The phrase "Beam me up, Scotty," will be forever attached to memory of James Doohan who played Scotty. The quote, much like the series, is fiction that's no part of popular lore.
Captain Kirk never actually used these words on in the Star Trek series or movies, the closest in fact being the occasional "Beam us up, Mr Scott," or "Scotty, one to beam up." In the Star Trek movies (specifically Star Trek IV), Captain Kirk did command, "Scotty, beam me up," but that's as close as they got.
You wouldn't know it by the reports of Doohan's death, such as this from AP:
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original Star Trek TV series and movies who responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died Wednesday. He was 85.Of course the AP is not alone - the BBC makes the same mistake as do a host of others caught by Google News.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.
...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."
More on the passing of Doohan at TrekWeb.
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Comments (19)
NOOOOOOoooooooooOOoOo!!!!!<... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Jewels | July 20, 2005 12:40 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
NOOOOOOoooooooooOOoOo!!!!!
1. Posted by Jewels | July 20, 2005 12:40 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 12:40
2. Posted by Jewels | July 20, 2005 12:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
(and you can quote me on that.)
2. Posted by Jewels | July 20, 2005 12:41 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 12:41
3. Posted by Palmateer | July 20, 2005 12:44 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
At least Doohan got to appear in later reincarnations of the Trek series.
3. Posted by Palmateer | July 20, 2005 12:44 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 12:44
4. Posted by Laurence Simon | July 20, 2005 2:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
(16 players, 40 points each)
4. Posted by Laurence Simon | July 20, 2005 2:00 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 14:00
5. Posted by Danny Carlton | July 20, 2005 2:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Loved the episode of TNG where they found him trapped on a Dyson's sphere. Some classic sci-fi there.
5. Posted by Danny Carlton | July 20, 2005 2:03 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 14:03
6. Posted by Ed | July 20, 2005 2:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Figures AP would screw up. They couldn't find their ass checks with both hands.
Of the four Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scotty, only two remain. I feel older every time my childhood heros pass on. Good-bye Scotty...
Maybe his epitaph should be his best line ever: "I cannot change the laws of physics!" In his best Scottish brogue of course. Or as others will no doubt say: "I beamed them aboard the Klingon vessel...where they'll be no tribble at all."
6. Posted by Ed | July 20, 2005 2:06 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 14:06
7. Posted by lawhawk | July 20, 2005 2:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
And the story mysteriously leaves out the part about Doohan's service in the military during WWII - including losing a finger during D-Day in the course of taking six bullets, one of which hit him square in the chest (and a cigarette case saved his life).
7. Posted by lawhawk | July 20, 2005 2:37 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 14:37
8. Posted by Ed | July 20, 2005 3:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The AP report on Jane Fonda's death would mysteriously leave out her visit to Hanoi I bet.
8. Posted by Ed | July 20, 2005 3:09 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 15:09
9. Posted by lawhawk | July 20, 2005 3:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Ed:
I disagree. The AP would see her trip to Hanoi and riding cowboy on a North Korean tank to be a highlight of her career. It's the epitome of anti-US sentiment after all.
9. Posted by lawhawk | July 20, 2005 3:15 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 15:15
10. Posted by March Hare | July 20, 2005 3:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I heard James Doohan speak at one of the first Star Trek conventions, in Oakland, CA. He did several other accents, IIRC.
One of my faves (which I believe was the Dyson sphere episodes in TNG) was when he counseled Geordi: "Never tell them how much time you really need. They'll never think of you as a genius (or a miracle-worker--I can't remember the exact quote :( ) if you deliver it when you say you will!" Or advice to that effect. I still use it! :)
10. Posted by March Hare | July 20, 2005 3:15 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 15:15
11. Posted by Retread | July 20, 2005 4:01 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
And Bogey never said "Play it again, Sam." but both lines have been misquoted so long that nobody checks.
11. Posted by Retread | July 20, 2005 4:01 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 16:01
12. Posted by TR | July 20, 2005 4:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Mr. Scott
Rest in Peace
For the rest of us down here well keep giving it all shes got.
TR
12. Posted by TR | July 20, 2005 4:17 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 16:17
13. Posted by Peter | July 20, 2005 5:01 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Aye, full speed ahead into the next world, Scotty.
God bless.
13. Posted by Peter | July 20, 2005 5:01 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 17:01
14. Posted by Dodo David | July 20, 2005 7:23 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My favorite Star Trek scenes featuring Mr. Scott:
In "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of TOS, Mr. Scott begins a bar-room brawl with a group of Klingons because the Klingons insulted the Enterprise.
In the Star Trek movie "The Undiscovered Territory", Mr. Scott has a phaser in hand as he kicks down a door, then shoots the alien who is trying to assassinate the president of the Federation.
In the TNG episode "The Miracle Worker" Mr. Scott complains about the lack of alcoholic beverages on the Enterprise. Mr. Data appeases Scotty when Data discovers a container of green alcohol.
Favorite line uttered by Mr. Scott:
TOS episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" - Replying to Captain Kirk's inquiry about the location of the tribbles, Scotty replys,
"Before the Klingons went into warp, I transported the entire kit and caboodle to the Klingon engine room, where they'll be no trouble/tribble* at all."
*With Mr. Scott's accent, it is difficult to tell if Scotty says "trouble" or "tribble".
Side Note: About James, Doohan, you have to admire a man who survived participation in the D-Day invasion, and then at the age of 79 fathered a child. Doohan was 80 when his last child was born.
14. Posted by Dodo David | July 20, 2005 7:23 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 19:23
15. Posted by Robert | July 20, 2005 9:35 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My favorite scene of Mr Doohan was when he was saying he knows every inch of the ship and then knocks himself out on the ceiling divider. Whenever I see that I just bust up laughing!
15. Posted by Robert | July 20, 2005 9:35 PM |
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Posted on July 20, 2005 21:35
16. Posted by juja | July 21, 2005 5:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
you fucking nerds!!!!!!!!
16. Posted by juja | July 21, 2005 5:46 AM |
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Posted on July 21, 2005 05:46
17. Posted by Phinn | July 21, 2005 11:59 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Scott: "Do you mind a little advice? Starfleet captains are like children. They want everything right now, and they want it their way. But the secret is to give only what they need, not what they want!"
LaForge: "Yeah, well I told the captain I'd have this analysis done in an hour."
Scott: "How long would it really take?"
LaForge: "An hour!"
Scott: "Oh, you didn't tell him how long it would really take, did you?"
LaForge: "Well, of course I did."
Scott: "Oh, laddie, you've got a lot to learn if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker!"
17. Posted by Phinn | July 21, 2005 11:59 AM |
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Posted on July 21, 2005 11:59
18. Posted by Phinn | July 21, 2005 12:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Actually, my favorite Scotty moment came in Star Trek IV, where he is on present-day earth, and in exchange for some spare parts, he gives an engineer a fantastic gift -- the as-yet-unkwown formula for "transparent aluminum."
He starts to put the formula in the computer (an old monochrome Macintosh, IIRC).
"Computer?," he calls out, but it doesn't respond.
McCoy offers him the mouse. Scotty accepts it, and tries to use it as a microphone. "Computer?" No response.
"Uh, you have to use the keyboard," says the engineer.
"Keyboard, eh? How quaint."
And then Scotty cracks his knuckes, and proceeds to type in the formula at a hundred miles an hour.
18. Posted by Phinn | July 21, 2005 12:05 PM |
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Posted on July 21, 2005 12:05
19. Posted by Ben Bauman (U.S.A.,Ret.) | July 24, 2005 10:13 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Nerds no...DREAMERS YES!!! We all dream of a better future and Star Trek was as American as apple pie. Always looking for the best in us and the future. James played his part well...and had fun too.
19. Posted by Ben Bauman (U.S.A.,Ret.) | July 24, 2005 10:13 AM |
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Posted on July 24, 2005 10:13