ALL SCI-FI

[bulldogtrekker]

The Original Series Cast & Crew Thread
Celebrating DeForest Kelley's Life
TrekMovie staff



It's a sad but unavoidable reality: with the passage of time we're losing many of our most-beloved Star Trek: The Original Series regulars and guest stars, as well as important behind-the-scenes figures. Just in the past few months we've bid farewell to Leonard Nimoy, Grace Lee Whitney, Venita Wolf, Harve Bennett, Eddie Hice and Don Mankiewicz. Today, though, marks the 16th anniversary of the first major death to occur among the legendary TOS cast. DeForest Kelley died on June 11, 1999. Rather than focus on his death, StarTrek.com thought we'd mark the occasion by celebrating his life.



Born on January 20, 1920, Kelley was that rarest of Hollywood rarities, a true gentleman, an old-school Southern fella who hailed from Georgia. He always insisted that anyone who met him call him "De". He treated everyone — lifelong friends and newbie Star Trek fans excited just to be in his presence — with equal grace and warmth. And more than anything in the universe, he absolutely adored his beloved Carolyn, who'd been Mrs. DeForest Kelley for nearly 55 years when Kelley passed away. Oddly enough, before he landed his iconic Star Trek role as the cranky-but-goodhearted "country doctor", Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Kelley had spent much of his career portraying nasty, humorless, tough-as-nails villains.

Ironic, right?

Now, it'd be too easy to sit here and list Kelley's credits or recount Dr. McCoy's most memorable lines or most infamous sparring matches with Spock. So we're not going to do that. If you're interested, though, we highly recommend From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy, a comprehensive and Kelley-sanctioned biography penned by Terry Lee Rioux and released in 2005. We also suggest checking out DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories, by Kristine M. Smith, a Kelley fan who became his personal assistant and, eventually, his caretaker as the actor lived out his last days. And, of course, there's a plethora of information to be found online.



Instead, let's remember a few comments made by Kelley himself:

"My absolute favorite memory (of Star Trek)? I don't know. One that stands out, though, was something that happened during our third year of the series. We knew we'd be dropped at the end of the season, but we were still shooting the show. There was a television set around and we watched one of the NASA missions, maybe the one where they landed on the moon. Here we were, standing there in our far-out costumes, filming a show about the future, watching the astronauts walking around for real. That always amazes me, that memory." — Star Trek Monthly

"It wouldn't have worked with me as Spock. I still remember Gene (Roddenberry) saying there were two roles in Star Trek he thought I'd be right for. One of them was (Spock) and one of them was what I called High Noon (Dr. McCoy). I thought it over and I said, "I'll take High Noon, Gene." High Noon worked out just fine for me, wouldn't you agree? — Star Trek Monthly



Lastly, his New York Times obituary quoted Kelley contemplating his legacy:

— These people are doctors now, all kinds of doctors who save lives. That's something very few people can say they've done. I'm proud to say that I have.....

[Bud Brewster]

Nice piece of reference material, BDT. Many thanks.
_________________
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

My sister & I were discussing the loss of so many TV series cast members from shows we grew up with when they were first aired.

Gunsmoke:5 primary actors are all gone.Matt,Chester,Miss.Kitty,Doc,& Festus. And Sam the bartender.

Bonanza:Lorne,Pernell,Dan,& Michael are all in the big bunkhouse in the sky. Hop Sing.too.

The Andy Griffith Show:Only Opie & Gomar & Thelma Lou & Miss Ellie are with us now.

The Munsters:Fred,Yvonne,& Al are no longer here.

The Green Hornet:Van Williams,Britt Reid himself,is the surviving cast member of that series.

Makes me sad to reflect on these & other TV shows I grew up with over the years.
Guess the joy is in the fact that all of these folks were for real & entertained us.Their images will last forever for us in reruns.

[bulldogtrekker]

and in a year, I will post this picture

[Pow]

Gene Roddenberry had wanted a shuttlecraft for his series but the cost was prohibitive & Desilu Studio would not allow it.

In July of 1966,NBC was doing previews for their brand new sf TV show.Americans were now seeing for the first time the impressive star ship Enterprise on their TV screens.

AMT Corporation,a model making firm liked what they saw.

AMT received the model kit rights for the Enterprise.
In exchange AMT provided free 2 full-sized shuttles(one for exterior shots & the other for interior ones),plus a miniature shuttle model for FX shots.

[bulldogtrekker]

Nichelle Nichols turns 83 years young today, Monday, December 28, and, as she put joyously put it during a phone conversation this past weekend, she's still living long and prospering. 2015, to paraphrase an old friend, proved to be a fascinating year for the beloved actress, a/k/a Star Trek's Uhura. She was acting and co-producing (the upcoming film Unbelievable!!!!!) and attending conventions — in other words, business as usual — when she suffered a minor stroke in June. Fans feared the worst, but she quickly rallied and exited the hospital. And, just two weeks later, Nichols returned to the convention circuit. Then, in the fall, she hopped a ride on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a telescope-bearing Boeing 747 airplane. During our call this weekend, StarTrek.com spoke with Nichols about all of the above, and here's what she had to say"

See more at: http://www.startrek.com/article/exclusive-nichols-talks-birthday-health-unbelievable-more#sthash.kYAI1u4X.dpuf

[Robert (Butch) Day]

As Spock would say, "Fascinating!"

http://www.thewrap.com/star-trek-creator-gene-roddenberrys-lost-data-recovered-from-200-floppy-disks/
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

[Bud Brewster]

Nichelle is aging so beautifully. I don't know what her secret is, but she's still got the magic. Wow.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[bulldogtrekker]

'Awards Chatter' Podcast — William Shatner ('Star Trek')
Hollywood Reporter

The 84-year-old legend muses about the possibility of reinhabiting Capt. Kirk ('How would they handle it, in science-fiction terms? I'm older, I'm heavier'), Harrison Ford's return to 'Star Wars' ('He needed a new airplane'), his seances with DeForest Kelley ('He's haunting a southern mansion') and his feud with George Takei as 'Star Trek' turns 50. ....



LINK for full story:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/awards-chatter-podcast-william-shatner-856986

[Rocky Jones]

[bulldogtrekker]

Photos from the 366 Project at Roddenberry Vault

Gene Roddenberry's son, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, recently launched the 366 Project at the Roddenberry Vault, a Faceook page on which Roddenberry.com is posting a photo a day in order to celebrate Gene Roddenberry and the 50th anniversary of the franchise he created. Once a month, starting today, StarTrek.com will share photos from Roddenberry Vault....



Roddenberry on the set with the final Enterprise model












With Majel Barrett. Imgur images

more at: http://www.startrek.com/article/10-photos-from-the-366-project-at-roddenberry-vault#sthash.iHVVNrVA.dpuf

[Robert (Butch) Day]

[bulldogtrekker]

No, that is Majel Barrett (as seen below). Eileen Rexroat was the first wife of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett was his second wife.

[Robert (Butch) Day]

Jeffrey Hunter dressed as Capt. Chris Pike being shown the Enterprise for the first time by Gene:


_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

[ralfy]

"Star Trek, early convention at Northglenn Mall 1976"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inpFEbrlICo