Ten years ago today DeForest Kelley passed on~and I think all Star Trek fans still miss him. His portrayal of Dr. McCoy still inspires me . . . if Bones could be such a good man even with that stubborn temper of his, maybe there's hope for me too! A special thank you to Julianna and Womanwarrior, who both pointed out DeKelley's yartzeit (the anniversary of his death) and this lovely memorial.
5 comments:
When I first discovered Star Trek nearly 40 years ago, I was often very miffed with "Bones" and thus failed to fully appreciate DeForest Kelley's contributions.
Spock (and thus Nimoy) was my beloved, and I felt McCoy teased, insulted and failed to understand the intriguing (read "sexy" for a 13-year-old fangirl) Vulcan.
I began to appreciate Bones in "The Galileo Seven" and "Amok Time." Eventually, I understood the symbiotic relationship of Trek's "troika."
It provided the most important of the life lessons I learned from the show--that what people can accomplish by working as a team (sometimes even fighting, but always as a team) can far surpass (and be far more satisfying) than individual achievements.
I really appreciated how easily De Kelley made the work look when the films came out--the man ALWAYS (and deservedly) drew the best lines and played them BRILLIANTLY!
When I heard of his passing 10 years ago, I felt bereft--an important part of my childhood and adulthood was gone.
I was recovering from knee surgery at the time. A few days later, during a visit w/my surgeon, I asked how long I'd need physical therapy. The doc answered "I'm a doctor, not a fortune teller."
It took me a minute, but then I said, "Beads and rattles on the fritz, Bones?"
We smiled. But they were sad smiles.
He's really not dead, as long as we remember him."
How true. His talent and warmth and humor won't let us forget.
Liederlady...What a beautiful, heartfelt tribute!
You are right...his talent and warmth and humor WON'T let us forget!
Me
Ok, it's a universal truth that "Spock Brain" is one of the dumbest TOS episodes. Which is why I rarely watch it.
However, I just happened across it on TV and my butt got stuck in my chair.
Anyone who fails to understand how good an actor DeForest Kelley was just needs to watch this episode.
Not only did he manage to portray a horrified, appropriately shaken medical pro (with what suspiciously looked like tears in his eyes in a few closeups--hmmm, fic alert!), but he pulls off lines like "Where, where in all of the galaxy are you going to look for Spock's brain?" without cracking up.
Ok. He may have cracked up once the camera stopped rolling. Still.
Liederlady, thank you for such a beautiful memorial! That shared moment between you and your surgeon speaks volumes for DeKelley and his portrayal of Bones, doesn't it?
~Rose
P.S. You may have convinced me to take another look at Spock's Brain. Oh, and you might also want to check out Julianna's (Ster J's) take on that episode, on her Fanfic.net page. It almost makes the episode bearable!
Rose, thanks for the recs to Julianna's "Spock's Brain" fics. If that ep can be salvaged, Julianna could be the one to manage it.
BTW, tonight (ah, it's morning already) I joined ASCEML and the Kirk/McCoy LJ list. Pardon. I do believe I hear my Inbox groaning. ;)
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