He was trying to preseve the lives. Of the men and women under his command. He did not realize. Nor could he. That they were safer on a dying ship. Even Star Fleet, Klingons, even the Romulans. Would not have found any fault with his actions. Any Klingon would objective known him going at that thing with a shuttle. Would serve no purpose! There was no honor to be served. YET HONOR WAS SERVED! Stovakore would welcome him reguardless. Even as a human.
Windom could never understand how people could feel that this was his best performance ever. He thought it was just another low budget science fiction show that was just a paycheck. I will always remember him as Commodore Decker.
@@allanboyer2769 Did he really feel that way? He was right in that it was a low budget science fiction show, but he still nailed it with a sledge hammer.
What really punctuates this scene is the Captain's Log entry, in which we hear the voice of the strong, confident leader Decker was before he made his one disastrous mistake. Contrasts sharply with the broken man found on the Constellation.
Absolutely. Even the strongest of people can be broken, especially if they convince themselves that what happened was their fault. I know this is only a TV show, but as a fan, I always wondered if Jim Kirk, when he heard Decker say what he said, thought to himself, "This could be me someday."
@@lonniecraig5186 Naah! Kirk was a bit too young and self-assured at the time. I'm sure he sympathized with the "old man" though!...Loved this Classic Trek Episode! I remember audio-recording it on my new cassete recorder back in Jan.'75 at age six! 😜 I taped the hand Mic to my parent's 25" RCA Chromacolor's Amp! 😂👍
@@stanleyjedrzejczyk2966 Wow! What sweet memories you've disclosed. I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that! And yeah, I too was a kid from the 60s and a teenager from the 70s and I loved Star Trek TOS! That 1960s series still defies the test of time!
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Windom late in his life. I thanked him for one of the best episodes of my favorite show ever. He was extremely nice, but still somewhat perplexed at how lauded he was for what [he figured] was just another "guest star" role of many. We could use more actors like him right now.
The "character actors" of the 50's, 60's and 70's were absolutely INTEGRAL to the QUALITY of the shows we got to enjoy and they could act rings around ANY so called top actor today
Acting methods have changed I look at shows I enjoyed as a child and the acting is hammy and quite bad. They were good at the time but I find programs are way better even acting
@@rf396 And many if not most of them were veterans and served or fought. That gives one a different view on life, when one sees death, carnage, misery, etc
the way he portrayed the sense of complete guilt ridden anguish over the death of his crew. an outstanding performance by a superb actor. a travesty that he was denied an emmy for that performance.
Always been a Star Trek Fan, But this scene ALWAYS give me chills and makes me cry. I didnt realize its importance when I watched it in the 80's on late night tv. It took me to the 2000's to realize that THIS.. was Oscar winning performance. RIP William Windom
I saw an interview with William Windom about this scene. He said that it was somewhat improvised. They rolled the cameras for a while with just him and Bill Shatner and they used the best parts for this scene. I'd really like to see the footage they left out, too.
… And then, whether it was actually in the script or not, his next lines were simply “I couldn’t… I couldn’t… “ and look what he did with that ... he could have, and a lot of actors would have, simply wrung his hands together, look down at his lap and basically mutter those lines… But no, this guy realizes that in his characters condition at that moment, processing what just happened, recalling how he felt, realizes those lines must be delivered through all the sobbing tears, spit, snot, choked searching for words when there are none - that such a reality would demand and extract from even the stoutest of men, including this seasoned Starfleet officer, a man who presumably was distilled into the rarefied atmosphere of those who can even aspire to such a position, much less attain it and successfully prosecute it. … So his job was to show you what that would look like… To the extent that you felt like that really happened, that really was commander Decker, and that you were watching A factual reality as it happened. THAT, is why William Windom is a genius and an artist.
Doomsday Machine was unarguably the finest episode of the series. Bill Windom's performance is remarkable but also the cinematography, the use of set pieces not previously used, and the best soundtrack of any episode. This episode is the apogee of all the creative resources behind the show.
I love this episode, but "City on the Edge of Forever" has to get the nod for me, that was a tour de force in every way. And even as a 10 year old, I knew Joan Collins was way hot! I'd put this one at number 2 or 3. The one with Mark Lenard as the Romulan commander of an enemy star ship is at this level also.
@@jaykay6387 Completely agree. "city..." is the best episode, this is probably number 2 ; "balance of terror" number 3; "naked time" #4, and I'll say "shore leave" #5
@@dnac1899 Not going to argue with those choices. Shore leave seems a bit underrated in the ST canon, although I could be wrong. The ep where Spock falls in love was also a great one, "This side of paradise", and of course the "Horta" episode, "Arena", and "Space Seed". The "Gorn" is an all time classic, that lizard costume was the bomb and the way he talked while "slurping" was simultaneously frightening and hilarious.
@@jaykay6387 as a kid, I would do a spot-on impression of the Gorn. All my friends would always ask me to "do the Gorn"......"I shall be merciful and quick" :)
Windom was a combat vet, paratrooper with the 82nd. No doubt, he had plenty of experience to draw on, especially in dealing with traumatized people. Extraordinary actor, who had the metaphysical and ubiquitous power to force 70's kids to drop whatever they're doing, and make a beeline for the TV when hearing the call "Hey, Commodore Decker is on!!"
"I've been prepared for death ever since...ever since I killed my crew. A commander is responsible for the live of his crew. Well, I should have died with mine". That poor man. I cannot help but feel sorry for him.
+blockmasterscott Same here. I picture Decker staying on the Constellation and beaming his crew down thinking that the planet killer would go after him instead of his crew.
@@santannavalter In the TMP novel, Captain Willard Decker was identified as Commodore Matt Decker's son. Too bad he "merged" with his own, personal, "Doomsday Machine"! But hey! At least he had a bald-headed, horny, Alien chick/biological android for company! 😜
He did an equally outstanding job in the scene where he sacrificed himself in the shuttle craft. Even though determined to go through with it, the fear of death can't be ignored. He played that so well
"The commander is responsible for the lives of his crew, and for their deaths. Well, I should have died with mine." He had to do it. Even if he was held blameless he wouldn't been able to live with it. Fear of death or not HE HAD TO JOIN THEM. And at the end he felt what they felt.
It's a convincing state of shock after learning that your entire crew is dead. It was a great role for him. Guest stars got paid very little on this show, too. What a shame.
2:25 "They say there's no Devil, Jim, but...but _there is_ , I... _right out of Hell_ , I _saw_ it!" All these years later and that line still gives me chills.
@@charlestaylor253 For Matt Decker, this was his personal devil. I believe that's why he acted so terrified as he piloted that shuttle. He was deliberately flying right into the maw of his literal worst nightmare. When you think about it, that was an incredible act of courage.
Imagine being Decker, alone on the crippled Constellation, listening to your friends and colleagues screaming in terror as the planet they were on is blown apart.
Imagine being one of the crew that was beamed down,thinking you might be safe... and then seeing that things beam light up the sky and then dig into the ground..
GESSO217 What the hell was his first officer or chief engineer thinking of? Or his science officer? Between them they should have avoided the nightmare that befell them.
@@escapetheratracenow9883 If they were not killed in the attack. The bridge of the Constellation sustained damage. Enough to make it unable to sustain life.
Like others have said, this scene here.. wow.. just chokes me up every time I see it. That opened mouth silent scream is a gut punch. The Doomsday Machine has always been one of me favorite original series episodes.
I get choked up every time I see this. Every. Single. Time. Wisdom should have won an Emmy for this portrayal of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is gut-wrenching. "The Doomsday Machine" is my favorite episode of Star Trek: TOS.
RozitaVideo I agree with you 1000 percent. He sucked me in with his emotion. I always imagine myself being responsible for a starship and my crew and then tragically losing them. Whew! it's a wrap after that. Here come the tears.
I think Windom said they had about 15 or 20 minutes of "stuff" that he did. Daniels just gave him a camera and said "go for it." Based of course on what was in the script, but he tried all kinds of stuff. Windom said that's a bit of a "gift" for an actor to get to just explore like that. Especially on a 1960s TV show on a budget and under time constraints.
What i find so amazing about this portrayal by Windom is how he manages to elicit both sympathy and revulsion. Here we are feeling for the man who just lost his ship and crew and within 20 minutes we are witnessing a Captain Queeg/Ahab in complete mental collapse and willing to take yet another crew and ship with him and we find ourselves asking WTH was this guy doing in command in the first place. Masterful acting.
That's true. You have a huge amount of sympathy and sorrow for him at the beginning and the end, but in the middle, you wanted to punch the guy in the nose. Talk about a swing in emotion.
Yes, you really get to actually despise him for putting another crew in mortal danger - and Spock follows Starfleet regulations and is inadvertently complicit.
I think your judgement a little harsh. This was a man who had been alone on his ship for a couple of days carrying the deaths of 400 souls on his shoulders. Traumatized, guilt-ridden, probably hangry as hell, likely injured in some way and bent on revenge; I don't think we ever saw the real Matthew Decker.
@@dawnuddaded853 Total agreement. A person behaving that irrationally would not have even made into Star Fleet let alone become a star ship commander (and a line officer commodore at that). What we are seeing here is a broken man who has become a tragic figure, not a villain.
One of the best acting moments in history..its so powerful its as if you're there! This whole episode has been and always will be one of my favorite TOS episodes...When hes like their on the third planet..Kirk: "There is no third planet!"! Decker: "Don't you think I know that..there was but not anymore..."I get chocked up
Great writing, artfully acted under the guidance of a gifted director will always leave you feeling emotionally mugged --- I dare say the play's the thing.
Damn! He was an amazing actor! You can’t teach that kind of acting.open mouth and the silent cry. You forget that you are watching a television show and start to feel like you are aboard a real ship in the room watching a Matt Decker’ agonizingly recall the event.
He actually won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, and the series itself also won an award. In spite of favorable reviews from the critics, however, the show didn't gain enough of an audience and was canceled after only one season.
William Windom went beyond anyone before or since in this scene. It really is the best acting scene by any actor or actress on TV or the movies, and I have felt that way since I first saw it in the '60s. Commador Decker is on the verge of insanity when he says, "Don't you think I know that, there was, but not anymore!" William Windom out Shatnered, Shatner, and William Shatner did an awesome performance here also!
BEST TOS episode. Bar none. Some will criticize Windom's performance as over the top, but I disagree. Few performances set up such an eerie foreshadowing of fear and dread as this.
There's a funny side to this--one of my instructors at Tallahassee Community College was good friends with Windom. He told us about this one day--during the death scene, Marc Daniels had to go and cover something on the second unit. Knowing Windom was also a member of the director's guild (thus no union conflicts), Daniels told him to carry on and have some fun with it. You think what we have is 'over the top'--I'd love to see any out-takes--after the rushes the next day, Daniels confronted Windom and apparently said ''God-dammit, Bill, I said 'have some fun;--I didn't say 'Go Ape-Shit !!'' '.
I believe the difference here is that what Windom is showing us feels real. It feels like true traumatic horror, grief, guilt. Imagine four hundred colleagues, friends, for whose lives you're personally responsible. Imagine listening to them die in the most nightmarish way, begging you for help you can't give. Because you made the wrong choice. I don't have to imagine how that feels, because William Windom showed me.
I don't know why I watch that scene; I cry ever time I see it. I wish Windom got an Emmy for that scene; Where an actor, musician or artist digs up the emotional content to transmit that kind of real grief, I'll never know.
Best episode ever - just the music score alone, then how it's beat for beat with the drama and story - peerless combination of talents and abilities in this episode - this is TOS Star Trek with the 4-barrel wide open - Golden Age of Television Platinum. A gem to cherish.
What an actor! What a career!! Well over 200 acting credits! Met the man personally during the filming of a motion picture in 1980 (Pigs vs. Freaks -- release was delayed until '84 -- a better movie than it sounds like). Came across as a real down to Earth kind of guy -- and he was covered head to toe in foam at the time!! I sense that down to Earth quality in most all of his performances. He was working at his profession right up until his passing in 2012 at the age of 88. I don't admire very many Hollywood types, but I did admire him.
Pig vs. Freaks. Haven't thought about that in a long time. It was filmed at a college football stadium in my hometown. One of my coworkers at a spaghetti restaurant had a small part as one of Tony Randall's disciples.
@@toygiants8748 For people who don't know -- and that's almost everyone -- local cops around the University of Michigan would play an annual "Pigs Versus Freaks" football game against local hippies, before pretty big crowds at the college stadium. It was intended to help foster understanding and goodwill.
+James George The second season of Star Trek 1967-68 was the best of the three seasons for the original series, and The Doomsday Machine had to take top prize for those followed by "Mirror, Mirror" which was about the parallel universe and the Empire. The remastering of the series and that particular episode added much to it. Certainly beats all the other Star Trek franchises. The latter half of the first season was the second best set of Star Trek episodes. I think from "Arena" on the first season got better.
You never hear much spoken about this episode compared to, say, The City On the Edge of Forever. But it is absolutely the best episode of TOS, and probably of all Star Trek, with (of course) TOS being the best of the franchise overall. I didn't know Windom improvised the scene; that just makes it all the more incredible. ('Course the one thing that grates about this scene is Scotty talking about "duplicate captains". Oh well!)
Well the best acted one by a guest star maybe , but the effects were less than noteworthy for this episode. Decker was basically terrified of a large Fluorescent Ice cream Cone that was superimposed over a picture of outer space , The fact that Windam had us believing that was the "devil straight out of hell" shows his acting chops were epic indeed.
It was a great acting moment, especially in TOS. I think it might be tied with the scene where Amanda, Spock's mother, slaps Spock on the face after Spock refuses to give his dying father a blood transfusion because Spock believes he's needed to run the ship. That scene sets up the fight scene 40 years later during the first reboot where young Spock gets into a fight when the other Vulcan boys called his mother a "human whore". What's interesting about that scene is that young Spock defends his actions to his father by saying "they called you a traitor". But what really got to Spock was the insult to his mother.
This episode and "Balance of Terror" are my two favorites. Decker and the Romulan commander played Mark Lenard, were two characters that had as much depth as any regular character on the show. It was ashame that the only had one episode each. At least Mark Lenard was brought back to play Sarak in the movies and ST:TNG. Also, in STTMP he was the Klingon captain in the openning. The only actor I can think of that played this many roles in ST was David Warner.
It's not just this scene, but every scene he does. Every physical movement (eyes, hands, cringing, panic, shock, etc.) he does is perfectly timed and reflects the multitude of emotions dominating each scene. I noted in this scene that Decker was displaying shock (at what he experienced), shame (having to explain his actions to a subordinate), fear (of the machine), regret (over loss of crew and his being spared), and panic (over the impossibility of this "no win scenario")----all in a dialogue that lasted less than a minute! Brilliant acting and should be used in all acting classes.
You know you guys are being sarcastic, but I've spent time in an actual insane asylum. They overact in there too, my friends. This is reality you're looking at. It's called incredible shock. Times 10^25 top keks for OVERACTING LOLS
William Windom was interviewed in 1998 when Star Trek first came to the Sci-Fi channel. He talked about the episode, and this scene in particular. I still remember every word he said: "Marc Daniels was our director, I got along very well with him. And in the, quote, pivotal, scene of me going bananas, he said 'Bill, I don't know what the hell to do with this. Turn the chair around, sit in it, look into the lens, I'm gonna go have a smoke. Help yourself.'" I still remember the smirk on his face as he said, "Isn't that a nice director?" at the end. Made me wish I'd met him myself.
Sci-Fi channel butchers TV episodes. The original broadcasts were timed for four short commercial breaks per hour. These days, it's six per hour and longer commercials. Something has to give and it's program material. I just went out and bought series' I liked: Combat. Star Trek, Twilight Zone, etc.
One of my favorite scenes in the whole series. I know many people joke about it, but it's just so great. Gives me goosebumps. The incidental music really does a great job here, too. Can't count the amount of times we all tried to imitate this scene in college for various reasons (running out of beer, missing class, you name it;) Interesting to hear William Windom talk about how he did it, and how Marc Daniels just let him do whatever he wanted. Great stuff.
I've saw this episode on tv tonite, for the umpteenth time and its one of my FAV episodes ever. I have a funny story about this. I'm a Long Islander, but I went to college at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. One day in 1978, my roommate asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner with William Windom. He was doing a show at the college (I don't remember what it was), and a friend of my roommate was responsible for talking Mr. Windom to dinner at a nice restaurant. So I said "Sure." Some, my dorm roommate, and my roommate's friend took Mr. Windom to dinner. It was a pretty average uneventful evening for the first hour-and-half or so, until my roommate mentioned "The Doomsday Machine". Well, unbenownst to me, my roommate, and our friend, and me of course, were ALL Trekkers ! The next few hours of the evening we all spent talking exclusively about STAR TREK ! I felt so bad for Mr. Windom as the evening seemed to have reduced his entire acting career to that single episode of Star Trek ! LOL !
Love to read about it, if you have time to share! I've only met one celeb ... Rene Balcer, the writer for Law and Order but my brother seems to run into everyone! From Phil Everly to Charlie Watts to Sir Paul ... right place, right time. But never had dinner with any of them lol. Oh, but my father roomed with Jimmy Doohan in WWII!
They say there's no devil Jim. But there is... ahhh... right out of HELL I SAW IT! - absolutely the most spine chilling line ever, ever in all of Star Trek. Easily beats out some other good ones.
In Star Trek Discovery, there was a short segment in the 5th episode "Choose Your Pain" where a list showed Matthew Decker, as a Captain, was one of the best Starfleet have had.
I think in Star Trek-The Motion Picture, the actor Steven Collins, who played Captain Will Decker, was the son of Commodore Matt Decker...Before taking the Enterprise back. Admiral Kirk recommended that Wil Decker take command of the Enterprise, when he became Chief of Starfleet Operations. Mr. Windom was awesome as Commodore Matt Decker in the T.O.S. episode of " Doomsday Machine "..God bless him always, may he rest in eternal peace with our Lord & savior 🙏
I have often said the same thing This is the best performance in any Star Trek series,ever! The gut wrenching emotion in Decker's face always gets me every time!
He was a WWII US Paratrooper and saw combat, something tells me his reaction felt real because he's probably seen and experienced similar things out in reality and some of it slipped into his performance. Here's the thing about actors in the modern era, most of them are people who are incredibly privileged and have experienced little hardships or much reality in their lives, this era of actor was different, many of them had seen and done horrific things in their lives out of necessity and survival.
A truly remarkable man who will be missed! I was at the University of Florida in 1975 when William Windom stayed at the Reitz Union Hotel on the university campus when he was doing his one-man show (Thurber) at the university. Mr. Windom autographed a Star Trek photo of himself for two members of the Exobiology/Star Trek Club who sneaked up to his suite. We all got shivers when we learned what Mr. Windom had penned on the photo!
@AE Schneider I was in Electrical Engineering at U.F. When those two students went up to Mr. Windom's suite, they said when he answered the door he appeared startled at first, but then he had a brief conversation with them and asked them questions. He then autographed the photo and handed it back to them. They made a hasty exit back downstairs so as to not be caught by security. It was after they were back on the main floor that they discovered that William Windom had signed the photo with something to the effect of , "Best Wishes, Commodore Matt Decker". I wonder where that autographed photo is today--- nearly 45 years later!
Without having to say it, Ricardo Montalban's return to the role as Khan in the movie hit the ball out of the park. His acting was overdone and overacted perfectly. His Khan is probably one of the most memorable movie vilains of all time.
I agree, I think this is great acting. You could not only see but really feel the angst and pain he was feeling. For those that say it is overacting, is it? Here is a man who did the correct thing and it got his crew killed. I cannot think of a worse scenario for a commanding officer, then to sit there alone to just think about what happened, I feel for him. This is one of my all time favorite episodes.
Imagine this scenario in todays Navy; your ship is under attack by a vessel with superior armament & rendered dead in the water. All your ordinance spent. You order your crew to abandon ship & get to the nearest island for safety only to see the enemy then direct their attention to said island and blow it to cinders before your eyes. They then depart leaving your ship afloat and you alive after all…
That's why they had him do a kamikaze with the shuttle - To guarantee he not return to upstage Shatner again. He was a Commodore, if that wasn't already bad enough.
Good point but he was a Captain- on a ship a Captain becomes Commodore and an Army Captain becomes "Major" There can only be one Captain on a ship. We all make fun of Bill Shatner but he was a great actor-See him in "Judgement at Nuremburg"
@@lewisvanatta Kirk shows his most naked self when he buries his face in Bones arms. It's a good performance. Is he ever as distraught on any other episode?
William Windom's Decker is an awe-inspiring achievement - particularly because it provided an enduring Pathos to Star Trek for the ages. ... We have to create a 'Posthumous' Award to rightfully recognize such achievements by past actors.
Another great scene was with Spock when Decker took command and argued with Spock...McCoy as usual was yelling at Spock, but this time to take back command ... Decker puts McCoy in his place ... Kirk finds out Decker almost got his ship destroyed and tells Spock to take command on his personal authority as captain of the enterprise ... Spock tells Decker he is relieved of command and Spock , cool as a cucumber , threatens to arrest Decker... Decker backs down and Spock assumed command !!!! AWESOME
Great acting here by William Windom. This was so good that this should have been on the big screen instead. If this was on the big screen, I'm sure William Windom would have won an Academy Award for this performance. You won't see many other performances better than this one. Later!
Great acting. To hear his strong confident log entry, then see what became of him after the lost of his crew. His crew was as important to him as Kirk's is to him. You could easily see Kirk react the same way if he lost his crew. If you turned the story around and it was the Constellation that came upon the wrecked Enterprise with Kirk the only survivor, you would see Kirk knock out a Constellation security excort, and steal a shuttle to make a run into the Machine. It would have made a great TOS finale episode.
"Don't you think I know that? There WAS, BUT NOT ANYMORE. They CALLED me, they BEGGED ME for help. FOUR HUNDRED OF THEM! I couldn't. I-I... I couldn't..."
I remember William said he was really hungry as the last scene was being filmed. So as he was flying the shuttlecraft to its doom. He was really pinning for a Jelly Doughnut! :-)
"They say there's no devil Jim... but there is... I saw it!" This still gives me a chill every time. William Windom turned in an amazing performance when the thought of such a level of portrayal in a 'silly little Sci-Fi show' was almost unheard of. He really raised the bar for guests on that show. I was four when I watched the original series and this episode, although not my favorite one, was a defining moment for the show and for Sci-Fi every where.
Shatner’s performance in Kirk’s character is there too when Decker finally breaks down and Kirk almost reaches for him but stops himself and then straightens his back when he realizes no matter the emotion he still has a big job to do. Just a magical scene.
I notice that nobody really commented on the rest of his performance in this episode There are other great scenes when he refuses to leave the bridge and arrogantly looks around to see if someone dares to remove him that's acting my fellow trekies
This was an awesome episode he made it so there were so many fine actors who contributed to this series crazy that it only went 3 seasons at the time only to become one of the most successful Tv/movie franchises of all time heading to Netflix to watch the whole episode now
As I'm watching TDM right now, I pulled his name up - and I saw this. Yes. His performance in this episode is probably the best acting I've ever seen anybody do on anything. Period. Not only that, but it's one of Shatner's best performances as well as Nimoy's. I don't know if Windom inspired them, but this episode is perfection.
This is by far the most intense scene in this episode. It still gives me the chills watching it. Mr. Windom takes you there immediately. What a great performance!!!
Wow. Everyone else around him just falls flat. You can feel that he’s snapped; the horror, the anger, the guilt, the fear, the desperation....it’s believable and that’s the best compliment to an actor.
A fitting homage to how a ship's captain would and should react if he were the only surviving member, with the regret of knowing he survived with the ship!
This has always been my favorite episode. William Windom's performance was incredible.The shades...PTSD to the max. (Whispers) "On the third planet" followed by a full meltdown. Windom himself probably thought it was just another guest starring role, but his acting made him THE star of the show. That...and the sound the doomsday machine makes when it fires. I wonder how they did that?
William Windom, I don’t know how better you can get in the acting he portrayed here. True emotion, very touching! We don’t have that kind of acting nowadays. Thank you so very much William Windom! RIP!!!!
Mr. Windom also does a superb job during the power struggle with Kirk and Spock. He even fidgets with memory chips in a kind of callback (Bogart) Capt Queeg fashion from "The Cain Mutinty".
Sorry I am just seeing this here....but like everyone here...I am the biggest Star Trek(OS) fan on the planet...planets. This tribute is so warranted. Windom sells out SO hard here. Even has spittle between his teeth and lips...like a guy who is distressed beyond belief. Such a great episode.
I was just a kid when i watched this episode. On a black and white tv no less. The fear this scene conveyed was scaring the hell out of me. For all these decades, Windoms performance stayed with me. I hope that the fact that he is lauded, here on youtube, and that he is not forgotten, will soften the lack of recognition he so rightly deserved.
William Windom was great, and very underrated. You've really got to see hiim in the Night Gallery episode 'They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar,' tho - bloody genius, and one of the two best things Rod Serling ever wrote (or so he claimed - the other was Requiem for a Heavyweight).
Each of Windom's scenes was a set piece and he absolutely nailed each one. The best guest star performance in an hour long drama in the history of American television.
Not mentioned in the movie, but the novels and comics establish Willard Decker as Matt Decker's son, following a long tradition of the family being Starfleet officers.
This entire scene is beautiful, Decker is initially in denial, he doesn’t want to accept that he sent his crew their death trying to save them, but when Kirk tells him the planets gone, he can’t deny it anymore and he just shatters and the music that accompanies the “don’t you think I know that, there was but not anymore line” is what ties it perfectly together as it all floods into him, he tried to remain strong but reality got to him x
My favorite part of this episode is when Decker and Kirk has a "power struggle over the Enterprise. Kirk didn't PLAY AT ALL with Decker and told him-NOT WITH MY SHIP YOU DON'T. Nothing but balls as Kirk is best known for. Decker gave in, but still argued with Kirk and Spock until he died. Star Fleet Officers at their finest.
Best episode... eh. Best acting, ABSOLUTELY!... I remember William Windom as mostly comedic, or just otherwise ordinary, but in this piece, he was INCREDIBLE! I've seen every episode that I know them by heart. I'm watching this episode, and it's just finished this scene... and I'm in tears.
The raw emotion when he says "dont you think I know that" so believable, so amazing.
He was trying to preseve the lives. Of the men and women under his command. He did not realize. Nor could he. That they were safer on a dying ship.
Even Star Fleet, Klingons, even the Romulans. Would not have found any fault with his actions. Any Klingon would objective known him going at that thing with a shuttle. Would serve no purpose! There was no honor to be served. YET HONOR WAS SERVED! Stovakore would welcome him reguardless. Even as a human.
The pure, gut-wrenching emotion of this scene is what Star Trek is meant to be, not that crap Kurtzman offers up.
Windom could never understand how people could feel that this was his best performance ever. He thought it was just another low budget science fiction show that was just a paycheck. I will always remember him as Commodore Decker.
@@allanboyer2769 Then there was that episode of Mannix where he guest starred with Leslie Parrish.
Yeah, I had a Star Trek squee moment.
@@allanboyer2769 Did he really feel that way? He was right in that it was a low budget science fiction show, but he still nailed it with a sledge hammer.
What really punctuates this scene is the Captain's Log entry, in which we hear the voice of the strong, confident leader Decker was before he made his one disastrous mistake. Contrasts sharply with the broken man found on the Constellation.
Absolutely. Even the strongest of people can be broken, especially if they convince themselves that what happened was their fault.
I know this is only a TV show, but as a fan, I always wondered if Jim Kirk, when he heard Decker say what he said, thought to himself, "This could be me someday."
To go even further... watch how Windom plays Decker's reactions to the log recording as it plays. That was a masterful touch.
Lonnie Craig it almost was with Khan in ST2.
@@lonniecraig5186 Naah! Kirk was a bit too young and self-assured at the time. I'm sure he sympathized with the "old man" though!...Loved this Classic Trek Episode! I remember audio-recording it on my new cassete recorder back in Jan.'75 at age six! 😜 I taped the hand Mic to my parent's 25" RCA Chromacolor's Amp! 😂👍
@@stanleyjedrzejczyk2966 Wow! What sweet memories you've disclosed. I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that! And yeah, I too was a kid from the 60s and a teenager from the 70s and I loved Star Trek TOS! That 1960s series still defies the test of time!
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Windom late in his life. I thanked him for one of the best episodes of my favorite show ever. He was extremely nice, but still somewhat perplexed at how lauded he was for what [he figured] was just another "guest star" role of many. We could use more actors like him right now.
The "character actors" of the 50's, 60's and 70's were absolutely INTEGRAL to the QUALITY of the shows we got to enjoy and they could act rings around ANY so called top actor today
Lucky guy you are.
I'm glad you posted that.
Acting methods have changed I look at shows I enjoyed as a child and the acting is hammy and quite bad. They were good at the time but I find programs are way better even acting
@@rf396 And many if not most of them were veterans and served or fought. That gives one a different view on life, when one sees death, carnage, misery, etc
Compared to the Emmy winning performances of today, Mr. Windom should have been nominated for this. He was robbed.
Bill Windam's artistry has been preserved for future generations.
And he made one of the biggest cliches work: "Don't you think I know that?"
QuarrellaDeVil
Totally agree !!! There is no third planet !!!.
Don't u think I know that ???
His facial expression was brilliant...
the way he portrayed the sense of complete guilt ridden anguish over the death of his crew. an outstanding performance by a superb actor. a travesty that he was denied an emmy for that performance.
perhaps an Emmy, immaterial to his performance, it stands on its own.
Always been a Star Trek Fan, But this scene ALWAYS give me chills and makes me cry. I didnt realize its importance when I watched it in the 80's on late night tv. It took me to the 2000's to realize that THIS.. was Oscar winning performance.
RIP William Windom
Emmy-winning.
It was a performance of a lifetime. Hopefully he knows we all appreciate what he provided us.
The living know we're going to die, but the dead know nothing.
He knows
After all these years, this scene can still bring tears. Brilliant.
😆 He was brilliant, indeed.
you better believe it when i seen what to the poor man my father had his face turned to stone when that poor man came undone
it's so true!
Same
That, and also when Decker killed himself in the shuttle craft. He said he should've died with his crew.
2:53 The part that got the tears outta me. "They called me. They begged me for help. 400 of them." Damn!
I saw an interview with William Windom about this scene. He said that it was somewhat improvised. They rolled the cameras for a while with just him and Bill Shatner and they used the best parts for this scene. I'd really like to see the footage they left out, too.
You aren't kidding there. It still gets to me when I see this.
Brilliant, Classic, TOS Episode!
goodness. innocent people, ones who has families and loved ones, gone!!!
… And then, whether it was actually in the script or not, his next lines were simply “I couldn’t… I couldn’t… “ and look what he did with that ... he could have, and a lot of actors would have, simply wrung his hands together, look down at his lap and basically mutter those lines… But no, this guy realizes that in his characters condition at that moment, processing what just happened, recalling how he felt, realizes those lines must be delivered through all the sobbing tears, spit, snot, choked searching for words when there are none - that such a reality would demand and extract from even the stoutest of men, including this seasoned Starfleet officer, a man who presumably was distilled into the rarefied atmosphere of those who can even aspire to such a position, much less attain it and successfully prosecute it. … So his job was to show you what that would look like… To the extent that you felt like that really happened, that really was commander Decker, and that you were watching A factual reality as it happened. THAT, is why William Windom is a genius and an artist.
Doomsday Machine was unarguably the finest episode of the series. Bill Windom's performance is remarkable but also the cinematography, the use of set pieces not previously used, and the best soundtrack of any episode. This episode is the apogee of all the creative resources behind the show.
I love this episode, but "City on the Edge of Forever" has to get the nod for me, that was a tour de force in every way. And even as a 10 year old, I knew Joan Collins was way hot!
I'd put this one at number 2 or 3. The one with Mark Lenard as the Romulan commander of an enemy star ship is at this level also.
The Doomsday Machine, something my sisters labeled "The Hambone" hah hah, has always been one of my top 5 favorite original Star Trek episodes.
@@jaykay6387 Completely agree. "city..." is the best episode, this is probably number 2 ; "balance of terror" number 3; "naked time" #4, and I'll say "shore leave" #5
@@dnac1899 Not going to argue with those choices. Shore leave seems a bit underrated in the ST canon, although I could be wrong. The ep where Spock falls in love was also a great one, "This side of paradise", and of course the "Horta" episode, "Arena", and "Space Seed". The "Gorn" is an all time classic, that lizard costume was the bomb and the way he talked while "slurping" was simultaneously frightening and hilarious.
@@jaykay6387 as a kid, I would do a spot-on impression of the Gorn. All my friends would always ask me to "do the Gorn"......"I shall be merciful and quick" :)
Served in WWII as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne. If this is news to you then watch his entire performance again.
THANK YOU for this info. I never knew.
and was an MD in COMBAT/
Not only did he serve as a paratrooper in WWII, he saw a lot of combat, and lost a *lot* of his friends. He went to a *dark place* for this role.
@@Emper0rH0rde Wow l can believe it.
Yes ...he runs like hes doing a jump ,nice.
This performance never fails to give me chills....
Same here!
Absolutely. To this day, I get the same chills and even teary eyed. Amazing how powerful it is.
Been breaking my heart for over 50 years.
Agreed, 50 years later and I still get choked up and shed a tear or two. Great story, great writing, great actor, great music.
Windom was a combat vet, paratrooper with the 82nd. No doubt, he had plenty of experience to draw on, especially in dealing with traumatized people. Extraordinary actor, who had the metaphysical and ubiquitous power to force 70's kids to drop whatever they're doing, and make a beeline for the TV when hearing the call "Hey, Commodore Decker is on!!"
"I've been prepared for death ever since...ever since I killed my crew. A commander is responsible for the live of his crew. Well, I should have died with mine". That poor man. I cannot help but feel sorry for him.
+blockmasterscott Same here. I picture Decker staying on the Constellation and beaming his crew down thinking that the planet killer would go after him instead of his crew.
That is an excellent 'side theory' I never even considered myself, having been a long-time fan of the episode.
That could be an episode unto itself.
Thinking about he probably be father of Willard Decker (from TMP) that unfortunatelly was listed as... missing.
Survivor guilt. It's a real psychological condition, and wonderfully portrayed here by William Windom.
@@santannavalter In the TMP novel, Captain Willard Decker was identified as Commodore Matt Decker's son. Too bad he "merged" with his own, personal, "Doomsday Machine"! But hey! At least he had a bald-headed, horny, Alien chick/biological android for company! 😜
He did an equally outstanding job in the scene where he sacrificed himself in the shuttle craft. Even though determined to go through with it, the fear of death can't be ignored. He played that so well
Decker was literally facing his worst nightmare. Whatever else was going on in his head, that act took incredible courage and determination.
"The commander is responsible for the lives of his crew, and for their deaths. Well, I should have died with mine." He had to do it. Even if he was held blameless he wouldn't been able to live with it. Fear of death or not HE HAD TO JOIN THEM. And at the end he felt what they felt.
He needed to join his crew.
Yes, absolutely. I could feel his death fear coming through the screen. So real.
He went down with his ship.
:54 the Open Mouthed silent scream of horror! Where did William Windom dig that up??? Brilliant!
It's a convincing state of shock after learning that your entire crew is dead. It was a great role for him. Guest stars got paid very little on this show, too. What a shame.
O
He was a vet from WW2. He likely seen men with advanced PTSD.
@@TheBishopconrad Or had witnessed some horrible things himself.
Windom said he worked with fellow veterans who suffered PTSD. The raw footage is 11 minutes long.
Best guest star appearance of the whole series. William Windom was perfect for this role.
...and then there was William Marshall, Joan Collins, Skip Homeier & the actor who played Gary Seven.
What a great performance. That would break your heart. He was great in this scene. One of the top 100 scenes ever in TV history.
Agreed
2:25 "They say there's no Devil, Jim, but...but _there is_ , I... _right out of Hell_ , I _saw_ it!"
All these years later and that line still gives me chills.
On the 3rd planet.,... dont you think I know that
No one could do it better!!!!!
There's always been a devil...
😉👍
@@charlestaylor253 For Matt Decker, this was his personal devil. I believe that's why he acted so terrified as he piloted that shuttle. He was deliberately flying right into the maw of his literal worst nightmare. When you think about it, that was an incredible act of courage.
Get baptised into the Lord, trust God, vanquish the puny devil, have zero fear.
@@2Malachi Time to grow up...there is no Santa Claus either.
Agree with everyone here. I always thought this was one of the BEST acted scenes in TV history. What a performance. Wow!!
Imagine being Decker, alone on the crippled Constellation, listening to your friends and colleagues screaming in terror as the planet they were on is blown apart.
Imagine being one of the crew that was beamed down,thinking you might be safe... and then seeing that things beam light up the sky and then dig into the ground..
GESSO217 What the hell was his first officer or chief engineer thinking of? Or his science officer?
Between them they should have avoided the nightmare that befell them.
horrible ; this man can act, Mr. Windom ; bravo, upstaging the regulars, even cpt jerk
Enough to drive someone mad. Which it did.
@@escapetheratracenow9883 If they were not killed in the attack. The bridge of the Constellation sustained damage. Enough to make it unable to sustain life.
Like others have said, this scene here.. wow.. just chokes me up every time I see it. That opened mouth silent scream is a gut punch. The Doomsday Machine has always been one of me favorite original series episodes.
Yes, Stephen Spielberg ripped off "Jaws" from that.
That's why he's an uninspired hack who got into fame.
captcorajus: The Doomsday Machine is one of my favourite episodes as well.
One of the best scenes in sci fi. No I'm not kidding.
Can't watch this phenomenal scene without weeping for Decker. 😪
Holy cow.........absolutely stupendous performance from Mr. Windom!!!
Tragical.
I get choked up every time I see this. Every. Single. Time. Wisdom should have won an Emmy for this portrayal of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is gut-wrenching. "The Doomsday Machine" is my favorite episode of Star Trek: TOS.
RozitaVideo
I agree with you 1000 percent. He sucked me in with his emotion. I always imagine myself being responsible for a starship and my crew and then tragically losing them. Whew! it's a wrap after that. Here come the tears.
and the amazing thing is... Marc Daniels (director) told Windom to improvise this whole scene.
That's one of the coolest things I've ever heard!
Kodos13 - wow. That means the director knew his skill and had great confidence in him. i wonder if it was done in 1 take.
I think Windom said they had about 15 or 20 minutes of "stuff" that he did. Daniels just gave him a camera and said "go for it." Based of course on what was in the script, but he tried all kinds of stuff. Windom said that's a bit of a "gift" for an actor to get to just explore like that. Especially on a 1960s TV show on a budget and under time constraints.
What i find so amazing about this portrayal by Windom is how he manages to elicit both sympathy and revulsion. Here we are feeling for the man who just lost his ship and crew and within 20 minutes we are witnessing a Captain Queeg/Ahab in complete mental collapse and willing to take yet another crew and ship with him and we find ourselves asking WTH was this guy doing in command in the first place. Masterful acting.
That's true. You have a huge amount of sympathy and sorrow for him at the beginning and the end, but in the middle, you wanted to punch the guy in the nose. Talk about a swing in emotion.
Yes, you really get to actually despise him for putting another crew in mortal danger - and Spock follows Starfleet regulations and is inadvertently complicit.
I think your judgement a little harsh. This was a man who had been alone on his ship for a couple of days carrying the deaths of 400 souls on his shoulders. Traumatized, guilt-ridden, probably hangry as hell, likely injured in some way and bent on revenge; I don't think we ever saw the real Matthew Decker.
@@dawnuddaded853 Total agreement. A person behaving that irrationally would not have even made into Star Fleet let alone become a star ship commander (and a line officer commodore at that). What we are seeing here is a broken man who has become a tragic figure, not a villain.
@@AlanSmitheeman Well said.
One of the best acting moments in history..its so powerful its as if you're there! This whole episode has been and always will be one of my favorite TOS episodes...When hes like their on the third planet..Kirk: "There is no third planet!"! Decker: "Don't you think I know that..there was but not anymore..."I get chocked up
Great writing, artfully acted under the guidance of a gifted director will always leave you feeling emotionally mugged --- I dare say the play's the thing.
it tears me up
So do I!
this is spectacular acting. i truly feel sorry for Commodore Decker
A miniature Shakespearian tragic figure.
a great actor...i was fortunate enough to be friends with bill windom in his late years...very nice and generous man and fair chess player! :D
You must be a very good player then! Windom was a MENSA member.
And he was equally great as the racist, dickwad prosecutor in To Kill a Mockingbird. Completely different role, but he played it to perfection.
@@grendelsm21 Try William Shatner, star of the 1962 movie, "The Intruder." You have to see this movie to believe it.
Damn! He was an amazing actor! You can’t teach that kind of acting.open mouth and the silent cry. You forget that you are watching a television show and start to feel like you are aboard a real ship in the room watching a Matt Decker’ agonizingly recall the event.
Bill Windom was a tremendous actor. He also had his own show back in the 70s, My World and Welcome To It.
I remember it. A cute show; a take-off on New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber.
Also in a Night Gallery episode.
He had a recurring role on "Murder, She Wrote" too.
We watched that series loyally, wish I could remember more about it, entertaining, I remember that much.
He actually won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, and the series itself also won an award. In spite of favorable reviews from the critics, however, the show didn't gain enough of an audience and was canceled after only one season.
William Windom went beyond anyone before or since in this scene. It really is the best acting scene by any actor or actress on TV or the movies, and I have felt that way since I first saw it in the '60s. Commador Decker is on the verge of insanity when he says, "Don't you think I know that, there was, but not anymore!" William Windom out Shatnered, Shatner, and William Shatner did an awesome performance here also!
Agreed. What he did in this one was probably the best acting performance I've ever seen anywhere at any time...
BEST TOS episode. Bar none.
Some will criticize Windom's performance as over the top, but I disagree. Few performances set up such an eerie foreshadowing of fear and dread as this.
Windom’s character was that of Kirk. But!!! The difference was that Decker lost!!
There's a funny side to this--one of my instructors at Tallahassee Community College was good friends with Windom. He told us about this one day--during the death scene, Marc Daniels had to go and cover something on the second unit. Knowing Windom was also a member of the director's guild (thus no union conflicts), Daniels told him to carry on and have some fun with it. You think what we have is 'over the top'--I'd love to see any out-takes--after the rushes the next day, Daniels confronted Windom and apparently said ''God-dammit, Bill, I said 'have some fun;--I didn't say 'Go Ape-Shit !!'' '.
Four hundred people dying while he's helpless to stop it, how do you play the aftermath any other way?
Over the top acting is what made it work for him and Shatner
I believe the difference here is that what Windom is showing us feels real. It feels like true traumatic horror, grief, guilt. Imagine four hundred colleagues, friends, for whose lives you're personally responsible. Imagine listening to them die in the most nightmarish way, begging you for help you can't give. Because you made the wrong choice. I don't have to imagine how that feels, because William Windom showed me.
I don't know why I watch that scene; I cry ever time I see it. I wish Windom got an Emmy for that scene; Where an actor, musician or artist digs up the emotional content to transmit that kind of real grief, I'll never know.
Best episode ever - just the music score alone, then how it's beat for beat with the drama and story - peerless combination of talents and abilities in this episode - this is TOS Star Trek with the 4-barrel wide open - Golden Age of Television Platinum.
A gem to cherish.
The introduction to music motifs.
What an actor! What a career!! Well over 200 acting credits! Met the man personally during the filming of a motion picture in 1980 (Pigs vs. Freaks -- release was delayed until '84 -- a better movie than it sounds like). Came across as a real down to Earth kind of guy -- and he was covered head to toe in foam at the time!! I sense that down to Earth quality in most all of his performances. He was working at his profession right up until his passing in 2012 at the age of 88. I don't admire very many Hollywood types, but I did admire him.
Pig vs. Freaks. Haven't thought about that in a long time. It was filmed at a college football stadium in my hometown. One of my coworkers at a spaghetti restaurant had a small part as one of Tony Randall's disciples.
@@toygiants8748 For people who don't know -- and that's almost everyone -- local cops around the University of Michigan would play an annual "Pigs Versus Freaks" football game against local hippies, before pretty big crowds at the college stadium. It was intended to help foster understanding and goodwill.
Pic of you two? If not it didn't happen😂.
To this day it still hits me like a truck.
arguably the best star trek episode EVER magnificent simply awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+James George The second season of Star Trek 1967-68 was the best of the three seasons for the original series, and The Doomsday Machine had to take top prize for those followed by "Mirror, Mirror" which was about the parallel universe and the Empire. The remastering of the series and that particular episode added much to it. Certainly beats all the other Star Trek franchises. The latter half of the first season was the second best set of Star Trek episodes. I think from "Arena" on the first season got better.
You never hear much spoken about this episode compared to, say, The City On the Edge of Forever. But it is absolutely the best episode of TOS, and probably of all Star Trek, with (of course) TOS being the best of the franchise overall.
I didn't know Windom improvised the scene; that just makes it all the more incredible.
('Course the one thing that grates about this scene is Scotty talking about "duplicate captains". Oh well!)
Well the best acted one by a guest star maybe , but the effects were less than noteworthy for this episode. Decker was basically terrified of a large Fluorescent Ice cream Cone that was superimposed over a picture of outer space , The fact that Windam had us believing that was the "devil straight out of hell" shows his acting chops were epic indeed.
It was a great acting moment, especially in TOS. I think it might be tied with the scene where Amanda, Spock's mother, slaps Spock on the face after Spock refuses to give his dying father a blood transfusion because Spock believes he's needed to run the ship. That scene sets up the fight scene 40 years later during the first reboot where young Spock gets into a fight when the other Vulcan boys called his mother a "human whore".
What's interesting about that scene is that young Spock defends his actions to his father by saying "they called you a traitor". But what really got to Spock was the insult to his mother.
This episode and "Balance of Terror" are my two favorites. Decker and the Romulan commander played Mark Lenard, were two characters that had as much depth as any regular character on the show. It was ashame that the only had one episode each. At least Mark Lenard was brought back to play Sarak in the movies and ST:TNG. Also, in STTMP he was the Klingon captain in the openning. The only actor I can think of that played this many roles in ST was David Warner.
It's not just this scene, but every scene he does. Every physical movement (eyes, hands, cringing, panic, shock, etc.) he does is perfectly timed and reflects the multitude of emotions dominating each scene. I noted in this scene that Decker was displaying shock (at what he experienced), shame (having to explain his actions to a subordinate), fear (of the machine), regret (over loss of crew and his being spared), and panic (over the impossibility of this "no win scenario")----all in a dialogue that lasted less than a minute! Brilliant acting and should be used in all acting classes.
i have always thought this episode was one of the very best. absolutely phenomenal. WILLIAM WINDOM WAS INCREDIBLE.
The BEST TOS episode by far... in fact I'd be so bold as to say it's the best episode of the entire franchise.
I'm glad there's a video honoring Windom's awesome performance.
You know you guys are being sarcastic, but I've spent time in an actual insane asylum. They overact in there too, my friends. This is reality you're looking at. It's called incredible shock.
Times 10^25 top keks for OVERACTING LOLS
Windom shall always live on
John Keys, it is called ACTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
William Windom was interviewed in 1998 when Star Trek first came to the Sci-Fi channel. He talked about the episode, and this scene in particular. I still remember every word he said: "Marc Daniels was our director, I got along very well with him. And in the, quote, pivotal, scene of me going bananas, he said 'Bill, I don't know what the hell to do with this. Turn the chair around, sit in it, look into the lens, I'm gonna go have a smoke. Help yourself.'" I still remember the smirk on his face as he said, "Isn't that a nice director?" at the end. Made me wish I'd met him myself.
Sci-Fi channel butchers TV episodes. The original broadcasts were timed for four short commercial breaks per hour. These days, it's six per hour and longer commercials. Something has to give and it's program material. I just went out and bought series' I liked: Combat. Star Trek, Twilight Zone, etc.
THIS WAS REALLY AMAZING. WHEN AN ACTOR CAN MAKE YOU FEEL MENTAL PAIN. THATS SOMETHING. GREAT EPISODE. SIDE NOTE VERY GOOD SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS EPISODE.
I don't know how anyone can keep a dry eye with this scene. What superb acting. Like someone else said...gut punch.
Will for eternity be one of the greatest and most heart breaking performances in ANY medium
This is truly the best supporting role on Star Trek of all time. Long live Commodore Decker! You, Sir, are a hero of Star Fleet!!!
One of my favorite scenes in the whole series. I know many people joke about it, but it's just so great. Gives me goosebumps. The incidental music really does a great job here, too. Can't count the amount of times we all tried to imitate this scene in college for various reasons (running out of beer, missing class, you name it;) Interesting to hear William Windom talk about how he did it, and how Marc Daniels just let him do whatever he wanted. Great stuff.
Yeah, every time things go extremely haywire at work -- that line "right out out hell -- I saw it..."plays in my mind...lol.
humbleradio LOL.... "we're out of beer."
"Don't you think I know that!?!?.....there was, but not anymore!"
People joke about this scene? They must be pretty stupid kids.
He should have gotten an Emmy for this!
One of many injustices in life
I've saw this episode on tv tonite, for the umpteenth time and its one of my FAV episodes ever. I have a funny story about this. I'm a Long Islander, but I went to college at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. One day in 1978, my roommate asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner with William Windom. He was doing a show at the college (I don't remember what it was), and a friend of my roommate was responsible for talking Mr. Windom to dinner at a nice restaurant. So I said "Sure." Some, my dorm roommate, and my roommate's friend took Mr. Windom to dinner. It was a pretty average uneventful evening for the first hour-and-half or so, until my roommate mentioned "The Doomsday Machine". Well, unbenownst to me, my roommate, and our friend, and me of course, were ALL Trekkers ! The next few hours of the evening we all spent talking exclusively about STAR TREK ! I felt so bad for Mr. Windom as the evening seemed to have reduced his entire acting career to that single episode of Star Trek ! LOL !
I like Long Islands too. They're my go-to drink. They get the job done.
Great story; thank for sharing. At least Mr. Windom knew he had made an impression on you!!!
It was so long ago that I almost forgot that I had met him and had dinner with him. LOL. I have also met some other famous actors.
Love to read about it, if you have time to share! I've only met one celeb ... Rene Balcer, the writer for Law and Order but my brother seems to run into everyone! From Phil Everly to Charlie Watts to Sir Paul ... right place, right time. But never had dinner with any of them lol. Oh, but my father roomed with Jimmy Doohan in WWII!
Brilliant...
They say there's no devil Jim. But there is... ahhh... right out of HELL I SAW IT! - absolutely the most spine chilling line ever, ever in all of Star Trek. Easily beats out some other good ones.
There was but not anymore. I still get chills. Excellent performance by William Windom.
William Windom should have got an Emmy for his performance.
William Windom's performance was Emmy-worthy.
In Star Trek Discovery, there was a short segment in the 5th episode "Choose Your Pain" where a list showed Matthew Decker, as a Captain, was one of the best Starfleet have had.
I noticed that too and was very happy they included Captain Decker....
He was too good for Discovery
I think in Star Trek-The Motion Picture, the actor Steven Collins, who played Captain Will Decker, was the son of Commodore Matt Decker...Before taking the Enterprise back. Admiral Kirk recommended that Wil Decker take command of the Enterprise, when he became Chief of Starfleet Operations. Mr. Windom was awesome as Commodore Matt Decker in the T.O.S. episode of " Doomsday Machine "..God bless him always, may he rest in eternal peace with our Lord & savior 🙏
"There was, but there is no more!!" Astonishing performance.
There was, but not anymore.
I have often said the same thing This is the best performance in any Star Trek series,ever! The gut wrenching emotion in Decker's face always gets me every time!
He was a WWII US Paratrooper and saw combat, something tells me his reaction felt real because he's probably seen and experienced similar things out in reality and some of it slipped into his performance.
Here's the thing about actors in the modern era, most of them are people who are incredibly privileged and have experienced little hardships or much reality in their lives, this era of actor was different, many of them had seen and done horrific things in their lives out of necessity and survival.
A truly remarkable man who will be missed! I was at the University of Florida in 1975 when William Windom stayed at the Reitz Union Hotel on the university campus when he was doing his one-man show (Thurber) at the university. Mr. Windom autographed a Star Trek photo of himself for two members of the Exobiology/Star Trek Club who sneaked up to his suite. We all got shivers when we learned what Mr. Windom had penned on the photo!
This and the ultimate computer were my favorite episodes
Windom was fantastic deserved an Emmy
@AE Schneider I was in Electrical Engineering at U.F. When those two students went up to Mr. Windom's suite, they said when he answered the door he appeared startled at first, but then he had a brief conversation with them and asked them questions. He then autographed the photo and handed it back to them. They made a hasty exit back downstairs so as to not be caught by security. It was after they were back on the main floor that they discovered that William Windom had signed the photo with something to the effect of , "Best Wishes, Commodore Matt Decker". I wonder where that autographed photo is today--- nearly 45 years later!
My mom loved Michael Ansara, William Windom and Ricardo Montanan. She loved the episodes with these most fine actors.
Without having to say it, Ricardo Montalban's return to the role as Khan in the movie hit the ball out of the park. His acting was overdone and overacted perfectly. His Khan is probably one of the most memorable movie vilains of all time.
I agree, I think this is great acting. You could not only see but really feel the angst and pain he was feeling. For those that say it is overacting, is it? Here is a man who did the correct thing and it got his crew killed. I cannot think of a worse scenario for a commanding officer, then to sit there alone to just think about what happened, I feel for him. This is one of my all time favorite episodes.
Imagine this scenario in todays Navy; your ship is under attack by a vessel with superior armament & rendered dead in the water. All your ordinance spent. You order your crew to abandon ship & get to the nearest island for safety only to see the enemy then direct their attention to said island and blow it to cinders before your eyes. They then depart leaving your ship afloat and you alive after all…
this was one of my favorites and Decker was phenomenal! They all were.
yes excellent acting- I remember watching this episode as a boy and really feeling sorry for "Matt Decker". Windam was a great character actor
"Dont you think i know that!!!! "
I loved daystrom to in the ultimate computer. How relevant that episode is now we are on the razors edge of that reality.
"BUILDING ON MY WORK...."BUILDING ON MY WORK!!!!" I don't know what was worse, the M5 or the HAL9000?
Good Lord! William Windom is out-shatnering Shatner. This is unheard of.
That's why they had him do a kamikaze with the shuttle - To guarantee he not return to upstage Shatner again. He was a Commodore, if that wasn't already bad enough.
Good point but he was a Captain- on a ship a Captain becomes Commodore and an Army Captain becomes "Major" There can only be one Captain on a ship. We all make fun of Bill Shatner but he was a great actor-See him in "Judgement at Nuremburg"
In recent years, even Shatner makes fun of Shatner........
BUT..with good material (like City on the Edge of Forever), he's an excellent actor.
@@PC4USE1 He was totally the right choice for Kirk though.
@@lewisvanatta Kirk shows his most naked self when he buries his face in Bones arms. It's a good performance. Is he ever as distraught on any other episode?
William Windom's Decker is an awe-inspiring achievement - particularly because it provided an enduring Pathos to Star Trek for the ages. ... We have to create a 'Posthumous' Award to rightfully recognize such achievements by past actors.
Another great scene was with Spock when Decker took command and argued with Spock...McCoy as usual was yelling at Spock, but this time to take back command ... Decker puts McCoy in his place ...
Kirk finds out Decker almost got his ship destroyed and tells Spock to take command on his personal authority as captain of the enterprise ...
Spock tells Decker he is relieved of command and Spock , cool as a cucumber , threatens to arrest Decker...
Decker backs down and Spock assumed command !!!!
AWESOME
"Vulcans. Never. Bluff".
It is true golden moment. The first instance maybe of Mccoy saying " do something" to Spock. It is my favorite episode of all time.
Great acting here by William Windom. This was so good that this should have been on the big screen instead. If this was on the big screen, I'm sure William Windom would have won an Academy Award for this performance. You won't see many other performances better than this one. Later!
I would say that this is the greatest acting performance in the history of history......
Right out of hell....I saw it!!!!
Great acting. To hear his strong confident log entry, then see what became of him after the lost of his crew. His crew was as important to him as Kirk's is to him. You could easily see Kirk react the same way if he lost his crew. If you turned the story around and it was the Constellation that came upon the wrecked Enterprise with Kirk the only survivor, you would see Kirk knock out a Constellation security excort, and steal a shuttle to make a run into the Machine. It would have made a great TOS finale episode.
ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES I HAVE EVER SEEN! T.V. OR MOVIES! HE DID THE DAMN THING!!!!!!
He was genius...Best performance ever....
The Ultimate Computer., William Marshall. I do remember those scenes.
I often think of that line when someone says something really obvious. Kirk: "Matt, there is no third planet!" Decker: "Don't you think I know that?"
+George Beier "There was (a third planet), but not anymore!"
+Ribeye Robert D The fuck is your problem?
That is one of THE most classic TV lines EVER and delivered OUTSTANDINGLY by William Windom!
"Don't you think I know that? There WAS, BUT NOT ANYMORE. They CALLED me, they BEGGED ME for help. FOUR HUNDRED OF THEM! I couldn't. I-I... I couldn't..."
"There *was*... but not anymore !" is just a go-to line. For decades.
I don't know if there is an Emmy for acting by a guest star, but I agree William Windom deserved it for his performance in this ST episode. Amazing.
I remember William said he was really hungry as the last scene was being filmed. So as he was flying the shuttlecraft to its doom. He was really pinning for a Jelly Doughnut! :-)
"They say there's no devil Jim... but there is... I saw it!"
This still gives me a chill every time. William Windom turned in an amazing performance when the thought of such a level of portrayal in a 'silly little Sci-Fi show' was almost unheard of. He really raised the bar for guests on that show. I was four when I watched the original series and this episode, although not my favorite one, was a defining moment for the show and for Sci-Fi every where.
Shatner’s performance in Kirk’s character is there too when Decker finally breaks down and Kirk almost reaches for him but stops himself and then straightens his back when he realizes no matter the emotion he still has a big job to do. Just a magical scene.
I notice that nobody really commented on the rest of his performance in this episode There are other great scenes when he refuses to leave the bridge and arrogantly looks around to see if someone dares to remove him that's acting my fellow trekies
I first saw this when I was a kid in the 70s. It has stuck with me for 40 years.
"There is no third planet."
"Don't you think I know that?"
This was an awesome episode he made it so there were so many fine actors who contributed to this series crazy that it only went 3 seasons at the time only to become one of the most successful Tv/movie franchises of all time heading to Netflix to watch the whole episode now
As I'm watching TDM right now, I pulled his name up - and I saw this.
Yes. His performance in this episode is probably the best acting I've ever seen anybody do on anything. Period. Not only that, but it's one of Shatner's best performances as well as Nimoy's. I don't know if Windom inspired them, but this episode is perfection.
I enjoyed every show I ever saw him in. RIP William.
This is by far the most intense scene in this episode. It still gives me the chills watching it. Mr. Windom takes you there immediately. What a great performance!!!
Wow. Everyone else around him just falls flat. You can feel that he’s snapped; the horror, the anger, the guilt, the fear, the desperation....it’s believable and that’s the best compliment to an actor.
Best episode of the original series, hands down.
Incredible acting
A fitting homage to how a ship's captain would and should react if he were the only surviving member, with the regret of knowing he survived with the ship!
This has always been my favorite episode. William Windom's performance was incredible.The shades...PTSD to the max. (Whispers) "On the third planet" followed by a full meltdown. Windom himself probably thought it was just another guest starring role, but his acting made him THE star of the show. That...and the sound the doomsday machine makes when it fires. I wonder how they did that?
It sounds like a Klingon disruptor, the doomsday machine, when it fires.
@@rossjones5741 I wonder how they made THAT sound? The agony booth. (Day of the Dove?)
William Windom, I don’t know how better you can get in the acting he portrayed here. True emotion, very touching! We don’t have that kind of acting nowadays. Thank you so very much William Windom! RIP!!!!
Extremely underrated actor, he should have gotten an academy award for this performance alone!
Academic is for movies.
Emmy is for T.V.
I have to agree. Very fine performance by Windom in a very dramatic scene !
Mr. Windom also does a superb job during the power struggle with Kirk and Spock.
He even fidgets with memory chips in a kind of callback (Bogart) Capt Queeg fashion from "The Cain Mutinty".
Sorry I am just seeing this here....but like everyone here...I am the biggest Star Trek(OS) fan on the planet...planets. This tribute is so warranted. Windom sells out SO hard here. Even has spittle between his teeth and lips...like a guy who is distressed beyond belief. Such a great episode.
I was just a kid when i watched this episode. On a black and white tv no less. The fear this scene conveyed was scaring the hell out of me. For all these decades, Windoms performance stayed with me. I hope that the fact that he is lauded, here on youtube, and that he is not forgotten, will soften the lack of recognition he so rightly deserved.
William Windom was great, and very underrated. You've really got to see hiim in the Night Gallery episode 'They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar,' tho - bloody genius, and one of the two best things Rod Serling ever wrote (or so he claimed - the other was Requiem for a Heavyweight).
Each of Windom's scenes was a set piece and he absolutely nailed each one. The best guest star performance in an hour long drama in the history of American television.
HE was due an Emmy for this episode.
He was terrific.
My favorite TV actor. He will be missed dearly. RIP Bill.
Mr Windom nailed it his performance on this episode was so excellent, I'll never forget it
There was ....But not anymore!!! Props to the man
one of my fav episodes of the original series, and his portrayal of Decker is a major highlight- one of the best acted scenes i've ever seen on TV...
I know it's been said here already, but still, after watching this many times, I still get tears when he says "Don't you think I know that?"
How man people know that the Captain Decker in " Star Trek the Motion Picture " played by Stephen Collins, is supposed to be this mans son ?
Is there a mention of that in the movie? It was not a great film, but did not realize that till you wrote it here. Thanks!
Not mentioned in the movie, but the novels and comics establish Willard Decker as Matt Decker's son, following a long tradition of the family being Starfleet officers.
This entire scene is beautiful, Decker is initially in denial, he doesn’t want to accept that he sent his crew their death trying to save them, but when Kirk tells him the planets gone, he can’t deny it anymore and he just shatters and the music that accompanies the “don’t you think I know that, there was but not anymore line” is what ties it perfectly together as it all floods into him, he tried to remain strong but reality got to him x
My favorite part of this episode is when Decker and Kirk has a "power struggle over the Enterprise. Kirk didn't PLAY AT ALL with Decker and told him-NOT WITH MY SHIP YOU DON'T. Nothing but balls as Kirk is best known for. Decker gave in, but still argued with Kirk and Spock until he died. Star Fleet Officers at their finest.
Best episode... eh. Best acting, ABSOLUTELY!... I remember William Windom as mostly comedic, or just otherwise ordinary, but in this piece, he was INCREDIBLE! I've seen every episode that I know them by heart. I'm watching this episode, and it's just finished this scene... and I'm in tears.