When whatever I'm watching is in commercial, I reach for the remote. Whenever Grace Lee Whitney is on screen in the original
Star Trek series, I stop. To this day, I speculate, often in lascivious detail and language, what went on behind the scenes between her and Captain Kirk. To my surprise, she did only eight episodes. She has 70 titles under her name at IMDb. She appeared in many popular programs of the '60's and '70's. A talented singer, she was in the Broadway production of
Top Banana, starring Phil Silvers, and had an uncredited role in the 1954 movie version. She opened in nightclubs for Billie Holiday and Buddy Rich, and toured with the Spike Jones and Fred Waring Bands. Of course, she will always be remembered most for the iconic sci-fi series. Here is a quote from her bio at IMDb: "... There were two blond girls and one black girl. Nichelle Nichols was a more important character and couldn't be written out. Everything's political in America. One of the blonds have to go. The other one was engaged to the boss, so guess who went? I just about killed myself. I drank, that's what we do, we drink to get rid of pain. I was really mad. My God, was I bitter." She appeared in several of the
Star Trek movies and TV spin-offs, her character Yeoman Janice Rand eventually attaining the rank of Commander. According to her autobiography,
The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy, she also struggled with drug addiction, particularly marijuana. Of course, she was a mainstay at conventions, and once said: "When I told the fans I was an alcoholic, they all applauded. When I told them I had given myself to a higher power, they cheered again. I'm in a great place because I've gone full circle." Despite her troubles, she lived to 85, passing away in 2015.
Bob Montana illustrated Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead from 1942 until his death in 1975 at 54. He lived for 35 years in Meredith, New Hampshire, population circa 6,000. Unfortunately, I cannot separate the wholesome comic in my dirty mind from the pornographic drawings my friend Chucky's big brother drew of the crew
In flagrante. A statue of the teenage icon was commemorated yesterday in Meredith's Community Park to coincide with the town's 250th anniversary. It was created by sculptor Valery Mahuchy. Here's a pic from the
Concord Monitor, Montana's children in the background:
My thanks to the middle age woman who bought
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, and
Down on Ponce by Fred Willard; and to the other who selected Dan Brown's
Origin; and to the gentleman who purchased
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang a collection of the work of renowned movie critic Pauline Kael, and a travel guide to Fredericksburg, Virginia, site of two battles during the Civil War. In the first, December 11–15, 1862, the Union suffered nearly 13,000 casualties while the Confederates lost fewer than 5,000. A second offensive in January 1863 proved just as disastrous and cost General Ambrose Burnside his command.
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