Friday, March 21, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAPTAIN CRANE

Tomorrow is William Shatner's birthday (if you want to know why I love the man, just read this).  Let's celebrate with a cornucopia of classic Denny Crane Moments:


And if you want to watch the Greatest Captain Kirk Speech Ever, click here (YouTube won't let me embed it).

Happy birthday, Captain—and many more!

10 comments:

  1. Great video. I never watched that show--I don't like lawyer shows--but that was funny. Rick

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    1. BOSTON LEGAL was a wonderful show, Rick; one that could jump from subtle drama to the most outrageous comedy and do it in a totally natural way. It remains one of my favorite television series ever—and the Shatner-Spader chemistry, more than anything, is what made it great.

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    2. At first, I thought he said Denny Colt not Denny Crane. Now that would have been a "spirited" Easter Egg.

      I have an impossible time watching lawyer shows because they are so unrealistic. I once had a jury trial in which one of the jurors was a writer from "Law and Order." During voir dire (jury selection), he said he always wanted to be on a jury to see what trials were really like. Our trial mostly involved the interpretation of language in a contract which was over an inch thick, and who was responsible for removing some mud. After less than a day, the look on that juror's face boiled down to "oy vey."

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    3. I can imagine that, being a lawyer, those shows would drive you mad, Rick. I guess you have to approach them as fantasies!

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    4. Just once, I'd like to spend a day in court and have my suit and tie look as well pressed as the TV lawyers.

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    5. You need to travel with your own hair and wardrobe people!

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  2. I recently saw an interview with Steve Englehart were he talked about among other things a change that took place in comics. Were as when he started if you got a jo as a regular you were put on the book, now you have to have a plan going in and explain it to the editor. Now, I don't know how strict this is, or how often it is used and why, but it would seem something would be lost in translation.

    Yes, I understand these characters the big two have are icons and they have to be given special considerations and whats more it takes money to put these things out. However, there have been some pretty great stories that more than likely would not come up when talking to an editor to get a job, or even thought about before getting the job, some even before they were being written.

    Like I said I get the logic, ut that doesn't mean it is a perfect system

    thoughts opinions?

    Jack

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    1. You don't always have to have a plan going in, Jack. But, once you're on board, there's much more emphasis these days on seeing projected story lines, character arcs, etc. The days of just winging it are over.

      There's a lot to be said for the era when you could just fly by the seat of your pants on these books—I've done quite a bit of that over the years—and that process led to some amazing work. But not everyone was Steve Englehart and there was also quite a bit of rambling, unfocused work, too.

      My current experience has been that yes, the Powers That Be want to know what you're planning, see the direction you've mapped out (and, given the realities of the market, I understand), but there's still freedom to upend those plans and follow the muse. Balance in all things, right?

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  3. That has to be my favorite drama ever. It was such a clever mix of comedy + Drama. If you add some action to that sweet deal you'd probably have the Justice League International. I can almost imagine it "Say my name". "Maxwell Lord" "Uhhh".
    Btw, I just got JL3000 #12. They disappeared during an Elongated Man birthday mystery!! Probably the first mention of that character in years. Who's next a reactivated L-Ron or maybe a Futurama-esque preserved Maxwell head sleaze balled his way to run the show (maybe he'll go back in time as Manga Khan).
    I love that the Super Buddies stories happened in this continuity and that the name stuck. Every issue I like Earth-Bwah-ha-ha more and more!

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    1. Thanks, Rafa. We've got a lot of fun and, we hope, surprising things coming up in JL3K. Next up is the return of Ice! (And can Fire be far behind?)

      Maxwell Lord as the Denny Crane of the JLI universe? I can see that.

      And I STILL miss BOSTON LEGAL!

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