Nimoy wasn't as addicted as Whitney (yet, so I believe) or as addicted as Roddenberry would be in the coming years.
Would TOS been different if Yeoman Smith over Yeoman Rand?
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Nimoy wasn't as addicted as Whitney (yet, so I believe) or as addicted as Roddenberry would be in the coming years.
Laurel Goodwin interview:
http://tinyurl.com/n9z6d7t
Andrea Dromm interview:
http://tinyurl.com/nsous8s
http://tinyurl.com/n9z6d7t
Andrea Dromm interview:
http://tinyurl.com/nsous8s
The ST Memory Alpha lifted most of the interview from this evidently. I found it interesting when I read it, she says that she "passed" on the role. So not sure if that is true or if she was not retained and not offered.
Like I indicted earlier, her memory that she passed on the role is a self-flattering and incorrect one. In the UCLA files one can find both a copy of her contract (with a one year option after the pilot for the series) and Roddenberry's letter to the actress informing her that the production elected not to pick up her option.
There are a few files related to Goodwin, including her contract, who like all the other players in the first pilot had a one year option with Desilu for a series, but did not have any option for a second pilot episode. Desilu had no way to pick her up for the second pilot without drawing up a new contract (which is what happened to Leonard Nimoy -- and what didn't happen with Hunter, who walked).
As mentioned in the blog post, there's also an April 8, 1965 letter indicating that Desilu waived the exclusivity of their option to let Goodwin test for another pilot ("Tammy"). They would have dropped her from her option if she got that series (she didn't).
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out when Desilu notified Goodwin that her option wasn't being picked up. Contractually, they could have held that option over her until November of 1965.
It's possible she didn't learn that she wasn't going to be involved with Star Trek until early July of 1965, but considering that a new Yeoman was written into the script as early as six weeks prior to that, this would have been rather petty of Desilu, I think.
As mentioned in the blog post, there's also an April 8, 1965 letter indicating that Desilu waived the exclusivity of their option to let Goodwin test for another pilot ("Tammy"). They would have dropped her from her option if she got that series (she didn't).
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out when Desilu notified Goodwin that her option wasn't being picked up. Contractually, they could have held that option over her until November of 1965.
It's possible she didn't learn that she wasn't going to be involved with Star Trek until early July of 1965, but considering that a new Yeoman was written into the script as early as six weeks prior to that, this would have been rather petty of Desilu, I think.
I think the yeoman role is so thin that it takes the personality of the actress to bring it to life, although it is fair to say that some yeomen got better one-liners than others.
IMO, Rand, Colt, and Barrows had potential while other yeomen were both dumb and dull. Landon should get some kudos for showing that yeomen are trained to defend themselves but boy was she a dummy. Mears wasn't too bad but I think if Grace had appeared as planned, the yeoman role would have had far more depth. It was also a missed opportunity to start building a stronger personal relationship with Spock and Scotty that could have helped distance Rand from Kirk in future episodes. More Rand and Sulu would have been a gold mine too as both characters came to life in their scene together.
The recent Ellison comic version of CotEoF featured Rand as she should have been portrayed - a senior non-com who was as trained as everyone and who had the rank and experience to command a security team when called upon.
What I find more frustrating is that the character's merit has been dismissed in the new movie franchise as well.
IMO, Rand, Colt, and Barrows had potential while other yeomen were both dumb and dull. Landon should get some kudos for showing that yeomen are trained to defend themselves but boy was she a dummy. Mears wasn't too bad but I think if Grace had appeared as planned, the yeoman role would have had far more depth. It was also a missed opportunity to start building a stronger personal relationship with Spock and Scotty that could have helped distance Rand from Kirk in future episodes. More Rand and Sulu would have been a gold mine too as both characters came to life in their scene together.
The recent Ellison comic version of CotEoF featured Rand as she should have been portrayed - a senior non-com who was as trained as everyone and who had the rank and experience to command a security team when called upon.
What I find more frustrating is that the character's merit has been dismissed in the new movie franchise as well.
IIRC Rand doesn't even appear in the new films. Is she even mentioned?
No idea what the merits of the character are and what she would bring to the mix. What are her demonstrated skill set rather the the ones projected on her via wishful thinking?
Smith appeared very briefly so it would be unfair to compare her to Rand who appeared regularly in the first half of season one. Personally I loved Janice and I wish she'd been kept on the show. It's sickening what happened to Grace Lee Whitney behind the scenes and she did not deserve to be fired. I think Yeoman Rand would have eventually been as iconic as the other supporting characters like Uhura, Sulu, Scotty and Chekov. My vote would be to keep Rand for the duration of the series and the movies.
She can make coffee with a hand phaser when the power in the galley is out, and she can work the transporter except when the people being transported are melting. Both are important, the first because coffee, and the second because it gives Kirk a chance to try something heroic.
You forgot both that she can show off her legs regardless of how scabby they are and that pre-existing skill sets mean nothing when you are Chekov and/or when you are kicking the ship better so really she can do anything in the nuverse.
On screen skill sets include admin, shooting, flying the ship, navigation, communications, damage control procedures, transporters, tea, coffee, meals, comforting children. The list goes on.
For my part as the Captain's aide you have a potential action heroine who doesn't need much of an excuse to be in on the action if the captain is in on the action, although obviously that makes more sense in diplomatic situations that turn actiony. You have a foil to ask questions that the audience wants answering (preferably not so dumb as some of the yeomen) and you have a general all-rounder who is distinguished by their personality rather than a cubby-holed skill.
The yeoman could be awesome if they just moved away from any notion of romance beyond awkward glances and uncomfortable silences and let them be a fully-trained member of the crew.
I liked Yeoman Tamula. I'd like if she was around again. I don't mean a regular necessarily, but even one or two more times. What I liked about her was she seemed capable. When Mr. Spock gave her an order she seemed to be very able to handle it. I didn't get that impression from several of the other yeomen, especially Mears.
If Yeoman Tamula had another appearance, like Lt Palmer, she only had two appearances but it established her as an officer that served on the ship even if she wasn't seen that often.
If Yeoman Tamula had another appearance, like Lt Palmer, she only had two appearances but it established her as an officer that served on the ship even if she wasn't seen that often.
Tamula's personality was a bit non-existent though. It seemed they often chose between personality and competency. If you smoosh all the yeomen appearances into one character and gift them to one of the women that had a clear and more interesting personality, you end up with a reasonably rounded character with a fair bit of story potential
Colt was outrageously hot. YMMV.
