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How Did Deforest Kelley Make A Living During the 70s?

In a related note, I remember reading a bio piece on Shatner that said TOS allowed him to buy a sports car. After TOS, he wound up LIVING in that car for a time, since he couldn't find work.

Somehow that just seems wrong. But that was the Hollywood system back then (no residuals and such as they exist today).


The sad fact is that only Shatner and Nimoy got any real work in the 70's. The reason Shatner got so broke, was because of his very messy divorce. The rest of the cast got so typecast, they barely worked...if at all. I remember Doohan in an episode of THEN CAME BRONSON..but I think that was about it for him!
 
I was just checking on what the others did during that period and IMDB list a show with Takei called "Khan!".:lol:
 
^^^
*chuckle*, wow!

Also I noticed imdb.com showed a sporatic record for De. He did some TV guest roles, etc. Pretty par for the course back in those days.

And I gotta wonder, I know Star Trek gave our actors no residual cheques (bastards!) however De had done so many shows. I think he might have been doing just fine, financially. At a point in his career where he could do what he wanted. He's didn't need to work to pay the rent anymore. I am just speculating though.
 
It's not true that they got NO residuals, just that they only got them for a small number of reruns after which there were no more.
 
It's not true that they got NO residuals, just that they only got them for a small number of reruns after which there were no more.

Standard TV contracts were payments for one play and two repeats. The casts of "Batman" and "Gilligan's Island" laughed hysterically at the thought that that their shows would actually go into a second repeat!

William Shatner fought to get chunky pensions for the TOS cast as part of their salary package for ST V. Cynics would say he was worried the cast might have refused to work with him as director, and this was a tempter. De's payment on ST V guaranteed he'd never have to work again, unless he wanted to.
 
It's not true that they got NO residuals, just that they only got them for a small number of reruns after which there were no more.

Standard TV contracts were payments for one play and two repeats. The casts of "Batman" and "Gilligan's Island" laughed hysterically at the thought that that their shows would actually go into a second repeat!

William Shatner fought to get chunky pensions for the TOS cast as part of their salary package for ST V. Cynics would say he was worried the cast might have refused to work with him as director, and this was a tempter. De's payment on ST V guaranteed he'd never have to work again, unless he wanted to.

I've started to wonder if the shat has gotten an undeserved bad rap in that whole cast feud...
 
I've started to wonder if the shat has gotten an undeserved bad rap in that whole cast feud...

From what I've read, Shatner is one of those types of people that will do you a solid one day and stab you in the back the next and never blink at the difference. Not because he's full of malice or anything, but because he doesn't stop to think about how his behavior sometimes affects others (we've all met people like that...nice guys generally, but once in awhile they just do something that sets you off).

If you want to be cynical about it, this alleged residuals deal in the STV contracts would benefit Shatner as much as the rest of the cast, so even that could be cast in a selfish light.
 
^^^
Actors are selfish? Shocking. :p

Anyho...
I've started to wonder if the shat has gotten an undeserved bad rap in that whole cast feud...

Probably not. :lol:

Sure, they are all friends now. And, back then, were co-workers on a major TV show. Lots of pressure and craziness. I think it's safe to say that Shatner had the prima donna attitude one would expect from a Shakespearean theatre actor come TV star. Not to mention he was not happy with later seasons and got bitchier and bitchier. But I don't find that terrible, one needed a great ego to succeed in that world, I reckon.

I'm not well read on this but I believe that's sorta accurate. Therin would know, but we keep using him as our own Google machine. I feel quilty. :lol:
 
DeForest was regular on the Creation Convention list in Los Angles, Los Vegas, and even Atlanta. Creation, pays good for a weekend performance, or did anyway.
 
I tend to think of Shat as one who often does the 'right' thing, even if for the 'wrong' reason, but will also do the wrong thing for the wrong reason too.

It's nice to hear that he got those pensions for STV. Were the pensions based on residuals from TOS, or... what?
 
I wonder how much of the crew's time was spent on stage when they weren't on TV or film. I know a good bunch of the TNG crew went down that route, with Stewart being the most popular and acclaimed example. McFadden became a professor of theatre at USC, which ain't too shabby.
 
In a related note, I remember reading a bio piece on Shatner that said TOS allowed him to buy a sports car. After TOS, he wound up LIVING in that car for a time, since he couldn't find work.

Somehow that just seems wrong. But that was the Hollywood system back then (no residuals and such as they exist today).

he lived in a trailer he hitched to the car, I suppose. there's a rather sweet story about a little boy who came visiting when he was parked somewhere. the boy thought he was Captain Kirk and Shatner showed him around the trailer pretending the appliances were from the Enterprise.
 
Yeah, I remember Shatner writing about how after Trek he lived out of the trailer going around looking for work and performing where he could.
 
Ah, "Night of the Lepus!"
That's a deathless classic! My friends and I watch it every Easter weekend (along with "Midnight" which is a fairly nasty li'l low budget horror flick).
Seriously.
Night of the Lepus is far and away the single best Giant Killer Bunny Eco-Horror Film Ever Made! In the '70's. That starred a former cast member from Star Trek. just to be sure.

Hey man, it starred Rory Calhoun! Rory Freakin' Calhoun!
what more could a fan want from a giant killer bunny movie?
oh boy.
 
I've been wanting to read that book. Is it worth the Amazon.com visit?

Joe

You should rent it from the Library before purchasing...we don't want Kelly's wife or aires collecting any unnecessary checks now do we?
Heirs. :rolleyes:

^^^
Spelling Nazi. :rolleyes:

See, it's the eye rolling that irks. :p

Got to agree with Picard on that one. The eye rolling is merited because there is not even an effort being made. That's what irks. Seriously, as an adult, does that even look right? There are plenty of online spellcheckers and sites to refer to.

On to the subject at hand:

Answer: Porn.

I have proof.
 
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