53 TOS Images for Star Trek’s 53rd Anniversary!

Yesterday, September 8th was the 53rd Anniversary of Star Trek, and aren’t we lucky to have had this happyplace in our lives? Wishing Happy Anniversary to the surviving cast of The Original Series, William Shatner, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig, and happy memories of our beloved other cast members, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Majel Barret, Grace Lee Whitney, and of course the creator, Gene Roddenberry. The dream of a better future lives on with Star Trek in all of it’s incarnations! May its vision of a peaceful and caring society truly live long and prosper!

One thing I loved about the original series is that even though not all characters had equal time, there were countless little moments where we’d see the human (or otherwise) nature of characters that would give us a peek into their personalities. Little quirks anyone could understand. In honor of 53 years of Star Trek, here are 53 moments of my favorite TOS episodes, 🙂

Also, more coverage of my visit to TreKonderoga in August coming this week! 

 

My Weekly Spock: Leonard, Bill, and Harlan

Here’s a wonderful photo of  Leonard and Bill with writer Harlan Ellison (The City on the Edge 0f Forever).  From the set design,  I’m guessing it was taken during the filming of  Mudd’s Women. 

Nimoy and Shatner’s autographs are so very typical of their personalities!

Nimoy: Harlan, Love you and your great credits” –  Shatner: “Who the kid in the middle?”Harlan Ellison

lol.   I bet they had a great time!

I’ve also see a version of this photo edited to appeal to all the ‘slash’ fans out there-with Harlan missing and L & N side hugging!  Can’t find a link but you get it.

Hey That Guy was on Star Trek! Marplon & Zarabeth in the Jungle…

Found another one! It’s Drums of Africa (1963), an exciting tale of love and slavery in the darkest continent!  that is, A teen dream musical with Frankie Avalon!  What I mean to say is, it’s marvelous  really a marvelous piece of crap!IMG_8932

Let’s see…A guy goes to Africa in the 1910’s to survey a railroad site for his boss, brings along his boss’s lightweight teen son and goes on safari, employing ‘the best guide in Africa’ and falling for the lovely young missionary woman who works with the guide.  Unfortunately, there are greedy slavers loose in the jungle, and his lady love is their main target!   Sounds exciting right?  Well…

Here’s our hero, David Moore (Lloyd Bochner, right) and teen-sidekick-that-he-didn’t-want-to-bring-along Brian Ferrers (Frankie Avalon) seeking out their guide. IMG_8942

With all this nice manliness on screen, the film inexplicably gives viewers a major beefcake valentine of…Marplon! (Torin Thatcher as Jack Cuortemayn ) IMG_8935IMG_8937

(Okay, Sorry about that — I better cleanse your memory palate here…)

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Much better.

Anyway, Marplon spends the rest of the movie proving his virility to the other two guys by insisting on keeping his shirt unbuttoned…

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And on the way out of his office, who should come screaming out of the jungle and into the arms of our hero but Zarabeth.(Mariette Hartley as Ruth Knight)IMG_8940

She’s being chased by slavers who  find her pure whiteness a  perfect target for their evil trade.   Zarabeth’s  Ruth’s fresh faced beauty has  the three  men gaga for her and pitching woo.  Of course for Frankie, that means–IMG_9252

Aaaaugggh!   And what a sappy number it is (The River Love)

This was a step down for Hartley’s career. She had recently finished the brilliant  Ride the High Country and compared this  job to going from president to janitor in two days. Of course she’s virginal and sweet here, and has been too busy in her young life to know love.  In one of queasiest moments of dialogue, Marlpon confides in Zarabeth that the only problem with their relationship is that they’re friends.  Ugh! IMG_8946

But Zarabeth isn’t into a May-December with Marplon, or a  December-May with Frankie, and despite the awesome gorgeousness of Marplon’s man-servant Kasongo (Hari Rhodes)…

See?

…she can’t help but find herself attracted to bland white bread David (no surprise there).  But first she has to do an obligatory Dove soap commercial… IMG_8950

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He meets her after she’s squeaky clean, of course, compares trunks with a baby elephant, and she admits that his kiss ‘brought her world alive!”  Please.   Little does she realize that years later, her lover will change his name to Cecil Colby and die while copulating with Edith Keeler (In her Alexis Karrington years) on Dynasty!  But that’s another post…

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After much inter-cut animal action from King Soloman’s Mines, the pair live happily ever after in the jungle.  Did the railroad come through? Did Marplon ever button his shirt?  Did Frankie find Annette?  Can’t remember, think I fell asleep…  All in all 2 stars our of 5.