Are you sure about that?
William Shatner’s Finest TOS Performance?
- Thread starter Spock's Barber
- Start date
I just re-watched The Trouble with Tribbles and was really impressed with Shatner's comedic timing and facial expressions.
That's hilarious.
Incidentally, I love how, in The Doomsday Machine gif, his hair is unsettled, befitting someone who just suffered a near-death experience, then ran up to the bridge from the transporter room.
Here's the full text:
"Sea-Fever"
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
By John Masefield (1878-1967).
Kirk: "All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.""
McCoy: Melville.
Spock: John Masefield.
McCoy: Are you sure about that?
Spock: I am well versed in the classics, Doctor
McCoy: Then how come you don't know Row, Row, Row Your Boat?
(Great joy and gratitude to those that played along.)
McCoy: Melville.
Spock: John Masefield.
McCoy: Are you sure about that?
Spock: I am well versed in the classics, Doctor
McCoy: Then how come you don't know Row, Row, Row Your Boat?
(Great joy and gratitude to those that played along.)
Probably because it's a sexist story, that makes sexist insinuations about Starfleet, that can only be justified by assuming that Lester is a far more complete and utter nutjob than anybody was thinking at the time.
And I'd say that Shatner's and Smith's performances, particularly when in each other's characters, were about the only things that saved it.
Or the lament of a frustrated programmer:
I must go down to the 'C' again, to the loony 'C,' and cry!
Great joy.....and gratitude.
I think his ‘finest’ performance is going to be ‘The City on the Edge of Forever’. His performance of knowing that she had to die and having the strength to allow it was masterful.
If they performed like this in the series, Star Trek would have a laugh track
I don't recall a laugh track on Tribbles or A Piece of the Action. Although if you listen really closely you can actually hear Roddenberry scowling.
I'm going with The Devil In The Dark for the famous reason that Bill heard in the middle of the shoot his father died. He finished up that day's work. We know they were shooting cave scenes that afternoon. Sometimes I think I can detect moments where he's slightly off his game, but really, I can't. We've heard from Eddie Paskey that one of scenes shot was Kirk's conversation with the two security guards. If so, I can't see any extra emotional weight on Bill there.
The Devil In The Dark is one of my favorite TOS episodes, even before knew about its backstory.
The Devil In The Dark is one of my favorite TOS episodes, even before knew about its backstory.
Supposedly after Shatner left the set they filmed some scenes with a Kirk double. I’m not sure but I think this is one shot….
"And all I ask is a tall ship, a star to steer her by, a windy day with the white clouds flying, a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover..."
"Jeez, you don't want much, do you."
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