White Rabbit

With all the threads and comments about guest actors and props appearing in other productions, I'm just curious if the white rabbit from Shore Leave ever appeared anywhere else? When you get to looking it it, it's a relatively elaborate costume!

 

He looks familiar.. I think that he played The Easter Bunny at my local mall back in the early 70's

 

I once heard that the large white rabbit tried to parlay his big break on Star Trek into a whole acting career, but several things worked against him: his lack of formal training, his funny voice, and the tendency of casting directors to see him strictly as a large white rabbit and not someone who could play a wider range of roles. Basically, he never broke out of his minority status, and roles for rabbits as such were pretty scarce in the late '60s. I think he ended up shlepping luggage at a hotel in San Diego.

 

'It's Duck Season.'

 

Inside the suit was Billy Blackburn---the ubiquitous extra and amateur videographer..............

anybody know who did the voice?

 

NBC execs at the time also complained that his character was "too cerebral", "too intellectual", "and too slow".

 

I don't know who did the voice, but he shouldn't have had an American accent.

And the girl who played Alice was obviously an American doing a bad British accent.

 

Ah, but not if this is how McCoy pictured them in his thoughts!

Which is why I maintain that the Shore Leave planet is the most (potentially) dangerous place in the galaxy! The Caretaker's caution of "with the proper control" is really just an 'enter at your own risk' sign, really. How would one "control" their thoughts to the point that no hazards were imagined, even for a second? With their experiences? No stray thoughts of Gorn, Dikironium clouds, Denevan parasites, and the like? "I'd rather see my old girlfriend than battle a Kalar!" Who knows what that thought could lead to? If ever a planet needed a General Order 12, it's this one!

But back on topic, it does make me wonder if the Bunny tried out for the role of the Mugato?

 

Call me a hater but I always hated the white rabbit in TOS.

 

I hated it as a kid, but I've grown to appreciate it!

 

I remember hearing or reading somewhere that Billy did the voice himself.

 

Thanks Oy! Always loved that video. Amazing how well it works with the lyrics.

 

I love that white rabbit.

 

That's very unlikely.

The original 'location' dialogue underneath the rabbit head would have severely muffled the Blackburn's voice and it's also really unlikely they would have brought in Blackburn---an extra who did not have a single line of dialogue in 60+ episodes to loop the lines.

 

Blackburn himself says he did the voice.

And that's the beauty of it if true. If he performed the role, and later did the dubbing, it still cost them less than paying him to say the line on screen.

 

Where did he ever state that he did the voice? I saw the interviews he did for the Blu-rays---I'm pretty sure he doesn't mention doing the voice.

Where else did he ever give any interviews? I'd like to read what he has to say about the show besides his comments from the Blu-ray extras.

 

I don't remember the source, it may be in one of the home movie clips at YouTube, or buried in Memory Alpha, or possibly from one of Shatner's Memories book. I've been reading about Star Trek for 47 years, so I'm sorry that I can't be more precise.