Today in the Department of Before They Were Star Trek Stars, Grace Lee Whitney appears in "Operation: Benefit," episode 4 of the single season of Ensign O'Toole (original air date October 14, 1962).
In this service comedy, Whitney plays the leader of a touring troupe of American dancers, who is persuaded by the titular U.S. Navy officer to perform in a fundraiser for a South Korean orphanage. (I love little discrepancies, like her character being credited as "Rita Shaw" when the prop trunk says "Rita Shawn!")
There are no other Trek connections in this episode. But I thought it would be fun to point out that the series featured a young Beau Bridges and Dean Jones before they became household names. And former matinee idol Dick Powell, whose Four Star Productions produced Ensign O'Toole, makes a cameo appearance in this episode as a singing Chief Petty Officer who unsuccessfully auditions for the benefit.
