OT: Beam me up, Scottie....

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'Star Trek' Icon Doohan Dies
Jul 20, 10:46 AM EST


The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series and motion pictures who responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died early Wednesday. He was 85.

Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.

The Canadian-born Doohan was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.

"The producers asked me which one I preferred," Doohan recalled 30 years later. "I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman.'"

The series, which starred William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teen-agers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC canceled it after three seasons.

When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: "Jimmy, you're going to be Scotty long after you're dead. If I were you, I'd go with the flow."

"I took his advice," said Doohan, "and since then everything's been just lovely."


Always seemed like a decent guy. Contributed a lot to my pop culture. RIP.
 
I for one, will miss Mr. Scot and his can do attititude. Since he has preceded me, when the time comes, I can say "Beam me up, Scotty!" :)
 
I got to meet him once, right when the first of the movies came out. he came to a local college for a showing of the 2 part "menagerie", and a discussion afterwards.

Seemed like a nice guy. It was weird hearing him talk in a voice without the "accent"

Glad he made it to 85...

Tom
 
I'm really sorry to hear he's gone. I identified most with him...he fixed stuff.

ps: Yes...I'm a computer systems engineer.

.
 
I grew up watching the reruns of Star Trek on tv and Scotty was a class act all the way. As Spock would say "Live Long and Prosper, Fair winds and following seas Mr Scott.


James
 
Star Trek was new and we were tuned in for every episode. One of my best friends left Orange County and moved to Burbank, and sure enough, Scottie lived across the street and a few houses down. This was when Carson used to say gag lines like; 'Beautiful downtown Burbank." It was not.

I'd catch a glimpse of him sometimes when I came to town to see my buddy. Once I saw him smoking a cigarette and washing his car on his driveway. But pretty soon it became normal to see the Enterprise's Chief Engineer, and I forgot about him.

munk
 
One of my favorite Scotty quotes:

"The best diplomat I know is a fully-loaded phaser bank."– From A Taste of Armageddon

Seems Scotty had politics figured right all along. Too bad our own leaders don't head his advice.

When my time comes....."Beam me up, Scotty."
 
"Mr. Scott, I need warp power in 45 seconds or we're all dead!" Somehow Scotty always came through.

I think my favorite Scotty scene is the one from the original series where Scotty lets the Klingons bad mouth Kirk all day, but only gets pissed and starts a fight when one of the Klingons calls the Enterprise a garbage scow. (-:

I also really like the STTNG episode where they find Scotty trapped in a transporter beam for umpteen years and bring him into the next century. At the end Picard gives him a shuttle and he takes off exploring. I'd like to think of him really getting to do that.

Someone I think I'll look up on the other side.

Regards,

Norm
 
On a Google search:

9,270 entries for "Captain, the engines canna take no more!
 
We'll have a wee drop o' Knockando for you tonight, while we listen to "The Parting Glass" (from "Waking Ned Devine), and to "When the Pipers Play" by Moira Kerr.
Slainte' Scottie.
May the choir be singing "Flower of Scotland" as St. Peter greets you "Cead mille failte."
 
Sad to hear this as my generation grew up watching Star Trek.

And yes, I'm a computer geek, which I blame on watching too much sci-fic.
 
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