Here’s a marvelous life retrospective of Spock by artist Jen Collins. You can see more of her fine art at http://www.thedyeiscast.deviantart.com
ST:TMP
The Daily Scrapbook 5/21/13 (Summer 1979) A Paramount Pictures Newsletter
Here’s today’s flashback: I had forgotten about this — An actual newsletter from Paramount Pictures promoting Star Trek: The Motion Picture. With an interview with Gene Roddenberry, color photos and lots of hype, it is especially excited about Persis Khambatta, “the olive-skinned beauty” from India with “a clear shot at big-time stardom”. Unfortunately it didn’t quite work out for Persis like that; she made a few forgettable films, was passed over for the (very bland) Maude Adams in Octopussy, and sadly died of a heart attack much too young at 49 in 1996. Hollywood (until recently) often snubs many fine actors associated with Star Trek and Persis was yet another casualty. A great shame too, she could have been the Angelina Jolie of the ’80’s.
Note Nimoy’s backward picture, probably to balance out the format of the page.
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The Daily Scrapbook 5/20/13 -Old Fashioned Marketing by Mail
Here’s today’s flashback: From September of 1979, a flyer from Pocket Books heralding all the new Star Trek merchandise. You see, in the before time of no internet, one would be on something called ‘a mailing list’. Surprisingly, there are no flashy graphics here, just a basic list. Pocket smelled money…
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The Daily Scrapbook 5/16/13 “The Sounds of Star Trek” Noise on the set, Khambatta in accident.
Here’s today’s flashback (and the first from Volume III of my Trek scrapbooks). From Starlog Magazine (boy, I bought that a lot when I was young!) the latest Star Trek Report by Susan Sackett. Happenings around the Paramount lot as things wind down on the set of ST:TMP, but there’s a lot a noise on the set, from burly workmen hammering down the walls of an upstairs production company. Meanwhile, poor Persis Khambatta endured minor injuries in a car accident in Germany, and was on the mend.
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The Daily Scrapbook: 5/14/13 (8/1979) Progress Report: Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Here’s today’s flashback: From Starlog Magazine, August 1979 – the latest progress report on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. We discover here that Trek had now doubled its original budget of 15 million; mainly because special effects alone were costing 16 million, and that it was Robert Wise who was partially responsible for the look of the horrible bland polyester uniforms in the film, mainly because, as Roddenberry mentions : “…Wise kept to the idea that the uniforms should be utilitarian” Yuck! And for heaven’s sake, I hated that De Kelley had to wear such revealing mommy stretch pants in his first scene (with the beard). Thank goodness the tunics covered the uniform hip-areas! (By the way, this is the last article from my second Star Trek scrapbook! Volume III starts tomorrow!)
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The Daily Scrapbook 3/10/13 (1979)Starlog Update-A Day in the Life of a Movie Extra
Here’s today’s flashback: From 1979, the monthly Starlog Star Trek Report, this time featuring what it’s like to be an extra on the set of ST:TMP. Among the notable extras cast were Louise Stange, president of the Leonard Nimoy Association of Fans (LNAF, of which I belonged at the time) They misspelled her last name as ‘Strange’! (Probably a common typo for that poor woman) There’s also David Gerrold, author of The Trouble with Tribbles, Bjo Trimble, the grand dame of Star Trek fans (she started the Save Star Trek letter writing campaign back in ’67, and Susan Sackett, the author of the piece herself. Although I enjoyed reading what it was like to be a movie extra, I still felt ill at ease at the look of the new uniforms and the awful, awful severe hairstyles on the women (What? No mini skirts and toppling bouffants ala Nurse Chapel???) What was the Trek world coming to? Alas, I was still envious of every one of them!
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The Daily Scrapbook: 5/2/13 (January 1979) TIME Magazine: New Treat for Trekkies
Here’s today’s flashback: From TIME Magazine, a preview of ST:TMP, with speculation and a surprising amount of plot points. A photo of gorgeous Persis, of course, and a mention of how the monster in the film looks like “electrically charged whipped cream”! I admit, even these tidbits made me concerned that it just wouldn’t be the Trek I was hoping for. (Granted, that Trek Movie wouldn’t happen for another 30 years!)
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The Daily Scrapbook 5/1/13 (Jan1979) Star Trek Winding Down and a showing at the Library!
Here’s today’s flashback: From January 1979, an article about the Trek movie winding down, and some interesting takes from the stars — I love De Kelley, who was just enjoying the show, much more laid back about being a part of the whole thing. Says De:
…I’m not as ambitious as Bill and Leonard…I had a good career before Star Trek, playing mostly heavies, and I’m content to take it easy. After all, I’ve been around a while.
(Kelley was 58 at the time of this article, bless him.) Also, a note about Nimoy’s next project “Seizure” and another boffo ad for Invasion of the Body Snatchers, And for all those nerds without dates there’s also was a showing of” The The Trouble with Tribbles” at a local branch of the Library. (Mind you, this was the era before Netflix, and Trekkies had to get their fixes anywhere they could!)
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The Daily Scrapbook 4/25/13 -More Boffo ‘Invasion’ reviews and double birthday on the Trek Set
Here’s today’s flashback: From December 1978, a local review of Invasion of the Body Snatchers by late, great local entertainment critic Gene Grey (Gee, I don’t think local critics even review new movies in the paper anymore; they’re all AP newsfeed). More boffo quotes for the movie are seen in the movie ad, including
“It may be the best movie of its kind ever made.” and also a sweet photo of Stephen Collins (Cmdr. Decker) and Persis Khambatta (Ilia) sharing birthday cakes with Nimoy. The two shared a birthday, and I wonder how often that happens on movie sets between co-stars? A little note here mentions that the spending for Trek is getting higher and higher…
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The Daily Scrapbook “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” Review and the Movie Ad World before the Internet.
Here’s today’s flashback: From December 1978, A full color ad for Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy as well as a boffo review from People magazine. A full page ad from The New York Times, and smaller ad from our local paper (but still pretty big when you compare it to modern local movie listings). There’s also a tidbit of info for ST:TMP with it’s ever growing budget and shaving headaches for Persis Khambatta as Ilia. The media couldn’t stop talking about her shocking baldness. If you look closely there’s also a teeny ad for a local showing of “The City on the Edge of Forever” at a Universalist Unitatrian chuch. I’ve also included a back shot of the NYT full page ad unfolded here so you can see how movies used to be advertised before the internet. (note Superman and Caravans). Now to my knowledge the NYT still advertises movies like this, at least on Sundays, but in my local paper, big movie poster ads ads, indeed even small movie ads have all but disappeared. Not too surprising in an era where newspapers themselves are vanishing faster than that chocolate sundae you ate last weekend! It was a different world, kids. 
