Marvin Chomsky R.I.P.

[Grant]

Original series director Marvin Chomsky has passed away. I believe that leaves RalphSenensky as the last living original series director. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_J._Chomsky

 

[Turtletrekker]

RIP, sir.

 

[J.T.B.]

Sorry to hear. "Day of the Dove" and "All Our Yesterdays" offset "Children."

I believe that leaves RalphSenensky as the last living original series director. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Robert Butler is also living.

 

[Grant]

Right! I just did a quick check and he's live and Kickin at 94! The first director who ever directed anything Star Trek back in 1964 is still around. And Ralph Senensky is 98.

 

[Grant]

Sorry to hear. "Day of the Dove" and "All Our Yesterdays" offset "Children."

You're not wrong. He took three strikes looking on "And the Children Shall Lead" but he came back strong with the other two

 

[Ronald Held]

RIP.

 

[Spock's Barber]

RIP, sir. Now you’re free to roam the stars!

 

[Phaser Two]

RIP. He was very talented. The problems with And the Children Shall Lead result from dialogue and plotting choices, Enterprise seizure fatigue, costuming, and Shatner's misplay of Kirk's two freakouts. With the possible exception of the unfortunate mind control hand gesture and honk, the direction is actually pretty tight and appropriately boosts the horror aspects of the story, which are often quite effective.

Day of the Dove is a masterpiece of direction including several very effective action sequences. All Our Yesterdays was quieter and probably easier to direct but Chomsky certainly got great performances from the Ice Age trio.

Rest well, sir.

 

[Grant]

Yeah not sure Orsen Wells or Hitchcock could have made a good episode out of the "Children" script

 

[J.T.B.]

RIP. He was very talented. The problems with And the Children Shall Lead result from dialogue and plotting choices, Enterprise seizure fatigue, costuming, and Shatner's misplay of Kirk's two freakouts. With the possible exception of the unfortunate mind control hand gesture and honk, the direction is actually pretty tight and appropriately boosts the horror aspects of the story, which are often quite effective.

Good points, he did well with what he had to work with.

 

[Grant]

I'll bet when they asked him back to direct day of the dove he asked to read the script before he agreed.

 

[Koloth TOS]

Yeah not sure Orsen Wells or Hitchcock could have made a good episode out of the "Children" script

Orson Welles, please!

 

[FormerLurker]

the unfortunate mind control hand gesture

Supposed to look like swinging a hammer...

...but it doesn't.

 

[Talos IV]

RIP. He was very talented. The problems with And the Children Shall Lead result from dialogue and plotting choices, Enterprise seizure fatigue, costuming, and Shatner's misplay of Kirk's two freakouts. With the possible exception of the unfortunate mind control hand gesture and honk, the direction is actually pretty tight and appropriately boosts the horror aspects of the story, which are often quite effective.

As much as I hate "And the Children Shall Lead " (it's really beneath atrocious), I always thought that camera shot of Sulu adjusting the controls was rather nice. A close-up we don't usually see.

 

[Phaser Two]

As much as I hate "And the Children Shall Lead " (it's really beneath atrocious), I always thought that camera shot of Sulu adjusting the controls was rather nice. A close-up we don't usually see.

Very well said. I've detailed in many other posts why I like S3 so much, but one of the reasons - exemplified by what you mentioned - is that the season shows so much of the Enterprise. That led to directors like Mr. Chomsky getting creative with shots of many areas of the ship, the bridge included.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Year two used Marc Daniels and Joe Pevney for a great deal of it. So when you use the same guys ween in and week out, there's an efficiency along with a sameness. Year three had some very imaginative direction, some successful, some not but it really gave life to lesser episodes. I loved those latter two of three Chomsky episodes. While new guys couldn't control Shatner as well as the more veteran directors could (Daniels and Pevney might have reigned him in for Children), the show still had some visual ingenuity.

Chomsky's better two episodes involved characters who would go on to be favorites in fandom. Not bad for a year most fans piss on.

Godspeed, Mr. Chomsky. Thanks for adding to my childhood.

 

[publiusr]

Cousin to Noam…