<p>I saw John Houseman briefly in an old movie the other day, so I had to explain how I knew who he was to my S. That meant explaining the basic premise if not all the nuances of “The Paper Chase” to him. Now I understand they’re going to show it on Turner Classic Movies.</p>
<p>Anyone remember that movie and how it affected them? I saw it just before I went to college and I’m afraid I found it revealing.</p>
<p>Do you think we should all ask our kids to watch it? Wonder what they would learn?</p>
<p>Loved it. It accomplished what a cynical old English professor, a famous one, once described to me as the professorial role: “I try to show students what it would be like to be smart.” The show lost some of its cachet when Housman went on to play the same character in a long running series of Smith Barney ads, causing my wife to dub him Smith Blarney.</p>
<p>I saw the movie when I was in law school, and thought it was a big joke … I didn’t relate to it at all! I realize that it was based on an autobiographical account of a Harvard law student… and so my response was a combination of “this is ridiculous” and “if Harvard is like that, I’m sure glad I’m not going there!” Needless to say, I was having a blast at my law school.</p>
<p>I did think that John Houseman was terrific in the movie though.</p>
<p>I’m with coureur on that one. She, of course, got her major following as the Bionic Woman, a TV show most the young people on the site probably never heard of.</p>