Subcommander Tal
@subcommandertal
Mostly here to riff on Original Series Star Trek.
NERD UPDATE. I bought this Dickel Whiskey bottle a while ago and finally got around to painting the leather portions red so it looks like the Saurian Brandy bottle seen in Star Trek. I’m happy with the final product, but it is kind of a pain to pour from…
It’s been noticed before but it’s interesting how The Cage and The Motion Picture have a similar aesthetic… the missing link in both is cinematographer Jerry Finnerman of course.
These are two very different bridges. The elevation of the Captain’s seat and the introduction of the color red make a big difference…
Here’s Gerald Fried at age 82 playing Finnegan’s theme at LaLaLand Record’s 2012 launch party for the release of its 15-disc set of Original Series music. He sounds a little rough here (much better than me though!) which is an indication of just how intense the oboe is to play.
Well, let’s turn my melancholy into a Star Trek post… so composer Gerald Fried, who did the famous Amok Time fight music, was also an oboist. Finnegan’s Irish jig music was written for oboe.
I’m feeling glum because my recent diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome means I have to take a break from playing oboe, one of my cherished hobbies. Anyway here’s a video of me honking away on that wacky instrument which I hope to get back to next year.
Of course, Shatner wore a toupee in the original series: there is a great Bob Justman memo about it. But by the time we see him swimming underwater in Star Trek IV, some of that’s got to be his own hair methinks.
No one knows for sure, but I’ve always assumed Shatner had hair transplants done in the 70’s, possibly using hair from his body which is why he seemed to get curlier in the movies. I’ve always wondered what he would look like if he had the same hairstyle from the tv show…
It’s well known that Mark Lenard, in addition to playing Sarek and the Romulan commander, was the Klingon captain in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I can’t help wondering how he ended up being cast for it, especially since he’s unrecognizable in the makeup.
Stop scrolling and post two characters who bring you happiness.
Nice long article about Shatner below, with a great quotation about Nimoy. nationalpost.com/feature/will...
I love little details like that, especially when contributed by the actors. More well known is recurrent background character Mr. Leslie’s name coming from Bill Shatner’s daughter, or the Live Long and Prosper hand sign Nimoy based on the Hebrew letter Shin.
One cute detail from the episode “Friday’s Child”: the Enterprise under Scotty’s command is lured away by Klingons pretending to be a Federation ship called the SS Dierdre. Dierdre is the name of one of James Doohan’s daughters…
I’ve seen The Cage and this scene a million times over the years but Susan Oliver is so mesmerizing I never really noticed the weird gryphon sculpture she’s clinging to until very recently.
I thought they were old at the time this picture was taken but now they seem young.
Anyway this is long enough and I’m a bit Star Trekked out. I want to write some thoughts about the actual set tour but I’ll leave it for another post. Skeletor (who came on the trip with me) and I finished the evening with a glass of wine and listening to some music. /end
I also enjoyed a presentation on the 1976 Toronto Convention and fandom generally by @CollectingTrek.bsky.social and sci-fi author @RobertJSawyer.bsky.social (who also gave a fascinating talk on Star Trek taking inspiration from the current events of its time)… 6/
Day 2 was good fun, starting with Barbara Luna being interviewed by Mark A. Altman. Mark always asks interesting questions in interviews, but he barely needed to in this case because Luna had great showbiz stories and was a hoot interacting with the crowd… 5/
I’m not much of a collector, but I did purchase a few of these 3 x 5 photos featuring moments from the original series. I like them because they seem so mundane: almost like random snapshots anybody might have from their life. I really like Gav the Tellarite drinking alone… 4/
I also saw The Inglorious Treksperts podcasters, who hosted a talk with France Nuyen (Elaan of Troyius) and Pamelyn Ferdin (And the Children Shall Lead). Nuyen once dated Marlon Brando, and Ferdin was the voice of Lucy in the Charlie Brown cartoons… 2/
I had such a pleasant time at the Star Trek Set Tour today. I got to meet Barbara Luna (Marlena Moreau from Mirror, Mirror). She was very nice, and at age 88 was sharp as a tack and quite sassy… 1/