I thought William Windom was fantastic as Commodore Decker in 'Doomsday Machine'. He had many of the same qualities as Kirk. Do you think Windom could have been cast as Kirk if Shatner wasn't available in 1966?
Commodore Decker as Kirk
- Thread starter Spock's Barber
- Start date
I don't think he'd have been cast, but I do know that it was always very deliberate when they presented us with alternative COs that they all had something of the Kirk-like about them. I recall somebody, maybe even Roddenberry himself, saying that all those "officers gone wrong" were supposed to make the viewer think, there but for the grace of God goes Kirk. Indeed, in 'Obsession' Kirk himself is portrayed in just such a light.
Interesting. I can visualize Windom as Kirk, but I still have trouble seeing either Jack Lord or Lloyd Bridges in the command chair of the Enterprise.
Definitely something to that. I loved the clash of wills between Kirk and Ron Tracey in "The Omega Glory", culminating in a donnybrook in which not only does Tracey kick Kirk's ass, he finishes him off with a couple of old school TOS judo chops. Good stuff right there!
Come to think of it, same thing with Decker and the security guard in the corridor right before he stole the shuttle in "The Doomsday Machine." How can old man Decker kick that young stud's ass? BECAUSE HE'S THE F'N CAPTAIN!
That's what I really used to like about TOS.
That fight scene always makes me laugh! I love it!
JB
JB
I believe Decker was written for a different actor in mind, but I'm not sure I remember who. Robert Ryan, I think? 
Anyway, he wasn't available, which is when William Windom was cast instead. They softened the character in rewrites to fit better with Windom, the original characterization was less sad and more ruthless (which is a little more what they went for with Ron Tracey.)
Anyway, he wasn't available, which is when William Windom was cast instead. They softened the character in rewrites to fit better with Windom, the original characterization was less sad and more ruthless (which is a little more what they went for with Ron Tracey.)
Windom was great as Decker and I can't think of anyone who could have been better!
JB
JB
I wonder...if the writer had somehow thrown in a fight scene between Decker and Kirk, who would have won?
I wonder...if the writer had somehow thrown in a fight scene between Decker and Kirk, who would have won?
Theoretically, Decker was the commodore so he should have won- using an old school TOS judo chop!
Theoretically, Decker was the commodore so he should have won- using an old school TOS judo chop!
...but Kirk has that patented flying jump kick that sometimes works and other times sends him flopping to the deck.
...but Kirk has that patented flying jump kick that sometimes works and other times sends him flopping to the deck.
I know. When it's too close to call you have to go by rank based on canon. That's why it was Kirk who whipped the Gorn. Anyone else would have gotten squished like a bug. There's a cool demotivator about that one floating around there that everyone has probably already seen; I don't currently have it on my photobucket and can't be bothered right now.
I tried the patented Kirk flying drop kick once and it worked pretty good. Next time, if there is a next time, who knows how it will turn out.
One of the big differences between Shatner and Windom was that Shatner looked youthful while Windom looked like a tired middle aged man. I suppose Windom could have acted energetic and charismatic like Shatner did, but Windom would still have looked like a middle aged captain. The youthfulness of Shatner added to Kirk's dynamic persona.
I wonder if the TMP character Will Decker was suppose to be in any way related to Commodore Decker.
Wasn't he a bit too old for the role?
IIRC Will Decker was supposed to be his son.
He is actually identified as such in the novelization. While it is not considered canon, Roddenberry wrote it (supposedly ghosted by Alan Dean Foster), and as such, it is something Roddenberry intended to be canon.
And that means that father and son both ended devoured by a cataclysmic entity.
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