Terrible TOS performances.... - Page 3

Doug Otte · November 15 2012, 04:45 PM

It's very interesting to read these opinions, especially from younger fans who are approaching the show for the first time.

I've been watching Trek for 40 years, and to me, all the performances seem right for the show and the time it was produced. I'm sure there were things that bugged me when I first saw them as a teen, but I can't remember them now.

Greg Cox · November 15 2012, 04:51 PM

lurok wrote:

BillJ wrote:

jayrath wrote:

I have greater problems with other obligatory babes of the week, such as (I forget her name) the vacuous cloud city woman.

Yeah, Droxine was pretty bad.

Indeed. Then again, like Pettyjohn, you feel she wasn't hired principally for her acting talents. So I give her a pass. She does wear Ware Theiss well though. Slight off-track, but actress I thought did the Barbie-can-actually-act well was the one in that S3 speed-up time episode. That's still one of my personal underrated episodes.

"Wink of an Eye."

Jose Tyler · November 15 2012, 04:58 PM

In no particular order of bad acting:

Antoinette Bower as Sylvia from Catspaw

Mary-Linda Rapelye as Irina from The Way to Eden

Stephen Brooks as Ensign Garrovick from Obsession

Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears from The Galileo Seven

Grant · November 15 2012, 07:02 PM

I have to say Shana (Pettyjohn) came off as 'stupid' not brainwashed, uninformed, uneducated, unenlightened as she was meant to be.

The actors who had to play unnatural accents (Irina) seemed to fair poorly as it seemed they were concentrating on their accent more than their performance.

Something about 'Sylvia' did strike me as bad--maybe acting, maybe lines as written.

Grant · November 15 2012, 07:05 PM

The 'Roger Corby' actor really did blow one line.....

It was supposed to be....

"I AM Roger Corby!" not

"I am ROGER CORBY!"

NTRPRZ · November 15 2012, 09:39 PM

Robert Brown (no relation) as Lazarus would get my vote.

Jeff Brown
Hartly, Del.

TREK_GOD_1 · November 15 2012, 10:09 PM

Jose Tyler wrote:

Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears from The Galileo Seven

Curious choice. I thought she gave the right amount of frustration with Spock and the overall situation. Sure, she was no Janice Rand, but as a one-time guest actress, she was fine, imo.

Harvey · November 15 2012, 10:33 PM

I'm not sure why Robert Brown is getting singled out here. His performance is fine, given the material (i.e. Don Ingalls' awful teleplay) and the especially rushed schedule (due to Barrymore, Jr.'s vanishing act).

Mad Jack Wolfe · November 15 2012, 10:38 PM

Richard Webb as 'Ben Finney' in Court Martial, particularly when Finney learns his daughter, Jame, is aboard. Just horrid. The rest of the time he sounds straight-up bonkers.

gottacook · November 15 2012, 11:26 PM

No one else has posted this yet, but it's my inevitable choice:

Sabrina Scharf as Miramanee

Not entirely her fault, perhaps, given lines such as "I have nothing to fear; you are here," "...the strange lodge which moves through the sky," etc. Despite her sporting what I believe to be the largest chest measurement of any (female) guest star, she simply was not equipped to breathe life into lines like that. (Who would have been, I wonder?)

plynch · November 16 2012, 05:49 AM

gottacook wrote:

No one else has posted this yet, but it's my inevitable choice:

Sabrina Scharf as Miramanee

Not entirely her fault, perhaps, given lines such as "I have nothing to fear; you are here," "...the strange lodge which moves through the sky," etc. Despite her sporting what I believe to be the largest chest measurement of any (female) guest star, she simply was not equipped to breathe life into lines like that. (Who would have been, I wonder?)

Yup, she was bad. Forgot about her. My kids like almost every episode uncritically. Not that one, though.

T'Bonz · November 16 2012, 08:38 AM

Mad Jack Wolfe wrote:

Richard Webb as 'Ben Finney' in Court Martial, particularly when Finney learns his daughter, Jame, is aboard. Just horrid. The rest of the time he sounds straight-up bonkers.

Finney wasn't bad. Jame on the other hand. Ugh....

Jose Tyler · November 16 2012, 02:02 PM

TREK_GOD_1 wrote:

Jose Tyler wrote:

Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears from The Galileo Seven

Curious choice. I thought she gave the right amount of frustration with Spock and the overall situation. Sure, she was no Janice Rand, but as a one-time guest actress, she was fine, imo.

I was thinking about her less than stellar delivery of lines like when she dropped to her knees and and announced "We're moving" as the shuttle lifts off, and "It's getting hot" as the shuttle began to burn up. Her delivery always seemed very wooden to me...

AtoZ · November 16 2012, 03:32 PM

plynch wrote:

McCreedy as the barber is awesome. We reach on that ep, though. It has some great, small roles, the barber, the sheriff, Wyatt (or is it Morgan?). Love it. I truly cannot fathom the hatred some have for it.

I completely agree. It is to me one of the top ten or perhaps at worst, top 15 of TOS

foxhot · November 16 2012, 07:11 PM

We may be being too harsh on Yeoman Mears, despite her uncanny perceptive powers matching every current situation. Other classic TREK yeoman had questionable dialogue. Don't forget in BY ANY OTHER NAME, after Rojan spent about ten minutes explaining to everyone what the Kelvans wanted and what kind of people they were, Yeoman Thompson asks Kirk, ''What do they want from us? What kind of people are they?''

Kirk should've replied ''Excuse me? What's your IQ?''
And McCoy, Boma or even Spock should've told Mears ''No s--t, Sherlock!'' once or twice.

November 15 2012, 04:45 PM	#31
Doug Otte Fleet Captain	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... It's very interesting to read these opinions, especially from younger fans who are approaching the show for the first time. I've been watching Trek for 40 years, and to me, all the performances seem right for the show and the time it was produced. I'm sure there were things that bugged me when I first saw them as a teen, but I can't remember them now.

November 15 2012, 04:58 PM	#33
Jose Tyler Lieutenant Commander	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... In no particular order of bad acting: Antoinette Bower as Sylvia from Catspaw Mary-Linda Rapelye as Irina from The Way to Eden Stephen Brooks as Ensign Garrovick from Obsession Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears from The Galileo Seven __________________ Are you of the body? Last edited by Jose Tyler; November 15 2012 at 04:59 PM. Reason: Bad format

November 15 2012, 07:02 PM	#34
Grant Fleet Captain	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... I have to say Shana (Pettyjohn) came off as 'stupid' not brainwashed, uninformed, uneducated, unenlightened as she was meant to be. The actors who had to play unnatural accents (Irina) seemed to fair poorly as it seemed they were concentrating on their accent more than their performance. Something about 'Sylvia' did strike me as bad--maybe acting, maybe lines as written.

November 15 2012, 07:05 PM	#35
Grant Fleet Captain	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... The 'Roger Corby' actor really did blow one line..... It was supposed to be.... "I AM Roger Corby!" not "I am ROGER CORBY!"

November 15 2012, 09:39 PM	#36
NTRPRZ Lieutenant Commander Location: Delaware	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... Robert Brown (no relation) as Lazarus would get my vote. Jeff Brown Hartly, Del. __________________ Jeff Brown Original Trek Fan

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November 15 2012, 10:33 PM	#38
Harvey Admiral	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... I'm not sure why Robert Brown is getting singled out here. His performance is fine, given the material (i.e. Don Ingalls' awful teleplay) and the especially rushed schedule (due to Barrymore, Jr.'s vanishing act). __________________ "What do you hear, Starbuck?" "Nothing but the rain, sir." "Then grab your gun and bring in the cat."

November 15 2012, 10:38 PM	#39
Mad Jack Wolfe Lieutenant Commander	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... Richard Webb as 'Ben Finney' in Court Martial, particularly when Finney learns his daughter, Jame, is aboard. Just horrid. The rest of the time he sounds straight-up bonkers. __________________ Life is full of disappointments. For instance, I really hoped "Chariots of Fire" would be a remake of "Ben Hur" with flame throwers.

November 15 2012, 11:26 PM	#40
gottacook Commander Location: Maryland	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... No one else has posted this yet, but it's my inevitable choice: Sabrina Scharf as Miramanee Not entirely her fault, perhaps, given lines such as "I have nothing to fear; you are here," "...the strange lodge which moves through the sky," etc. Despite her sporting what I believe to be the largest chest measurement of any (female) guest star, she simply was not equipped to breathe life into lines like that. (Who would have been, I wonder?)

November 16 2012, 07:11 PM	#45
foxhot Captain Location: maryland	Re: Terrible TOS performances.... We may be being too harsh on Yeoman Mears, despite her uncanny perceptive powers matching every current situation. Other classic TREK yeoman had questionable dialogue. Don't forget in BY ANY OTHER NAME, after Rojan spent about ten minutes explaining to everyone what the Kelvans wanted and what kind of people they were, Yeoman Thompson asks Kirk, ''What do they want from us? What kind of people are they?'' Kirk should've replied ''Excuse me? What's your IQ?'' And McCoy, Boma or even Spock should've told Mears ''No s--t, Sherlock!'' once or twice.