Amok Time

Hi Everybody!

/ Therese / 3 Comments

Hi All! Forgive me for not writing in a while. I assure you all is well, and my family and I are managing well during this pandemic. I pray you are all well too, and please feel free to let us know how you’re doing in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve been keeping busy by making cloth masks to donate to local charities and hospitals that need it. (also taking orders) I worked at fabric store for 6 years, so I have a lot of fabric that is coming in handy for this undertaking. I have some Star Trek cloth too that I’m sure will bring a few smiles to wearers.

Just a few of the masks I’ve made.

Of course, we don’t know how long this pandemic will last, but we can continue to do our best by maintaining the guidelines to keep us all safe and to keep the virus from expanding, or worse, coming back for a second wave.

It’s astonishingly awful that COVID-19 has now claimed more American lives in three months, (over 60,000) than we lost in the entire Vietnam War. And now that over 30 U.S. states are loosening the restrictions, it is imperative that we stay extra cautious as some of us go out into the world again. Please ask yourself if certain trips are really necessary, and ALWAYS wear a mask when you are in the company of others, for the sake of them and their families as well as yours. This pandemic is far from over, and we all want to come out of it on the other side with our health intact.

I wonder what the Enterprise crew would have done in this situation? I’d like to think that in the Trek universe, plagues and pandemics are a thing of the past, but as long as there is matter, there are viruses. Just something we have to always be prepared for, and take a day at a time.

My wishes for your best health and happiness. Stay safe and busy!

I’ll post again soon, Therese.

Live Loooooooooooooooooooooong and Prosper! <3

A Treasure Trove of On-Set photos from Amok Time

/ Therese / 6 Comments

Came across these on eBay the other day — a dealer had purchased original negatives from a photographer who took on-the-set photos of the Star Trek cast during the filming of Amok Time (among others).  These outtakes are quite a treasure trove! I suspect it was common to have photographers on set to take pictures for publicity, but unlike regular publicity photos, these are not staged, but taken during the actual rehearsals and filming.  I’ll be watching out for more!

Some Rare Fantastic Arlene Martel (T’Pring) Pictures!

/ Therese / 6 Comments

Hey All!

Finally getting back into posting after a couple of very busy months between work and being sick!  (I’m feeling great today!)

My friend Karen found these fantastic candid photos of actress Arlene Martel prepping for her role as T’Pring in Amok Time, as well as a secondary promo pic of she and Leonard (they look thisclose to kissing!)  I’m including the more common promo shot of T’Pring and Spock glancing at each other too)   What a find!  I can never get enough of rare TOS shots!  She’s just adorable as she shows off her ears and wig! Lovely Arlene <3  Missed.

13 Times The Animated Star Trek Mimicked the Original

/ Therese / 4 Comments

Lately I’ve been reacquainting myself with the animated Star Trek series (TAS -1973-4).  I remember being a 12-year old and excited that my favorite show was being brought back (at least in animation) and that maybe the Enterprise could finally finish its five year mission!  For the most part, it was pretty good, I only wished I had a color TV to watch it on!                                                         Anyway, recently I’ve seen a few episodes on Netflix and it really seemed all new to me again, as I hadn’t since the early 70’s.  I was taken by the lovely backgrounds and the simple, but accurate way the animation captured the faces and subtle nuances of the original actors. (Can a cartoon male be handsome? You bet!).  But something that also stood out for me was how the series often mimicked the original (TOS) in angles and style; the creators at Filmation clearly did their homework as you’ll see in these examples.   Lets’ start with some opening Enterprise shots. The makers of the series did a beautiful job recreating the ship.  There’s much more detail in the orbital images than the character scenes, but it’s lovely.  Rotoscoping anyone? thejihadcatspaw                                                                                      magikscage-12

 

 

 

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The Enterprise in its animated form: Top: Orbital views from ‘The Jihad’ and ‘Catspaw’ Center: Clever rotoscoping seen in “The Magicks fo Megus-Tu” taken from “The Cage”. Bottom: Shoulder view of the Enterprise in ‘The Terratin Incident’ and “Who Mourns for Adonais?”

But wait, there’s more.  There were several detail and character scenes that were clearly influenced by the original (if sometimes with subtlety):

Scotty in a shaft in "Once Upon a Planet" and in the Jeffries Tube in "The Naked Time".

Scotty in a shaft in “Once Upon a Planet” and in the Jeffries Tube in “The Naked Time”.

Digital time panel in "The Counter-Clock Incident" and "The Naked Time"

Digital time panel in “The Counter-Clock Incident” and “The Naked Time”

Eyebrow City - Lara from 'The Jihad' and Zora from "The Savage Curtain"

Eyebrow City – Lara from ‘The Jihad’ and Zora from “The Savage Curtain”

Ready for my super close-up: Magna in 'The Time Trap' and Sirah in "The Omega Glory"

Ready for my super close-up: Magna in ‘The Time Trap’ and Sirah in “The Omega Glory”

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They HAD to do this one! Kirk’s booted feet with tribbles in “More Tribbles, More Troubles”, and in “The Trouble with Tribbles”

In Once Upon a Planet, the Enterprise crew visits the amusement park planet again as they did in Shore Leave – so of course Alice and the White Rabbit are there, but then there’s a clear reference to Catspaw, when a giant cat menaces the crew from a doorway:once-shorejpg onceshore once-capspaw

Another  revisited character was Harry Mudd – this time in Mudd’s Passion, peddling love potion to Nurse Chapel in her eternal quest for Spock’s affections.  Here, he offers her pills, just as he did to his ‘cargo’ in Mudd’s Women: muddspassionwomenjpg

Finally, this one surprised me the most: In Albatross, Nurse Chapel checks on  sleeping patient Kol-Tai in practically the same angle she checks in on a sleeping Spock in Amok Time!  albatross-amokjpg

Well, this was a fun visit to the Saturday morning cartoons of my youth (modern kids don’t know what they were missing!)  If anyone here knows of any more similarities between TAS and TOS, let me know! I’ll post them!

Next Time: The Backdrops of TAS.

My Weekly Spock: This Rare Color Picture Got Me Amok!

/ Therese / 9 Comments

Hi Everyone!   Occasionally I’ve seen candid, on-set photos from TOS – but this week I came across one that totally blew me away! I have NEVER seen before!   Enjoy this very rare COLOR photo of Arlene Martel and Leonard Nimoy on the set of “Amok Time”!!!  Leonard is totally in character as he contemplates the script.  Arlene casually peruses her script while keeping her costume clean wrapped in a blue robe!  I love this!  I hope more are unearthed! 13754238_10154396290742431_740500958687866314_n

My Weekly Spock: More Fun Promos – Amok Time!

/ Therese / 6 Comments

Some more fun promo and behind-the-scenes shots this week — this time from Amok Time.  Some of these I have never seen before, Like Spock and Kirk fighting in front of  T’Pring, and also the still of little bored T’Pring!  ( I love T’Pring’s huge sunburst ring too.

I think Amok Time is in most Trekkies top 10 lists.  Where does it rank in yours?

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And if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out the Spock/Nimoy tribute I made on YouTube; “Them There Eyes”:

Arlene Martel 1936-2014

/ Therese / 1 Comment

Amok2Alas, it’s turning into a hard week.

So sad to report another beloved celebrity passing.  Arlene Martel, who became immortal as Spock’s betrothed T’Pring, passed away today at the age of 78. Arlene was a fixture at Trek conventions and had numerous TV appearances on classic TV series like The Monkees, Wild Wild West, and Hogan’s Heroes and Columbo.

Arlene shared a lesson she learned from her T’Pring experience on her official website:

“The primary lesson for me on Amok Time was a lesson in K.I.S.S. (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”). Our director Joe Pevney, contrary to what most directors usually request of the actor, said “give me less, give me less”. Previous to that, most of the women I played had been highly charged with emotion. Playing a character as emotionally controlled as “T’Pring” was certainly a first for me. It was a welcome challenge,” she continues. “Controlling my energy was a very wonderful discipline, and playing a person who was ruled by logic was also a new experience. Now, hopefully, I’ve integrated both, but at the time it was my first professional encounter with an analytical and objective being.”

Arlene was a lovely, talented actress, writer, and producer who will be sadly missed.  Rest in Peace dear lady.

arlene and leonard

Leonard Nimoy with Arlene at a convention in 1976

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A lovely, recent portrait of Arlene