Posted on 09/05/2010 10:29:32 AM PDT by Nachum
Hes late. He calls to explain. A mix-up, he says, and then, I read all your stories. Pause. You. Are. A. Grrreat. Writer. Another pause. Whats your name? I tell him. He says, Of course it is. I ask what his name is. MY NAME? I. Am. William. Shatner!
Well, yes, but which William Shatner? The child actor from Canada, descended from Eastern European rabbis? The 23-year-old Shakespearean whom Sir Tyrone Guthrie called the Stratford Shakespeare Festivals most promising actor? The young actor who made his debut on Broadway two years later, in 1956, in Tamburlaine the Great, then appeared in his first Hollywood film, The Brothers Karamazov, with Yul Brynner in 1958 and starred on Broadway in The World of Suzie Wong that same year and A Shot in the Dark in 1961? That actor was mentioned in the same breath as his contemporaries Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Robert Redford until, without explanation, his career faded before it bloomed.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Terror at 20000 Feet... Great Episode.. John Lithgow reprised it in The Twilight Zone Movie “ (RIP Vic Morrow)
As I flipped through the rerun channels one night - On Third Rock From The Sun, Here is Shatner as the Alien Boss .. “The Big Head” being met by Jon Lithgow as he gets off an airplane.. Shatner - “Flying gives me the Willies”... Lithgow, “I know what you mean”... He’s always willing to show acting for what it is, Grownups playing make believe.
You have to respect someone that works as hard as he does.
He’s the essence of a true capitalist, whether he realizes it or approves of it or not.
Shatner: The Mute Marine, SNL 12-20-86
Somewhere, we have a VHS with this episode on it...same episode that had him speaking a convention telling the Trekkies, "get a life!"
He makes so much fun of himself in Free Enterprise it is hard not to like the guy. The one man rap musical iteration of Julie Cesar at the end performed by Shatner is worth watching all by itself.
I think he’s a great guy - he’s never taken himself too seriously while living in a galaxy of people who’ve made a career of it. He’s also a wise-ass Jew like me, so: what’s not to like?
Here’s the complete SNL skit: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x930vt_william-shatner-snl-skit-get-a-life_fun
I know that he’s been a pompous a$$ in the past, but I’ve always liked Shatner, and my 4 year old son is currently soaking up old Star Trek episodes like I did when I was his age. Heck, my boy is even going trick-or-treating as Captain Kirk this year! So, cudos to Shatner for his endurance and ability to keep working at 79.
The Mute Marine: http://www.livevideo.com/video/C93A8D9330364F168225777EF64888FA/host-of-saturday-night-live.aspx
That Twilight Zone episode was awesome. A number of actors got their start on that show. Someone here mentioned Robert Redford. He also did an episode...as Mr. Death. He was a good looking guy back then. He hasn’t aged well, which would be all right, except his constant yapping about his politics and penchant for left leaning films annoy me.
It’s actually better than that:
Shatner as the Big Giant Head meets Lithgow as Dick Solomon at the airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMUX_f0hyn0
Cool!
“...so in the 60s, waiting for stardom, he took parts in forgettable movies like The Outrage and Incubus “
???
The Outrage was admittedly underwhelming, especially given its cast (Paul Newman, Edward G. Robinson, etc.), but Incubus was excellent. Shatner’s performance is quite good.
A young actor once asked Jimmy Cagney how to become a good actor. Cagney replied, “Know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture.”
The Intruder is an amazing movie. Made in 1962. It is filled with so much vile language that it rings perfectly true. It could NEVER be shown today.
Too bad there isn’t a like button ! Hilarious !
BTW, for those who’ve never seen it, here’s a rare gem. William Shatner as Alexander the Great (tv pilot).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR14SH5tby4
Yes, that is Batman with Kirk er, Alexander.
No, the series was not picked up.
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