Lloyd Bridges KIRK/McGarrett

[RobertScorpio]

JUST last night I watched oldBSG's "THE LIVING LEGEND." Oh, I love the scene with Baltar is about to deal the Galactica a final death blow, and the cylon pilot says "Sir, I think you better look at the other Battlestar"..the look on Colico's face is priceless....almost like Khan's "Over-ride..where's the over ride"...

Lloyd Bridges gives a great performance as Cain (and yes, I prefer his Cain over Ro'Larens attempt). And I got to wondering, what would Bridges version of Kirk been like? Would he have taken more towards a military angle? Lloyd Bridgs, IMO, was always a good actor. Subtle when he had to be, over-the-top when called upon.

Its also a little known fact that he was not only up for the role Kirk, but was also set to take over Jack Lord's spot as star of HAWAII FIVE-0 when Lord was 'teasing' to leave after season five of that show...all three men, Kirk, Bridges and Lord were all up for Kirk....

Small world huh???

 

[Captain Robert April]

Well, to be persnickety, when Jack Lord and Lloyd Bridges were offered the part, the name was still Robert April, as it was when Jeff Hunter was signed. It didn't ultimately land on Christopher Pike until sometime later.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Well, to be persnickety, when Jack Lord and Lloyd Bridges were offered the part, the name was still Robert April, as it was when Jeff Hunter was signed. It didn't ultimately land on Christopher Pike until sometime later.

To be even more persnickety, Lloyd Bridges was approached for the part of Robert April/James Winter/Chris Pike before Hunter was cast. When Hunter departed from the project, Jack Lord was offered the role of the to-be-renamed captain but he wanted a percentage of the show and ownership, which did not please Roddenberry or Desilu. Finally, William Shatner was brought in for the role of James R. Kirk, later James T. Kirk

And in an alternate universe, actor John "Jack" Kennedy as Captain Jack Logan replaced Shatner/Kirk in the third season of the show.

 

[Hambone]

...Jack Lord was offered the role of the to-be-renamed captain but he wanted a percentage of the show and ownership, which did not please Roddenberry or Desilu.

I read that Shatner also negotiated for a percentage of the show, and this time Desilu gave in.

 

[RobertScorpio]

and..when Shatner appeared on an episode of HAWAII FIVE-0, Lord was still ticked off...even, at the end of the episode when Shatner's character is taken to McGarrett's office, Jack Lord would not allow both to be in the same screen-shot. I heard this from Ricard Hatch (from BSG) at comicon two years ago.

Rob

 

[Maurice]

^^^That sounds dubious. I mean, Lord landed a successful show, and Star Trek had been a bomb. He oughta have been happy it didn't work out.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Never underestimate an actor's ego.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Never underestimate an actor's ego.

yep...and as bad as shatner's was? Jack Lord was in a league of his own...

Rob

 

[JustKate]

Ugh, I just can't stand him - Jack Lord, I mean. I don't know much about him as a person, except the occasional "what an arrogant jerk!" comment that I've heard here and there (which isn't necessarily expert testimony, I know), but as an actor I just loooooooathe him. If he had been the captain, I never would have become a Star Trek fan. I don't think even Spock would have been enough to reconcile me to the show, and I fell in love with Spock almost at first sight!

 

[RobertScorpio]

Ugh, I just can't stand him - Jack Lord, I mean. I don't know much about him as a person, except the occasional "what an arrogant jerk!" comment that I've heard here and there, but as an actor I just loooooooathe him. If he had been Kirk, I never would have become a Star Trek fan. I don't think even Spock would have been enough to reconcile me to the show, and I fell in love with Spock almost at first sight!

Well... I liked Jack Lord, and I love Hawaii Five-0. And, strangely enough, I could never have seen shatner as Steve McGarrett...but I could have seen Lord as April or pike or Kirk..so go figure..

Rob

 

[JustKate]

I know you do, Rob - at least I assumed so since, if I am remembering correctly, you've used a Hawaii Five-0 avatar from time to time. I'm sorry for my loathing, but I really, really doooooo.

 

[Joel_Kirk]

I do like Jack Lord as Felix Leiter....

 

[Captain Robert April]

Jack Lord wanted a fifty percent stake in the show, which is what blew the deal. Shatner's percentage is considerably lower.

My understanding is that it's not that unusual for the series lead to have a small ownership stake in the show (for one thing, it means they don't have to pay him that much in salary), especially back in those days. It's just the size of Lord's request that's a bit on the extreme side.

 

[Kirk1980]

Yeah, I think Shatner had a ten percent (or less) stake in the show. Still might seem a lot in retrospect or whatnot but much less than fifty.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Jack Lord wanted a fifty percent stake in the show, which is what blew the deal. Shatner's percentage is considerably lower.

My understanding is that it's not that unusual for the series lead to have a small ownership stake in the show (for one thing, it means they don't have to pay him that much in salary), especially back in those days. It's just the size of Lord's request that's a bit on the extreme side.

Yes; I failed to mention the exact amount. Not only did Lord want 50 percent, but co-ownership of the show as well. I don't remember Shatner's exact percent which is mentioned in Inside Star Trek, but I love what was said about it, "[whatever amount] percent of nothing is still nothing."

 

[NickintheATL]

My understanding is that it's not that unusual for the series lead to have a small ownership stake in the show (for one thing, it means they don't have to pay him that much in salary), especially back in those days.

For example: It's rumored that Hugh O'Brian's stake in "Search" (1972-1973) is why the series has never been seen again since the original network run (the pilot was released on VHS years ago.) It's only been seen in foreign syndication since.

But yeah, 50% was too much even to me for Lord to have, were I producing it.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Since Desilu probably already owned a sizable percentage, I could see Roddenberry doing some quick math in his head and seeing himself quickly having no ownership of his own show.

As for Jack Lord, that might very well have been his diplomatic way of saying he didn't want the gig. After all, he'd just been in this James Bond flick that turned out to be a monster hit, and I wouldn't be surprised if the first rumblings of Hawaii Five-O were kicking around by this point, so it's not like he would've been hurting for work.

The two guys they did sign, Hunter and Shatner, were in varying degrees of needing work, with Shatner having a much clearer picture of how desperate his situation really was at that time (makes ya wonder if he's ever gotten over his loathing of fruit salad).

 

[Captain Robert April]

Yeah, I think Shatner had a ten percent (or less) stake in the show. Still might seem a lot in retrospect or whatnot but much less than fifty.

If Shatner hadn't had that stake, whatever the actual percentage, Paramount might still be playing keepaway with Roddenberry's estate, but once Shatner's lawyer teamed up with Roddenberry's resident ambulance chaser, lo and behold, the books suddenly opened, and for the first time ever, Paramount actually had to admit that Star Trek was profitable, and had been for several years, and by golly, they did owe Roddenberry and Shatner and a few other folks some back royalties.

The lesson I learned from this is that Shatner has a much better lawyer than the idiot that Roddenberry hired.

 

[Green Shirt]

Shatner having a much clearer picture of how desperate his situation really was at that time (makes ya wonder if he's ever gotten over his loathing of fruit salad).

But you sure couldn't beat the price. I wonder what 27 cents is nowadays, adjusted for inflation.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Yeah, I think Shatner had a ten percent (or less) stake in the show. Still might seem a lot in retrospect or whatnot but much less than fifty.

If Shatner hadn't had that stake, whatever the actual percentage, Paramount might still be playing keepaway with Roddenberry's estate, but once Shatner's lawyer teamed up with Roddenberry's resident ambulance chaser, lo and behold, the books suddenly opened, and for the first time ever, Paramount actually had to admit that Star Trek was profitable, and had been for several years, and by golly, they did owe Roddenberry and Shatner and a few other folks some back royalties.

The lesson I learned from this is that Shatner has a much better lawyer than the idiot that Roddenberry hired.

Shatner has done quite well. The 70s may have not been to good for him, as he suggests, but once TREK came back, he did too. Hooker, 911 and Boston Legal, as well as movie cameos, turned it around for him and he got what no other Star Trek actor ever got; an emmy. Good for him...

Jack Lord died with an estate worth nearly 75 million..so good for him too...

Rob