ONE of Star Trek’s most popular characters was Scotty, the chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise.
The actor who played him was James Doohan, a Second World War hero and the inventor of the Klingon language.
He died three years ago and while most of his ashes were scattered over Puget Sound near his home in Washington State, some were put on a rocket destined for outer space last month. Sadly, it blew up. Which prompted Terry McGuigan to email me.
“I was sorry to hear about the failure of the attempt to get the ashes of Scotty into space. It seemed so wrong somehow.”
But never mind. Terry reckons Scotty may have beamed himself into other dimensions.
“I like watching old musical scores on YouTube,” he confesses, “and I saw Scottie on one, so he may have made a time warp!
“The video in question is the title song from 42nd Street starring Ruby Keeler. About half way through a rather involved choreography, there is a domestic stabbing in the street and the camera pans up to a first floor bar where a rather affluent chap sings. In the background is a bar waiter mixing cocktails. I think this is Scotty. What do you think?”
I think Terry could be right. The film was made in 1933 when Scotty was 13. The barman looks like Scotty in full manly bloom, moonlighting from the Enterprise.
What a lovely thought that he’s still out there in many different films and guises.
(To watch the clip, Google: Youtube 42nd Street, into your computer).
