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"Scotty" Gets Walk of Fame Star
linuxwrangler writes "Actor James Doohan, aka Scotty on the original Star Trek series received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. This is expected to be Doohan's last public appearance as he suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis as well as recently diagnosed Alzheimer's disease."
Here's to James Doohan, both for the man he was, seeing combat action on D-Day (where he lost a finger) and for the unforgettable character he gave us. A double toast of the finest Canadian and Scotch whiskeys for him and Scotty!
Well, Scotty was great, but I have to say Doohan himself was better--if perhaps not quite as in love with geeks as we are with him.
In Total Sell-Out, Brian Michael Bendis (you know, the comic book writer in charge of Powers and Ultimate Spider-man...) tells the most hilarious story of sitting by Doohan at a convention.
When it became evident that Bendis was sympathetic to the annoyance brought about by a constant "Beam me up, Scotty!" from fans, Doohan let loose.
"That's right, smart ass. Kiss my tribble. Bite me. Beam this, ya bloody nerds..."
Bendis describes it as being witness to one of the greatest moments a geek could aspire to. I couldn't agree more.
No hoax. Free PCs.
but I expect that to many of us on slashdot, Doohan represented an element in our lives that started many of us down the path of technology. I know for myself at least, it was watching Star Trek with my father (who's name is Scott, an engineer, and has was called Scotty by his coworkers) that started myself on the path of computers, science, and engineerning.
It is unfortunate that this all is happening to him, as he is a very nice person. After a star trek convention in the mid 90's, I was waiting around for an autograph, a small kid, and he was the only person to come over and say hello. Something I'll remember.
There's really no point to this post, just random museings from yet another Star Trek nerd.
'Truth' is linked in a circular relation with systems of power which produce and sustain it...
"Chris pointed to the missing middle finger on his father's hand. Jimmy lost it during World War II, when fighting along with Royal Canadian Army soldiers in Normandy on D-Day."
... One Last Time," is being billed as Jimmy Doohan's final "Star Trek" fan convention
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url:http://24hour.startribune.com/24hour/enterta in ment/story/1603990p-9256921c.html?
(SH) - After all these years, it's time for a confession.
Chris Doohan and Danny Bonaduce dented Sonny Bono's Porsche in the 1970s. Bono trusted the boys, best pals from Van Nuys, Calif., to move his prized car for him. With "Partridge Family" star Bonaduce behind the wheel and Doohan riding shotgun, they guided the sports car out of its safe parking space and went in the wrong direction. Oops.
But Doohan had much safer childhood adventures in outer space.
When he and his brother Monty visited their dad at work, their father would tell them to go play in the shuttlecraft.
"We played like we were spacemen," said Doohan, 45. "We were 7 years old. It was fun."
That's one of the perks when your father is "Scotty," of Star Trek fame.
James "Jimmy" Doohan, 84, played the beloved role of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, chief engineer for the starship Enterprise, on the original 1966 series and in subsequent big-screen movies.
When your dad's a "Star Trek" icon, growing up can be out-of-this-world fun.
In the late 1970s, Chris and Monty, his twin, got in uniform and joined dad on the deck of the USS Enterprise, where William Shatner, as Capt. James T. Kirk, warned everyone about the villainous craft V'Ger that was approaching. It was a big moment for the boys, one that wound up on the big screen in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
In the television show, and in the "Trek" movies, the senior Doohan's Scotty character manned the transporter room - the words "Beam me up, Scotty" are forever burned into our public consciousness - and constantly worked miracles to keep the Enterprise running.
For Chris, the "miracle worker" nature of his dad's character has been a source of constant inspiration.
Next week, to pay his dad back for all of the love and inspiration he's provided over the years, Chris will present his famous father with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Doohan clan, along with a grandstand of fans, will beam there Tuesday for the star ceremony.
On Monday, the senior Doohan will greet fans inside the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, which has on display the bridge set from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
These are among the happenings in what's likely to go down as one of the biggest and most bittersweet conventions in "Star Trek" fandom history.
"Beam Me Up Scotty
The tribute comes at a poignant time.
"Just a couple months ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's," Chris said.
So far the disease, still in its early stages, has only affected Jimmy's short-term memory.
"He's really doing well," Chris said. "We're more concerned with his Parkinson's disease and diabetes than the Alzheimer's."
Doohan was diagnosed with Parkinson's several years ago.
"He gets to say goodbye to the fans," Chris said. "My dad has always been moved by the fans. If someone comes up and asks him for an autograph, he signs. He never turns anyone down."
To get his dad a star on the Walk of Fame, Chris raised $15,000, the fee required by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. He started a year ago and received donations from fans around the world, who gave everything from 50 cents to $500.
Chris keeps a sizeable collection of Scotty action figures and "Star Trek" memorabilia at his home, including a photo that shows Chris, Monty and Jimmy, all in their Starfleet uniforms for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."
Chris pointed to the missing middle finger on his father's hand. Jimmy lost it during World War II, when fighting along with Royal Canadian Army sold
...when the engineer outlives the doctor. No engineer should have to see his doctor die.
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Jun 11 1999 3:15PM DeForest Kelley, who, as Star Trek's folksy spaceman Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, frequently issued the dire (and trademark) "He's dead, Jim" diagnosis, died today at the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 79.
There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
Yes he lost the middle finger on his right hand during the invasion of Normandy.
Scotty's Missing Finger
They shot around it in the T.V. series. Remember all those close up shots of just the hands on the transporter? They aren't Scotty's hands.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
You're not the only one. A university in Wisconsin's school of engineering awarded Doohan an honorary degree when they found out half their student body had been inspired into engineering by Scotty.
I gotta respect the man. Did you know he stormed the beaches at Normandy?
This is not my sandwich.
Scotty is an Engineer and Kirk is just management :)
Yeah, and Kirk's the one who always got laid... still doesn't say much for the geeks.
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"And may your days be long upon the earth."
Seriously! I grew up admiring Scotty, and Star Trek in general. For the longest time, my resume stated my objective as making Star Trek a reality :)
Well, today I'm a quantum physicist and a computer scientist in AI, and I would say that of all things that have inspired me in life to pursue these goals, ST has affected me the most. I still remember those episodes where he used to get strange alien warp engines and contraptions and make them work.
It's sad that it went downhill later down the line, but as a child, it inspired me to pursue science in a way nothing else ever has, and ever will. Here's to Scotty!
Indeed. Scotty is one personage who is worthy of posts on slashdot that contribute nothing more than a "me too." The character that he so vividly created is a part of every American geek's cultural heritage and even though he was an actor as opposed to a real engineer, I'll bet he inspired a great many of the older posters here in their formative years. The spirit of Scotty lives in every "can do" engineer, sysadmin, coder and rocket scientist out there.
Though his body may fail him, his personality, utter magnanimity and talent will live on forever. I salute him. He is truly a geek's geek.
"...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada
Wil (clevernickname) did an awesome tribute to J. Doohan on his website (well, it's actually the text of the speech he gave at the con. where James Doohan last appeared on Sat., I think - go to wilwheaton.net for more.
that's what his last couple posts are about...the goodbye convention...definately worth checking out.
and he's right...how many engineers/pilots and geeks in general were inspired by this guy? -- I remember reading an early work with some bio material where James said he sat down and tried to figure out all the mechanics and theories behind how the Enterprise worked after the first season, just so he could answer fans questions more credibly and accurately.
"If you want the reputation as a miracle worker...always multiply your estimates by three!"
RB
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ah honey, we're all resplendent - Bill Mallonee
From the TNG episode "Relics":
Scotty: I may be a captain by rank, but... I've never wanted to be anything else but an engineer.
I get goosebumps everytime I see that episode. Thank you, Mr Doohan.
Tom
I never met him either, but I have talked to people that go to the conventions.
Starting with the first one which was 25 to 30 years ago.
They all say James is a great guy, a real sport, and used to be quite the drinker and scamp.
He'd joke with all the guys and flirt with all the girls.
Sounds like someone I'd be proud to hang out with.
- Estimate the time to finish the job,
- Double that,
- Change up to the next highest units.
For example, if you think the job takes two weeks, say it's impossible to get it done in under four months. So when you spend three weeks drinking beer then knock it out in an afternoon, your boss will think you're some kind of miracle worker."Scotty! I need warp power in three minutes or we're all dead!"
"I can give you three minutes next Thursday. How's that sound, ya cheese eatin' surrender monkey?"
This is not my sandwich.
James Doohan and George Takei always struck me as the two members of the cast who seemed to handle the unlikely fame they received from Star Trek the best. Doohan always remembered that it was the fans that made everything possible.
I'll bet he inspired a great many of the older posters here in their formative years.
In the fascinating (and sometimes hilarious) documentary Trekkies Doohan relates the story of a suicidal Trek fan who confided in him. Doohan took it upon himself to nurse this poor soul back to health. He told the fan that he wanted to see them at the next convention. To his amazement, the fan was there and Doohan graciously met with them, allowing them to come backstage and the whole deal. Doohan tried it again and again the fan showed up at the next convention. They kept this up for a long time (I forget -- it might have been years) when suddenly the fan stopped coming. Doohan feared the worst had happened.
Years later Doohan was stunned when the fan showed up at a convention out of nowhere! The fan told Doohan that they had turned their life around, enrolled in school, and become ... an electrical engineer.
If you haven't seen this film you should definitely rent it. Watching Doohan come close to tears as he tells this story is worth the rental fee right there.
GMD
watch this
His son organized donations for it.
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
I normally have no interest in celebrities in general, but my one meeting with James Doohan showed me that he was a class act.
A couple of friends of mine dragged me to a Star Trek convention in the early 90s. Doohan was the featured star. After the obligatory question and answer session, which he handled with more humor and patience than I would have, he went out into the hall to sign autographs. I probably slowed my friends down a bit as I have no interest in autographs, but I didn't want to be left alone in the middle of the convention, so I joined them at the very end of the line. After an eternity (much longer for Doohan, who I'm sure was getting writer's cramp and a migraine after hearing the same joke and quotes from everybody in line) he made a big deal about us being the very last people in line. He seemed genuinely flattered that we waited so long to meet him, and had us come around behind the table to have multiple pictures taken with him.
How many TV and movie stars would have simply been happy to get it over with? How few would have shown that kind of humor and good nature to just a few more of many, many fans?
Scotty, if you read this, you greatly impressed me, restored my faith in celebrity, and made a fan for life. A sincere "Live long and prosper."
Ignorance is the root of all evil.
Oh, we can all sympathize with Scotty. Kirk isn't just management. He's management that's forgotten to take its Ritalin. Sometimes I think this PTT thing on Nextel was created to be an engineer's nightmare.
Kirk (on intercom): Scotty, how long before we have warp drive?
Scotty: That's be five minutes, captain.
Kirk: Well hurry it up.
(Scotty picks up his doubletalk spanner)
Kirk (immediately on intercom again): How's that warp drive coming?
Scotty(Putting down doubletalk spanner): It'll be five minutes, captain!
Kirk: OK, but I need warp right now!
Scotty: I'll see what I can do.
(Picks up doubletalk spanner)
Kirk (on intercom): Scotty, now would be a good time.
Scotty (putting the spanner in his back pocket): For the love of Pete!
(Kirk finally realizes he's irritated his top engineer)
Kirk: That's OK, Scotty. You're our miracle worker. Any time in the next two minutes would be fine.
Scotty(under his breath): F*****g a*****e!
(Scott looks around but can't find his spanner)
Scotty (yelling at unnamed subordinate): Where's my damn spanner?
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Normally on slashdot when you post an opinion that 200 other people have already brought to light, you are scored as redundant. However, I think in this case the fact that you are still able to see all the praise shows just how much one man can affect more then he could ever imagine. In my childhood you were one of the people that taught me that the word can't doesn't exist. You helped affirm that ones best effort will always see them through. And so far, you've been right. May you live out the rest of your life free of pain and worry, and thank you for helping me become all I had hoped to be.
I can't believe the parent post is moderated +4, Insightful. That has got to be the most shallow and thoughtless sentiment I have ever encountered. The Alzheimers will make it more difficult for him to manage his diabetes and other illnesses. The increased burden on his family and his own sense of loss of identity (at least during the onset of the Alzheimers) will also makes things worse.
He certainly meant it to be "funny", but I've heard people say things like this before.
Alzheimers does not "make you forget" that you're sick. In the early to middle stages, it makes things worse as you forget to take medications and are unable to follow the directions of your doctors. Eventually, you need to be moved somewhere for round the clock treatment.
People with end-stage cancer and Alzheimers aren't "lucky" because they can forget about the cancer. Instead, they feel the terrible pain of dying, without understanding what is going on around them. Many times, they don't recognize their own families, so they die "alone" and in horrible pain. Its among the worst ways to die a "natural" death.
So, lets back off on the fucking alzheimers jokes.
Well this is slashdot. Nerds and kids.
:-)
Anyway, my Uncle is one of the friendliest, most caring people I've ever known. But he can't handle death.
When my brother was killed, my Uncle sat at the funeral telling jokes. Non stop. That's how he handles things. I was aghast at the time, and criticised him for this, but I now know he was heartbroken, and this is the only way he could handle it.
I like to think all the jokesters here have a little of this issue in them. They are trying to be upbeat jokers about terrible illnesses.
One grandmother had altzheimers. It was just the name of a disease to me until I witnessed it up close. But until you've seen a person go days not recognizing anyone, then suddenly wake up screaming "Where am I? What am I doing here?" uhmmmm...it's shocking, and not funny, and tragic. She was okay to deal with when she was not recognizing us, just a little afraid of us, and she was okay when she recognized us, too. It was the transistions--that was the most frightening.
It was very painful when she transistioned, very emotional, lots of screaming and crying, wondering who and where she was. It was tough to watch and deal with.
I'm a loner and lone wolf, so I know I will end badly with no one by my side. So I hope it's quick and with not much for anyone to clean up
It's common to read something on this site that is intellectual. It's rare to see something that is emotional. A Hollywood Walk of Fame Star doesn't even begin to describe what an icon Scotty is, not just for trekkies, but for science. In decades to come, when quantum teleportation technology is developed more and more, it will undoubtedly be referred to as "beaming". And if ever the technology develops from transporting subatomic and atomic particles to the point that an entire person can be teleported, the news will be broken to the world with images of James Doohan operating a transporter. I bet he never thought that a simple casting audition would land him a place in history.
Alzheimer's is the corruption and death of neurons by unknown agents (the amyloid placques associated with it do not seem to be a direct causitive action, from the last SciAm article [yeah, real authoritive, I know...] about it).
Parkinson's is caused by parts of the brain having impaired production of/response to dopamine in the inner brain.
You don't have to be 75 years old to get Parkinson's [Davis Phinney, Michael J. Fox].
Both suck to be a witness to (my experience was watching my grandmother wither away from Parkinson's). It is very hard to get to the point where you enjoy and appreciate the fewer and fewer lucid moments the person has. Eventually, they do just become a visage of what they once were.
It sucks when someone you know dies suddenly in a car crash, heart attack or any other sudden cause. It sucks when it takes someone 10-15 years to slowly die from Parkinson's/Alzheimers [and I imagine, any terminal disease].
I feel sorry for him.
Exactly what i first thought when i saw this headline. And then i wondered, Why is this wonderful man advertised like this? Why couldn't the headline have been something that gives more credit to this man's career/life? Now everybody 'feels sorry' for him, and i seriously think he doesn't deserve that.