Kirk's hair color

[jaime]

I don't see why. His TOS hairstyle suggested a well-groomed officer who never thought much about his hair. His movie styles, and I think ST-5 was the worst, looked increasingly like a man who's making an effort in the hair department and trying to look younger than he is.

Even worse, the change in hair color from TOS to the movies was another mark of vanity that Kirk shouldn't have had. "I'm a soldier, not a diplomat." That's why I think light brown hair, short like on TOS, with some gray coming in would have been perfect for the films.

Some fair headed men go dark with age. In my family all us men started like the children of the damned, and then increasingly resemble Greek sailors, assuming we keep the hair enough to tell. Same is true with the curls to be honest.

 

[jaime]

Shatner's TOS toupée worked fine for that series, but the TOS movies did need him sporting a new rug. The one he wore for TMP was the best of the lot. After that, he started wearing a huge hat of hair that seemed intended to remain secure on his cranium, whilst Shatner did his semi-stunts, like rolling on the ground, or having fights. It didn't look natural, at all, especially if he had wind in his face. The hair would just bounce up and down, almost uniformly, rather than behaving as hair naturally would. But to see him with his TOS rug on would've been a disaster. It wouldn't have worked.

He went for a swim in ST IV

 

[Trekfan12]

He went for a swim in ST IV

I thought it looked natural underwater.

 

[johnnybear]

Watch his interview on the DVD and then say it looks realistic!
JB

 

[2takesfrakes]

His movie styles [...] looked increasingly like a man who's making an effort in the hair department and trying to look younger than he is.

Even worse, the change in hair color from TOS to the movies was another mark of vanity that Kirk shouldn't have had.

I like what you've done with the Photoshopped Kirk. Otherwise, I have to disagree, very strongly about Kirk not being vain.

You know, as do we all, how Kirk was with beautiful women. As well, he had a position to maintain. Which meant looking his best, at all times. So, between all that and his own self-image, I'm convinced that as Kirk aged, he'd be very interested in appearing virile. Yes, Kirk was also somewhat "conservative," as most military Men are, in the sense that he was a straight-shooter, without airs about him. But such Men are also quite prideful.

Also, movies and television are as much image as anything. The cinematography should always be Top Shelf, with the cast looking absolutely amazing. As a fan and just an audience member, I'm very attracted to picture-perfect cinematography. It's very disappointing to see the cast looking like shit, to favour the background bridge consoles, or something like that.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I wish people wouldn't make fun of him for this. He did what he had to do to project a great-looking image that added something to the show.

Many, many TV stars wore hairpieces. Especially in those days. A balding dome ages a man. Shatner, when he had a really good hairpiece, looked amazing. If I could have afforded a great piece, I would have gotten one as well. Instead, I shaved my head - which is very common now, so it doesn't stand out (Yul and Telly were right - women DO love it). I get that Shatner's thicker, fuller and wavier 'do in the 80's did get laughable, but to give him shit in the 60's is ridiulous. Does anyone chuckle over DeForest Kelley's eyebrows? Anyone ever track those? Compare his Corbomite Maneuver style to The Devil in the Dark. In the latter, they are so full and upswept, you know there's something going on. I'm also not convinced he's not wearing a rug either, the way it always laid (I'm pretty certain was in the films). Walter Koenig had a wig in his first few episodes that looked worse than anything Shatner wore in any Trek production. Just about every woman in the crew wore huge wigs.

Taking it away from Star Trek: Marty Landau wore a piece for Space:1999. Larry Hagman - all through Dallas. And it changed every year. Terry Becker on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea wore a toupee in every episode. Jonathan Harris had hair transplants during the course of Lost in Space. Almost the entire cast of UFO wore hairpieces, including Ed Bishop and Michael Billington. Hair was part of the image. It still is, but you can get away with more now.

So, TOS era Shatner: cut the guy a break, he was far from the only lead wearing a rug and the wigs he had were generally very flattering. 1970's through Movie era Shatner - have at it, at least until Star Trek 6. He started looking much more natural then.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I like what you've done with the Photoshopped Kirk.

That's not mine, I found it. But yeah, it's pretty neat.

Jonathan Harris had hair transplants during the course of Lost in Space.

Hair transplants, indeed! I never heard that. Is it in a book or something? And were hair transplants even invented back then?

 

[Nerys Myk]

That's not mine, I found it. But yeah, it's pretty neat.



Hair transplants, indeed! I never heard that. Is it in a book or something? And were hair transplants even invented back then?

The wiki says hair transplants date back to 1897.

 

[UnknownSample]

In the movies, they just went with the toupee Shatner had already switched to. He was playing a character, and was supposed to look like that character. When I've complained in the past about his changing to black hair for the movies, though, I hadn't noticed then that Kirk actually has black hair for at least some of s3. ITiTNB, in particular.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Hair transplants, indeed! I never heard that. Is it in a book or something? And were hair transplants even invented back then?

Yup, it was in the book Lost in Space Forever by Joel Eisner and Barry Megan. Page 111, Assistant Director Gilbert Mandelik:

I remember Jonathan's going to Switzerland to have a hair transplant during a hiatus between seasons. All his front hair was transplanted from the back, and he was very proud of it and showed it to everybody without trying to hide it. Little by little, it grew, and it looked very good on him.

If you watch his hair as the series progresses, you can see the hairline come in thicker and fuller.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Does anyone chuckle over DeForest Kelley's eyebrows? Anyone ever track those? Compare his Corbomite Maneuver style to The Devil in the Dark. In the latter, they are so full and upswept, you know there's something going on.

"You know you're watching too much Star Trek when..."

But seriously, they probably trimmed his eyebrows when they styled his hair (JFK style). And then his brows just grew back over the course of the year.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I'm open to that, but his pre-Trek brows are thinner and his movie era brows are also thin (could be age related at that point). But jeez, look at these bad boys....

http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x25/The_Devil_in_the_Dark_074.JPG

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I'm open to that, but his pre-Trek brows are thinner and his movie era brows are also thin (could be age related at that point). But jeez, look at these bad boys....

http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/1x25/The_Devil_in_the_Dark_074.JPG

You mean those eyebrows that are still pretty thin, but just arched?

My favorite TV toupee/hair transplant has to be Yaphett Kotto on Homicide: Life On The Street. His hairline actually moves down lower on his forehead between seasons.

Ted Danson had a good hairpiece covering his bald spot during his Cheers days. I don't think that the general public suspected he wore a piece until he went without it at the Emmys one year. In one of the last episodes of Cheers, he removed the hairpiece in-character as Sam Malone to thunderous applause.

 

[Ssosmcin]

They're pretty thick in that picture. Thicker than before, which could be natural growth or whatever. Just noted it is all to make a point that hair manipulation was common and accepted in Hollywood. Especially among matinee idol leading men. Still is.

 

[johnnybear]

You mean those eyebrows that are still pretty thin, but just arched?

My favorite TV toupee/hair transplant has to be Yaphett Kotto on Homicide: Life On The Street. His hairline actually moves down lower on his forehead between seasons.

Ted Danson had a good hairpiece covering his bald spot during his Cheers days. I don't think that the general public suspected he wore a piece until he went without it at the Emmys one year. In one of the last episodes of Cheers, he removed the hairpiece in-character as Sam Malone to thunderous applause.

He did indeed to a great amount of laughing and applause!
JB

 

[johnnybear]

I always call him Dan Tedson! It suits him better I think!
JB

 

[plynch]

Kelley's brows look augmented with make up like eye shadow or something.

 

[johnnybear]

Ed Bishop and Michael Billington did both wear rugs for UFO! Bishop because they wanted it that way and not because he was balding! Billington had a receding hairline in his first three shows which strangely disappears later on when he lets his hair down as such! Martin Landau's syrup was quite good and it's only in the second series that you can really see it atop his bonce!
JB

 

[johnnybear]

He definitely looks better with his sixties syrup in that pic!
JB

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Ed Bishop and Michael Billington did both wear rugs for UFO! Bishop because they wanted it that way and not because he was balding! Billington had a receding hairline in his first three shows which strangely disappears later on when he lets his hair down as such! Martin Landau's syrup was quite good and it's only in the second series that you can really see it atop his bonce!
JB

The other reason that the men (and women) wore hair pieces on UFO is because that was also the style of the show. The intention was that in the far future of the 1980s, wigs and such would be more accessory fashion items so that everyone would wear them, like a hat or a piece of jewelry.