Scott Atwell Star Trek Discussion thread (Series and Films) (6 Viewers)

[Nelson Au]

Anyone going to try to guess the names of the TV series these actors were part of the cast of before they were guests on Star Trek?

 

[FanCollector]

I'm skipping Miss Jane Wyatt because I have to believe that someone out there can get her show...Frank Overton was on the TV version of Twelve O'Clock High, whose lead in the first season was Robert Lansing. One of the few QM productions that was not a crime drama of any kind.And speaking of QM Productions, Stephen Brooks was on the first few years of The FBI. Star Trek was probably one of his first roles after leaving that show.

 

[Nelson Au]

Those are correct Lee!I kinda wondered about the cast changes on 12 O'Clock High, it wasn't a show I had seen that much. But I wondered why Lansing wasn't there anymore given Savage was the lead character of the movie the series is based on IIRC.

 

[Nelson Au]

Well, this vintage article might explain why Lansing left 12 O'Clock High and why he chose to accept the role on Star Trek.http://www.bobheffner.com/b17/toh_rl.shtml

 

[FanCollector]

That is the funniest reason for losing a job I have ever heard! I'm traveling now, but I have a good book on QM Productions. When I get home, I will see what the author found about the cast change.

 

[FanCollector]

Michael Ansara rose to fame by playing Cochise in the television version of Broken Arrow.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi Lee! I missed your post today. That's certainly correct, Cochise. Another series I missed seeing.

 

[FanCollector]

Julie Newmar was the titular My Living Doll, in which she played an android who lived with Bob Cummings.According to ALL the sources in Jonathan Etter's book, Robert Lansing was fired from 12 O'Clock High by Quinn Martin. (He did need permission from the studio, which he got when he proposed Paul Burke as a replacement.) The consensus seemed to be that Lansing was always a good actor and usually a nice man, but he was difficult about maintaining a television production. He had a lot of notes about scripts and his character, he insisted on many takes and retakes with directors, and the sound crew had repeated trouble picking up some of his dialogue but he wouldn't speak differently because of how he saw the character. He was not generally confrontational, but he was insistent, and he didn't like Quinn Martin trying to push him to do things he didn't believe in. The staff seemed to disagree among themselves whether firing Lansing was the right decision, but after the fact, everyone including Quinn Martin regretted the choice.

 

[Nelson Au]

My Living Doll is correct! I've never seen that series either.Interesting about what happened with Lancing, and funny how the story was spun about how he felt he was a 10:00pm actor! Those must have been the later days of how the PR would spin a story to make it sound positive. Thanks for posting that Lee!

 

[FanCollector]

It's one of those stories that both parties were probably happy to lie about. Nobody ever minds blaming the network. I have seen some 12 O'Clock High episodes. Nothing wrong with Paul Burke, who was a good actor (watch how much he did with so little on Naked City), but it really was better with Lansing. He just fit the tone of that show, or perhaps he helped create it. I never honestly thought much of his performance on Star Trek, but he could be very good in the right role.

 

[Nelson Au]

I've seen 12 0'Clock High episodes ages ago in syndication, but don't recall the plots or acting much. Maybe they'll pop up on MeTV or Antenna TV. I do watch Streets of San Francisco and Cannon when they show on MeTV. Pretty well done shows.3 more answers. Might as well end it Lee if you know them.

 

[FanCollector]

I think they are on ME TV late at night or on the weekend. Set the DVR or load up on coffee.The Time Tunnel ran concurrently with Star Trek's first season, but predated the appearances of Lee Meriwether and Whit Bissell, who were both on the show. Who else is left?

 

[Nelson Au]

I'll look up the schedule in my area Lee.The Time Tunnel is correct! The final answer, not including the jokey inclusion of Melvin Belli, is Miss Jane Wyatt.

 

[Nelson Au]

12 O'Clock High is on MeTV at 5:00am Saturday morning!

 

[FanCollector]

Is being a 5 am actor worse than being a 10 pm actor?Miss Wyatt was the one who really knew best on Father Knows Best with Elinor Donahue.

 

[Nelson Au]

Lee, I think 5:00 am is worse! Father Knows Best completes the question of what TV series was Miss Wyatt a regular cast member before being a guest star on Star Trek. I think the main thing I had taken from this question is the nomadic nature of life for an actor. It's something I had been thinking of for years. And I recall that William Shatner once wrote about the highs of being the star of a network TV series and the demands as well and perks of the job. Then when it's over, you are back to pounding the pavement. He related the experience of filming a TV movie and was in a cafe on location with his cast mates including Richard Basehart and a couple of other actors who were all cast members of other highly popular TV series. They were being looked at by passers by and he related about the fragility of stardom while sitting in that cafe with all those other former lead actors in other TV series. I think the implication he was making is they felt like has-beens. It's interesting how some TV stars hit it big, go totally Hollywood, loose the series and then loose all the material things they acquired. And then to learn some other TV stars that don't go nuts and live a relatively normal life in a normal regular house. My impression was that while DeForest Kelley lived in Sherman Oaks, it was the same house for most of his life and not a big fancy one as far as I can tell. I think the same was true for James Doohan up in Washington State and George Takei in Los Angeles, and countless other TV actors and actresses. It's your turn next Lee.

 

[FanCollector]

Interesting meditation on the ephemeral nature of fame. It's also sobering to think of how many stars struggle to have more than one really successful show. At least they used to have lots of "special guest star" opportunities. Now, an ex-series lead is just an ex-series lead.And the wise ones know that the money doesn't last forever. Star salaries are higher now, so they at least have a better chance to save, but in the old days, they had to be careful. I read that Adam West and Burt Ward were quite opposite in that regard. West (who, to be fair, made a lot more money than Ward) was notoriously cautious about saving and investing and Ward was much freer. After two and a half years, the money stopped coming and Burt Ward had to find jobs in other professions.But to business...in which episodes do we see Nurse Chapel before the opening credits?

 

[Nelson Au]

Lee, I didn't know that about Adam West, good for him! I had heard that Burt Ward did very well in business after the series, so I had the impression he did well enough. I think a lot of actors on TV did much better as guest stars then as leads, like William Windom and Morgan Woodard and so many others. I just realized I've shown a consistent interest in how lucrative or not the acting thing is. I think I can think of two right off the bat where Miss Chapel appears in the teaser. But I'll pick a hard one, Spock's Brain.

 

[FanCollector]

Spock's Brain was the hard one! Correct.Windom and Woodward did do better over the years as guest stars. Windom had his medium hit show early on, and then got a few other chances, but no successful regular series after that. (He was associated with the phenomenally successful Murder, She Wrote, but that was just four or five appearances a year.) Guys like that weren't coasting on people's good will or fond memories. They just had to be GOOD.

 

[Ockeghem]

Lee,

Was another episode For The World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky?