Naturally, I always associate DeForest Kelley with Dr. McCoy. Whenever I see him in an old B-class western, I'm always surprised to see him. He was a dedicated working actor, and he made the absolute best of Dr. McCoy's character over a period of decades.
I was fortunate to meet every Star Trek star except DeForest and Leonard (Nimoy). I've done conventions from 1979 to just before Covid hit. I am an Original Trekkie, in other words, I was 9 when the original came out and I'm a life-long fan. When the JJ Abrams movie came out, when Carl Urban sat down in that transport and started talking, I started to cry. He wasn't acting, he was channeling DeForest. He was brilliant in it. It's funny, he wanted to be a doctor, his mom sent him to acting, and he ended up playing...a doctor. It's funny how life is and how much art imitates life. RIP De, you are remembered and missed.
I met DeForest Kelley when I was about 13 years old. He was in Texas doing a theatre production. At his public reception, all of us nerdy kids would only ask him about Star Trek and especially Mr. Spock. Looking back on it, I can tell he was disappointed. Sorry, Mr. Kelley.
I had the privilege of working with DeForest for about 15 years, and everything in this video was definitely down to Earth, and he did love his fans. My memories of DeForest are with all my photos of him with my family. He was also awarded the Shooting Star Award by William Campbell, and it's specially displayed in my living room. Thanks.
Good video!!!! Does take me by surprise whenever watching some older western movies and see DeForest Kelley in them - have grown so used to seeing him in "Star Trek" that do forget that this man had an awesome career in other movies/TV series. "I'm a doctor, damn it...not a___________ (fill in the blank with whatever you want)".
I have often wondered if we were related. DeForest looked like some in my family tree. Sadly, my grandfather died in the 60s, so I can't ask him why he chose to muster out of the army in Atlanta, GA, in 1918, instead of St. Louis, where he enlisted. But, even if we aren't related, I have enjoyed his body of work. And, of course, I love the way he spells his last name correctly! I think of him as the unappreciated actor of his generation. He was good at everything he did.
I was surprised to learn that there was a small but significant number of women who considered Deforest Kelley "hot", third behind Shatner and Nimoy, but ahead of Doohan.
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc That's why Chekhov was added, to give the younger fans a "Davy" to drool over. And, Walter is a very nice, congenial gentleman.
It’s ironic that he was in “gunfight at the ok coral” when Star Trek did an episode featuring that exact gunfight as a mental exercise by way of an alien race testing the crew: “Spectre of the Gun”
When Kelley received the Golden Boot it was from William Campbell (Squire of Gothos and Trouble With Tribbles) who was running the old actor's home. He said that Kelley was delighted someone remembered his work in westerns.
Kelley's Dr McCoy really made Star Trek what it was, filling in the dynamic between Kirk and Spock in a way that neither character could do alone. To Spock, he was the emotions he couldn't show, while to Kirk he was the conscience that command wouldn't allow him. The good-natured but barbed banter between him and Spock was so naturally done, while of course (as can be seen in any number of naval movies) the ship's doctor is the only one who can 'over-rule' the captain, and get away with what otherwise might be deemed insubordination. Kelley embodied these traits perfectly, and by forging that triangle of leading characters, he did a superb job. NB - Night of the Lepus was indeed a godawful movie, but looked like it was a lot of fun to make.
Deforest Kelley was a standout American actor who left us with a remarkable contribution whether it was on a horse or on a spaceship in the final frontier.
The ship and crew are in some great danger, and Kirk would ask Spock for suggestions. McKoy would walk up to Kirk and say-- "I got a suggestion captain, let's get the hell out of here." Then Kirk would get on the intercom to rally the crew, and give his, 'the mission of a starship is NOT to retreat!' TOS is undoubtedly the best show ever to come out of broadcast television.
In my early years, born in 1960 and running home desperate not to miss a moment of the original series, I may have held Shatner as my "favorite" STOS actor and Kirk as my favorite character, maybe even switching back and forth with Leonard Nimoy/Spock had I ever been asked, but I never was, however, 20 to 30 yrs ago I realized that neither was true, De was, and once I admitted that to myself I have been most comfortably confident of my choice/discovery. Yes, I am glad to be among the very many who hold De up to deservedly and understandably being the favorite STOS actor and his portrayal of McCoy also the favorite character.
I have few choices to watch TV without cable so i have options of channels that mostly play old tv shows and really really old TV shows . Ive seen Leonard Nimoy as a bad guy on a black and white Perry Mason show . Then as I was switching channels I saw Deforest in som old western TV show playing a bad guy . He looked really evil . I think he had alotta fun playing that guy .
Dont forget he was captain of the submarine Gar. Taking supplies to Philippines. He played another sub captain too on same submarine program. Sub named after a spitting fish! He use to slap the 2 parascope handles closed with gusto! Where his submarine rescued nurses off battan before the death march.
THAT IS TRUE The chemistry between Spock and McCoy was from the start a major element of the show, and not only there, even the authors having written the novels like SPOCK MESSIAH! understood well the importance of this carring part of the show 12:24 " WE THOUGHT THAT STAR TREK WAS SADLY GONE ! !" That is also a vital point in the STAR TREK LORE especially younger fans don´t understand it at all. For them STAR TREK is one long stretch but in truth, after the Sixties the plug was pulled for STAR TREK and it was seen as a trashed classic at best. ( Fun Fact: In Germany STAR TREK TOS ran on German TV with a chosen selection of episodes in the early Seventies for the first time ) It is also explains why Shatner once had said in an interview the people should stop watching STAR TREK reruns in their mother´s cellars and get a life ! At that point in those decades other TV productions counted as runners but STAR TREK was seen by the majority as a thing of the past BECAUSE YOU WANT TO KNOW: Basically Kelley himself as an actor and as a person was and is a rather unknown side figure of the STAR TREK PRODUCTIONS. And I doubt that many folks here in Continental Europe realize what a fine and prominent artist he had been in fact
The 333 Montgomery show looks interesting, but 1960? The Perry Mason TV show got started in 1957, so I'm not sure just how "groundbreaking" 333 Montgomery would have actually been. Interestingly, DeForest was in one episode of Perry Mason, so he wasn't JUST doing westerns, just mostly westerns.
@@petejones879 Here's another tidbit. A metal cigarette case in his chest pocket stopped a bullet headed for his heart. He used to joke that smoking saved his life!
Uh... isn't that explained at the beginning of the video? First name, Jackson... middle name, DeForest... named after the pioneer electronics engineer Lee DeForest.
