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Body paint obviously has to be relatively non-toxic, it's generally vegetable based and wipes off really easily. They had horrible trouble with that model in the credits to one of the James Bonds who was painted gold - perhaps Goldfinger? - because it was in fact toxic and could only be on her for a limited time, etc. I don't think they could use it at all nowadays.
I've used grease paint make-up for Halloween before and it does wipe off very easily
 
That"s just an urban legend.
 
The idea in Goldfinger was that Shirley Eaton (she has a name, and she's still with us!) would die because her skin would not be able to breathe having been painted with gold. It's not true, though, as long as you can draw air into your lungs, you'll be fine, unless the gold got in your lungs as well.
 
Indeed.
Susan Oliver played 'Vina' but they had trouble 'keeping her green'....
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Make up hasn't changed that much in the latest Discovery season - Janet Kidder as Osyraa the Orion leader. That fringe is a bit severe but you still would.

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Fun fact - Janet's aunt Margot Kidder played Lois Lane in the Superman movies, and Janet plays a baddie in fellow DC show Arrow.
 
I've used grease paint malke-up for Halloween before and it does wipe off very easily
Yes the old vaudevillians used crisco as a base sometimes, I believe greasepaint was originally tallow or palm oil. Very messy. Also more extraneous info, I don't believe that body paint is the same as greasepaint - greasepaint is for the face. It would destroy any costume it touched, not cleanable. I don't know what the components of body paint are these days - but I'm sure that they are non-toxic. I just took a quick look at one supplier and their product is not tested on animals and vegan.
 
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The idea in Goldfinger was that Shirley Eaton (she has a name, and she's still with us!) would die because her skin would not be able to breathe having been painted with gold. It's not true, though, as long as you can draw air into your lungs, you'll be fine, unless the gold got in your lungs as well.
That was a class A PR story though.
 
I think they had to refilm a large part of The Wizard of Oz when the chap playing the tinman got ill through the toxic paint used on him.
Yeah that was the silver version. He was allergic to it. I don't think they had to re-film but I expect it caused delays. As recently as FOTR, John Rhys-Davies was allergic to some part of his prosthesis and they had to give him days off. Industrial safety in the film industry is a very new phoenomenon (and about time) - in the old days the staff just suffered and kept going. The old fog effect powder was particularly toxic.
 
Yeah that was the silver version. He was allergic to it. I don't think they had to re-film but I expect it caused delays. As recently as FOTR, John Rhys-Davies was allergic to some part of his prosthesis and they had to give him days off. Industrial safety in the film industry is a very new phoenomenon (and about time) - in the old days the staff just suffered and kept going. The old fog effect powder was particularly toxic.
Buddy Ebsen, (later Jed Clampett in the Beverley Hillbillies) was orginally cast as the Tin Man. They did his make-up by spreading powdered aluminium over a white greasepaint base. This caused a serious chest infection when the aluminium powder got into his lungs. He spent some time in hospital and by the time he'd recovered they'd recast the part: the make-up had been changed, mixing the aluminium powder with the greasepaint so that it couldn't be inhaled.
 
Buddy Ebsen, (later Jed Clampett in the Beverley Hillbillies) was orginally cast as the Tin Man. They did his make-up by spreading powdered aluminium over a white greasepaint base. This caused a serious chest infection when the aluminium powder got into his lungs. He spent some time in hospital and by the time he'd recovered they'd recast the part: the make-up had been changed, mixing the aluminium powder with the greasepaint so that it couldn't be inhaled.
Yes thank you I had forgotten that part. Ebsen started off as a song and dance man. But Jack Haley also had problems with the revised stuff, he said it was uncomfortable. Dusting a powdered metal on top of greasepaint is exactly the kind of thing they used to do - you'd think it would be obvious
 
Sorry, yes I meant in the plot of the film rather than in real life.
Yeah, the in-universe explanation of HOW she died was "skin suffocation". It claimed that the paint made her unable to sweat and this killed her. IRL? pretty sure you'd just sweat the paint off
 
Yeah, the in-universe explanation of HOW she died was "skin suffocation". It claimed that the paint made her unable to sweat and this killed her. IRL? pretty sure you'd just sweat the paint off
So Prince Andrew would be fine or in trouble? I'm not sure.
 
Yeah, the in-universe explanation of HOW she died was "skin suffocation". It claimed that the paint made her unable to sweat and this killed her. IRL? pretty sure you'd just sweat the paint off
As I remember, MythBusters tested this and showed that the lack of perspiration can happen with certain metallic effects (I think particularly latex-based makeup) and it can cause some serious health problems, but it has nothing to do with respiration.
The green ones were called the Orions.
I believe the original Star Trek animated series had the male Orions blue, Then again, the producer of that show was color blind.
 
As I remember, MythBusters tested this and showed that the lack of perspiration can happen with certain metallic effects (I think particularly latex-based makeup) and it can cause some serious health problems, but it has nothing to do with respiration.

I believe the original Star Trek animated series had the male Orions blue, Then again, the producer of that show was color blind.
Well to be fair, the FIRST time Orions were talked about in Star Trek had a comment suggesting they had several skin colors.... which rarely got even thought about later. TAS had 2 colors of Orions: pale yellowish green(Devna who lived in Elysia), and those Orion pirates like you talked about which were a light greenish blue. But... most other Orions have the same deep green skin color as Marta.
 
And don't forget this pair of bleedin racists....
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Who were these guys? A half black, half white car passed me today and I immediately remembered these aliens, and immediately amused myself with the idea of the car being driven by one, but also wondered whether they ever turned up in later Trek. What with them being one of the more ridiculous TOS aliens
 
That whole episode was just stupid!
hehe, the story being stupid was the entire point of the episode. :p

The Cheronians had two color variants and the only thing they could agree on is that they saw Cheronians as better than non-Cheronians.

It was basically making fun of the very concept of dividing people into social groups based on skin color. Which is surprisingly popular nowadays.... among people who wish to label themselves "disadvantaged minorities"....
 
hehe, the story being stupid was the entire point of the episode. :p

The Cheronians had two color variants and the only thing they could agree on is that they saw Cheronians as better than non-Cheronians.

It was basically making fun of the very concept of dividing people into social groups based on skin color. Which is surprisingly popular nowadays.... among people who wish to label themselves "disadvantaged minorities"....
It was about as subtle as a pickaxe but was considered a radical story and script at the time.
 
It was about as subtle as a pickaxe but was considered a radical story and script at the time.

It was a great message though that has always resonated with me: don't categorise people by skin colour.
There was also the classic episode where the ST crew met historical figures, including Abraham Lincoln.
He referred to Uhura as a "negress" and she ticked him off, saying that humankind has progressed beyond using such labels.
If only that were true!
 
It was a great message though that has always resonated with me: don't categorise people by skin colour.
There was also the classic episode where the ST crew met historical figures, including Abraham Lincoln.
He referred to Uhura as a "negress" and she ticked him off, saying that humankind has progressed beyond using such labels.
If only that were true!
That's not how I remember the episode, although I haven't seen it since I was a teen. I remember Lincoln apologising for using the word, and Uhura responding that humanity has outgrown being afraid of words.

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Again, if only that were true.

Nichelle Nichols was stunning back then.
 
That's not how I remember the episode, although I haven't seen it since I was a teen. I remember Lincoln apologising for using the word, and Uhura responding that humanity has outgrown being afraid of words.

EDIT


Again, if only that were true.

Nichelle Nichols was stunning back then.

Well done for finding the clip!
Uhura did give Abe a brief withering look and he twigged almost immediately that he'd made something of a faux pas.
 
That's not how I remember the episode, although I haven't seen it since I was a teen. I remember Lincoln apologising for using the word, and Uhura responding that humanity has outgrown being afraid of words.

EDIT


Again, if only that were true.

Nichelle Nichols was stunning back then.
Yes and that was mind-blowing thought for the period, when simply casting Nichols in a "technical position" was considered wildly progressive. That series did have some damn good writing. Ahura was a telephone operator; later iterations have turned themselves inside out trying to make communications officer as skilled and technical as they possibly can but Nichols didn't have much to work with. The Galaxy Quest take is so unfortunately accurate.
 
Yes and that was mind-blowing thought for the period, when simply casting Nichols in a "technical position" was considered wildly progressive. That series did have some damn good writing. Ahura was a telephone operator; later iterations have turned themselves inside out trying to make communications officer as skilled and technical as they possibly can but Nichols didn't have much to work with. The Galaxy Quest take is so unfortunately accurate.
I'm sure I remember a scene where Uhura is fixing something behind a panel at the base of her console. I remember thinking at the time that it didn't really seem to be her job, but I think it added something to the character that she was a capable technician.
 
Yes and that was mind-blowing thought for the period, when simply casting Nichols in a "technical position" was considered wildly progressive. That series did have some damn good writing. Ahura was a telephone operator; later iterations have turned themselves inside out trying to make communications officer as skilled and technical as they possibly can but Nichols didn't have much to work with. The Galaxy Quest take is so unfortunately accurate.
Heh, as someone with military experience in "communications" part of the job is making the d--- thing work!!!! "Communications" officer on a starship is the person who does stuff like figuring out the best frequency to cut through interference, and stuff like that. Or fully fixing the system when it's malfunctioning.

It's the difference between a telephone USER and a telephone repairman. Any crewman should be able to USE it. Military communications specialists are more like telephone repairmen. The head comm officer on the ship? That's the person who is the senior repairman who supervises the others.
 
Heh, as someone with military experience in "communications" part of the job is making the d--- thing work!!!! "Communications" officer on a starship is the person who does stuff like figuring out the best frequency to cut through interference, and stuff like that. Or fully fixing the system when it's malfunctioning.

It's the difference between a telephone USER and a telephone repairman. Any crewman should be able to USE it. Military communications specialists are more like telephone repairmen. The head comm officer on the ship? That's the person who is the senior repairman who supervises the others.
I would have expected that - whenever you see the radio operator in a WWII movie on a ship he's drenched with water and trying to keep the equipment working But on TOS whenever they had to try varying the wavelength or cleaning up the signal it seemed to be Spock who did it.
 
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