Trek guest actors in maybe surprising roles

[Greg Cox]

Running on COMET TV these days: BLOOD BATH, a 1966 horror movie starring William Campbell ("Koloth," "Trelane") as a murderous artist who is possessed by the vampiric spirit of his undead ancestor . . . or something like that.

The movie has an unusually muddled and convoluted production history, detailed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Bath

 

[FormerLurker]

As long as we're talking about William Campbell, and not that other guy that Disney got in trouble for crediting him as William Campbell in some movie about a hero wearing a jetpack and fighting Nazis. You'd think he was also on Star Trek or something.

 

[Greg Cox]

James Jones, James Earl Jones, Jim Jones.....whaddayagonnado?
The ''true'' William Campbell helped out Coppola with DEMENTIA 13 as the evil lead.

He also pops up playing a cop in Roddenberry's PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW.

 

[Christopher]

He also pops up playing a cop in Roddenberry's PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW.

As does James Doohan, IIRC.

 

[Greg Cox]

As does James Doohan, IIRC.

Yep.

 

[johnnybear]

Pretty Maids was a great film! Shame that no company has ever released Spectre with Robert Culp!
JB

 

[Christopher]

Pretty Maids was a great film!

Honestly, when I tried watching it a second time, I couldn't get through it. It's got its... attractions... but a lot about its story and sexual attitudes is rather disturbing, and the young male lead is deeply unpleasant.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Pretty Maids was a great film! Shame that no company has ever released Spectre with Robert Culp!
JB

Spectre was my favorite non Trek Roddenberry production.

 

[Christopher]

Spectre was my favorite non Trek Roddenberry production.

The idea of a Holmes-like supernatural detective had promise, and Robert Culp did a terrific job as usual. But Gig Young really dragged it down, lacking the kind of chemistry with Culp that Shatner had with Nimoy or The Questor Tapes‘ Mike Farrell had with Robert Foxworth. And imagine the problems if Spectre had gone to series. Not only was Young unreliable due to his heavy alcoholism, but a year after the pilot was made, he killed himself and his new wife for reasons that were never understood. Which makes him creepier to watch than the Satanist villains.

The Roddenberry preoccupation with sex got a little tedious too. It’s odd that in both Spectre and Pretty Maids All in a Row, Roddenberry portrays characters who are as licentious as promiscuous as himself as villainous figures. Was that just the only way he could sneak such things past the censors, or did it reflect some ambivalence about his own proclivities?

My own favorite non-Trek Roddenberry production is The Questor Tapes. Which is probably because it's the only one that Gene L. Coon worked on.

 

[johnnybear]

I never realised that Gig Young killed himself and his wife? I did hear that he encouraged a male rape or something in a sauna at Rock Hudson's house in the seventies though! Not sure how true that is!
JB

 

[Nerys Myk]

I suppose if they went to series on Spectre, they could have recast. I thought the chemistry between Culp and Young was fine. Sorry to hear Young's demons got the best of him.

 

[Forbin]

This week's It Takes a Thief, "The Beautiful People", featured Teri Garr reprising her role as an adorable tourist who keeps running into Al. This time it's on Capri, in an episode shot on location. So far the first 3 eps of the 3rd season have been shot in Italy, not sure if that will continue. One downer is that they've dropped Malachai Throne this season, replacing him with a bunch of nameless supervisors who Al only talks to on the phone. Despite the exotic locations, this season doesn't seem to be as well written or produced as the first two.

On with the adorableness:

And I've probably mentioned this before (but I'm old and forgetful), but Teri grew up in my home town. Here's a picture of her in her youth, hanging out with the local kids, two of whom are my cousins. Teri's on the left:

 

[HGN2001]

Cute Teri Garr short film, with her dancing on the streets of Hollywood, made before her fame:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Harry

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Honestly, when I tried watching [Pretty Maids] a second time, I couldn't get through it. It's got its... attractions... but a lot about its story and sexual attitudes is rather disturbing, and the young male lead is deeply unpleasant.

Yeah, I can see that. I got a kick out of it, as I didn't take it too seriously, but man! What a bizarre film.

It’s odd that in both Spectre and Pretty Maids All in a Row, Roddenberry portrays characters who are as licentious as promiscuous as himself as villainous figures. Was that just the only way he could sneak such things past the censors, or did it reflect some ambivalence about his own proclivities?

I said this on another thread here recently (I forget which one now), but one of the strangest things about PMAIAR for me was the weird subtext of, "Oh, if only society were more tolerant of teachers and guidance counselors having sex with high school students, poor Rock Hudson wouldn't be driven to murder all those people!" It's just... Really, Gene? That's who your sympathies are with here?

I haven't tried watching it a second time yet. Maybe the next time it pops up on TCM...

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Watching The Godfather trilogy, I just noticed that Marianna Hill (i.e. Helen Noel) portrayed the loose Mrs. Fredo Corleone. (Yes, Fredo was pretty loose and stupid himself).

 

[Forbin]

More adorableness!

 

[The Old Mixer]

This Saturday night Me-TV will be playing the episode of The Incredible Hulk that guest-stars Sherry Jackson.

 

[Kahless the Unforgettable]

I'm not sure if it counts, but I found a huge smile on my face when I started noticing how many members of the TNG cast showed up as voice actors for the old Gargoyles animated show.

 

[Forbin]

It would count in a TNG thread, but this is a TOS thread.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I probably touched upon this upthread, but the 1960s Tarzan show that H&I has been showing on Saturday mornings...I don't think I've seen a single episode that didn't have at least one TOS guest actor in it...and there's often more than one.

This morning's ensemble included William Marshall, Harry Townes, and noteworthy non-TOS guest Ethel Merman.

ETA: Also, Roger C. Carmel fans may be interested to know that this weekend's Decades Binge is The Mothers-in-Law.