20 Days of De Challenge - Day 7 (favorite heavy role).
I can’t pick just one role, I just can’t!
Curley Burne in the film Warlock (a good bad guy).
Sam King in TV series “Black Saddle”, episode entitled “Apache Trail” (a very very bad guy).
Ike Clanton in the TV series You Are There, episode entitled “Gunfight at the OK Corral”.
This was De’s first Western heavy role (1955), which he said changed the course of his career (before that, most casting directors didn’t think of him as a bad guy).
Gene Roddenberry then had to fight the network when he wanted to cast De as Dr. McCoy in Star Trek, as by that time, De was only thought of as a western bad guy.
It’s been a long month, I’m running low on shame, and some of y’all who shall remain nameless encouraged me, so here it is.
The Definitive Guide to DeForest Kelley’s Necklines
Warlock
We’re off to a slow start, guys. Curley is completely buttoned up and, just to make sure nothing improper pokes through, bundled with a neckerchief. 0/10 naughty, could bring home to mom and grandma.
The Law and Jake Wade
The 50s were a confusing time. Despite our cowboy being sexed up in leather and stubble, the shirt collar is still very respectable. 0.5/10. Could bring home to mom if she has a spittoon.
Star Trek TOS (Mostly)
Shatner is the Gene-appointed Resident Sexpo, so still not much going on unless your thing is bare necks. Occasional shots of an undershirt or chamois vest are consolation prizes.
Death Valley Days, The Breaking Point
Here’s your standard early 60s De neckline. Still plausible deniability, but you can definitely see there’s quite a show under there.
Star Trek TMP
Now we’re getting somewhere. What A Private Little War started, the 70s attempted to finish with multiple plunging v-necks for the good doctor. (Sadly, in TWOK and thereafter, they go right back to packing the chest away for nice.)
Bonanza - The Decision
He’s a doctor in this one, but we’re getting into romance novel cover territory here. Not that anyone’s complaining. This is a normal shirt but several buttons are open, creating a v-neck effect.
Black Saddle - Apache Trail
Oh, paydirt. In addition to several buttons out of commission, we have a profuse amount of what’s probably Vaseline going on here. This character is Bad News, but if you watch on mute, you could almost forgive him.
Fear in the Night
This is the film version of your 7th grade Lit teacher telling you to grab the reader’s attention. One scene in and BAM here’s De whipping off his PJs so he can properly convey angst. It makes the barest effort to fade out as the PJ top comes off, to the point if you pause it just right, you see complete shirtlessness, not that I’ve ever tried.
The Virginian- Man of Violence
This show’s episodes were 90 minutes long, so it’s like a collar tour de force in and of itself. It begins with De properly suited up as an army doc and eventually ends with...this. I guess the lesson is moral fiber is directly proportional to how much chest hair you show?
Silent Service - The Spearfish Delivers
I initially found this thru a Google Images search and thought it was Photoshop (before realizing probably not many ppl in 2020 would be PSing grainy nudes of De, but whatever). Not a neckline seen until the very end, and then he puts on a freaking Navy uniform. Weird thing is I could probably bring him home to the folks just fine too bc war hero.
I hope this has been informative to everyone, and I turn the discussion over for questions and additions. 😂
Ahhhh the actor is James Drury he's most well know for hir role as the Virginian in the Virginian tv series but that one is from the series Black Saddle where he guest starred
