I watched the movie "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and I'm wondering if anyone thinks any of it is true. For those who haven't seen it, it revolves around Gong Show host (yes, the Gong Show) Chuck Barris and his supposed involvment with the CIA as a contract killer. Any thoughts?
I saw the movie also and I remember watching the Gong Show when I was younger. The whole time I was watching the movie I was thinking how wild it would be if it was true. I always thought that guy was a complete freak and I can't picture him as a professional killer...who knows? The CIA isn't going to tell you. It would be funny though.
"Having been involved in a weekly television show myself, I know for a melancholy fact that there is just not enough time between tapings to fly off to Helsinki and kill for my government."
From Roger Ebert's review of the movie.
Does this answer to your question? LOL
I saw this on "Biography" or on "Headliners and Legends" on MSNBC, supposedly some journalists tried making Freedom of Information Act requests for records of Barris' involvement with the CIA. No records of any kind turned up suggesting that he really did make it up, unless one is the seriously paranoid conspiracy type who considers this a sign of how important Barris was. I'd say it's bunk. Plus as Barris' name became known to the public as he had more shows on the air and even hosting one after a while, it would have been harder for him to travel unrecognized. And in time wouldn't the KGB and other Eastern intelligence services picked up on the fact that folks turned up dead when Barris was around.
Still I enjoyed the film for the fantasy it was, Sam Rockwell's scenes on "The Gong Show" were dead on, even Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore didn't annoy me that much for once. I'd actually like to see Clooney try his hand at directing more films. Plus it was nice to see Rutger Hauer use his acting chops in a decent film for once that wasn't going straight to video or cable. I hope he gets more good supporting roles in mainstream films from this.
it's probably bulls**t. to me the story just doesn't add up. why would an intelligence agency want to hire a guy like that? the people they like to recruit for these type of missions are usually prior special forces. they know they're fit and can handle pressure. this guy seemed to me to be the opposite. would you want to hire an assasin who would make an ass of himself or get your operation blown?
Barris claimed that was part of why the CIA recruited him, he looked and acted the opposite of what anyone would look for in a covert operative: a scrawny, nervous, shy, twitchy, rambling goofball TV producer and later an overindulged massive cokehead. Hiding in plain sight, in a way. Plus he claimed that since he traveled so much as a part of his work, including as a chaperone for couples on his dating shows, that they wanted someone who it wouldn't arouse curiousity by travelling a lot and on short notice.
I have heard of embassies asking celebrities to carry diplomatic pouches back to the US, since many have ready access to private or charter aircraft and get screened less thoroughly than known or suspected government employees involved in foreign service.
Actually he wasn't a CIA operative then, but is one now. His story is all misdirection.
Based on my memories of The Gong Show, if Chuck Barris was in the CIA, I'm surprised terrorists did not launch successful attacks on U.S. soil long before 9/11.
Based on the Gong Show, they were probably thinking "Why bother?"
How about a reverse "Man Who Knew Too Much" where the guy *thinks* he's a spy but he's really just a decoy?
If terrorists had seen "The Gong Show Movie" they might have figured they had been beaten to the punch by other terrorists.
I do remember seeing Barris on a talk show long before the movie came out claiming that during the 1980s when he was living off all his TV producing money in the south of France, he got bored with watching soccer (football) on TV. So he pulled strings and used his money to get NFL football games carried on Armed Forces radio and TV so he and the troops stationed in Europe could enjoy homegrown sports. Who knows? Maybe we can blame World League Football/NFL Europe on him.