Happy Birthday, Grace!

Happy Birthday to Grace Lee Whitney! As Janice Rand, she got a raw deal, unceremoniously booted to make room for other women in Kirk's life, but she will always be there in the earlier episodes for us to enjoy. Below, some nice photos showing the progression of her look; first, from before the series started, one of  a large number of promotional photos, this time in a costume left over from "The Cage" and featuring her with her long blonde hair let down.  View some of the earlier posts featuring Grace here, as there are more good photos.

And below, Grace as Rand as we saw her in the series, basket weave intact. Saucy!
 

Below, a headshot from "The Motion Picture."

Bonus link: reader Jim Fourniadis sent me this link to a Youtube video that you may get a kick out of, here it is with his message:

I thought you might enjoy. It was a promo clip for our live stage production Of The Way to Eden, and its set to Gil Scott Heron's The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhQbjoDx0p8

-Jim Fourniadis

Funny! I'd like to see more of the stage production at some time. Thanks, Jim!

1978 Article: The Girls Of Star Trek

The trashy publication "Star Warp" magazine was noted for its generic spaceship paintings on the cover, the cheap paper and sloppy layout, among other detractions (traits shared by all the titles put out by by exploitation publisher Myron Fass)... but I bought it from time to time nevertheless, if it had an interesting article (like this earlier post on Nichelle Nichols). This was when the internet was hardly a dream in some tech nerd's eye, and one got a fix wherever one could. This issue was printed in June of 1978, and I bought it since it had a Star Trek article in it, and I was never one to pass up a Trek article. The article itself, on the luscious ladies of Trek, is just fine... written as it was by author Allen Asherman, a name familiar to me from other, better magazines like "Starlog" and the Star Trek Poster magazine. He must have been slumming here and needed a few extra bucks, but he sure knows his Trek. The paper is so yellow because the pulp used in it was only one grade above raw pine bark used for flower bed mulch, and has not aged well.

(Click on images to enlarge; once open you may have to click it again to view full size.)

Bonus: since a couple of the photos in the article straddled the two pages, I am presenting them to you below in their complete form.

Spock's date for the evening realized she was not going to have the same fun as her other friends.

Bonus #2: Some nice photos of several of the ladies featured in the article. Below is Angelique Pettyjohn, decked out as Shaunna in a photo that was taken after the series, as she appeared at conventions in character. Beneath that, Yvonne Craig (TV's Batgirl) as Marta.

Bonus link: Here is an artist's page that has a number of drawings of Trek women:  http://www.artofwei.com/tag/women-of-star-trek/

Kirk and The Gorn: The Rematch

This video advertising the new Star Trek game is hilarious!

Bonus: Below, Clint Eastwood and his children visit the set during the filming of the memory wall scene not used in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." I hope it made his day; seeing this did mine.

Vintage Nichelle Discovery

Caution: Vintage Nichelle Ahead! If you are as big a fan of Nichelle Nichols as I am, a couple of these photos might blow your mind. I found them online, but I would dearly love to locate the actual printed article containing this shoot and any others taken at the same time.

(Click on images to view full size. Once open, you may have to click on it again to view larger.)

Update: Here are two more from the same photo shoot that I just found... stunning!

 

When Spock mind-melded with Kollos in "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" the alien quoted Byron as he came to Uhura (no doubt the poem was known to him through Spock's memories). That quote was part of this verse, and truly, it was appropriate.

She walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies,

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meets in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellow'd to that tender light 

Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impair'd the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress

Or softly lightens o'er her face,

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.


And on that cheek and o'er that brow

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,—

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent.

Happy Birthday Leonard!

Happy 82nd birthday to Leonard Nimoy, who was the person that brought to life one of science fiction's most interesting characters, not only television's. He made being very intelligent look cool, portraying a man who could outthink you as well as put you down with a simple touch. As Issac Asimov wrote in his TV Guide review, smarts were suddenly sexy, and thanks to Spock, many were discovering they had a sapiosexual side. Thanks, Leonard, for many years of living in the shadow of Spock to bring a little more happiness into our lives.



Here is a link to view all of the Nimoy-centric posts on this blog; it would be a logical thing to review all of them on his birthday. Failure to do so may result in the Vulcan Death Grip, or as it is known on Vulcan, the Tal-shaya.

Happy Birthday Bill!

Happy 82nd Birthday to William Shatner, a man that makes the Energizer Bunny tired just watching him! Shatner brought a lightness to a role that could have been deadly serious, giving us a shooting, kissing, karate-chopping, bluffing and inspiring Captain that always led, never sent his officers into action.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

"Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal."

In honor of Bill, go back and view all of the Shatner-centric posts on this blog. The Power of Shat compels you!

Shuttlecraft from TV Sci-Fi Monthly

The British publication TV Sci-Fi Monthly, published in the mid-70's, was a rare item to find, and a great one. Here is an image and blueprint of the shuttlecraft from the inside cover of issue #3, which came out in 1976. The cover for this issue has already been posted, you may view it here, as well as more material from the same issue.  Since this is such a short entry, I have added some extra bonus items below it.

(Click on images to enlarge; once open, you may have to click again to view full-size.)

Bonus: publicity photo of Celia Lovsky as T'Pau and Shatner from "Amok Time." Notice her hand on his shoulder!

Bonus #2: Covers from the first of the adaptations of the animated series scripts by Alan Dean Foster, which to me were awesome, having the scripts actually expanded upon (unlike the truncated versions by Blish), with only THREE half-hour episodes per book! I bought this one at the Chi-Chester's Drug Store on Vineville Ave in Macon, GA one Saturday in 1974 when I was staying with my grandmother, and read it the same day. Good times! The store is still there, by the way.

Extra special bonus! Below, we see some very revealing images of Uhura's panties during a scene from "Balance Of Terror." The flap on the back of the dress has come open, and she is showing more cheek than usual, even for her! What was Kirk saying, now? Who cares?