James Doohan Beamed Up, RIP

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Star Trek’s James Doohan dies, immortalized for ‘Beam me up, Scotty’
By Bob Thomas
LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original Star Trek TV series and motion pictures who responded to the command “Beam me up, Scotty,” died early Wednesday. He was 85.
Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease, he said.
The Canadian-born Doohan was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.
“The producers asked me which one I preferred,” Doohan recalled 30 years later. “I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, ‘If this character is going to be an engineer, you’d better make him a Scotsman.”’
The series, which starred another Canadian, William Shatner, as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC cancelled it after three seasons.
When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: “Jimmy, you’re going to be Scotty long after you’re dead. If I were you, I’d go with the flow.”
“I took his advice,” said Doohan, “and since then everything’s been just lovely.”

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

That's sad.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

Aww, RIP.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

Unfortunately typcast, but rest in peace.

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

Wait, Steve Stevens?

http://www.tonebone.com/images/SteveStevens-180h.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

― Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:09 (twenty years ago)

jordan made the joke i was gonna make.

― jody heatherton (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

He was "burly" only in the films...

I attended a couple Star Trek conventions in the mid '70s ... not only was he there, so were Shatner and Nimoy. (fallow times for all)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:19 (twenty years ago)

RIP

― latebloomer: lazy r people (latebloomer), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

Well, at least his daughter had a good three years to spend with her elderly father.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

Woah, he had a daughter when he was 80??

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

From his CNN.com obit:

"I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill. He's so insecure that all he can think about is himself."

IF only Ben Folds had such good judgment! RIP.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

I thought he was still clinging on...

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:49 (twenty years ago)

'i think that klingon bitch killed her father!!'

RIP :,(

― 3, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

sorry to hear of his death and RIP etc. but v. v. irresponsible, in my opinion, to have a child at the age of eighty.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

why? that kid can stay paid 4 life

― 3, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 16:42 (twenty years ago)

don't be silly

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 16:58 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, it's not necessarily any more irresponsible than having it aged 18, considering maturity, financial status and other factors.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 16:58 (twenty years ago)

you're more likely to die, when your child is five, if you have it when you're eighty, rather than eighteen.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

how quickly can alzheimers set in? you have to figure he was at least partially affected by it when he became a new daddy.

the only thing i know about this guy is that scene in Trekkies where he talks about saving that girl's life.

― matlewis (matlewis), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

Children born to 80 year old fathers will age more quickly. The DNA is damaged by the sun. She'll appear to be 26 when she's 9.

― andy --, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

yeah and everybody knows single parents cant raise kids right! and that when dudes make babies real young that means theyll be around forever!! we must attack 80 yr old fathers as the cause of absentee partents

― 3, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

please don't be silly

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

Ugly people who have children are irresponsible.

― Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

RIP Dude, will watch an episode of Star Trek in his honour tonight.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

I think we should be glad that clever people are still breeding (assuming Doohan was as intelligent as his on-screen character, which I'm going to go out on a limb on and say is most definitely the case).

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:13 (twenty years ago)

do you like john humphreys?

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

Is he the bloke out of Are You Being Served??

― Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:16 (twenty years ago)

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I was going to say, I'm pretty sure he's gay.

― Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

I've got nothing against John Humphrys? Should I have?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:20 (twenty years ago)

I don't like him

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:20 (twenty years ago)

Stupidity's hereditary too, y'know. And alcoholism.

― Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Why not, RJG?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

I don't appreciate his manner and he's old

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

http://www.thecinemasource.com/moviesdb/images/Scotty-250.jpg

You stayed at your post when all the trainees ran.

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

HE WAS A GUY WHO SAID "I'M GIVING IT ALL SHE'S GOT" ON NETWORK TELEVISION FORTY YEARS AGO. LET US NOW WAIL AND GNASH OUR TEETH AND REND OUR GARMENTS.

(That said, he did lose a finger at D-Day.)

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

Did he adopt the brogue in his day-to-day life?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

oh dude i forgot 'he stayed at his post... when all the trainees ran...' that shit had me cryin like a damn baby when i was a kid!!

― 3, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)

this is a bummer.

― Ian John50n (orion), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I haven't seen any ref to whether his child was adopted. (Jerry Lewis' late-life kid was; Chaplin's wasn't.)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

'he stayed at his post... when all the trainees ran...'

wait, did they finally include the previously cut line of dialogue about how he was his nephew & whatnot?

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

'he stayed at his post... when all the trainees ran...'

Would someone please explain what this is all about?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

(What difference does it make whether or not his daughter was adopted?)

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:37 (twenty years ago)

Would someone please explain what this is all about?

http://eil.com/newgallery/Star-Trek-Wrath-Of-Khan---A-260465.jpg

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

The only issue is re adoption is the "Woah" reaction, unless the DNA line above isn't a total joke.

I'm assuming his bagpipes were dubbed at Spock's funeral?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

what, you think that was live audio from the set?

― kingfish (Kingfish), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

shit. I needed those engines fixed 30 minutes ago

― Marco Salvetti - world moustache champion (moustache), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:54 (twenty years ago)

I am just glad Scotty beat that murder rap when they found out the real guy who did it was that guy from Bob Newhart's therapy group and Felix and Oscar's poker night.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

OMG WHO ALSO JUST CACKED!

Dude, if live audio was good enough for Burt & Cybill in Bogdanovich's "At Long Last Love..."

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

"Wolf In The Fold," was that the episode?

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

Geez Ken, I'm afraid so. You gotta remind me of factoids I haven't had to dredge up since I was 14?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Kind of brings back All Our Yesterdays, doesn't it?

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

Let THAT be your last battlefield. (geez, Gorshin another recent casualty, is Montalban next?)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

Ha! That's what I almost wrote in my last post. Elijah Cook, Jr. is safe- he died in '95.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

One question- will he be interred in his beloved Jeffries Tube?

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

he couldnae take it anymooooore!

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

In any case, I hope he finally figured out how to use a mouse.

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:29 (twenty years ago)

So do any Scots/Glaswegians/SinisterMembers actually think his accent was accurate?

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

Honestly I think I'm more upset about this than I am when people I actually know die... Its a shitty thing to say, but the fact is, I grew up loving Star Trek (even my masters thesis is revolving around Trek and history) so its sorta like a member of the family dying. Except unlike family, I sorta put these people on a pedastal... make sense? Maybe not.

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 22:18 (twenty years ago)

RIP Scotty.

Spock will outlive them all.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 20 July 2005 22:21 (twenty years ago)

They're gonna shoot his remains into space a la Roddenberry!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 21 July 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

It's too bad Belle & Sebastian never got around to doing that Scotty version of "Century of Elvis."

― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 21 July 2005 12:33 (twenty years ago)

So do any Scots/Glaswegians/SinisterMembers actually think his accent was accurate?

Remember Connery doing Chicago Irish American in Untouchables? It's as good as that.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Thursday, 21 July 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

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