These Are The Voyages, TOS, Season One

by Cushman, Marc

  Fried Steiner, later to be hired to alternate writing the scores for episodes with Courage and composer Gerald Fried, said, “I was quite shocked when I first heard it, because I thought it was nothing that I had conceived of, and it wasn’t well received at first, because it was such a sort of a far-out idea. But of course, subsequently, you know, it’s become a standard.” (168-1)

  Darrell Anderson, busy running the front office of the Anderson Company, left much of the post work on Star Trek to his brother Howard, who brought in long-time Warner Brothers cartoon animator Lloyd Vaughan to create the various phaser blasts, lightning bolts and force field glows. Lloyd’s brother Boyd designed and executed the title sequences. Bob Ryder photographed the Enterprise and other stellar properties. Gary Crandall was the key optical camera operator, one of his contributions being the filming of the transporter effects. And Lou Cusley was key grip, the man in charge of assembling tracking systems and dollies. This was the Howard Anderson Company team for this pilot and future episodes of Star Trek -- a small but talented group of technicians who worked long, hard hours and invented optical effect techniques that were used for years to come.

  Howard Anderson Company filming the large model on January 23, 1965 (Courtesy of Gerald Gurian)

  Anderson designed and realized the composited images that made up the highly dimensional multi-layered field of stars coming toward the camera, a giant step forward from the flat star fields used in most sci-fi space shows. Howard Anderson, Jr. said, “[The moving stars] were just as much, or probably more, trouble and took more experimenting than any of the rest of the problems that were presented to us with doing Star Trek. I don’t think anybody had seen moving stars before, or stars moving at the speed of light. We tried everything, but as soon as anything moved close to camera, of course, [the] stars looked like meatballs.... We finally evolved a method, [but it] took us a long, long time. It was a toughie.” (2-1)

  Anderson remembered the filming of the Enterprise as being the major challenge. “We had to constantly stop shooting after a short while because the lights would heat up the ship. We’d turn the lights on and get our exposure levels and balance our arc lights to illuminate the main body of the ship and then we’d turn the ship’s lights off until they cooled down. Then we’d turn them on and shoot some shots all in one pass.” (2-2)

  James Goldstone scoffed: “We planned the opticals with Howard Anderson, and he was a wonderful talent, but I’ll go to my grave complaining about optical effects. They never look exactly the way you want them to, you can’t hold on them for too long in a shot, and you’re forced to wait for them to come back from the lab. I made my cut of the episode, then I re-cut it with Gene, and we were still waiting for the damned opticals. By the time they arrived I was working on [the TV series] Iron Horse and I had to come back at night to the cutting room to look at them.” (75-1)

  Besides the various detailed Enterprise flybys, transporter effects and matte shots, the Anderson brothers created the rainbow barrier at the edge of the galaxy, force field effects, phaser rifle beams and the lightning bolts Lockwood and Kellerman threw at one another. It was a tall order for 1965. The total bill came to $17,400 ($130 grand in 2013).

  John Foley replaced Leo Shreve as editor. A Desilu man, he had cut episodes for The Untouchables, The Lucy Show and, right after this job, the pilot for Mission: Impossible.

  Alexander Courage returned to handle the score. Roddenberry had been ecstatic over the music Courage created for the first pilot, and wrote to him on March 3, 1965:

  Dear Sandy: The reaction to the music you composed and directed for Star Trek has been so universally outstanding that I thought I owed you this letter. What we have had is not just an occasional compliment but rather consistent praise. You successfully avoided all of the stylizations and other traps of past and present [science fiction]; in short, you did really outstanding work. You’ve made a lot of admirers and friends during this job.

  Reactions

  “I was very happy with it,” James Goldstone said. “I was very proud of the work we were able to do. We, being Gene especially, Bobby Justman, and the main actors who later became the main stars. It was a very collaborative effort.” (75-3)

  Goldstone also gave mention to Matt Jefferies and Bill Theiss, saying, “The whole [look of the] picture was really designed by Matt Jefferies.... The costuming concept: we brought Theiss in, and the whole velour look was ‘the thing’ that had just started that week. You didn’t see shadows on it, you didn’t see wrinkles in it, and it had a sense of ease, comfort, and practicality.” (75-2)

  Gary Lockwood was less sure they had hit the bull’s-eye when filming finished. He said, “Look, you come to work, and this is a scene where you become god-like. There isn’t any manual on that. I mean, there isn’t some book. How does one play god? And I remember at the time being a little bit embarrassed, thinking, ‘How is this going to be, me becoming this kind of weird god?’ I wasn’t seeing it -- literally. I was acting in the dark. And then one day Roddenberry saw me in Beverly Hills and he said, ‘I’m sending a car for you, because I know that you won’t watch our show and I’m going to have you see it at the studio.’ So, when I saw Star Trek, I was alone in a room. Can you imagine -- watching it on a big screen, in a screening room by yourself? And I thought it came out better than in my head. My attitude was, ‘Okay, this is pretty cool.’ I wasn’t embarrassed anymore.” (109-3)

  Leonard Nimoy couldn’t predict the series’ future but he was convinced something magical had happened in regard to the development of the character he played, directly as a result of the interaction between him and Shatner. He said, “I really thought that there was a chemistry between us that made a lot of sense. I didn’t know where I was with Jeff Hunter. I was floundering when working with him. Jeff was playing Captain Pike as a very thoughtful, kind of worried, kind of angst-ridden nice guy thinking his way through a problem, and I, as Spock, couldn’t find a space.... [Bill] brought with him a great deal of zest and passion. [His] Captain Kirk was a swashbuckling Errol Flynn type of hero; he played the role with a great deal of energy and élan, and wasn’t afraid to take chances.... That energy was vital for the show and made it possible for me to finally find a niche for my role.” (128-13)

  “Where No Man Has Gone Before” was finally delivered to NBC just after New Year’s Day, 1966. The final damages: The mandated seven production days turned into nine, a one-month post-production schedule stretched into five, the estimated cost of $216,000 became a very real cost of $355,000. Regardless of NBC’s decision, the Board of Directors who served the president of Desilu wanted to end Star Trek right then and there.

  The original but unaired opening to Act 1, as it appeared in the pilot film delivered to NBC (Courtesy of Gerald Gurian)

  NBC would air “Where No Man Has Gone Before” twice. It won or tied for first position in its time slot both times.

  RATINGS / Nielsen 30-Market report for Thursday, Sept. 22, 1966:

  According to A.C. Nielsen, Star Trek was the clear winner from 8:30 to 9 p.m. From 9 to 9:30 p.m., the race was too close to call, with all three networks within a fraction of a ratings point of one another. (To see the ratings reports for the second airing, see Chapter 38.)

  7

  The Calm Before the Storm

  After posing for this publicity shot, Shatner returned to work for other networks and studios (Courtesy of Gerald Gurian)

  Between July 1965 and February 1966, while waiting to learn if there would be a Star Trek, William Shatner had the lead guest star role in segments of Twelve O’clock High, The Fugitive, The Big Valley, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre and Gunsmoke. He also accepted a limited recurring role in Dr. Kildare, prominently featured in six episodes as Dr. Carl Noyes.

  Leonard Nimoy had supporting roles in The Virginian, Combat!, A Man Called Shenandoah, Daniel Boone, Get Smart, Gunsmoke and, at long last finding a distributor, Death Watch, the art house film he starred in and co-produced with Vic M
orrow.

  George Takei found himself 11 acting assignments between July and February, including a role in the same episode of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre that William Shatner appeared in. While on the set, Takei enthusiastically approached Shatner to say hello. It took the lead guest star a moment to remember the bit player. After all, Takei had appeared in only two scenes with Shatner in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and the filming had taken place several months earlier. It was a polite exchange but Takei was disappointed that he had made so little impression on the man he hoped to call “Captain.”

  James Doohan also stayed busy. He appeared on A Man Called Shenandoah, Bewitched, Blue Light, Laredo, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Virginian, and twice each on The F.B.I. and The Fugitive. And he had a recurring role on Peyton Place, and appeared in a feature film - Scalplock.

  Roddenberry, too, was busy. Desilu put him to work producing a pair of pilots -- one he cared about, the other, according to Herb Solow, he did not.

  The important one to Roddenberry was “Police Story,” which he also wrote. It starred future Star Trek players Steve Ihnat, Grace Lee Whitney, DeForest Kelley and Malachi Throne. The director was Vincent McEveety, who had worked on The Lieutenant and who would also journey into Star Trek. Malachi Throne said, “It was unfortunate that it didn’t go because it was one of the first police stories, and, since Gene had that background, it had an authenticity about it that the others didn’t quite have.” (173-2)

  The second pilot, “The Long Hunt of April Savage,” had been created and written by Sam Rolfe, Roddenberry’s former boss and friend from Have Gun -- Will Travel. In the lead was Robert Lansing, who would be brought back for a Star Trek episode (“Assignment: Earth”). Otherwise, Solow said, Roddenberry didn’t take to the assignment. The Desilu exec claimed Roddenberry was “coasting along” and “halfheartedly producing” Rolfe’s pilot and believed his only interest was in picking up a paycheck.

  Dorothy Fontana, Roddenberry’s secretary during this period, said, “Bullshit. Sam Rolfe was a long-time friend of Gene Roddenberry’s. He [Gene] was happy to be able to help on ‘The Long Hunt of April Savage’ project when Sam had to be in England to work on another project. [Sam] trusted Roddenberry to produce his pilot for him.” (64-4b)

  The harsh criticism from Solow does seem unwarranted considering that the pilot was successful. After seeing it, ABC ordered a series and placed it on the network’s fall schedule. The series ended up not making the cut, but this was clearly not a result of Roddenberry’s production work.

  Also, contrary to accusations made by Roddenberry’s unauthorized biographer Joel Engel that the two men had a serious falling out over “April Savage,” Rolfe and Roddenberry remained friends and Rolfe even received a pair of writing assignments on future Roddenberry series -- one for Star Trek: the Next Generation, the other for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

  Even if not between Roddenberry and Rolfe, there was some bad blood to arise as a result of the filming of “The Long Hunt of April Savage.” Robert Justman, who was working on the production as associate producer, remembered the incident. While filming near Big Bear Lake, a network man named Harve Bennett dropped by the location. This irritated Roddenberry, who ordered Justman to throw the meddling ABC junior executive off the set. Bennett would return into Roddenberry’s life 15 years later to take Star Trek away from its creator and become producer of the big screen movie series, starting with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. A line from that movie offers an apt commentary on the relationship: “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

  In late February, 1966, “good news” arrived at Desilu: CBS wanted Mission: Impossible, NBC wanted Star Trek, and ABC wanted April Savage. All three series were to premiere in the fall. It had been an expensive gamble for the studio. Desilu produced 22 pilots in 1964 and 1965 and only three were “picked up.” And of these three, two were shows that many at the studio didn’t even want.

  Desilu suddenly had a new agenda: terminate Oscar Katz, the executive responsible for all the failed pilots and -- worse -- the two potentially expensive hour-long ones which succeeded. The headline in the March 9, 1966 issue of Variety read, “Oscar Katz Calls Quits at Desilu.” In a statement, Katz cited “personal reasons” compelling him to move on to, as Variety told it, “other projects in other areas.” Katz said he had asked for and received his contractual release. The Variety story also noted that Herb Solow would supervise the production of the new series. The new Vice President of Programs later said, “Oscar Katz was my boss, but his relationship with Lucy [Ball] and the board soured as they realized Oscar’s lack of studio experience made him only a titular chief operating officer.” (161-3)

  The second item in the studio’s agenda: convince Lucy to keep the half-hour western April Savage and, because of her relationship with CBS, perhaps go forward with the potentially costly Mission: Impossible, but to let go of Star Trek, a series whose costs could sink the studio.

  A board meeting was called. Financial VP Edwin Holly told Lucy she couldn’t afford all of these atypical series. Production VP Argyle Nelson agreed. One witness to the meeting said Nelson called Bruce Geller “that crazy college kid” and Roddenberry “that crazy ex-cop.” Fred Ball, Lucy’s brother, believed that real estate was the way to go. Buy hotels, not starships. Business Affairs VP Bernard Weitzman was the only Desilu executive Herb Solow remembered as being pro-Star Trek.

  The meeting was going badly. But Lucy was determined to follow Desi’s plan for the studio. She listened to all the griping, then turned away from the naysayers and gave Solow a nod of her head.

  That was all Star Trek needed. A nod from Lucille Ball.

  On March, 2, 1966, Daily Variety printed the “First Round” fall schedules for the three networks. NBC had picked Thursday at 8:30 p.m. for Star Trek. On this rough draft of the primetime schedules, ABC had slated April Savage. This would later change, with Savage dropped in favor of The Tammy Grimes Show, the latter to be partnered with Bewitched as ABC’s competition against Star Trek.

  On March 6, 1966, both Star Trek and Mission: Impossible were assigned space at the Desilu’s Hollywood facility, where studio heads could closely monitor their progress -- or lack of it. Filming on that lot for the fall were the half-hour sitcoms The Lucy Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., My Three Sons, Hogan’s Heroes, Family Affair, That Girl and Hey Landlord. Also shooting at the Hollywood facility: Lassie, Rango and, when it was in town, I Spy. And then there was Mannix, a new pilot to be owned by the studio and produced by Bruce Geller. It was going to be a tight fit but Herb Solow arranged for Star Trek and Mission: Impossible to each get a pair of soundstages and 10 office spaces apiece for their staffs.

  The Star Trek staff was going to have to hit the pavement running. NBC was starting their new season a week early and needed the premiere episode of Star Trek ready in the first days in September. The network also wanted to preview a handful of episodes for audience testing to help it choose which would lead off the series. The deadline for the delivery of these was set for mid-August, just five months away.

  Robert Justman stayed on as associate producer, Morris Chapnick as Roddenberry’s production assistant, Matt Jefferies as the Art Director, George Merhoff on lighting, William Theiss on wardrobe, Wah Chang with gadgets and monsters, Howard Anderson Company at work on photographic effects, and Harvey Lynn of the RAND Corporation, as well as De Forest Research, to read scripts and provide technical notes.

  Kellam de Forest worked with all the Desilu shows, but none as hard as he did with Star Trek. He and his staff would search through story outlines and scripts for anything remotely wrong. And they did this in a world without the Internet. Their tools: books, magazines, newspapers, phone directories, government reports, private reports, any kind of reports. Herb Solow later commented, “Kellam had a field day with Star Trek because Kellam believed everything -- everything -- must be accurate!” (161-3)

  De Forest, born in 1926, had originally
tried for a career as a TV writer, selling a few stories to westerns such as Yancy Derringer and The Adventures of Jim Bowie.

  Pete Sloman, who was working as a file clerk at De Forest Research, and would later be promoted to take over Star Trek, said, “Kellam had majored in history at Yale. And when he got out he wanted to get into television, but he didn’t know what to do because he had no background in anything that was something that television might be interested in. And then he was doing some sort of historical research and the producers of Profiles in Courage went to him. [President] Kennedy had allowed the use of his book [Profiles in Courage] as something to be dramatized, if it was historically accurate. And so they got the idea that Kellam de Forest, as a history major and somebody who was really very fast with history, could provide the historical background for what they wanted to do, which he did, and that’s how he got into the field. This was in the late 1950s, so that was when Kellam started doing this. He got space at Desilu Studios, right next to the old prop department. We worked on The Lucy Show; Mission: Impossible, Hogan’s Heroes, Mannix, I Spy; all kinds of stuff. At one point, we were doing close to two dozen shows. And Kellam did some of the very first Star Trek episodes. He did the pilot and maybe a few others. But Kellam was not a scientifically oriented person and, in time, would be looking for others, such as myself and Joan Pearce, to take on Star Trek.” (158a)

  Joe D’Agosta, who had unofficially helped with booking talent before, was Roddenberry’s only choice as casting director. D’Agosta remembered, “Gene found out from Herb Solow, who was running Desilu, that they needed a new head of casting for the studio, and he sold him on the idea that it should be me.” (43-4)