Kenney Pens Trek Experience Book

[foxhot]

Since I always preferred character actors to leads, I've no real objections to a good one's autobiography. Lance Henriksen, among others, wrote a compelling and comprehensive one. And William Schallert's had a great career, so his entire experiences would make a good read. Beverly Washburn probably won't have to write ''Stupid Place to Hang a Mirror'' since she's already written about her total acting experiences.

But Kenney I know for sitting and beeping in one TV show, and overacting in a guilty-pleasure exploitation film. The 372nd best film of all time, yes, but still not the most prestigious. So it seems quite a stretch he'd have a bookworth of material from just those two roles. And it's giving me all sorts of horrible similar fictional bios from classic TREK bit players....

One thing's for sure. We'll never get to read ''I Ate Chicken Soup in the Transporter Room'' as Hal Baylor has passed away years ago.

[mb22]

But Kenney I know for sitting and beeping in one TV show, and overacting in a guilty-pleasure exploitation film. The 372nd best film of all time, yes, but still not the most prestigious. So it seems quite a stretch he'd have a bookworth of material from just those two roles.

Lest we forget, he also portrayed Lt. DePaul in "Arena" and "A Taste of Armageddon".

[scotpens]

foxhot wrote:

---

Since I always preferred character actors to leads, I've no real objections to a good one's autobiography. Lance Henriksen, among others, wrote a compelling and comprehensive one. And William Schallert's had a great career, so his entire experiences would make a good read.

Likewise, the lovely Celeste Yarnall ("The Apple") is a multitalented woman whose acting career is just one of her many accomplishments.

foxhot wrote:

---

Kenney played a man who could not move and spent his scenes beeping once or twice.

And he didn't even do his own beeps!

[Emperor Norton]

Best of luck to him and everything, but I must say this and it will be blunt: why is it everyone cashes in on the band wagon? He was not big in Star Trek. He was not even Christopher Pike as what Pike is when we think of him (and when he actually acted and spoke); that's Jefferey Hunter, so the title is a shameless cash in (likely on the part of the publisher, but one nonetheless). The background actor from episode 17 (figuratively speaking) does not get to sit at a table at a convention with 8x10 photos waiting around to sign autographs for money, nor write a biography about his time on the show and his life, selling it on the back of the show. It is Guy Fleegman from Galaxy Quest. Everyone in this world could write a biography, but only a select few people do. I have no right to write a biography as just some guy, nor does anyone else here. We're in the same boat.

If people want to come by and interview you about your life and about your time doing whatever, then you take part in those things. But other than that, just go off and do your thing.

But the thing is written, so best of luck with that and everything. But the aforementioned points do stand.

[foxhot]

It's getting to the point that the crewmember in the spacesuit who waved goodbye in TMP will write his memoirs as well.

[Grant]

I'm waiting for the book by Libby Erwin---"Hey, that's not my voice!"

[Maurice]

Emperor Norton wrote:

---

...I have no right to write a biography as just some guy, nor does anyone else here. We're in the same boat.

"You proceed from a false assumption."

Everyone has a "right" to write a biography. You nor I nor anyone else can tell someone what they can and can't do. Maybe few to no-one will want to read said bio, but that isn't the same thing as telling people they can't, which is flat out rude.

[Grant]

He didn't literally mean 'right' as in legal or moral right---he meant logically it makes no sense. it's just a cash grab due to the fact he was a tangential part of something that happened 46 years ago.

It's like someone who hung around the set for 3 epiusodes 45 years ago deciding to right an autobiography as if anybody cares about him. Nonsense, they are just hoping for a minor tidbit of info he might have to offer.

The guy could just have blogged or tweeted a little info and it would have been better.

"Autobiography"---ridiculous.

[foxhot]

Key word, tangential. All would buy such a thin-premised book, please flash once. Who was it who said just because something could be done doesn't mean it should? But if it DID sell well, I hope it's because it's well-written....instead of us buying anything, Mikey-style, in terms of TREK items....

[feek61]

Grant wrote:

---

He didn't literally mean 'right' as in legal or moral right---he meant logically it makes no sense. it's just a cash grab due to the fact he was a tangential part of something that happened 46 years ago.

It's like someone who hung around the set for 3 epiusodes 45 years ago deciding to right an autobiography as if anybody cares about him. Nonsense, they are just hoping for a minor tidbit of info he might have to offer.

The guy could just have blogged or tweeted a little info and it would have been better.

"Autobiography"---ridiculous.

Well, I read the book and it was fine. I doubt that Kenny is planning on raking in a ton of cash for this; I'm sure that is not what he expects with this book. I personally appreciate him sharing the little that he can share regarding my favorite show. Also, it was somewhat interesting to read about his life. I mean come-on, the guy was both Captain Pike and the Winston cigarette man (his counterpart was Tom Selleck the Salem cigarette guy). Anyway, a quick easy read and now every time I watch "The Menagerie" I will be looking for the denim scare on his face, lol.

[Lance]

You know, I still don't get why they needed to make him up as much as they did for "The Menagerie". Sean Kenney was chosen because he apparently had superficial similarities to Hunter -- but to my eye, they're actually even closer than that. Just look at Kenney without make-up in "Arena":

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/Ac...670119-320.jpg

And compare with Hunter as Pike:

http://www.startrek.com/legacy_media...pi/320x240.jpg

I'm sure they could have had him playing a more articulate Pike, even one who speaks a little (albeit maybe not very much, as their voices might not be quite as closely matched as their looks). Putting the dude in heavy make-up and only giving him a beeper to communicate with always seemed like overkill to me, because certainly his physical resemblance to Jeff Hunter is actually much more striking than that.

[Borjis]

bought it and read it.

Disappointed there wasn't more trek stuff in there, but he only worked a few weeks at most so....

[MarsWeeps]

Lance wrote:

---

You know, I still don't get why they needed to make him up as much as they did for "The Menagerie". Sean Kenney was chosen because he apparently had superficial similarities to Hunter -- but to my eye, they're actually even closer than that.

As a young kid watching The Menagerie, I always wondered why wheelchair-Pike had different colored hair than normal-Pike. It looked like Pike decided to bleach his hair but I chalked it up to the radiation damage.

For some reason, when I was a youngster, hair color was a large part of the character's identity, in my mind. For example, in "Alias Smith and Jones" when Roger Davis replaced Pete Duel after Duel's suicide, I remember thinking..."that can't be the same Hannibal Heyes, he has different colored hair!"