The tougher James...

[Chrisisall]

James Kirk, or James West- who was tougher during their original series (West as in Wild Wild West, for those of you that thought Brisco was the first anachronistic western)?

Could Shatner take Conrad back in the day?
Could James West have defeated a Gorn?
Could James Kirk have defeated Miguelito loveless?

Could the Platonian, Alexander, have taken them all? And did he look at all like Loveless, now that I think on it?

 

[Nerys Myk]

West was Kirk's ancestor. Winonna Kirk's maiden name: Winonna West*
No family fueds.



*If Spock can be descended from Aaron Stemple, then Kirk can be descended from James West or maybe Jeff Cable

 

[Chrisisall]

West was Kirk's ancestor.

Possibly. Notice the ever-so-slightly lightened hair, the (temporary) widow's peak in the hairline, the similar height (or lack thereof), the tendency to kick during fights... the list goes on and on.

 

[M'Sharak]

Could Shatner take Conrad back in the day?

Not a chance.

Could James West have defeated a Gorn?

Yes, but not until the fourth act, and the Gorn would probably rough him up good in Act II.

Could James Kirk have defeated Miguelito loveless?

Possibly, but Loveless would still escape to another dimension at the last moment.

Could the Platonian, Alexander, have taken them all? And did he look at all like Loveless, now that I think on it?

Naah.



Loveless was taller.

 

[Christopher]

I've often thought that if you'd taken Jim West and Jim Kirk and switched them as infants, they would've pretty much grown up to lead the same respective lives. They were basically the same personality filtered through their respective eras -- West more rough-and-tumble and sexist, Kirk more intellectual and enlightened, but both pretty much the same in other respects (including their difficulty in keeping their shirts on). So Kirk raised in 19th century America would've turned out like West, and West raised in the 23rd century Federation would've turned out like Kirk.

 

[Chrisisall]

I've often thought that if you'd taken Jim West and Jim Kirk and switched them as infants, they would've pretty much grown up to lead the same respective lives. They were basically the same personality filtered through their respective eras -- West more rough-and-tumble and sexist, Kirk more intellectual and enlightened, but both pretty much the same in other respects (including their difficulty in keeping their shirts on). So Kirk raised in 19th century America would've turned out like West, and West raised in the 23rd century Federation would've turned out like Kirk.

Chris, you summed up my feelings on this matter!

I mean, can't you just see Robert Conrad saying, "Gentlemen, beam me aboard"?
Or Shatner telling Ross Martin to "calm himself"?

 

[Rackon]

West was Kirk's ancestor. Winonna Kirk's maiden name: Winonna West*
No family fueds.



*If Spock can be descended from Aaron Stemple, then Kirk can be descended from James West or maybe Jeff Cable

This is emminently logical.

Explains a lot.



(BTW, I love Ishmael.)

 

[Maurice]

James Coburn would've kicked both their asses.

 

[Chrisisall]

James Coburn would've kicked both their asses.

Are you referring to Flint?
Hmmmm, quite possibly, then.

 

[Possum]

Could Shatner take Conrad back in the day?

I must agree with M'Sharak here. There is no way Shatner could have taken him.

If we are talking about a battle of the Jims it would be a fight to a draw- Kirk-fu vs. West-fu. I am picturing a simultaneous full force knee tackle resulting in the Jims knocking each other unconscious.

Could James West have defeated a Gorn?

Yes, but only with the help of Artemis disguised as the Gorn's lackey.

Could James Kirk have defeated Miguelito loveless?

He could have fought him to a draw, but Loveless would escape to fight another day.

Could the Platonian, Alexander, have taken them all? And did he look at all like Loveless, now that I think on it?

No, Loveless was much better dressed.


Additionally, Jim West has one more thing over on Jim Kirk. Very first episode of WWW, opening sequence, for no good reason West's shirt was undone. Kirk had to go a few episodes before getting his shirt torn. (And West has a much, much, nicer chest.)

Thanks for making me dig out my WWW tape- I hadn't seen the show in ten years or more. I can't believe I still had a tape of first season episodes from when TNT had the show on.

One more thing- I've always suspicioned that Dr. McCoy was a descendant of Gordon's- I've always thought that Ross and Kelley looked alike. Karl Urban could play either of them without missing a step.

 

[Chrisisall]

Additionally, Jim West has one more thing over on Jim Kirk. Very first episode of WWW, opening sequence, for no good reason West's shirt was undone. Kirk had to go a few episodes before getting his shirt torn.

Ahhh, the torn shirt-O-meter.

 

[M'Sharak]

Additionally, Jim West has one more thing over on Jim Kirk. Very first episode of WWW, opening sequence, for no good reason West's shirt was undone.

In front of the President, no less.

 

[AtoZ]

It's a fact that Conrad considered(s) himself a tough guy, always bragging, since I can remember (Mike Douglas show, circa '77) that he could box with the best of them. Fact is he had no reach and a big mouth...and I would have loved to have outslicked him (reduced him to fistic impotence which would have hurt him more than laying some heavy leather on him, trust me), move for move over three, three-minute rounds back when I was an active light middleweight amateur.

Conrad was a wanna-be tough guy that knew what he was doing with the tight slacks....whilst acting brazenly aloof.

Shat was an actor earnestly in search of better and better roles.

In a character vs. character scenario, I'd lean towards Kirk finding a way to topple his foe.

In real life, Conrad needs to have some laundry stuffed down his pie-hole.

Eddie Paskey could have kicked both of their asses off camera.

 

[Christopher]

It's a fact that Conrad considered(s) himself a tough guy, always bragging, since I can remember (Mike Douglas show, circa '77) that he could box with the best of them.

That must explain the ad campaign he was the spokesman for in my youth, where he'd dare people to knock an Eveready battery off his shoulder. I guess the campaign was playing on his personal reputation.

 

[Jeri]

Robert Conrad is an honorary inductee in the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame; the other actors on the list are: Jackie Chan, Kirk Douglas, Buster Keaton, Clayton Moore and John Wayne

 

[Chrisisall]

when I was an active light middleweight amateur.

I'm no boxer, just a guy in martial arts since '74, but I can see that Conrad had the moves to pummel Shatner back in the day. Kirk is my hero, but reality must be recognized, regardless.

Eddie Paskey could have kicked both of their asses off camera.

 

[M'Sharak]

It's a fact that Conrad considered(s) himself a tough guy, always bragging, since I can remember (Mike Douglas show, circa '77) that he could box with the best of them.

That must explain the ad campaign he was the spokesman for in my youth, where he'd dare people to knock an Eveready battery off his shoulder. I guess the campaign was playing on his personal reputation.

Not really. He was acting a somewhat stereotypical part which played on the tough-guy roles he was already known for in Hawaiian Eye, The Wild Wild West, Assignment: Vienna, Baa Baa Black Sheep and the Centennial miniseries. I don't remember Conrad "always bragging" about anything, and I doubt many people in the viewing audience had any idea whatsoever about his personal reputation.

 

[trevanian]

Gabe Kaplan could outrun 'em both.

 

[AtoZ]

It's a fact that Conrad considered(s) himself a tough guy, always bragging, since I can remember (Mike Douglas show, circa '77) that he could box with the best of them.

That must explain the ad campaign he was the spokesman for in my youth, where he'd dare people to knock an Eveready battery off his shoulder. I guess the campaign was playing on his personal reputation.

Not really. He was acting a somewhat stereotypical part which played on the tough-guy roles he was already known for in Hawaiian Eye, The Wild Wild West, Assignment: Vienna, Baa Baa Black Sheep and the Centennial miniseries. I don't remember Conrad "always bragging" about anything, and I doubt many people in the viewing audience had any idea whatsoever about his personal reputation.

I believe that you don't remember...and it doesn't matter - I do.

In '77 on The Mike Douglas Show Conrad bragged how he'd taken on the US Navy's middleweight champ and "had the guy going" several times over the course of 3 x 3 minute rounds. Of course, when pressed, Bob explained he lost a wide decision, adding that he was 42 years old and "try beating that".

Then there was talk about how stuntmen were used in his fight scenes precisely because he'd sometimes mess-up on pulling his punches. Stuntmen were used to fill in for him where he could easily otherwise do the scene, but the stuntman was better able to ensure nobody else got banged-up. This was circa '79 on the show The Duke. Laughable in that I though Bob was an amateur fighter of some distinction. Curious that he was unable to hand/eye his TV punches given his alledged level of practice and training.

Then there was earlier this year when they dusted Conrad off for some charity box-off against another geriatric. Conrad, in his 70's bragged about how he was going to route some 62 year-old "tough guy"....but added "I'll beat him but I'll respect him....I'll respect him".

There were a few more Conrad-generated tales from the late-60's and one from his "High Mountain Rangers" days....but I think the point has been made.

Don't get me wrong, Bob may be "tough" in some circles, but his mouth is what REALLy creates the perception.

Amusing guy.

 

[Chrisisall]

Yeah, Conrad played it, no doubt. Still, the battery thing was funny IMO.