William Shatner’s Finest TOS Performance?

[InLoveWithJimKirk]

Great responses on this topic. I agree with most of them and would be hard-pressed to choose a first place contender. I often think on subsequent rewatches that these famous scenes and speeches of Kirk aren't accurately rendered in clips and in small excerpts out of context. In "Return to Tomorrow," the intensity of "risk is our business" makes more sense if you understand (or buy into) the conceit of the episode: the potential dangers they faced and the tremendous trust Kirk was placing in these alien beings by allowing his and others' bodies to be completely occupied by a force against which humans had no control. He has to convince his own command team to agree with him -- Kirk even states that ALL must agree or none would participate (this is a detail I didn't notice until I was older, for some reason). Bones appears completely opposed and presents solid arguments against the whole idea; Scotty seems doubtful: even Spock seems more reticent than usual about the whole thing. Until the speech, of course.

In addition to all the great TOS episodes and scenes cited in earlier posts, let me add one other that I have recently grown to appreciate: during "Amok Time," Kirk/Shatner's confrontation and conversation with Spock in his quarters is masterful. The tension between the two is palpable. Kirk shows restraint and respect for Spock's sensibilities by choosing his words carefully and inquiring delicately... Shatner delivers such a convincing performance as someone holding back on his own natural impulses to help, to fix, to understand, to solve the problem for his friend. There is purposeful use of eyes contact, hand and body position, and precise physical movements that mirror the content of their uncomfortable conversation. And Shatner and Nimoy play off each other so well... we must acknowledge that Shatner's great moments often occur opposite Nimoy, whose own performances in TOS continue to amaze me.

 

[willa6276m]

...And Shatner and Nimoy play off each other so well... we must acknowledge that Shatner's great moments often occur opposite Nimoy, whose own performances in TOS continue to amaze me.

Shatner's main scene partner is Nimoy. So in general Shatner's moments occur opposite Nimoy. Not just the great moments.

And I think Shatner's style and energy influenced Nimoy's portrayal of his character. Not the other way around. Shatner nailed his Kirk character in his first episode WNMHGB. He was already perfect. Whereas Nimoy took a few episodes to carve out his Spock character, to get him to stop smiling and stop yelling, and portray him as intellectually curious with a scientific mindset. That evolution is largely attributable to Shatner's vitality, warmth and charisma as Kirk.

As Leonard Nimoy said:

"I didn’t know where I was with Jeff Hunter. I was floundering when working with him. Jeff was playing Captain Pike as a very thoughtful, kind of worried, kind of angst-ridden nice guy thinking his way through a problem, and I, as Spock, couldn’t find a space....

[Bill] brought with him a great deal of zest and passion. [His] Captain Kirk was a swashbuckling Errol Flynn type of hero; he played the role with a great deal of energy and élan, and wasn’t afraid to take chances....

That energy was vital for the show and made it possible for me to finally find a niche for my role.”

Kirk shaped Spock. Spock didn't shape Kirk. Kirk/Shatner was the nucleus.

 

[mb22]

Spock in The Cage was not Pike's second in command and didn't really have much to do with the captain other than barking out information and asking if they should head to Talos IV after "getting" the distress signal. While Roddenberry may have had plans to feature Spock more prominently in further episodes, I don't understand how Nimoy got second billing among the regular supporting cast in The Cage, as Spock has less to do with the plot than does Boyce, Number One and Colt. Did he have a good agent?

Calling Maurice...

 

[flyerdog]

I Would say "Tribbles". everyone knows how hard comedy is, but he manages to incorporate comedy while still being Captain Kirk. They didn't have to make him do pratfalls and slapstick, (slipping on banana peels or mallets to the head ala three stooges etc...)
this is also a testament to the writing for that episode.

 

[willa6276m]

I Would say "Tribbles". everyone knows how hard comedy is, but he manages to incorporate comedy while still being Captain Kirk. .... So I'll cheat and select two scenes: one a comedy and one a drama, to show some of Shatner's range.

Impossible but fun assignment. So I'll cheat and select two scenes: one a comedy and one a drama, to show some of Shatner's range.

The comedy scene is from The Trouble with Tribbles: Who threw the first punch?! It's brilliant. Both Shatner and Doohan are hilarious.

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I doubt that Roddenberry and company considered whether or not Shatner could do comedy when they cast him as captain. I assume they simply sought a studly dramatic action hero. Which they got.

They lucked out when his acting range became apparent, and his comic skills became useful.

The dramatic scene is from The Galileo Seven, which is an episode I dislike because there isn't enough Shatner. But this one moment is so strong. It's mostly without dialogue too.

Near the end when the shuttle is burning up and Kirk is trying to beam the occupants onto the Enterprise:

UHURA: Transporters locked in, sir.
KIRK: Activate beams.
(Our last view inside Galileo is of lots of smoke, then transporter beams)
SULU: Whatever it was, Captain, it just burned up in the atmosphere.
UHURA: Captain, transporter room just beamed up five persons.
[Suspenseful pause.]
Alive and well.

There's a long silence during which Kirk is absorbing the news and collecting himself, then he has trouble talking. His breathing, facial expression, voice (or lack of) says it all. He finally manages to squeak out the following:

KIRK: Mister Sulu, proceed on course to Makus Three. Ahead warp factor one.

The camera lingers on his face. Again, very little dialogue. Just the camera and Shatner. The perfect Kirk.

 

[flyerdog]

Shatner does comedy very well..sometimes it's expansive like Tribbles, but often times it's just one line...like in

Shore Leave: " I DID enjoy it!" his reponse to Spock asking him if he enjoyed fighting Finnegan (it's all in the delivery)

The Naked time: "Sulu, put that.....(feels the sharp point)...PUT THAT THING AWAY!!" (again delivery)

Enterprise Incident: "You are due is sickbay unless you want to spend the rest of your life looking like your first officer..."
(touches ear)..."I'm on my way!!!"

or more elongated scenes like Tribbles, City on the Edge, and The Apple

that's a rare skill when you think about it....It seems to be that the best comedians can do drama (like Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams)

but dramatic actors can't necessarily do comedy well....

David Ogden Stiers once said : "Dying is hard, comedy is harder"

 

[Ssosmcin]

One of my favorites is in The Omega Glory. After Kirk spent the night in a cell fighting Cloud William, got hit in the head really hard with a metal bar, was unconscious for hours, escaped and made his way back to the lab, he's greeted by a fresh and chipper Bones.

McCoy: "Good morning, Jim."
Kirk: (incredulous) "Good morning?"

And a split second later, Spock is into his line. It's so fast it's easily missed, but I find it a terrific example of the character humor Star Trek does so well.

 

[Phaser Two]

Shatner does comedy very well..sometimes it's expansive like Tribbles, but often times it's just one line...like in

Shore Leave: " I DID enjoy it!" his reponse to Spock asking him if he enjoyed fighting Finnegan (it's all in the delivery)

The Naked time: "Sulu, put that.....(feels the sharp point)...PUT THAT THING AWAY!!" (again delivery)

Enterprise Incident: "You are due is sickbay unless you want to spend the rest of your life looking like your first officer..."
(touches ear)..."I'm on my way!!!"

or more elongated scenes like Tribbles, City on the Edge, and The Apple

that's a rare skill when you think about it....It seems to be that the best comedians can do drama (like Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams)

but dramatic actors can't necessarily do comedy well....

David Ogden Stiers once said : "Dying is hard, comedy is harder"

Great post. Another example, just a bit longer than one line—Kirk's entire interaction with Col. Fellini in "Tomorrow Is Yesterday." The closed-eye flinch at the phaser toss is terrific.