You think he was doing that "prove" he was not just some guy on a space/explosion/monster show?
Jack Lord as Captain Kirk
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You think he was doing that "prove" he was not just some guy on a space/explosion/monster show?
I've always liked Five-O, too, but that is so true. McGarrett had a team of supposedly crack investigators, but none of them ever came up with a good idea on their own, or did anything but carry out McGarrett's orders. He never developed a relationship with any of them on anything like an equal basis, they were always just trusted underlings. I can't imagine the popular triad relationship of TOS evolving that way with Lord as the star.
We'd probably see "Star Trek starring Jack Lord" instead of "Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry" as the first title in the closing credits, too.
Very good point; McGarrett growled commands, and sent his team running off like 1920s factory workers; there was no heart between the leads--nothing that says they cared about the life of the other beyond duty. That was the oft-celebrated center of TOS, and Shatner was the central force in that center.
...and cancelled quickly.
I definitely see Jack Lord as more of a Pike-type of Captain, too. In fact, one scene in The Cage has his name all over it, the one where Pike confronts the Keeper while in his cage. In particular, the "Assuming that's a lie, why would you want me attracted to her? So I'll feel love in a husband-wife relationship? That would be necessary only if you intend to build a family group or perhaps a whole human community" scene I can see Lord performing flawlessly.
He could also deliver "big ideas" convincingly. I grabbed this scene to illustrate:
http://youtu.be/LxHvdzKsi-A
He could also deliver "big ideas" convincingly. I grabbed this scene to illustrate:
http://youtu.be/LxHvdzKsi-A
Exactly. I smell hyperbole all over this story.
That's too short a clip to judge anything from.
I would assume that if they hired Jack Lord as Captain Kirk for the second pilot, they would have retooled Spock differently to suit a dynamic. They were revanping Spock from The Cage who was not the cold (mostly) emotionless Vulcan we would come to know. So Nimoy would have had to come up with something else to balance Lord. The difference would probably have changed the role of Dr McCoy as well.
Agreed, the leads end up making it their own and the writers adapt. Star Trek would have been a different series. Worst case scenario: we'd have ended up watching ST for the music, action, and "hardware porn." I know I'd still be a fan, but not to this extent.
The issue about Jack Lord as being a demanding personality -- that might actually have bode well for him and for Star Trek, as part of the reason for Hawaii 5-0's longevity was his determination to keep the series going and the quality high. He wasn't the only one, of course, as Leonard Freeman was a major force, too, but until the last few seasons, Lord apparently worked tirelessly to keep the series going and wasn't know for compromising.
Remember, too, that Jack Lord was playing a character. Steve McGarrett was the sort of tough-as-nails military guy that was common in the 50s and 60s and patterned more or less after Elliot Ness on The Untouchables. Unlike the clown in the current remake, this McGarrett was supposed to be incorruptible, ramrod straight, and completely dedicated to his sense of morality. He is the epitome of a hero. Hawaii 5-0 made him a father-figure to the men, especially Danny, instead of the Mutt-and-Jeff types in the remake. It wasn't meant to be an ensemble show so much as one with a supporting cast. Kudos to it, though, for making the other characters, like Chin-Ho, really people rather than just caricatures.
Landau had a very wide range! No, seriously, I love him on that show. It's a shame he was married to a plank of wood.
Broadcast order was not the same as production order. As with TOS, S99 fans have tried to work out the "real" episode order, but continuity issues mean this matter will never be resolved.
You make it sound like she was the bain of his existence.
This was no real broadcast order, the show was syndicated worldwide and stations ran them in whatever order they chose. For example, in NY, the premiere was followed the next week by "Dragon's Doman," the penultimate episode of the season.
No, I'm going by production order, the order on the video releases. Specifically, I was talking about "War Games," which showed Koenig firing first, followed by "The Last Enemy," where he does the same, but agrees with Bergman who says "shoot first and ask questions afterward, that's not really your style, is it John?" Granted, the "War Games" scenario was an illusion, but apparently what Koenig was very much about to do until he got a glimpse of the possible repercussions of that choice.
Man, I know too much about that show...
Sure, but Matt Dillon was also incorruptible and ramrod straight yet could still talk personally, take advice from or engage in funny banter with Doc, Chester, Kitty, Festus, Quint etc. Even the notoriously stiff Jack Webb would occasionally kid around as Friday on Dragnet and talk about life outside work. I have to believe some of McGarrett's "aloofness" goes back to Lord's personality.
Speaking of McGarrett's military basis, it was always kind of funny when they'd show him in his Naval Reserve uniform. First of all because they would cut away before he took off his cap and then in the next shot he'd have that perfect blow-dried and sprayed hair. And second, they loaded him up with decorations like some kind of legendary figure, the Navy Cross, Navy & Marine Corps Medal and two Legion of Merits IIRC.
Yeah, "Five-O" was good that way, and also how they kept the secondary characters consistent and gave them some personality (Manicote, Che Fong, Jenny etc.) instead of using different day players. Duke even went from occasional street cop to full member of the team.
I loved original Hawaii 5-0 but always remember McGarrett as being very aloof (I was going to say wooden but thats unfair). I thought he played it robot-like but its part of the charm of the series.
And while I agree it was just a character he was playing I have no example of Lord in a role that showed any Kirk-like passionate qualities.
I remember Lord as being terrible in any 'romantic' type episodes in 5-0.That was Kirks bread and butter position in TOS. However maybe I'm remembering wrong and Lord was more of a charmer than I recall.
Well at least they wouldn't have needed to provide Kirk with a syrup each and every week if they'd gone for Lord!
Glad they didn't though as Shatner was brilliant as Kirk in my opinion !
JB
Glad they didn't though as Shatner was brilliant as Kirk in my opinion !
JB
I cannot picture Lord bringing the sort of range Shatner brought to Kirk.
For the life of me, the best moment in Metamorphosis is Kirk communicating with The Companion via universal translator. Shatner's controlled demonstration of feeling, delivery, voice inflection and of humanity....is to me...priceless...in a very good and respectable way.
I've always believed Shatner to be brilliant in his element, with the right direction, story and co-stars around him. To me, he is literally unbeatable as James T. Kirk. I don't see Lord pulling that scene off nearly as well (much as I liked him in 5-0).
For the life of me, the best moment in Metamorphosis is Kirk communicating with The Companion via universal translator. Shatner's controlled demonstration of feeling, delivery, voice inflection and of humanity....is to me...priceless...in a very good and respectable way.
I've always believed Shatner to be brilliant in his element, with the right direction, story and co-stars around him. To me, he is literally unbeatable as James T. Kirk. I don't see Lord pulling that scene off nearly as well (much as I liked him in 5-0).
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