pugh@topaz.ARPA (07/18/85)
From: "pugh jon%e.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA The San Jose Mercury News just ran a TV trivia bit that included such gems as "did you know that Dr McCoy's medical instruments were really salt and pepper shakers?" Now any Trekker knows that, but I didn't know that they originally asked Martin Landau to play Spock. It makes sense, since I've never really seen him show emotions, but aren't we lucky? Who would direct the movies? Would girls have loved him so much? Can you imagine Landau zapped by the spoors and hanging from a tree, laughing like a human? I just think it's as good as James Cann turning down the role of Superman because he wouldn't be caught dead in those blue tights. Jon Pugh (I support Little League Rollerball)
kwc@cvl.UUCP (Kenneth W. Crist Jr.) (07/19/85)
> From: "pugh jon%e.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA > pepper shakers?" Now any Trekker knows that, but I didn't know that they > originally asked Martin Landau to play Spock. It makes sense, since I've > > Jon Pugh > (I support Little League Rollerball) At Shore Leave VII this year, the guest was DeForest Kelley, a wonderful speaker. He told a little story of how he was the first one approached by Gene for the role of Spock. Kelley had worked with Gene on two other t.v. pilots, but Kelley was just starting out in the original Police Story (not the one in the 70's most people remember) which Gene also had a hand in so Kelley said no. Later when the second pilot was being shot, Gene wanted Kelley to play the Doctor, but Paramount had been using Kelley as a bad guy since 1948 and they didn't think he was right to play the kind old doctor. What changed their minds? Gene showed them a couple of Police Story episodes and the studio heads hired Kelley for Doctor McCoy, right after the second pilot was finished shooting. That is why we see no Doctor McCoy in "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Kenneth Crist kwc@cvl Computer Vision Lab University of Maryland