertained millions (but secretly could be secret agents who saved the world or pedophile vampires out to destroy it.)

Unknown said...

It didn't occur over that incident.

You say it yourself "setting her into a rage that led to the quick break-up." It only led to it. Meaning there was other shit that might have gone on thereafter.

The dude is 94 now and I don't think he is lying. He doesn't spill his guts with details, he just mentions it like he doesn't even care. He's to old to give a shit.

Fuck Etehl Merman!

claudio said...

EB refers to their honeymoon to Hawaii and Japan. EM was very well known in the USA (and very probably, not even in all places)while he was very famous all over the world, so the anecdote rings quite true. Imagine Morgan Freeman marrying today a Broadway singer. Who would people recognise had they travelled to Brasil?

Anonymous said...

Yeah I agree, why didn't you have the guts Ernest to say this while she was alive? RIP Ethel Merman

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