James Doohan

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

James Doohan
Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts
Occupations
  • Actor
  • writer
Years active1952–2005
Known forMontgomery "Scotty" Scott
TelevisionStar Trek
Spouses
  • Janet Young
    (m. 1949; div. 1964)
  • Anita Yagel
    (m. 1967; div. 1972)
  • Wende Braunberger
    (m. 1974)
Children7; including
666 (AOP) Squadron, RCAF
Battles/warsWorld War II

James Montgomery Doohan (

Vulcan
languages.

Prior to his acting career, Doohan served in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the

3rd Canadian Infantry Division. He also served as an Artillery Forward Observation Officer (FOO) and pilot. He saw combat in Europe during World War II, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, in which he was wounded, apparently by friendly fire.[2] After the war, he had extensive experience performing in radio and television, which led to his role as Scotty. Following the cancellation of the original Star Trek series, Doohan was typecast and had limited success in finding other roles; he returned to play the character in the animated and film continuations of the series, and made frequent appearances at Star Trek conventions
.

Early life

Doohan was born in Vancouver, British Columbia,[1] the youngest of four children of William Patrick Doohan and Sarah Frances (née Montgomery), who both emigrated from Bangor, Northern Ireland.[3] His father, William Doohan, was born in Belfast,[4] and was a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.[5][6][7] William Doohan owned a chemist shop in Main Street in Bangor beside Trinity Presbyterian Church and reportedly invented an early form of high-octane gasoline in 1923. Doohan's 1996 autobiography recounted his father's serious alcoholism.[7]

The family moved from Vancouver to Sarnia, Ontario. Doohan attended high school at Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School, where he excelled in mathematics and science. He enrolled in the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in 1938.[8]

Military service

In 1939, Doohan enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery, 14th (Midland) Field Battery of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. From there, he was moved to the 13th Field Regiment of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division in their 22nd Field Battery. By 1940 he was a Lieutenant and was sent to train in Britain prior to Operation Overlord. He first saw combat landing in the 2nd Wave in a Recce Party at

silver cigarette case given to him by his brother.[7] His right middle finger had to be amputated, something he would conceal on-screen during most of his career as an actor, sometimes with a flesh-colored glove with a "faux finger."[9]

Doohan graduated from Air Observation Pilot Course 40 with eleven other Canadian artillery officers

Royal Canadian Artillery officer in support of 1st Army Group Royal Canadian Artillery. All three Canadian (AOP) RCAF squadrons were crewed by artillery officer-pilots and accompanied by non-commissioned RCA and RCAF personnel serving as observers.[11][12] Although he was never actually a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Doohan was once labelled the "craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force". In the late spring of 1945, on Salisbury Plain north of RAF Andover, he slalomed a plane between telegraph poles "to prove it could be done", earning himself a serious reprimand. (Various accounts cite the plane as a Hurricane or a jet trainer; however, it was an Auster Mark IV.)[13][14]

Early acting career

After the war, Doohan moved to

Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City,[15] where his classmates included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall, and Richard Boone
.

In 1946, he had several roles for CBC radio,[16] starting January 12. For several years, he shuttled between Toronto and New York as work demanded. He made his TV debut as a detective on the show Martin Kane, Private Eye, and appeared in 54 episodes. He estimated he performed in over 4,000 radio programs and 450 television programs during this period,[17] and earned a reputation for versatility.[18]

In the mid-1950s, he appeared as forest ranger Timber Tom (the northern counterpart of Buffalo Bob) in the Canadian version of Howdy Doody. Coincidentally, fellow Star Trek cast member William Shatner appeared simultaneously as Ranger Bill in the American version. Doohan and Shatner both appeared in the 1950s Canadian science fiction series Space Command.[16] Doohan also appeared in several episodes of Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans in 1957–58.

For GM Presents, he played the lead role in the CBC Television drama Flight into Danger (1956) by Arthur Hailey, then in The Night they Killed Joe Howe (1960).[19] (Arthur Hailey rewrote the former into the novel Runway Zero-Eight, then adapted to Terror in the Sky. This story was later satirized in Airplane!.)

Doohan's credits included The Twilight Zone, Season 4, Episode 3 "Valley of the Shadow" (17 January 1961), GE True, Hazel, "Hazel's Highland Fling" as Gordon "Gordy" MacHeath. The Outer Limits, The Fugitive, Bewitched, Fantasy Island, Magnum, P.I., The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Season 1, Episode 4 "The Shark Affair" (1964); Season 2, Episode 20 "The Bridge of Lions Affair, Part 1" (1966)) and Bonanza. In the Bonanza episode "Gift of Water" (1962), he co-starred with actress Majel Barrett who would later play Star Trek's Nurse Christine Chapel. He played an assistant to the United States president in two episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He had an uncredited role in The Satan Bug (1965), appeared in the Daniel Boone episode "A Perilous Passage" (1970), appeared as a state trooper in Roger Vadim's film Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971, which was produced by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry), and played opposite Richard Harris in the movie Man in the Wilderness (1971).[17]

Star Trek

Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios
theme park

Doohan developed a talent for accents as a child.[14] Auditioning for the role of chief engineer of the USS Enterprise, Doohan did several different accents. Producer Gene Roddenberry asked which he preferred, and Doohan replied, "If you want an engineer, in my experience the best engineers are Scotsmen."[20] He chose the name "Montgomery Scott" after his grandfather.[20] In later years, Doohan reenacted the casting process at Star Trek conventions, demonstrating a variety of possible voices and characters.[20]

Doohan was quoted as saying, "Scotty is ninety-nine percent James Doohan and one percent accent."[17][21] The character was originally conceived as semi-regular; but was elevated to be a regular supporting character. Doohan also provided voices for inanimate characters, including Sargon in "Return to Tomorrow", the M-5 in "The Ultimate Computer", the Mission Control Voice in "Assignment: Earth", and the Oracle in "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky".

Doohan returned to the role of Scotty in the early 1970s for

Arex. He also voiced most guest male roles, including that of Robert April, the first captain of the Enterprise and around 50 other roles, voicing as many as seven different characters in a single episode.[22][23]

He rejoined the entire regular cast of Star Trek for the feature film

Vulcan and Klingon language dialogue. He continued in the role of Scotty for sequels The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country. In 1992, he guest-starred in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", playing an elderly Scotty reminiscing about his time on the Enterprise. He and Walter Koenig appeared briefly with William Shatner in Star Trek Generations
, in a scene which transitioned the film series to the newer cast of the first of the later television series in the franchise.

After Star Trek

Dryden Flight Research Center with pilot Bruce Peterson on April 13, 1967, in front of the Northrop M2-F2

Doohan hoped that Star Trek would benefit his acting career.

typecast and had a hard time gaining other roles. After his dentist reminded him he would "always be Scotty", he supported his family with income from personal appearances.[24]

Most of the roles Doohan subsequently played made at least oblique references to his Star Trek connection and engineering reputation. He was Commander Canarvin in the short-lived Saturday morning

live-action kids' show Jason of Star Command, and had a cameo in the made-for-TV movie Knight Rider 2000 as "Jimmy Doohan, the guy who played Scotty on Star Trek". On the television series Homeboys in Outer Space, he was Pippen, a pun on Scotty and basketball star Scottie Pippen. He played himself in an episode of The Ben Stiller Show. He played Damon Warwick, father of James Warwick, on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.[25] After learning about cold fusion from technical journals in 1989, he narrated the video "Cold Fusion: Fire from Water", about the physics behind cold fusion.[15]

When the Star Trek franchise was revived, Doohan reprised his role of Scotty in seven

Star Trek films. Many of Doohan's film appearances centred on the role of Scotty, such as a cameo in National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
, where he plays a policeman doing repair work who tells his superior officer "I am giving it all she has got, Captain!" in the same accent he used in Star Trek.

Although he continued to work with William Shatner in the Star Trek films, Doohan did not get along well with him and was once quoted as saying, "I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill."[24] He was the only former Star Trek co-star to decline to be interviewed by Shatner for Shatner's first Star Trek: Memories book about the show, nor did he consent to do so for Shatner's follow-up book, Star Trek: Movie Memories, though Shatner mentioned in the latter that the icy relationship between the two started to thaw when both men were working on Star Trek Generations in 1993–94.[26] By Doohan's final August 2004 convention appearance, Doohan and Shatner reportedly had mended their relationship.[27]

Inspiration

Many fans told Doohan over the years that it was he who inspired them to choose engineering as a profession. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, an engineer before he participated in NASA's Apollo program, becoming the first man on the moon, personally told Doohan on stage at Doohan's last public appearance in 2004, "From one old engineer to another, thanks, mate."[28]

In an interview for the first Trekkies film, Doohan related the story of a young fan who was contemplating suicide. Doohan says that he convinced her to attend his next convention appearance, and later learned that his encouragement and kind words had not only saved her life, but inspired her to go back to school and become an

electronics engineer.[29]

Personal life

Doohan giving a speech

Doohan was married three times and had seven children, four of them—including

high blood pressure, and hearing loss. In July 2004, he announced that he had Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease[33]
and would be withdrawing from public life.

His sons Montgomery and Christopher appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Christopher also appeared in the J. J. Abrams reboot Star Trek (2009). Simon Pegg, who played Scotty in the film, invited Chris and his family to the premiere.[34] For Star Trek Into Darkness in 2012, fans campaigned for Christopher Doohan[35] gaining him a credited cameo in the transporter room.[36] Chris Doohan played Scotty in the award-winning web series Star Trek Continues.[34]

Death

On July 20, 2005, at 5:30 in the morning, Doohan died at his home in Redmond, Washington, due to complications of pulmonary fibrosis, which was believed to be from exposure to noxious substances during World War II. His body was subsequently cremated.

A portion of his ashes, ¼ ounce (7 grams), was scheduled the following fall for a

COTS Demo Flight 2.[44]

Legacy

Doohan's star on Hollywood Boulevard after his death

Scotty's exploits as the Enterprise's redoubtable chief engineer inspired many students to pursue careers in engineering. Because of this, the Milwaukee School of Engineering presented Doohan with an honorary degree in engineering.[45] Doohan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 31, 2004. Despite his ill health, he was present at the ceremony, which was his final public appearance.[46]

Montgomery Scott was claimed by Linlithgow, Scotland, in 2007 by a commemorative plaque from the West Lothian Council for Doohan's importance.[47] His birthplace is also attributed to Aberdeen,[48] where Doohan learned the doric accent,[49] or Elgin. In the actual show, Scotty refers to himself as a one-time "Aberdeen pub-crawler", the only reference Doohan's character ever makes to a specific place in Scotland where he lived. However, Scotty's accent chosen by Doohan is not the relatively harsh Aberdonian accent; the specific accent Doohan used implies most of Scotty's formative years were spent at or near Edinburgh, something that is supported by original script notes.[50]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
1956 The Cage Bob National Film Board of Canada short documentary
1957 "Test Pilot" Dave Frost National Film Board of Canada short documentary
1963 The Wheeler Dealers Defense Attorney Uncredited
1964 36 Hours Bishop Uncredited
Signpost to Murder 1st Guard Uncredited
1965 Bus Riley's Back in Town Les
The Satan Bug SDI Agent at Gas Station Uncredited
Willy McBean and His Magic Machine General Custer / Merlin / Excalibur / Royal Emcee / Leopard voice
1966 One of Our Spies Is Missing Phillip Bainbridge
Scalplock Scrimp
1968 Jigsaw Building Superintendent
1971 Pretty Maids All in a Row Follo
Man in the Wilderness Benoit
1979 Star Trek: The Motion Picture Montgomery Scott
1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1984 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
1986 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Nominated- Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
1989 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek Adventure Theme Park Attraction Short Film
1992 Double Trouble Chief O'Brien
1993 Loaded Weapon 1 Scotti
Amore!
Dr. Landon
1994 Star Trek Generations Montgomery Scott
1996 Storybook Uncle Monty
1998 Bug Buster Sheriff Carlson
1999 Through Dead Eyes Barney Fredericks
The Duke Clive Chives
2005 Skinwalker: Curse of the Shaman Judge Peterson Final Film Appearance

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1951
Suspense
Peters Episode: "Go Home Dead Man"
1952 Tales of Tomorrow Sgt. Morgan 1 Episode
1953 Space Command Phil Mitchell TV series
1953–1955 Playbill Suitor / Navigator 4 Episodes
1953–1961 General Motors Theatre Various 30 episodes
1954–1958 On Camera Various 12 episodes
1956–1957 Folio Ted / William Annand 4 episodes
1956 Flight into Danger George Spencer CBC Television: broadcast April 3.
1956–1958 First Performance Joynt 3 episodes
1957 Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans Tonkawa / Harris 2 episodes
1960 R.C.M.P. Tom Rolands / Ken McCready 3 episodes
First Person Rod Murphy
1961–1963 Festival Various 5 episodes
1962 The New Breed Dr. Lennon 2 episodes
Gunsmoke Davit Episode: "Quint Asper Comes Home"
1962–1963 Bonanza Bill Collins / Colonel's Man Episodes: "Gift of Water" and "The Legacy"
1963 The Twilight Zone Johnson Episode: "Valley of the Shadow"
Hazel Gordon MacHeath Episode: "Hazel's Highland Fling"
GE True Jennings 2 episodes
The Gallant Men Captain Blagdon Episode: "The Warriors"
Empire Doctor Episode: "A House in Order"
Going My Way Attendant Episode: "Hear No Evil"
1963–1965 The Virginian James Francis O'Bannion / George Mitchell 2 episodes
1964 The Richard Boone Show John Grisham Episode: "The Arena"
The Outer Limits Police Lt. Branch Episode: "Expanding Human"
The Rogues Cutler Episode: "Fringe Benefits"
Ben Casey Dr. Watson Episode: "A Disease of the Heart Called Love"
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Lawrence Tobin / Presidential Assistant 2 episodes
1964–1966 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Phillip Bainbridge / MacInernay 2 episodes
1965 The Fugitive 2 episodes Season 2 Episode 26- Masquerade (Deputy #1) Season 3 Episode 2- Middle of a heat Wave (Doctor)
Laredo Mike Pripton Episode: "I See by Your Outfit"
Convoy Lt. Wells Episode: "Lady on the Rock"
Bewitched Walter Brocken Episode: "A Strange Little Visitor"
1965–1967 Peyton Place Thomas 27 episodes[51]
1966 Scalplock Scrimp Iron Horse pilot episode released as TV Film
1966 The F.B.I. Frank Delbey / Claude Bell 2 episodes
A Man Called Shenandoah Francis Xavier O'Connell Episode: "Care of General Delivery"
Blue Light Conners Episode: "The Friendly Enemy"
Iron Horse Scrimp 2 episodes
Insight Rudy Fresno Episode: "Leroy"
Jericho Pastor Lutjens Episode: "Eric the Redhead"
1966–1969 Star Trek
Montgomery Scott
66 episodes
1969 Then Came Bronson Dr. John Wilson Episode: "Amid Splinters of the Thunderbolt"
1969–1970 Daniel Boone Fletcher / Bruce MacFarland 2 episodes
1969–1972 Marcus Welby, M.D. Fred Baxter / Detective Brenner
1973 Return to Peyton Place Mr. Blake 2 episodes
1973–1974 Star Trek: The Animated Series Various Voice, 22 episodes
1978 Jason of Star Command Commander Canarvin 16 episodes
1983 Fantasy Island Governor Gaspar d'Annard Episode: "Naughty Marietta/The Winning Ticket"
Magnum, P.I. Archie MacPherson Episode: "The Big Blow"
1985
Hotel
Roger Deveraux Episode: "Resolutions"
1987 Série noire Jim Episode: "1996"
1988 Danger Bay Pete Episode: "Put a Little Back"
1990 MacGyver Speedy Episode: "Harry's Will"
1991 Knight Rider 2000 James 'Scotty' Doohan Television film
1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation
Montgomery Scott
Episode: "Relics"
1996 Homeboys in Outer Space Pippen 2 episodes
1996 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Montgomery Scott
Archive footage in episode: "Trials and Tribble-ations"
1996–1997 The Bold and the Beautiful Damon Warwick 7 episodes
1997 Duckman Kardassian Episode: "Where No Duckman Has Gone Before"
2022 Star Trek: Prodigy
Montgomery Scott
Archived audio in episode: "Kobayashi"

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1994 Star Trek: 25th Anniversary
Montgomery Scott
Voice, CD-ROM version
1995 Star Trek: Judgment Rites Lt. Cmdr.
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
Voice, CD-ROM version
1997 Star Trek Generations Capt.
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
Voice

Bibliography

Autobiography
  • Doohan, James; .
Science fiction novels (The Flight Engineer series)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Obituary: James Doohan". BBC News. July 20, 2005. Retrieved April 29, 2007.
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ "1911 Census". National Census of 1911. National Archives of Ireland.
  4. ^ "1901 Census". National Census of 1901. National Archives of Ireland.
  5. ^ "James Doohan Biography (1920-)". filmreference.com.
  6. ^ "Greatest Sarnian 2: 'Scotty' Doohan gave Hitler..." Sarnia Observer. Archived from the original on October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Barnes & Noble. "Beam Me up, Scotty". Barnes & Noble.
  8. ^ "#102 Cadet Corps". The Official History Website of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. Army Cadet League of Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2013. C/Maj James Doohan (1938–40)
  9. Nyota Uhura brings him dinner on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-A, and in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", when the missing finger is clearly apparent as Scotty offers Captain Jean-Luc Picard
    a drink while on a recreation of the original Enterprise bridge.
  10. .
  11. ^ Battle History 666. Calgary: Abel Book Company. 2006.
  12. .
  13. .
  14. ^ a b c "'Star Trek' Ace Is Former Pilot". Beaver County Times. Beaver, Pennsylvania. United Press International. April 21, 1969. pp. B12. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Koolstra, Jeffrey D. (July–August 1999). "An Interview with James "Scotty" Doohan". Infinite Energy (26). Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  16. ^ a b "James Doohan: Giving it all he's got – CBC 75th Anniversary". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. July 13, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  17. ^ a b c "James Doohan – Interview". Sci-fi Online. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  18. CBS Studios Inc.
  19. ^ "Joseph Howe Subject of Show". The Gazette. October 1, 1960. p. 26.
  20. ^ a b c Scott D. Pierce (April 16, 1993). "'SCOTTY' HAS ACCENTED VERSATILE ACTOR'S CAREER". Deseret News. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  21. . Retrieved May 15, 2013. The character is ninety-nine percent James Doohan and one percent accent
  22. ^ "Star Trek: The Animated Series" Yesteryear (TV Episode 1973), retrieved June 3, 2017
  23. ^ "Behind The Voice Actors – James Doohan". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  24. ^ a b "Actor James Doohan, 85; Played Scotty on 'Star Trek'". The Washington Post. Associated Press. July 21, 2005. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  25. ^ "Ian on 'The Bold and the Beautiful'". Ian Buchanan ONLINE. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013. James Doohan... guest-starred for several appearances as James' dad Damon
  26. ^ Shatner, William, Star Trek: Movie Memories. Harper Collins: New York, 1994
  27. ^ Pascale, Anthony (December 9, 2010). "George Takei: William Shatner Refused To Appear On-Stage With James Doohan At Farewell Con". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  28. ^ "R.I.P. James Doohan 1920–2005". Soul of Star Trek. July 20, 2005.
  29. ^ Doohan tells the anecdote in the 1997 documentary Trekkies, directed by Roger Nygard
  30. ^ "Wende and James Doohan Marriage Profile". Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  31. ^ "ENTERTAINMENT | Scotty to beam up a baby". BBC News. February 4, 2000. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  32. ^ "Sarah's dad age 80". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  33. ^ "Star Trek Scotty has Alzheimer's". BBC News. July 7, 2004. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
  34. ^ a b "Christopher Doohan had a credited cameo on Into Darkness and now plays Scotty in the award winning web series, Star Trek Continues". Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  35. ^ Star Trek Fans (January 17, 2012). "Bring Back Christopher Doohan for 'Star Trek XII'". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  36. ^ "Chris cameo Into Darkness". Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  37. ^ "L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. – Participant on board The Legacy Flight". Space Services Inc.
  38. ^ Korte, Tim (July 26, 2006). "'Star Trek's' Scotty Sending Ashes to Space". Associated Press. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  39. ^ "'Scotty's' 'beamed up' ashes fall in New Mexico". CNN. May 19, 2007. Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  40. ^ Bergin, Chris (August 2, 2008). "SpaceX Falcon I FAILS during first stage flight". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  41. ISSN 0140-0460
    . Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  42. ^ Lane, Frederick (April 3, 2007). "Ashes of Star Trek's 'Scotty' Headed to Space". Sci-Tech Today. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  43. ^ "CNN News: 'Star Trek' actor's ashes heading to space this month".
  44. ^ Moskowitz, Clara (May 22, 2012). "Ashes of Star Trek's 'Scotty' Ride Private Rocket Into Space". New York: Space.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  45. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: James Doohan. James Doohan on engineering students.
  46. ^ "Last Appearance". American Cowboy. Active Interest Media, Inc: 14. November–December 2004. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  47. ^ "Doohan us proud". linlithgowgazette.co.uk.
  48. . born on the 3rd of March 222 (sd 1269.5) to Kathleen and William Donald Scott in Aberdeen, Scotland.
  49. ^ "Aberdeen Accent". Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  50. ^ "Aberdeen claims Scotty". Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  51. ^ "James Doohan | The Classic TV History Blog". Retrieved May 3, 2019.

Further reading

External links