MASTERGATE (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television comedy film, an adaptation of Larry Gelbart's 1990 "play on words," depicts the unfolding of a fictional political scandal as a satire of the Watergate and Iran-Contra hearings, among others. The story begins as pompous news anchor Chip Chatworth of the Total Network News introduces the Senate hearings regarding accusations of covert arms assistance to South America. After some tedious "milling around," Committee Chairman Senator Archer Bowman offers a ponderous statement about the hearing's intent and their hopes to determination what, if anything, the president knew of the illegal actions. First, Steward Butler, a former aide to the Deputy Attorney General who is now on a "permanent leave of absence" takes the stand with his lawyer, Foster Child, and offers some circular testimony about a meeting at which he may or not have been present. He explains that international financier and tax fugitive Victor Gamble has fled the country and ignored several court orders regarding his very high outstanding tax bill, prompting the government to seize his film production company, Master Pictures Inc., with the intent of liquidating its assets – though when asked why this has not yet been done, Butler points the finger at former CIA Director Wiley Slaughter.
Chatworth wonders if D.C. has finally reached "the rock-bottom of the barrel, sleaze-wise" as IRS aide Abel Lamb takes the stand and reads a prepared statement regarding his promised immunity and confirms that he traveled to Hollywood to assist with the planned liquidation of MPI, but then was told of a "change in the game plan." He adds that he was summoned, via fortune cookie, to a "non-discussion" with the bedridden and deathly ill Slaughter, who had been receiving secret intelligence "intravenously" and instructed Lamb to obey only him regarding MPI and one of its new films, "Tet." Lamb then confirms that he was again summoned to Slaughter's bedside – after Slaughter's death – by decorated Major Manley Battle. Elsewhere, Press Secretary Marvin Rotweiler "confirms" that Slaughter experienced a peaceful and ordinary death, and Chatworth's attempts to talk with overseas correspondent Clay Fielder are repeatedly interrupted by faulty technology.
Secretary of State Courtleigh Bishop then takes the stand, explaining that he was both "totally against" the so-called Mastergate scheme while also instrumental in implementing it, a feat he accomplished by "resigning as often as he could." He implicates not only Slaughter but Vice-President Dale Burden, detailing how they used the smokescreen of the movie "Tet" to buy and sell arms, though is evasive about whether or not the president knew what was occurring. He stresses the dangers of bringing "big business" into politics, suggesting that "honest mistakes" were made all around. Chatworth takes a brief break to highlight some breaking news around the world, after which Fielder is again cut off, and Major Battle arrives and explains that he accompanied Lamb to California and eavesdropped on his dealings with the MPI heads. He explains how "Operation Masterplan" aimed to mount an $80 million film production in the neighboring South American countries of San Elvador and Ambigua, which are in the grips of hostile government overthrows, and the chamber soon descends into angry chaos as he describes how the conspirators used the movie to sell weaponry to the rebels.
Senator Bunting praises Battle as an American hero, and Battle elaborates on the "inhumanitarian aid" sent to the war-torn areas by the government, adding that, in preparation for "Tet" battle scenes shot at the San Elvador-Ambigua border, they intended to order "somewhat" more supplies than necessary and then reroute them to the militia, and the senators begin to wonder if Battle is truly "President," in action if not in name. Finally, Vice-President Burden takes the stand to discuss the "secondary enterprise" on the film set and the staged footage that was created on the film set and sent to Congress, and he admits that the rebels decided to "bite the hand that arms them" and attack the film set, though he points out that they did so with great skill, proving the capability of the American government in effectively arming its own enemies. Burden gives a dramatic speech about America's righteousness actions, and Bowman attempts to wrap up the proceedings – but the chamber is suddenly rocked by strange explosions and rumblings, and a ghost-like "holy graphic image" of Slaughter suddenly appears, offering grim pronouncements and informing the terrified crowd that they are "all adjourned."
Details
- NETWORK: Showtime
- DATE: December 1, 1992 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:14
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:52399
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Political satire; U S Senate - Hearings; Watergate; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: Showtime - TV, 1992
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Charles H. Joffe … Executive Producer
- Robert B. Weide … Co-Executive Producer
- David Jablin … Producer
- J. Marina Muhlfriedel … Assistant Producer
- Peter Manoogian … Line Producer
- Michael Engler … Director
- Larry Gelbart … Writer
- Bill McRae … Music by
- Tim Reid … Cast, Chip Chatworth
- Marcia Strassman … Cast, Merry Chase
- Buck Henry … Cast, Clay Fielder
- Richard Kiley … Cast, Senator Bowman
- Ed Begley Jr. … Cast, Steward Butler
- Mark L. Taylor … Cast, Foster Child
- David Ogden Stiers … Cast, Shepherd Hunter
- Henry Jones … Cast, Oral Proctor
- Bruno Kirby … Cast, Abel Lamb
- Ron Vawter … Cast, Nat Picker
- Jerry Orbach … Cast, Congressman Clifton Byers
- Ben Stein … Cast, Marvin Rotweiler
- Ken Howard … Cast, Secretary of State Courtleigh Bishop
- Pat Morita … Cast, Senator Naito
- James Coburn … Cast, Major Manley Battle
- Louis Giambalvo … Cast, Lance Boyle
- Darren McGavin … Cast, Senator Bunting
- Robert Guillaume … Cast, Congressman Sellers
- Dennis Weaver … Cast, Vice President Dale Burden
- Burgess Meredith … Cast, Wiley Slaughter
- Hy Averback … Cast, The Voice of TNN