Gene Roddenberry's Voice

[Ssosmcin]

Back in the mid-80's, when Trek was getting it's second wind and TNG was revving up, Gene could be seen on TV, videos and even the Star Trek Adventure for Paramount Parks. The first time I actually saw him was for the intro the The Cage VHS tape. He struck me as a really awkward person, who did not have a powerful voice. He seemed breathy and stood unsteadily.

Now, obviously, this was in the last 5 or 6 years of his life and he was already in poor health, so that most likely accounts for a great deal of this. I wanna ask those of you who saw him doing presentations at conventions and universities before he was afflicted, was he much different back then? I'm very interested to know if he was this inspiring, powerful guy when he was still doing well. Or was he really still kind of awkward?

Just wondering. I've never seen vid of him from the 60's or 70's.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

We did hear Gene's voice in an episode of TOS: "Charlie X". Gene was the voice of the Enterprise chef. He called up to the bridge after all of the hams he was cooking in the oven had mysteriously turned into turkeys (as was Charlie's doing, it turned out).

 

[perigee]

Back in the seventies he was a relatively burly guy, never exactly the voice of Charlton Heston, but articulate in that "Guy next door" kind of way.

Dig up a copy of a recording of "Inside Star Trek" - a record from the mid seventies. As I remember it, there are two tracks on it culled from con appearances.

EDIT: Try this...

 

[Islander]

Trekkies were always considered awkward, Gene INVENTED Trek; what do you think?

 

[barnaclelapse]

He seemed to have a pretty casual, easygoing kind of tone.

Then again, I think all I've ever heard are old recordings from the 70's. I don't think I ever heard anything from near to the end of his life.