Frontline: Apartheid's Last Stand; Frontline: The Secret File On J. Edgar Hoover

Chronicling the period from African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela's release from prison in the spring of 1990 through the fall of 1992, Apar­theid's Last Stand focuses on the political disagreements between Mandela, President F.W. de Klerk, and Buthelezi's Inkatha Freedom Party. As the ANC and the Inkatha's clashed violently throughout 1991, de Klerk moved to dismantle the apartheid system. Attempts at negotiation repeatedly broke down in the face of reports of high level corruption and cover-ups, particularly concerning violence perpetrated by the existing government. What emerges is not all that surprising--the transition from the oppressive apartheid system to a democratic one has not and will not be an easy road for South Africa. For those who are closely following the South Africa situation, Apartheid's Last Stand contains no sweeping new revelations, but does provide a good overview of events of the past few years. Those who are unfamiliar with the ANC or don't know what the Inkatha party is, on the other hand, will be quickly lost here, since the program assumes a fairly sophisticated understanding of South African politics.The Secret File on J. Edgar Hoover is the latest in the more and more favorable genre of "let us now dump on famous men." Not that the former F.B.I. head doesn't deserve it; as the program reveals, Mob knowledge of Hoover's sexual orientation most certainly delayed the prosecution of organized crime in America. But the show takes a while to get this meaty observation. First, we're regaled with tales of horror that are, frankly, pretty small potatoes: Hoover ate at certain restaurants and didn't pay for his meals (gasp!); he used an F.B.I. limo to run personal errands (yipes!), and so on... At least one funny story comes out of this: when Hoover discovered a turd of unknown origin on his doorstep, he did the sane and reasonable thing--removed it...and then launched a full-scale investigation (F.B.I. forensic experts discovered that the culprit was a raccoon, f.y.i.). As the tale progresses, however, Hoover's peccadilloes become more serious: an obsessive gambler, Hoover's betting was linked to Frank Costello, and other Mafia heavyweights. Too, the lifelong bachelor's relationship with his assistant Clyde Tolson was rumored to be homosexual, and Mob boss Meyer Lansky reportedly claimed to have "nailed J. Edgar Hoover" with a photograph of Hoover and Tolson in a compromising position. Between the gambling and the homosexual activities, the Mob had Hoover between a rock and a hard place, and consequently he repeatedly denied the existence of organized crime throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50s. In the 1960s, however, Bobby Kennedy's war on organized crime made it impossible for Hoover to drag his feet any longer. The assassination of JFK would change all of that (reportedly, Hoover and Tolson went to the races at Pimlico the day after the assassination). Gossip hounds will love the mud that's slung from beginning to end, but had the Mafia link not been explored here, this delving into Hoover's private life wouldn't have risen above a National Enquirer level.Apartheid's Last Stand, which is not for novices on the subject, is an optional purchase. The Secret File on J. Edgar Hoover, because of its reportage on aspects of the rise of organized crime during the middle decades, rather than its joyful wallowing in Hoover's personal life, is recommended. (See THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: GOIN' BACK TO T-TOWN for availability.)