#ellen geer

[abs0luteb4stard]

⛧ W A T C H I N G ⛧

[countesspetofi]

Today in the Department of Before They Were Star Trek Stars, Jonathan Frakes guest stars in "Ghost of a Chance," episode 2 of the eighth season of Quincy, M.E. (original air date October 6, 1982).

Frakes plays a young surgical resident working under an eminent heart surgeon played by Hollywood legend José Ferrer, who is padding his billing by booking more procedures than he can possibly do himself, and then leaving the actual surgery to be done by inexperienced, unsupervised residents without the knowledge of the patients.

Other Trek connections under the cut:

The family of a patient who dies as a result of this arrangement, who request an autopsy from Dr. Quincy, is played by future Next Generation guest stars. The patient's widow is Ellen Geer, who played Dr. Kila Marr, the Federation expert on the deadly crystalline entity in "Silicon Avatar."

And the patient's brother is Nicolas Coster, who had a memorable role as Admiral Haftel, the Daystrom scientist who tries to take Data's daughter Lal away from him in "The Offspring." It wasn't until I was researching this post that I learned Coster passed away just over a year ago. I rewatched "The Offspring" last night because I needed my heart broken again, I GUESS.

"She won't survive much longer. There was nothing anyone could have done. We'd repolarize one pathway and another would collapse. And then another. His hands… were moving faster than I could see, trying to stay ahead of each breakdown. He refused to give up. He was remarkable. It just wasn't meant to be."

Harry Townes, who portrayed the underground leader Reger in the Original Series episode "The Return of the Archons" plays the chief of staff of the hospital where Ferrer and Frakes practice.

The head of the Board of Medical Quality Assurance is played by character actor and Fifth Level Eyebrow Master Philip Pine. He also played Colonel Green, one of the "Evil" historical figures the Excalbians conjure up for the battle between the forces of Good and Evil they stage in the Original Series episode "The Savage Curtain."

Unfortunately we never get to see the face of the surgeon on the left, but he's played by Conroy Gedeon, better known to Trek fans as the agent who apprehends Dr. McCoy and takes him off to the "Federation funny farm" in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

[loveboatinsanity]

[adamwatchesmovies]

Harold and Maude (1971)

I’m not shocked that Harold and Maude was not well received upon release. When this comedy gets dark, it’s really dark. Its subject material still has some edge today so you can imagine what it was like in 1971. Time’s been (mostly) kind to this black romantic comedy. There are plenty of laughs and moments of sweetness to be found here.

18-yeard-old Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) is obsessed with death. His spare time is dedicated to faking elaborate suicides so he can shock those who discover his “body” when he isn't attending funerals. After being recognized at several funerals by Maude (Ruth Gordon), a free-spirited, live-for-the-moment 79-year-old, she approaches him. From there, an odd relationship blossoms.

There are points where Maude turns into what can only be described as a manic pixie dream girl (despite the term being coined in 2005). She’s a woman whose quirks never seem to end, whose enthusiasm knows no bounds. She steals cars on a whim and defies police officers without ever facing consequences. It’s jarring to see her get away with so much but if you find that it’s rubbing you the wrong way, hold on. As the picture develops, we learn more about her. No big speeches, just little things you pick up here and there. By the time we get to the end, you’ll see. She isn’t simply a construct made to give Harold a new outlook on life, she’s a fully-realized person on her own.

The bond that grows between the leads is what makes the picture so effective. Initially, it looks like that old cliché that opposites attract. He’s young, she’s old. He comes from a rich, affluent family and she’s down to earth. He’s obsessed with death, she’s determined to feel alive. Once we see them sit down and talk, we learn that actually, they're not that different. They're both overcompensating for something. Harold’s obsession with death is used to remind him of what it would be like if he wasn’t there, and of what he’d miss. Similarly, Maude frequently comments on her upcoming 80th birthday; that beyond it, she doesn’t foresee anything. Deep down, they're both sad characters but in different ways. It’s not some fetish or desperation that brings them together. Had they both been in their 20s, you’d get excited to see them kiss. As is, you may still hope for that but you'll need a bit to get used to the idea.

There are many big surprises in Harold and Maude. They make for the kind of laughs that will have anyone with a morbid sense of humor in stitches. I won't dare to spoil any. Instead, I want to discuss the soundtrack. Cat Stevens's Don’t Be Shy and If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out (both composed for the film) perfectly condense all of the picture’s emotions within their melody and lyrics. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear many weeping messes leaving the film because of the latter.

Some elements of Harold and Maude are jarring even to those who will be cheering for a septuagenarian to date an 18-year-old. The humor won’t be for everyone. Even so, the picture has a deep emotional impact. The performances are strong and they’re made even better by a believable relationship and the perfect soundtrack. (July 7, 2018)

[data2364]

Brent Spiner as Data 1991 in Star Trek: The Next Generation ”Silicon Avatar”

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Silicon_Avatar_%28episode%29

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n created by gene roddenberry Silicon Avatar [s5ep4]

[shakespearenews]

A Theater in a California Canyon Becomes an Oasis Once Again

Created by blacklisted actors during the Red Scare, Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, a picturesque outdoor theater, is drawing audiences in the pandemic.

The Theatricum Botanicum was born amid the McCarthy-era political furor over concerns about alleged communist infiltration of Hollywood in the 1950s. It began as a retreat in the mountains where blacklisted actors, led by Will Geer, who had refused to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, gathered to perform Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams for small audiences who wandered in off North Topanga Canyon Boulevard...

...Ellen Geer has been artistic director since her father died, and has shaped its repertory to reflect the circumstances of the original troupe of actors who appeared here. The program is heavy on classics — Shakespeare, Molière — and Geer presents them in a way to assure their relevance to the time.

For “Julius Caesar,” she wrote in an opening narration to underscore the contemporary resonances.

“We’re here to witness the story of a country’s disintegration,” the narrator said, as the sunlight slowly faded and as the occasional bat fluttered across the stage. “A conspiracy among the wealthy senate is rising to protect the great democratic republic from a brewing dictatorship from Caesar. How does this happen to a thriving nation? Will you join me and become the citizens of Rome? If we don’t speak up, fellow citizens of Rome, we could lose our democracy!”

[denver-carrington]