# ? about Star Trek TOS: Vina the green-skinned dancer
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 24, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967 "2001-06-24T13:43:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/1 "2001-06-24T13:43:28Z")
In the two-part patchwork episode “The Menagerie” (or the unsold pilot “The Cage”), Susan Oliver appears as Vina, the prospective “Eve” of the barren wasteland of Talos IV, with Captain Pike the lucky “Adam.”
In one of the “fantasies” that the Talosians are planting into Captain Pike’s head (in order to weaken his resistance, and readily embrace Vina), she appears as a green-skinned belly dancer.
The question (since it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen this): “Was that also Susan Oliver, or was there a stand-in dancer.” It’s hard to tell underneath all the makeup.
(This was a little too trivial for GQ.)
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### Author:  [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2001, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/2 "2001-06-24T15:27:10Z")
I believe so. Check the pictures in the link, and it does look like the same person.
[http://www.sherylfranklin.com/trekwomen\_vina.html](http://www.sherylfranklin.com/trekwomen_vina.html)
I’ve read a lot of Star Trek books, and I don’t recall ever reading that another actress played the green skinned Orion girl.
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### Author:  [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/3 "2001-06-24T15:50:40Z")
I believe it was Susan Oliver. According to “The Making of Star Trek” (back before the Classic series was cancelled) this story was told;
Susan Oliver was suffering from exhausion and a doctor was summoned to give her a vitamin B12 shot. The doctor walked in and was confronted with a woman, totally painted green. It took him a few moments to get over this and find a place to administer the injection.
Btw, such women are from Orion and (according to the chuavanism of the 1960s) totally irresistible to men. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/4 "2001-06-24T19:36:41Z")
Thanks a bunch.
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2001, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/5 "2001-06-25T14:31:46Z")
I just want to chime in that that was a major developmental point for my sexuality.
(No wonder I’m so fucked up. Thanks, Gene Roddenberry.)
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2001, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/6 "2001-06-26T20:16:53Z")
Yvonne Craig also appeared as one of these green-skinned women. When she had to do a scene with prima donna Shatner, he insisted she not get any green on him. Which led to the following problem: how does a woman painted green supposed to be irresistable to men without getting any green on the men?
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### Author:  [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/7 "2001-06-26T21:17:56Z")
And I read in an interview with Yvonne Craig that she _did_ get the green stuff on…his toupee. And he was livid.
I’m with **slortar** ; I fantasize about green women to this day.
Quick poll for all the DopeLadies out there:
First, assume you’re willing to have sex with me.
Now, I ask if you’ll first paint yourself green with cotton swabs dipped in green food coloring.
Turn on, or turn off? And would you do it?
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### Author:  [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/8 "2001-06-27T00:06:09Z")
my thoughts on the subect…
a) painting oneself with anysubstance only with cotton swaps would take a rather long time.
b) food dye stains.
c) despite this, I don’t necessarily see this as a turn-off…not a sure turn-on, by any means, but still…
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### Author:  [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/9 "2001-06-27T02:20:50Z")
**Erika** :
> [@](#):
>
> c) despite this, I don’t necessarily see this as a turn-off…not a sure turn-on, by any means, but still…
So in other words, you’d love to do it? Excellent!
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/10 "2001-06-27T13:20:29Z")
Hell, yeah! This calls for a Straight Dope Green-Painted Women Gathering!
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/11 "2001-06-27T13:28:05Z")
“Mint Julep” from the Marvel “War of the Worlds” series, and “Gamora,” assistant to the evil Thanos.
(In the WotW series, the Martians had learned from their mistakes 100 years or so earlier, and had returned to earth–this time with all their shots, and quite an attitude.)
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### Author:  [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/12 "2001-06-27T13:30:53Z")
An interesting anecdote relating to this,
Gene R. and the Makeup guy at the time (I don’t remember the name sorry) were trying to get an actress, possibly a stand-in, green.
They came up with a green paint an applied it to the girls face and sent off the reel of film. When it came back the girl had a perfect human (i.e. not green) complexion!
They came up with another green paint applied it to the girl and sent off the film, it came back and again the girl had a beautiful \* normal \* complexion.
The deadline draws closer.
This happens again, several times ,eventually they give up and head over to the film developer (I think) and ask him if he has any ideas of how to get this girl green, he replies
“Green? you _wanted_ her green? I have been staying up all night fixing the badly coloured reels you keep sending me.”
😃
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### Author:  [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/13 "2001-06-27T14:01:00Z")
**Gartog** , your story, while amusing, smacks of apocrypha. Cite?
But you remind me of another one. Originally Vulcans were supposed to be red, but they changed this because the red make-up made Spock look too much like the Devil on color televisions, and too much like a black man on black and white televisions (no, of course I don’t have a cite!).
I’m trying to remember if I ever saw an “Orion slave girl” episode on a black and white television, and if so, what the green looked like.
Other sexy green babes: **Jade** from the DC Comics series Infinity, Inc… Her father was Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, and her body was an inherent source of power-ring energy.
[Homer Simpson]Mmmm…inherent source of power-ring energy…[/Homer Simpson]
Then there’s **She-Hulk** , of course.
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### Author:  [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/14 "2001-06-27T14:28:54Z")
It’s from William Shantners Memoirs, can’t remember what the books called tho. Give me 12 hours and I’ll find out . .
> [@](#):
>
> apocrypha
well today I learnt a new word 🙂
> [@](#):
>
> But you remind me of another one. Originally Vulcans were supposed to be red, but they changed this because the red make-up made Spock look too much like the Devil on color televisions, and too much like a black man on black and white televisions (no, of course I don’t have a cite!).
What do you mean you don’t have a cite ! 😃
I too have read this, and also that Spock was to have a Tail, but with the red colour and ears this was considered too satanic, (also wasn’t he originally supposed to a Martian?)
Another interesting story (from W.S. memoirs again)
In an Early publicity photograph, the ears of Spock were airbrushed out, I believe at the request of the network execs.
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### Author:  [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/15 "2001-06-27T16:11:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Gartog, your story, while amusing, smacks of apocrypha. Cite?
Apocrypha? Depends on how you feel about William Shatner’s Star Trek Memories, I guess. In my paperback edition, it’s recounted on pages 66-68. The actress was Majel Barrett (later Majel Roddenbury), and a picture from the green skin test is included.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/16 "2001-06-27T17:34:11Z")
Have you guys ever seen a film called ‘Free Enterprise’?
If you haven’t you have got to check it out now.
It is basically Swingers but instead of movies in general it has a groupe of hapless guys trying to find love while they just talk and talk sci-fi, mostly Star Trek.
They two main characters actually meet William Shatner (played by Shatner) in a book store where Billy is drunk and looking for porn.
If your into TOS and other Sci-Fi you have a blast watching this.
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/17 "2001-06-27T18:03:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Yvonne Craig also appeared as one of these green-skinned women.
Yvonne Craig played Marta, who was blue, not green, and nothing in the episode indicated she was supposed to be an Orion slave girl. I always liked that Marta. “Just because William Shakespeare wrote it centuries ago doesn’t mean I didn’t also write it this morning.” Can’t argue with logic like that…
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### Author:  [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/18 "2001-06-27T19:06:02Z")
I was an Orion slave girl at a Halloween party several years ago. Since it was in Hollywood, it wasn’t really a problem to find green body paint, green lipstick, etc. Very fun. The body paint didn’t get washed off until the next morning. 😉
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### Author:  [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2001, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/19 "2001-06-28T12:16:31Z")
Thanks **lolagranola**
🙂
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [June 28, 2001, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-star-trek-tos-vina-the-green-skinned-dancer/69967/20 "2001-06-28T12:38:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Otto_
> Yvonne Craig played Marta, who was blue, not green, and nothing in the episode indicated she was supposed to be an Orion slave girl.
I was trying to remember a radio interview Yvonne did a few months back. I know she was painted, and I could’ve sworn she said green!
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