Howard had no problem with his voice being replaced. It was something else that worried him. He said, “You know, I did have issues with the ‘tranya.’ Because, the prop man, when he wheeled his cart over and we were getting ready to shoot, showed me and my dad what ‘tranya’ was, and it was pink grapefruit juice. And I’ve never had a taste for pink grapefruit juice. Even today, I’d be choking it down. It just bothers me. But by God it was pink grapefruit juice. And I asked my dad, ‘Can’t they put some grape juice or apple juice in the canister? Does it have to be pink grapefruit juice?’ And I remember my dad looking at me and he said, ‘You’re gonna drink the grapefruit juice and you’re gonna like it.’ So, as you see in the scene, when I swallow it, I let out this overblown reaction, like a little kid drinking liquor. Because that’s what it tasted like to me.” (85)
Howard took his last sip of tranya and filming stopped at 7:10 p.m.
Day 7, Thursday, June 2, 1966. Even with all the action taking place on a single stage, Joseph Sargent had fallen behind, delaying the start of the next scheduled production (“Mudd’s Women”) by a half day. He took his last shots in the transporter room.
At 1 p.m. “The Corbomite Maneuver” wrapped. Robert Justman, keeping production notes at the time, wrote, “One-half day over -- shot extra camera but blew it on unnecessary setups.”
The other Balok takes a cigarette break. The brand, according to John D.F. Black: Pall Mall, unfiltered (Courtesy of Mary Black)
John D.F. Black recalled, “On that night of the first shoot, I was coming from the stage and I saw Shatner sitting on the rear fender of a car across from my office. And we talked a bit. He said, ‘What am I going to do, Johnny?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean, pal?” And he said, ‘Well, if it doesn’t work … It’s just so damned important to us.’ And I said, ‘No, no, it’s going to work. It’s going to be fine.’ And he said, ‘I hope so,’ and walked away.” (17)
On that last night, DeForest Kelley said to Roddenberry, “This is going to be the biggest hit or the biggest miss God ever made.” (98-1)
Then the editors and musicians, not God, took over.
Post-Production
June 3 through October 31, 1966. Music score recorded on September 20, 1966.
Deleted scene from the Captain’s quarters
(Color image available on startrekhistory.com and startrekpropauthority.com)
Robert Swanson was chosen to head the first of three editing teams alternating Star Trek episodes. Prior to this he was busy on the Desilu lot, having served as the lead cutter of episodes for The Untouchables. Swanson was also a top editor on the prestigious Playhouse 90. Justman remembered Swanson “worked quickly with great confidence.”
NBC requested that Swanson remove a scene from the edited film. In Act 1, when Kirk tells Spock over the intercom that he’ll go to his quarters and change clothes before coming to the bridge, the Captain finds newly assigned Yeoman Rand waiting for him, with clean clothes laid out. Kirk is learning about the job specifications of a “Captain’s Yeoman.”
Composer Fred Steiner was 43 and had already provided music for, among other series, The Wild, Wild West, Gunsmoke and The Twilight Zone. He was also the writer of the haunting theme to Perry Mason. He recorded the score for “The Corbomite Maneuver” more than three-and-a-half months after the episode was sent into editing. Even at this late date, Steiner was conducting his orchestra blind, still without optical effects to project on a screen to show him or anyone else what the alien spaceships might look like.
“Fred Steiner was kind of like the John Williams of his time,” Robert Justman said. “Broad, sweeping themes, a very melodramatic style of music. My first choice, always, unless there was a particular reason, was Fred, who caught the inner being of Star Trek.” (94-9)
Steiner created several variations of a theme for the Enterprise, to be heard whenever we see the Enterprise in space; a signature, of a sort, representing the personality of the ship itself. He also created a theme for Captain Kirk. In an article Steiner wrote in 1982 for the Library of Congress concerning the music of Star Trek, he said, “It is played by French horns, an orchestral color which lends the theme a noble, almost Wagnerian quality, somewhat tinged with melancholy. It expressed what I saw as the mythic hero, dual personality of the Enterprise leader -- a strong, resourceful, dependable man who also has a softer, more vulnerable side and who is, at times, a solitary, lonely figure.” (168-1)
Because of the demands of editing a one-hour science fiction series, with post-visual and sound effects slowing the process to a crawl, three weeks were planned for each episode. This one, jam-packed with what a memo from Justman warned to be “staggering” optical effects, took much longer.
The Howard Anderson Co. prepares to film “the cube,” 7/12/66 (Courtesy of Gerald Gurian)
The Howard Anderson Company, with the work being handled by Howard Anderson, Jr. and his brother Darrell, had been given the challenge of figuring out how to have the mammoth Enterprise dwarfed by a spaceship a hundred times bigger, and to create a smaller ship to tow the Enterprise. And a space buoy to block its way. And to conjure up more starship flybys, and transporter effects, and phaser effects, and explosions in space. And the Andersons were running into immense problems (detailed later).
The total cost for the optical effects, once all the problems were resolved and all the delays had passed, topped off at $17,317. This was roughly 10% of the episode’s total budget and over $4,000 more than what Desilu had allocated for photographic effects on a per-episode basis. This time, Justman was able to rob Peter to pay Paul -- the extra money needed for the opticals came from the savings of making this a “bottle show.”
“The Corbomite Maneuver” cost $190,430, which was $3,070 under Star Trek’s initial first season per-episode studio allowance of $193,500, creating a cash surplus to draw from on future episodes. It would be needed.
Despite Star Trek being one of the most expensive series on television in 1966, an inflation-adjusted budget of $1.35 million would not cover a show like this today. In 2013, a typical prime-time one-hour drama cost $3 to $3.5 million, with science fiction being on the higher end.
John D.F. Black and his pal, Balok (Courtesy of Mary Black)
Release / Reactions
Premiere air date: 11/10/66. NBC repeat broadcast: 5/11/67.
Gene Roddenberry said he wanted to premiere the series with this episode, but NBC preferred a “planet show” to be first up. A compromise was made on August 4, a month and four days before the scheduled premiere: “The Man Trap” (the fifth episode filmed) would go first, followed by “The Corbomite Maneuver.” On August 12, three months after work on the optical effects had begun and, with nothing yet delivered, “Corbomite” was pushed back to be the sixth episode to air. On August 23, it was pushed back again, to be the eighth. On October 12, with those challenging photographic effects still undelivered, the broadcast schedule was adjusted one more time, placing “Corbomite” where it finally did air, as Episode No. 10.
Each episode of Star Trek experienced a long and turbulent journey, from inception, to story and script development, followed by pre-production, production, and post (including film editing, sound editing, insertion of optical effects, titles and, finally scoring). After all of this the real battle had to be fought, with the broadcast and the immediate response, through reviews, letters from the audience and, most importantly, the ratings.
The Nielsen National ratings reports were a crucial scorecard for the networks. These nightly reports indicated several things, including how many televisions were powered on that evening, what percentage were tuned in to each of the major networks or a local independent station, and what the net ratings were for each show. Nielsen provided data for each half-hour segment, so for an hour-long program one can determine how well a program held the attention of those who tuned in from the start.
RATINGS / Nielsen 30-Market report for Thursday, October 10, 1966:
The numbers from
Nielsen for this first “regular” episode produced would seem to support the 45-year old myth that Star Trek failed in the ratings. However, as revealed in the ratings reports for episodes that were shot later but aired earlier, Star Trek had already come in at No. 1 on more than a few of its previous weeks by the time “The Corbomite Maneuver” went out as NBC broadcast episode No. 10. On most weeks, Star Trek earned a respectable second place entry against formidable competition.
According to Nielsen, at 8:30 p.m., My Three Sons, considered a success by its network (CBS), was less than one ratings’ point ahead of Star Trek. The new prime-time version of The Dating Game was the surprise top-rated show this night, due to one of its “celebrity date specials.”
At 9 p.m., Bewitched, ABC’s most popular series, took the lead. CBS’s big gun, its Thursday Night Movie, was a strong second with the television premiere of Otto Preminger’s 1964 political intrigue Advise and Consent, and its all-star cast that included Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Don Murray, Gene Tierney, and Peter Lawford. Even with a third-best showing, Star Trek hung on to roughly a 26% of the TV sets running in America from start to finish. Today, this kind of ratings performance would be considered an immense success.
Another nose-counting service, Home Testing Institute, with its TVQ report for Broadcasting magazine, conducted a national survey during this month in 1966, asking participants what their favorite new show was. Star Trek came in No. 1. When ranking all prime-time series, both new and old, the survey results placed Star Trek at No. 2, just under Bonanza, as the most liked series on television.
Many of those who missed the first airing caught the summer repeat.
RATINGS / Nielsen 30-Market report for Thursday, May 11, 1967:
At 8:30 p.m., the rerun of “The Corbomite Maneuver” was in second position. My Three Sons came in third.
At 9:00 p.m., the winner was The CBS Thursday Night Movie showing of 1964's Love Has Many Faces, with Lana Turner and Cliff Robertson. Star Trek held onto its No. 2 standing. That Girl, in no danger of being cancelled by ABC, was at No. 3.
“The Corbomite Maneuver” was a hit with critics and fans. After its encore airing, it received a nomination as Best Science Fiction Presentation of the Year, at the 1967 Hugo Awards -- sci-fi’s version of the Oscar, Emmy, and Peabody all rolled into one (details later).
From the Mailbag
A sampling from the letters received -- and stored in the Star Trek show files -- from the week after “The Corbomite Maneuver” first aired:
Dear Sir, I’m sure you have lots of fan mail to answer, so I won’t take long. I want to tell you how realistic your show is. It’s interesting and in every scene you have a plot. My favorite actors are Spock, Captain, Scotty, Baily [sic]. I would like to have a color photo of the beautiful ship, the “Enterprise.” It’s the most amazing ship I’ve ever seen. So please, please send me a color photo. And, please, will you try to send me Spock and Captain and Scotty’s autographs. Sincerely, Your Best Friend and Fan. David. K. (Hampton, Virginia).
Dear sirs: Perhaps I’m mistaken, but there has never been, in my opinion, a more excellent series of adult science fiction. The stories are plausible, the characters are well portrayed in depth, and the special effects are exciting. Sam W. (Kansas City, Missouri)
Dear Gene: When I saw you last I didn’t get a chance to tell you how much I liked “The Corbomite Maneuver” and -- even if I do say it! -- it was the best so far. I hear a lot of nice things about Star Trek -- some of the kids even say it’s the “in” show! -- and I hope they aren’t just saying that because they know I have written for you.... The show looks great and I am chafing at the bit to do something more for it. Need anybody to empty wastebaskets or anything? Warmest regards, Jerry [Sohl].
Memories
Jerry Sohl said, “I thought it turned out very well, with considerable drama and incident.... I was highly pleased.” (160-2)
Nimoy, in 1996, said, “Re-watching ‘The Corbomite Maneuver’ recently, I was struck by the wonderful sense of camaraderie on the bridge between the characters, as the crew awaited possible death during the countdown. The chemistry between the characters was there from the very start.” (128-3)
Aftermath
Clint Howard recalled, “Around the time I was 18, I went in for an audition with George Lucas. It may have been for Star Wars. And I was nervous, because I knew who George was -- Ron [Howard] had worked for him in American Graffiti, and I knew he was a big time director. So I went into his office and sitting right off of the main desk was Francis Coppola. And I thought, ‘Gee, wow, Francis!’ It was pretty impressive with Francis Coppola over there, and George Lucas over here, looking me right in the eye. And the first thing George says is, ‘Commander Balok, Corbomite Maneuver!’ And I was stunned. This was just a dozen years after the series, so there hadn’t been any DVDs; there probably hadn’t been any video tapes. I mean, George had probably just seen the episode in reruns about a dozen times. But he knew me; he knew that I played Commander Balok; and he knew the name of the episode. And that just shows you, ultimately, what an impact Star Trek had.” (85)
In 2010, at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, Jon Stewart used the imaginary threat of “Corbomite” in bottled water to illustrate how media figures create and magnify fears in the public, then said, “You just got scared by something that is not real!”
9
Episode 3: MUDD’S WOMEN
Teleplay by Stephen Kandel
(with John D.F. Black & Gene Roddenberry, uncredited)
Story by Gene Roddenberry
Directed by Harvey Hart
NBC publicity photo: Maggie Thrett, Nimoy, Susan Denberg, Shatner and Karen Steele (Courtesy of Gerald Gurian)
From TV Guide, October 8, 1966 issue:
The Enterprise intercepts a spaceship commanded by a wily scoundrel, Capt. Harry Mudd, a convicted smuggler, whose only cargo is three stunning women.
Intended to be sold as wives to wealthy but lonely space settlers, the women have an alluring effect on the male members of the crew, so much so Captain Kirk and his officers believe some unknown element is at play. One woman in particular, Eve, has even been causing the unflappable Kirk to lose his cool. But Kirk has little time to solve the mystery -- the energy of the ship’s engines, diminished after a chase through space and the rescue of Leo Walsh (AKA Harcourt Fenton Mudd) and his “cargo,” has placed the Captain in a compromising position: Deal with Harry Mudd on the rogue’s terms or run the risk of never making it back to safe harbor. Kirk’s only hope is to convince Ben Childress, the leader of three lonely miners on the otherwise unpopulated and inhospitable planet Rigel VII, to sell him the energy source his drained ship needs -- the “lithium” crystals they mine. But Childress has already struck a deal with Mudd -- Kirk will receive no help from the miners unless they get the women and Mudd is freed.
The theme: Outer beauty is a product of inner beauty and peace of mind; confidence and self-worth will change how a person is perceived by others. As for drug use: Belief in one’s self must come from within, not from a bottle of pills.
SOUND BITES
- Kirk, surprised by the women: “Is this your crew, Captain?” Mudd: “Well, no, Captain. This is me cargo.”
- Mudd, to Spock: “You’re part Vulcanian, aren’t you? Then a pretty face doesn’t affect you. Not unless you want it to.”
- Mudd: “You’re a hard-nosed one, Captain.” Kirk: “And you’re a liar, Mr. Walsh. I think we both understand each other.”
- Engineer Scott: “That jackass Walsh not only wrecked his own vessel but in saving his skin we...” Kirk: “If it makes you feel better, Engineer, that’s one jackass we’re going to see skinned.”
- Eve, flirting: “I read once that a commander has to act like a paragon of virtue. I never met a paragon.” Kirk, nearly speechless: “Neither have I.”
- Mudd: “Ship’s captains are already married to their vessels, Evie. You’ll see, the first time you come between him and
his ship.”
- Eve: “Is this the kind of wife you want, Ben? Not someone to help you, not a wife to cook and sew and cry and need, but this kind. Selfish, vain, useless. Is this what you really want?”
- Kirk: “There’s only one kind of woman...” Mudd: “Or man, for that matter...” Kirk: “You either believe in yourself or you don’t.”
ASSESSMENT
“Mudd’s Women” glides effortlessly between drama and humor. Adding to the fun is watching Spock bend a pointed ear to observe the weaknesses of the human condition, allowing us to see ourselves through the eyes of this curious alien.
There are many tense moments at the outset of the story, as the “lithium circuits” blow and eerie quiet and darkness envelop the ship. And then the ship is suddenly years away from home instead of mere months.
As the story enters its final act, there are some inconsistencies. Why does Ben Childress’ living quarters look so much different inside than out? A cylindrical metal pre-fab hut suddenly becomes something more in line with a cave. The furnishings aren’t fabricated but appear made of wood -- on a planet that is clearly devoid of trees. Wouldn’t Ben have goggles and a particle mask handy for his trips outdoors? How can Eve’s final transformation from drab to beautiful be explained? She took no drug, yet her eyelashes suddenly grow, her lips somehow are coated in sparkling lip gloss and her hair miraculously becomes styled.
Despite the nitpicking, “Mudd’s Women” is well deserving of its classic status. The crisp writing and the story’s profound message are bolstered by top-notch performances and stylish direction. Encouraged by director Harvey Hart, Jerry Finnerman’s lighting is filled with those picturesque half-tones he longed to create.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
These Are The Voyages, TOS, Season One Page 26
