Before you read this column today, go watch Spencer Tracy in Father of the Bride or A Guy Named Joe, or Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, or Bad Day At Black Rock, or Adam’s Rib, or Judgment At Nuremberg, or Inherit The Wind.

Katherine Hepburn said to Spencer Tracy “you were, really, the greatest movie actor.  I say this because I believe it and I’ve heard so many people of standing in our business say it – from Olivier to Lee Strasberg, David Lean, name it.  You could do it, and you could do it with that glorious simplicity, that directness.”  Elizabeth Taylor said, “His acting seemed almost effortless, it seemed almost as if he wasn’t doing anything, and yet he was doing everything. It came so subtly out of his eyes, every muscle in his face…”  Richard Widmark said “It’s what every actor tries to strive for – to make it so simple, so real that anybody in the audience can say, ‘Oh, I could do that.’”

And this is Tracy himself giving advice to young actors on how to achieve success.  “Come to work on time, know your lines, and don’t bump into the other actors.”

It’s advice that has come to mean more and more to me as I’ve matured as a writer.  Tracy’s acting was the epitome of simplicity, of naturalness, of easy reality, and that what I try to do in my writing.

I’m not Spencer Tracy, though.  It’s not easy for me to find my mark and remember my lines.  Mostly I sweat like Jake LaMotta in the 13^th round, bobbing and weaving and dodging the weedy dialogue, the pusillanimous paragraphs, and the purple prose screaming for attention.   I’m not that quick on my feet; they deliver their fair share of jabs, upper cuts, and low blows to my brain and end up on my computer screen.  And yeah, sometimes I want to throw up my hands, cry uncle and give in to the exhaustion, just go down for the count and let the fight be over.

But I don’t.  I delete, and delete, and delete, and write again, and struggle to find the right words, because words are important, and good stories are made up of words that don’t obfuscate or complicate the story, but reveal the truth of it.

There’s a story from the Talmud, the written scholarship of Jewish law.  A Gentile went to the rabbis of his city, saying to each that he would become a Jew if the rabbi could teach the whole Torah while standing one foot.  Every rabbi chased him away, saying that it took years of study; what he asked was impossible.  Finally this Gentile met with Rabbi Hillel, and, standing one foot, repeated his request.  “Teach me the whole Torah while I stand here like this and I will become a Jew.” Rabbi Hillel said “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor.  All the rest is commentary.”

Amen, Rabbi!

And I’ll try not to bump into the other actors, Spence!

*Keep It Simple, Stupid.

TUESDAY MORNING: Emily S. Whitten

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Michael Davis

I find myself writing about Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Three more than any single season of any season from any franchise. And that’s fine by me given the quantum leap in quality improvement from the previous two seasons. I am happy to do it one more time as the Blu-ray set from Paramount Home Entertainment is due to arrive on Tuesday.

The behind-the-scenes turmoil that led to the first two seasons feeling incredibly inconsistent began to fade with the arrival of a new set of writers and producers. As Gene Roddenberry grew frailer and ceded more day-to-day control to producer Rick Berman, the show also bid farewell to the exhausted head writer Maurice Hurley. He was briefly replaced by Michael Wagner but illness forced him to leave after just four episodes, but his recommended replacement, Michael Piller, proved to be the turning point in the show’s fortunes. As Berman focused on the physical aspects, Piller took control of the writing staff, incorporating input from the actors, especially Patrick Stewart who not only wanted to see Picard off the Bridge more often, but running, shooting, fighting, and kissing babes.

The cast had also been complaining about the physical discomfort caused by the spandex uniforms. They were retooled by newly arrived costumer Bob Blackman, made looser with the addition of the high collar, but complaints continued so during the season, the regulars received near wool gabardine outfits with the men welcoming the jackets while the women continued to wear one-piece outfits.

The most significant alteration to the writing staff was most likely the arrival of Ronald D. Moore, who submitted “The Bonding” as a spec script and was promptly hired on staff. His familiarity with the original series helped him tremendously and he also quickly grew to be the writer to focus most on the Klingon culture, which resulted in significant developments for Worf and the Federation’s allies.

The show’s evolution went beyond stronger scripts as the series truly lightened up with the elevation of Marvin V. Rush to cinematographer. The change meant the show went for brighter and bolder colors, establishing a look for the remainder of the series.

Another significant addition was actually the return of Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher. Other character alterations saw Crusher’s son Wesley receive a field promotion to ensign while Geordi La Forge was promoted from lieutenant to lt. commander and Worf advanced from lieutenant J.G. to full lieutenant – none of which required walking the plank.

All told, the changes on camera and behind it meant the show was maturing and fast. We got a greater sense of the cosmic politics through shows like “The Defector” and “Sins of the Father”. More character-centric shows allowed different members of the ensemble to shine, notably Brent Spiner in “The Offspring” and Dorn in “Sins” and “The Bonding”. It should be noted that the dictate against continuing story threads from episode to episode began to erode during this season, freeing the writers to more deeply explore the characters the repercussions of their actions.

Jonathan Frakes began his directing career this season with the moving Data tale “The Offspring”, making an impact away from Riker, a character that may have experienced the least challenge this season.

The ensemble was augmented with many returning guest stars led by the delightful John DeLancie and Majel Barrett We also welcomed back old friends in the moving “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and Mark Lenard’s turn as “Sarek”. New additions to the canon included Reg Barclay (Dwight Schultz), who became a favorite and was brought back in subsequent seasons. Whoopi Goldberg made scant appearances as Guinan and Colm Meany continued to man the transporters as O’Brien (who didn’t get a first name yet).

The third season’s most significant impact, perhaps, is the final episode, the series’ first cliffhanger and a ratcheting up of the threat level. The Borg, introduced a season earlier with a warning from Q, finally arrived and wanted to add mankind to their diversity.  Seeing Picard assimilated as Locutus followed by Riker’s order to fire phasers meant fans had a very long summer of anticipation ahead of them. It was the first time a threat was introduced with lasting repercussions unlike the thread introduced at the end of season one.

One of the greatest challenges with these releases is convincing audiences that already own them on VHS or DVD that the high definition restoration is worth the bucks. In the case of ST:TNG, it is definitely worth it as the special effects are sharper and the overall look of the series is brighter, clearer, and crisper. Then there are the bonus features. All the previous extras are back as standard definition “archival” pieces but the new ones also make a compelling argument for purchase.

For 1:15, you can be enthralled with Inside The Writer’s Room, hosted Seth MacFarlane as he chats with Ronald Moore, Brannon Braga, Naren Shankar and Rene Echevarria. It’s late in the program before you get a sense of the mechanics of the Writer’s Room but before then you watch the four reminisce and remind one another of inspiration from desperation and cringe-worthy episodes that haunt them still. It’s a little too loose as they talk over one another and don’t always answer their host’s questions, but MacFarlane demonstrates an impressive memory for episode titles.

For 90 minutes or so, there is the three-part Resistance is Futile – Assimilating Star Trek: The Next Generation, which carefully explores the show from both before and behind the camera. Wagner’s role is totally missing but Ira Steven Behr steals the documentary with his anecdotes and casual approach to the history compared with some of the reverential views. It’s interesting to hear the crew talk about them noticing the improvement in the stories and the effect Piller had on one and all.

There is a very moving Tribute to Michael Piller where his widow and coworkers all discussed what made him a special person and just what the series needed at right that moment. On more than one occasion it is noted that Piller thought he was leaving the series after one season and was leaving the cliffhanger resolution to “Best of Both Worlds” to his successors, until Roddenberry himself asked Piller to stay on for one more season. It may well be the last great act the producer did on behalf of his creation.

Well, it’s been officially announced: I’m scripting issue 20 of Aquaman for Geoff Johns and Company. It brings me back to my old DC stomping grounds and I’m both happy for the opportunity and pleased with the result. I hope everyone out there will feel the same when the book appears next month.

It also gives me a chance to talk about the art of doing a fill-in which has its own special skill set whether you’re a writer or an artist. Usually it’s a single issue although it can be for two.

If you’re getting a call from an editor of a given book for a fill-in, it will usually be on short notice. I once got a call from an editor on a Friday morning. He needed the fill-in script by Monday. The way that scripting usually works is that I submit springboards (one paragraph plot ideas and I usually try to give a few) and the editor decides which he or she likes. I then do a plot overview and then finally write a full script. Collapsing the time stream, that’s about a week. I had maybe four days from a standing start.

By early afternoon, the editor had the springboards. We talked on the phone, he picked the one he liked, I wrote up the plot outline by late afternoon. The editor approved it with his comments before the end of the day and I was off and writing. The script was in by Monday.

The question is not how creative you are (although you have to be that) but how professional, how disciplined, you are. How well do you know your craft? This goes for the artist as well as the writer. You get the job done.

Here’s why: The publisher has lined up printing time and there are only so many presses that print comics. They’re generally booked pretty full so if you don’t get the book to the printer on time, you miss your slot, you have to wait until one opens up and you’ll probably pay a fee for it. If the books ships late as a result, unsold copies can be returned (not the case with an on-time book). That costs money and the offending editor will not be held in high regard.

Here’s some things to remember if you’re writing a fill-in issue. It has to fit into the current continuity but not move that continuity forward (that’s the main writer’s job/prerogative). You might be given a few things that current writer wants to advance but don’t presume. You must know what that current continuity is in order to write the character as s/he appears in the book. You probably won’t be able to play with the supporting cast unless they aren’t in the current storyline or you are asked to use them.

Don’t rewrite the origin. Don’t recreate or reinterpret the origin (again, that’s the regular writer’s domain). Don’t kill off characters. The story is complete in that issue; no dangling threads. Don’t play with the regular writer’s dangling threads (so to speak) without permission. Don’t correct any continuity flaws that you may have perceived. Don’t base it on any trivia points that you know.

Did I forget to mention that the story also has to be wonderful? The reader is not getting the usual team on the book; you don’t want then to feel ripped-off. The comic book market is volatile these days and the publisher doesn’t want to give the fans a reason to leave. That said – fill-ins are just about inevitable. The crush and stress of doing a monthly book is tough.

Aquaman 20 is not the first time I’ve done a fill-in issue for the character. The first time I was asked, my initial reaction was, “Oh great. Aquaman. The blonde geek who swims fast and talks to fishes.” You know – a lot of people’s reaction. Current writer Geoff Johns, who has done a brilliant job of making Aquaman very readable, has cunningly used that perception in some of his scripts. So I had to find something in the character that would interest me or the script would just lie there like a filleted flounder.

I used that reaction I had to Aquaman to fuel the story. I used what I call an “oblique angler” to create the story. The story, in this case, would be about Aquaman using peoples’ reactions to Aquaman. It was a story about stories. I created a news reporter who is assigned to do a write-up about Aquaman; he has the same “talks to fishies” reaction I had when getting the assignment. The reporter then investigates and finds some first person accounts about Aquaman, giving us a variety of interps. In the process, the reporter himself grows and changes. It remains one of my own personal favorite stories.

“Fill-in” does not or should not mean “generic.” All the rules of a good story apply; it’s just that you have a single issue with which to do it. And that should be true whether you have a GN, a miniseries, a long run or a fill-in. You tell a good story. That’s always the job.

MONDAY MORNING: Mindy Newell

TUESDAY MORNING: Emily S. Whitten

In the late 1960s and early 70s, few actors stood as tall in their heroic roles as Ron Ely.

From television’s Tarzan to the big screen’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, Ely’s 6-foot-4-inch muscular frame made the scenery cower when he stepped before a camera.

The 74-year-old actor stands just as tall today, commanding audiences with his tales of those golden days of pulp fiction on film. Warner Archive Collection has brought Ely’s best-loved roles back into the
spotlight, making the classic titles available on DVD and through its new live-streaming service, Warner Archive Instant.

Premiering on NBC in 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ immortal creation, Tarzan, took to the nation’s TV screens for the first time. Still in the capable hands of producer Sy Weintraub, the TV Tarzan (the
aforementioned Mr. Ely) continued the more recent (and more authentic) interpretation of Lord Greystoke as a sophisticated, articulate jungle adventurer as seen in the Tarzan films of Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry. Also carried over from the big screen was young actor Manuel Padilla (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River), now playing the jungle lord’s kid sidekick alongside Cheetah, the simian one.

Based on the first of Kenneth Robeson’s 181 adventure packed books, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze hit the screen with all its gee-whiz, gung-ho spirit intact. And its bold protagonist, who along with having a herculean body is also a surgeon, linguist and inventor, remains determined to do right to all and wrong to no one. Ely plays the strapping Savage in this high-camp, big-heroics tale of his trek into the Valley of the Vanished to confront the power-hungry Captain Seas (Paul Wexler). And behind the camera are pros who know how to get the most out of this entertainment bronze mine: veteran fantasy film producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine) and director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, Logan’s Run).

Once reluctant to embrace his cult hero status, Ely has joined Warner Archive Collection at two major events over the past six months – at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles, and WonderCon in Anaheim – to celebrate those cherished productions of 40-plus years ago.

In addition to Ely’s starring roles, Warner Archive Collection is now offering a number of classic films and television series representative of the pulp heroes of yesteryear. Included amongst those productions are the Tarzan Collections (the most recent featuring films of the 1960s: Tarzan Goes to India, Tarzan’s Three Challenges, Tarzan and The Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River,
Tarzan and the Jungle Boy) and Bomba The Jungle Boy, Volume One.

The

Bomba release includes six of these rare films, which were released from 1949-51. Monogram pictures made an inspired choice when it opted to adapt the Stratemeyer Syndicate’s (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift) series of books with Bomba the Jungle Boy and paired it up with Tarzan’s own now grown “Boy,” Johnny Sheffield. Under the leadership of newbie producer Walter Mirisch, the series skillfully blends stock photography, imaginative scripts and teen romance to deliver A-list fun on a B-list budget (and proving to be a smash hit for the studio). Fellow former child-star Peggy Ann Garner
provides for Bomba’s jungle distraction in the inaugural installment, while other guests of note to be found in the first six films in the series include Allene Roberts, Donald Woods, Paul Guilfoyle, Sue
England, Woody Strode, and Donna Martell. Silent-to-TV-era journeyman Ford Beebe directs all six.

But back to Mr. Ely, who took some time in conjunction with his appearance at WonderCon over Easter weekend to answer a few questions. Heed the words of Tarzan …

QUESTION: What are you impressions of pulp heroes?

RON ELY: When I was a kid, we had radio, we had Saturday morning serials, and we had comic books. It wasn’t like today – we had a limited array of things, but those things especially appealed to kids. I loved comic books, and I read a lot of them. Archie, Superman, Captain Marvel – those types.

Part and parcel of being a kid back then was to latch onto larger than life heroes. It wasn’t until we became adults that our hero image became more adult and humanized with flaws. Back then, they had no flaws – our heroes were the biggest, the baddest, and the most honorable. All those principles set in motion everything that followed suit for me.
Doc Savage was one of the most successful series of books – the character was one of the triumvirate of great action heroes, along with Tarzan and Superman. Those three really set the standard for pulp
heroes. It’s interesting that Warner Archive has all three of them – they’re like a superhero factory. I can’t think of anybody that can compare.

QUESTION: As a kid, who were your heroes?

ELY: I grew up in Amarillo, Texas, so my heroes were cut from the same cloth that I saw all around me. Cowboys like John Wayne and Bob Mitchum. One of the joys of getting into this business was that I
actually got to know some of my heroes. Those western, heroic characters occupied my interests in film more than any others. I loved the comic book and pulp heroes, but for me, you couldn’t beat John
Wayne.

QUESTION: What does it mean to you to be a hero?

ELY: It’s sort of a funny thing being called a hero, because it’s not something I wanted to do. But it just kept coming for me. I don’t really understand why, but I appreciate it because I think it might
have grown out of my sticking to the solid, basic principles I learned growing up. Those important characteristics tend to exist more in the superhero characters than other flawed adult characters. I always enjoyed playing the flawless characters because, whereas some folks find them corny, I appreciate the morals, the lessons, and all those things that superheroes are designed to be and represent.

QUESTION: What has prompted you to come out of your shell a bit and embrace the fans and the fan conventions?

ELY: I used to hate being around the fans – I avoided it like the plague. I enjoyed the anonymity. That’s why I pretty well dropped off the face of the Earth for quite a long time. But getting back out into the public again has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I can imagine. Those fans are diehard. They hang on, they don’t let go. They believe in Doc and Tarzan – they believe in them in a way that makes you want to know more about them.

It was surprising to me to find out the fans are still there, to discover the fan base is so enormous. It surprised to see younger people in that mix who weren’t around when I made Tarzan. It’s a kick for me. I enjoy seeing those people and hearing what they have to say. They embrace these characters for the right reasons. It’s not a character like in Die Hard – characters like Doc Savage, Tarzan and Superman are more pure superheroes. There’s a special group of characters, and a special group of people that remain true to those characters as fans.