Leonard Nimoy in Make-Up

I've been working hard at collecting all the photos I can find, in the best resolution I can find, of Leonard Nimoy getting into makeup as Spock. In the course of that I stumbled on these marvellous images here, which I'd urge you to go over and look through, of bits like the Spock ear moulds and makeup and costumes, mostly from the films.

Here's my collection of Leonard Nimoy looking gorgeous as he went through the two hour long process of becoming Spock. I wonder if he was ever tempted to leave the makeup on when he'd finished for the day?

I don't know that all of these are from the same shoot, but I think they're pretty much all Original Series era.

With Fred Phillips, and a little help from Adam Nimoy.

Fred Phillips doing a touch up for Amok Time. Nimoy looks beautifully into character.

With Deforest Kelley in the background. I love this photo. Is Leonard Nimoy sorting out his contact lenses?

Another of the same time. I wish I could find this bigger!

Sans eyebrows and ears. Look at that forearm!!

Slightly further out on the same shot.

Ears being applied.

Ears being applied.

Eyebrows going on. Apparently this was a pain because it took so long. Every hair had to be applied individually.

Eyebrow sculpting.

Closer in on the same shot, but much higher resolution.

Very poor resolution, but I can't find a bigger copy of this.

Still working on those eyebrows.

A bit of hair work.

A bit of hairspray to finish it all off. No wonder his hair was never out of place!

A closer look at that lovely photo.

A few colour shots. No wonder they called the makeup pancake!

He appears to be having his eyes brushed.

More work, but not caked in makeup here.

Eyeshadow going on, I think.

I've been trying to work out if this is from TMP, since the ears look blunter and less sculptured.

All done, except the costume!

The finished look, but still in his cape. I love the glimpse of the uniforms hanging up behind! It must have been hard going through two hours of this every morning. And to think that Spock wakes up looking like this without any effort!

  Finally a couple of extra images just pointed out to me by Karracaz, sourced from here. As with all the other images, open in a new tab to see them at full size.

White Poloneck Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy, poloneck, white. He looks pensive or distressed. Is he acting or is this real? I’d like to know what was going on, or to see more photos, because he looks gorgeous. (Also because once I have two of anything I want more.)

Pretty Pretty Paris

You know, I wouldn't automatically think of Leonard Nimoy with wavy hair as a pretty thing, but by god does he pull it off well. He's so beautifully cavalier and dashing as Paris in Mission: Impossible with his dark waving hair. There's something of the exotic and mysterious about him. I suppose that was the effect they were going for. In these shots, from 1969, he puts me in mind of the glorious image of a dark and brooding Paris hidden under a flamboyant exterior that I get from Geriatricfool's beautiful writing.

Thanks to Lynnet Ann Toole on facebook for posting some of these and reminding me of the ones I had on my computer.

Leonard and Adam Nimoy in Hawaii

Leonard Nimoy and his son Adam, at age 13, in Waikiki, Hawaii, June 13, 1970.

It's rather lovely to see these pictures. I hope he was having as much fun as it seems. I hope they both were. Personally, I'm having quite a lot of fun seeing Leonard Nimoy prance about in the sun with only shorts on, but that won't be what Adam Nimoy's getting out of it.

I wonder if this was after he had left Mission: Impossible? The end of Season 5 was aired in early 1971. Could they have finished shooting? Or was this a break between Season 4 and Season 5? If only I had my Dossier I might be able to find out... I want to know if this was a fun outing between seasons or a fun post-slightly-dispiriting-acting-job jaunt.

On a slightly related note I wonder what it's like to be Adam Nimoy now, suddenly thrust into his father's place, as the Star Trek torch carrier for the Nimoy family?

“It’s just that I – I never lost a command before...”

William Windom being brilliant as Commodore Matt Decker in the Star Trek episode The Doomsday Machine. This has to be one of my favourite episodes and that’s due in no small part to Windom’s characterisation of Decker, the desperate Captain Ahab figure consumed with the need for revenge on the machine that killed his crew.

As I started watching it this evening I was captured by little details - the moment when Kirk walks around the bridge past the viewscreen so we see that not-often-seen side of the bridge between Spock’s station and the viewscreen. The fast moving camera angles. The score, which is in turn dramatic and poignant.

Then we move on to the most poignant scene in the episode, where Kirk et al discover Decker alone in auxiliary control and he explains through his shock and distress what happened to his crew. When he collapses Kirk almost reaches out to comfort him, but in a very male mid-twentieth-century way he stays his hand before he touches him. “It’s just that I – I never lost a command before,” Decker falters before McCoy leads him away.

Amok Time Promos

I've been scouring the web the last few days gathering together all the Amok Time promos I could find. This is what I have so far. I'd love to get bigger versions of some, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how many are out there.

Featuring Leonard Nimoy as Spock, Arlene Martel as T'Pring, William Shatner as Kirk, DeForest Kelley as McCoy, and Celia Lovsky as T'Pau.