A person and I disagreed over a certain cameo in Star Trek III. Was Janice Rand in Star Trek III? When I was a child, my mother and father pointed out that the woman within the Spacedock scene watching the Enterprise enter was Janice Rand. In the credits, she is listed as “Woman in Cafeteria”. The late Grace Lee Whitney is playing the woman in a Star Fleet uniform. Director Nimoy added her to the scene because he wanted to include her, and she showed up in his IV. I think Nimoy felt bad for the way Hollywood treated her.
Anyway, since that moment, I always felt it was Rand. But, I had no idea some fans didn’t believe it was her. Whitney is just playing another character. For me, I believe it is Rand. If you look closely, “Woman in Cafeteria” gives a disapproving look and shakes her. The head shakes and her expression says, “There they go again” as she looks at the damage. Rand was in battle aboard the Enterprise, so she knows its reputation.
Now, her rank is all over the place in the movies. She was a commissioned officer in the show and TMP, but her appearance in III shows she is an officer. However, she wears a noncom uniform in IV. Yet, she is a high-ranking officer in VI.
Side Note: I’ve been looking at old photos of Whitney and her post-TOS days. After cleaning herself up and getting more close to fans, she seemed happier. She hated her experience during the filming of TOS but loved the Trek universe. She even came back to Voyager with a larger role. Google her convention photos. She loved how kind the fans were.
RIP, Grace, you were the best.
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