Back again - two days in a row! I was down in Washington yesterday afternoon and this morning to visit clients. We had a crab feast last night - yum!

I saw yesterday that James Doohan passed away. He, of course, played "Scotty" on Star Trek for many years, and actually seemed to come to grips with his stereotyped role. When asked if he was tired of hearing the line, "Beam me up, Scotty," he responded:

"I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."

He had nine kids out of three marriages. His youngest daughter was born in 2000 when he was 80 years old. Yikes!

[And we always thought that Captain Kirk got all the action!]

Entertainment Weekly has published a list of the Ten Most Misguided Mentors in film. Coming in at Number 8 is Fagin from the film Oliver!. I seem to recall they we went to see the play in Los Angeles years ago and Ron Moody was still playing the same role. He's 81 years old and has remained very active in film and TV work and is involved in a new movie calle Moussaka & Chips that is currently in production. Also in the film is Jack Wild, who starred with Ron in Oliver! playing The Artful Dodger.

Unfortunately, Jack has had a bit of a rough time of it. Here are two comments from his bio on IMDB.com:

June 2000 - Jack lives north of London. He is divorced, but currently in a 4 year relationship with actress Claire Harding. Heavy drinking in his early years cost him his career and his health. He is now a diabetic. He has been sober since 1988. He has gotten the occasional film role since that time, but has predominantly worked on British stage. He is currently being cast as a homosexual chef for a British tv comedy.

(January 2005) After sucessfully battling alcoholism, he was then diagnosed with oral cancer. A treatment of radiotherapy resulted in 2 years of remission, but the cancer then came back and he has recently had both his tongue and voice box removed.

I note another comment on the site that says it was only part of his tongue and some vocal chords, but it is still a rather sad story.

Their other co-star, Mark Lester, has had a very different outcome:

Mark is now an osteopath (one who treats patients with joint or muscle pain) in Cheltenham, England. He and his wife, Jane, live in a three-story Georgian house with their two children.

[Good for him!]

Quote du jour:

"Scotty, you've just earned your pay for the week."

-- James T. Kirk, Star Trek, The Doomsday Machine

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