Did you ever have one of those days where you just want to say "Beam me up, Scottie. No intelligent life here!" Maybe you watch the news and feel as if you want to respond (in a deep voice, of course) "That is not logical." If so, you might be a Star Trek fan!
Star Trek was first shown on TV in 1966 and was only on for three seasons but became quite popular when it was shown in syndication. Gene Roddenberry was the creator behind the series and I have read that he was inspired by "Horation Hornblower", Gulliver's Travels" and the TV Western "Wagon Train." Might I suggest that he also might have been influenced by a film called "The Gallant Hours"? Have you ever seen it? It is a film with James Cagney playing the part of Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr. (He is most well known as Admiral "Bull" Halsey, ) As I watched this film, with the magnificent Jimmy Cagney playing the Admiral interacting with his crew...I had a strong sense of deja vu. It was very much like Captain Kirk on the Starship Enterprise! Wait...wasn't Gene Roddenberry in World War II? And wasn't he in the South Pacific? I looked it up and yes, he served there in the war...
I do wonder if it could be possible that he also liked "The Gallant Hours" as much as I did and maybe, this film might have given the idea to the characters that he created. When I say to you that it is an unusual war movie, not really any big war scenes to speak of...rather it is the people that you remember. (And the music, the soundtrack is unusual but most effective.) Oh dear, I hope I am explaining this to you properly! You see, Star Trek is that way...the old TV series had the funniest old fake rocks and laughable special effects but it was the characters and the stories that you remembered. It was so wonderful to think of the crew from different countries (and even different planets!) and all still getting along. (Well, most of the time anyway!)
Did you know that the actress who played the communications officer, Lt. Uhura, felt that she was thinking about leaving the show in order to concentrate on her singing career? She didn't because Martin Luther King, Jr. contacted her and told her to to stay right where she was...it was that important for the American public to see a character like hers, a person of color, in one of the few non-stereotypical roles on TV at that time.
How many ears does Captain Kirk have?
He has 3...the left ear, the right ear...and the final front ear! (Frontier)
I am sure that you are wondering what song will I choose to go with this post...and you might think that I will give you the "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" song by Paul McCartney but NO! That would be too obvious! By coincidence, I was singing a song this weekend...it just popped into my head and a jolly good song it is too. "Only You" by the Platters. (Please click on the link and listen to it! It is marvelous!) The lead singer is Tony Williams and I looked him up...it just so happens that he was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. When I was looking up the background on Admiral Halsey, can you believe it...he was also born in Elizabeth, New Jersey! Doesn't make a bit a difference really, but if you look for them, you can always find connections, lives interwoven with other lives in the smallest of ways.
Oh! And just thought of telling you this...so funny to me...the actor who played the doctor on Star Trek, DeForrest Kelley? HE was born in Toccoa, GA and lived in Conyers, GA! (Just like me, if you notice.) See, we are all connected, I tell ya...if you don't think so, give me a minute and I will find it for you, you know I will.
Now, I hope that you will search out "The Gallant Hours" and then, that you will ponder my great wisdom from my years of watching TV! For the wonderful fans of Star Trek (I am thinking of you, Meike!) I wish that I could have written a bit more eloquently about a TV show that is near and dear to your heart.
Hope you are all doing well. I have a sunflower just now as my header photo. Not sure about you but I felt the need for it!
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER! (Can you do the Vulcan salute? You know I can.)
I've been a Star Trek fan since I was 9 years old and saw the original TV series which began airing in 1966! It was a great source of pride to us in Canada that both William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and James Doohan (Scotty) were Canadian actors! It remains my favourite sci-fi franchise. Keep your Star Wars! There's no comparison!
ReplyDeleteI must admit, I was one of those who only found the show in syndication. Must have been something else on in 1966 on a different channel! I like Star Wars too but only the first one, I could never get into all those other ones!
DeleteI never saw the movie The Gallant... was movie don't you know. I do love the Platters though.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should know and love the Platters! Don't know if you saw the clip, but I wanted those people at the tables to shut up and listen to the great singers!
Delete...and my birthday is on the 22nd of March, like William Shatner's :-)
ReplyDeleteStar Trek have started a new series not that long ago. I lost interest in them a few years ago, but when I heard that the new captain was Jason Isaacs, I thought I should check the new series out... will do some time!
Jason Isaacs, I really like that actor! I really only like the original series, it is a classic.
DeleteWilliam Shatner and you have the same birthday! Aye, aye, Captain! :-)
Ah, I remember the Platters, and this song - it is a beauty! We used to watch Star Trek, in fact I was surprised to see it only had 3 seasons. We still say Beam me up Scottie sometimes :) As always, so much interesting information in your post. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat! I have been having a stressful week and I felt like cheering myself up, so I wanted to do my post about Star Trek! Happy 2019 to you too!
DeleteStar Trek was amazing in its hope for the future, and i always enjoyed the Platters.
ReplyDeleteYes, there was always an optimism about it. We need that now, more than ever.
DeleteIt's me...mostly know as 'ma' here commenting anonymously. But glad I can still comment at all. Those were the good old days with Star Trek and the Platters, bot a favorite of mine. So good to see your Sunflower reminding us it will not always be winter.
ReplyDeleteThe sun will shine again and the sunflowers will turn their faces to it!
DeleteWe are all serious Star Trek fans here. (I'll have to share that joke with my son.) Thank you for recommending that movie. Perhaps I can find it on amazon prime...Connections are so important to us, humans, aren't they. They are somehow reassuring. How fun that the Doc was from your home area. I hope your health is improving, Kay! Be well!
ReplyDeletePlease let me know what you think of "The Gallant Hours". It is such an interesting film and as I said, I do wonder if Gene Roddenberry might have been influenced by it.
DeleteThanks for your well wishes, I appreciate it more than you know. x
I never watched the TV series, but I liked the new reboot of movies.
ReplyDeleteYou should see some of those old shows! They are quite good and hold up very well, even with the fake rocks!
DeleteI never got to become a fan of "Star Trek"...I probably have only every watched one or two episodes.
ReplyDeleteSimilar applies to the "Star Wars" franchise.
I may have seen "The Gallant Hours" way back when, but I can't recall it at all.
I do still love the music of The Platters...how wonderful they were.
Ah, The Platters! I hope you saw the clip that I have here of them! The sound quality is good and it is just a great song.
DeleteI seem to recall W.S. was deliberately channelling JFK for that first series as that was also who the writer had in mind as a charismatic leader. W.S. also made a series called Barbary Coast shortly after Star Trek which was not bad but it never caught the public's imagination in the same way. I remember watching it. The original Star Trek Series is on here in the UK every week at the moment. Old hero types never die.
ReplyDeleteThat is great that they are showing the old Star Trek series! You Brits have such good taste!
DeleteI do love your sunflower! It gives me hope that after this big snow storm we're having is long gone I'll see sunflowers again! With all those connections it reminds me of the saying: 6 degrees of separations. Somehow I think we are all connected somewhere in time! I loved Star Trek but actually became a fan after the series was over and in reruns. Go figure!
ReplyDeleteYes, I do remember the 6 degrees of separation...and of course, I am remembering that your brother lives near me...there is that connection, you see!!
DeleteLike you, I only watched Star Trek in re-runs...my little brother was the one who got us watching it, it must have been sometime in the early 70's! xx
I loved this post, Kay! I was and am such a Trekkie. I watched the original series before syndication. I was at Acadia University, and twenty or so girls would pile into the tv room and watch it on a small black and white screen. The show was revolutionary at its time because of its inclusion of different human races and the parts women played. It even had a Russian! And it dealt with deeper themes. I was sad when it was cancelled. When the first Star Trek movie came out, I cried with happiness in the theatre. I hope that you, Richard, and Christopher had a great start to the new year. We are home again, and except for a short trip to Vegas, we're going to be home for a bit. Take care!
ReplyDeleteLouise, thank you for this comment and I also wish you a happy 2019! Funny thing, I remember reading that in the early days of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry called the fans "trekkers"- they corrected him and told him they were "trekkies". Say what? He created these characters, I would have changed it to TREKKERS on the spot! My friend, I have had some trying times lately, so your comment here is so welcome. Hugs to you! Stay warm!
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