These Are The Voyages, TOS, Season One

by Cushman, Marc

  Release / Reactions

  Premiere air date: 10/11/66. NBC repeat broadcast: 5/4/67.

  When Stephen Kandel first saw “Mudd’s Women,” his immediate impression was, “I thought it was terrific. They really pulled it off. And I thought those special effects were excellent for their time. I was delighted.” (95-1)

  Jerry Stanley, NBC Manager of Film Programs, recalled, “One of the problems we had was in trying to talk [Roddenberry] out of some of his sexual fantasies that would come to life in the scripts. Some of the scenes he would describe were totally unacceptable.” (166)

  John D.F. Black said, “GR got away with murder with the network. The girls’ outfits -- my God, you couldn’t do that on television back then. But he took the network on, and he brought it to a standstill, and he won -- every time!” (17)

  Shatner said, “As for the drug angle, well, it’s possible the network executives weren’t aware of what was going on. That NBC allowed ‘Mudd’s Women’ to be produced at all is still a minor miracle.” (156-2)

  RATINGS / Nielsen 30-Market report for Thursday, October 13, 1966:

  From 8:30 to 9 p.m., Star Trek was No. 1. From 9:00 to 9:30, it tied for the top spot with The Victors, a 1963 war film on CBS starring George Hamilton and George Peppard. Bewitched, one of ABC’s biggest hits, came in third this night.

  The numbers were equally impressive when NBC repeated the episode.

  RATINGS / Nielsen 30-City report for Thursday, May 4, 1967:

  The same week TV Guide ran an article about how “dreamy” Mr. Spock was, Star Trek, with a repeat of “Mudd’s Women,” tied or beat its competition during the hour run. At 8:30, the lead that ABC’s red-hot Bewitched held over Star Trek was merely a single ratings’ point. At 9 p.m., with CBS offering the world premiere made-for-TV movie The Crucible, starring George C. Scott, Star Trek was the clear winner.

  Harry Mudd caught on fast, first with NBC’s Stan Robertson, then with the viewing audience. The lovable scoundrel would return.

  10

  Episode 4: THE ENEMY WITHIN

  Written by Richard Matheson

  (with Gene Roddenberry, uncredited)

  Directed by Leo Penn

  NBC press release, September 13, 1966:

  Publicity photo of the first attempted rape on NBC (Courtesy of Gerald Gurian)

  A malfunction in the Transporter Room of the USS Enterprise turns Captain Kirk (William Shatner) into a Jekyll-and-Hyde, in “The Enemy Within” on Star Trek NBC Television Network colorcast of Thursday, Oct. 6....While being “beamed” aboard his spacecraft from another planet in what is normally a routine operation, the commander is the victim of an electrical failure that literally transforms him into two “Captain Kirks.” The Enterprise is threatened with complete chaos when the two personalities, identical in appearance but opposites in behavior and intellect, vie in a nightmarish conflict for control of the ship.

  Lt. Sulu and a landing party, meanwhile, are stranded on a barren world where the nighttime temperatures drop so low as to make survival impossible. With the transporter out, the officers of the Enterprise are unable to depend on their captain and are running out of time to find a way to save the men left behind.

  The theme: Being a leader requires a melding of one’s bad as well as their good.

  SOUND BITES

  - Mr. Spock, to Kirk: “You can’t afford the luxury of being anything less than perfect. If you do, they lose faith, and you lose command.”

  - Spock: “Being split in two halves is no theory with me, doctor. I have a human half, you see, as well as an alien half, submerged, constantly at war with each other. Personal experience, Doctor, I survive it because my intelligence wins over both, makes them live together.”

  - Kirk’s evil duplicate, to Yeoman Rand: “You're too beautiful to ignore. Too much woman. We've both been pretending too long.”

  - Kirk: “I have to take him back into myself. I can’t survive without him. I don’t want to take him back. He’s like an animal... and yet it’s me!”

  - Dr. McCoy, to Kirk: “We all have our darker side, we need it... men, women, all of us need both halves... it’s half our humanity... it’s not really ugly, it’s human. God forbid I should have to agree with Spock, but he was right. Without the negative half you wouldn’t be the captain. The strength of command is mostly in him.... The mental discipline to keep it under control, that he gets from you.”

  - Kirk: “I've seen a part of myself no man should ever see.”

  ASSESSMENT

  Every ingredient for a good -- if not great -- hour of dramatic TV is here: conflict, a difficult life and death decision, self-revelation, a bold statement, and a ticking clock.

  A better opponent could not be found for Kirk than Kirk himself. Spock says it best: “It is apparent that, however different in temperament, this double has your knowledge of the ship, its crew, its devices.” Kirk is literally fighting himself and, therefore, the protagonist and the antagonist are one and the same.

  “The Enemy Within” is an important episode in the evolution of Star Trek and serves to further define the series’ two leads. We see the guts of Kirk on display, both his good and bad. The “Evil Kirk” lives within the captain of the Enterprise and is the monster of this story. As for Spock, he is given a chance to explain his mixed heritage and confess to the difficult challenges presented by his hybrid makeup.

  “Enemy” also introduces the Kirk-Spock-McCoy triangle, with Spock and McCoy playing a game of tug-o-war and the Captain serving as the rope. This episode helped to solidify the differences and establish the feud between Spock and McCoy. The first instance may be the most telling, when Spock says, “For once I agree with you, Doctor.”

  And it was this script that inadvertently resulted in the creation of the “Spock Neck Pinch,” as the writers and cast soon named it, although fans would identify it as the Vulcan Nerve Pinch.

  With these attributes, “The Enemy Within” is, nonetheless, flawed. There are a few production goofs that can be spotted without even trying, and one must wonder why they don’t use a shuttlecraft to rescue the crewmen stranded on the planet. Finally, it is here that we are treated to the first example in Star Trek of William Shatner going a bit over the top. This is not only a tale of two Kirks but a tale with two Shatners. An argument can be made for the exuberant performance regarding the “Evil Kirk.” An argument can also be made that director Leo Penn should have said, “Bring it down a notch, Bill.”

  For the attempted rape scene, however, Shatner is right on his mark, and so is Penn. The violent encounter is frighteningly real and extremely daring. It still raises an eyebrow today. In 1966, it was shocking.

  THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

  Script Timeline

  Richard Matheson’s story outline, ST #14: April 4, 1966.

  Matheson’s revised story outline, gratis: April 22, 1966.

  Matheson’s 1st Draft teleplay: April 25, 1966.

  Matheson’s gratis rewrite (Revised 1st Draft teleplay): May 19, 1966.

  Matheson’s 2nd Draft teleplay: May 31, 1966.

  John D.F. Black’s script polish (Mimeo Department “Yellow Cover 1st Draft”): June 6, 1966.

  Gene Roddenberry’s rewrite (Final Draft teleplay): June 8, 1966.

  Additional page revisions by Roddenberry: June 11 & 15, 1966.

  A script penned by Richard Matheson gave Roddenberry bragging rights among the science fiction community. Matheson had frequently written for The Twilight Zone, including “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” starring William Shatner. On the big screen, Matheson wrote The Incredible Shrinking Man -- based on his own book -- and The Last Man on Earth, a screen adaption of his sci-fi horror novel I Am Legend. He also adapted Jules Verne to the big screen, in the space opera Master of the World, as well as the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe for filmmaker Roger Corman, including House of Usher, Tales of Terror, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Raven.

  Of his playful body of work, and sp
ecifically concerning The Raven, Daily Variety wrote:

  The Richard Matheson screenplay is a skillful, imaginative narrative of what comes to pass when there comes a rapping at magician Vincent Price’s chamber-door by a raven -- who else but Peter Lorre, a fellow magician transformed by another sorcerer, Boris Karloff.

  By 1964, Matheson was scripting tongue-in-cheek horror films for American-International -- such as The Comedy of Terror, again teaming Price, Lorre and Karloff, and 1965’s Die! Die! My Darling! Right before this Star Trek assignment, he scripted “Time of Flight” for Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre. Daily Variety called it “a scary combo of private-eye-tough-guy and sci-fi, well-written by Richard Matheson.”

  In years to come, Matheson would write the screenplays for The Night Stalker, Somewhere in Time -- and Steven Spielberg’s cult TV hit, Duel.

  Matheson’s introduction to Star Trek came with an invitation from Roddenberry and Desilu to attend one of the studio screenings of “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” He dropped in for the second of these on March 8. In the room with him were future Star Trek writers George Clayton Johnson (“The Man Trap”), Paul Schneider (“Balance of Terror” and “The Squire of Gothos”), Oliver Crawford (“The Galileo Seven” and “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”), John Kneubuhl (“Bread and Circuses”), and Meyer Dolinsky (“Plato’s Stepchildren”).

  Matheson returned to see the pilot a second time on March 16 (with a handful of other writers who would unsuccessfully try to get their material produced). He said, “I think Gene’s idea was to get all the science fiction writers in the TV and film business to write for the show. But I’m not so sure that worked out the way he had hoped.” (116a)

  As for the inspiration behind the story, Matheson said, “I had just looked at Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and immediately saw the potential of using that transporter device for separating the two sides of a person’s character. Having an accident with that offered a good way to study the alternative personality. And it was part of my original concept that he [Kirk] needed that negative element in his personality in order to be a good captain. I think, probably, we’re all mixtures of good and bad. If any one of us was all good, we’d be boring. And leaders have to have that drive and that ambition.” (116a)

  Despite Matheson’s impressive credentials, the creative team at Star Trek had mixed feelings about his April 4, 1966 story outline. In an interoffice memorandum to John D.F. Black and Robert Justman, Roddenberry immediately pointed out the upside, telling his associate producers, “I think this could be a tour-de-force for Bill.” There was no question Shatner would love it, but Roddenberry worried, “Wonder if the NBC censors will allow an attempted rape scene?” (GR4-1)

  The scene was rendered all the more brutal by Matheson’s description of Kirk’s alter ego. As the “Evil Kirk” wanders the ship, he doesn’t just swill Saurian brandy, he gets downright drunk. He is more barbaric, more reckless, and far less cunning than what was ultimately depicted on screen.

  It was important to Matheson that the attempted rape be included. It wasn’t part of his story outline merely for exploitation purposes, but to enable Kirk’s bad side to take the place of the obligatory science fiction monster. He said, “What else could we show about this side of the Captain that would be more frightening?” (116a)

  Attacking and beating a human being, which Kirk’s bad side certainly does, was not enough. A grizzly bear will do that out of instinct. But molestation goes beyond mere survival. It is calculated, even perversely hedonistic. It is the dark side of humanity.

  Absent in this first version is the subplot -- that ticking clock -- where the “landing party” is stranded on the planet, sure to perish if Kirk can’t pull himself together in time. Sensing something vital was missing but not sure what, Roddenberry shared with his staff:

  Generally, I feel we have a good story here, but I think it may get dull if we let Kirk sit around probing his soul and consulting the doctor about the meaning of all this. (GR4-1)

  Robert Justman did not want the outline sent to NBC. He argued:

  This story idea certainly seems to have value to me, but I think in its present form it is rather messy and over-convoluted.... I think we need a revised outline from Mr. Matheson. (RJ4-1)

  Mr. Matheson was agreeable and revised his outline at no charge, turning in version #2 on April 22. The Yeoman being attacked by Kirk was now identified as Rand. Little else had changed. Later that day, Justman wrote to Black, “How do you feel about this story now? I must confess that I am not enthused.” (RJ4-2)

  John D.F., however, was. Realizing he was in the minority, his memo to Roddenberry said:

  Without meaning to sound facetious, I still like the story; have nothing but confidence in Matheson’s being able to handle it. (JDFB4-1)

  The encouraging word was a moot point. Roddenberry, desperate for scripts and not wanting to alienate someone of Richard Matheson’s status, had already given the go-ahead for him to write his teleplay -- even before hearing from NBC regarding the concept.

  Matheson’s first draft script hit Roddenberry’s desk on April 25. New to the story now, at Roddenberry’s insistence, was the subplot dealing with the men left behind on the planet. The leader of those men was not Sulu but a crewman named North.

  “I was a little disappointed that Roddenberry built in a necessity to have a ‘B-story’ about the members of his crew stuck on the planet,” Matheson admitted. “I can see why he did it, because ‘B-stories’ seemed to be a very regular occurrence in television in those days, and maybe still are. But I wanted to concentrate on Bill Shatner’s performance, because he was so good. I had more for him to do in that way. I used to go out of my way to watch Bill Shatner on TV. He was in two of The Twilight Zone episodes I wrote and he was wonderful in both of them -- a very dynamic actor. I didn’t write the script the way I did to challenge him. I wrote it to make it as good as I could. But I was confident Bill could do it.” (116a)

  Matheson reluctantly added in the B-story, taking care not to let it dominate the tale -- one he believed had enough drama in it already. With all of Kirk’s inner angst, creating an outside problem for him to deal with felt artificial to Matheson. Roddenberry disagreed, believing that the men stranded on the planet not only put pressure on Kirk and created an urgency for him to resolve his problems, but tested the Captain, better illustrating the point Matheson wanted to make about the human quality required to make a command decision.

  Robert Justman wrote to his colleagues:

  This scene in Janice’s Quarters with Kirk’s Double [is] going to be a very tough scene to handle censorship-wise…. Also know you this, that every time we have to show the animal knocked out, it’s going to cost us a hundred dollars for a veterinarian and an injection. This, in addition to the cost of rental of the animals and trainer’s fees…. [A]fter leaving the dispensary, the Double goes to Kirk’s cabin and puts more medicated cream over the scratches. Why does he do this? At this time, both Kirk and his double have scratches on their faces. Incidentally, please order me a jar of this cream. (RJ4-2)

  Bill Theiss, looking for costuming ideas, was first to respond to the script, but his memo had nothing to do with wardrobe. Theiss, having worked on the sci-fi sitcom My Favorite Martian, warned Roddenberry:

  At John D.F. Black’s suggestion I am apprising you of the fact that My Favorite Martian did a show in which Ray Walston split into three -- negative, positive, and undecided; and another show in which he split into two -- much more to the point of this script, in which the wild half went ‘tom-catting’ off with [actress] Joyce Jameson and the sober side kept trying to get back together. (BT4)

  Roddenberry didn’t care about concepts made silly by My Favorite Martian and turned his attention to writing a long letter to Richard Matheson, outlining numerous deep changes he wanted to see in the script. Near the top of the list was the depiction of Dr. McCoy. Matheson had been writing the role for Dr. Piper, the character played by Paul Fix in the second pilot f
ilm, the only example of Star Trek to be seen. Roddenberry wrote:

  You should have now a copy of the mimeo Writers Information on the ship’s doctor. You will find a cynical “H.L. Mencken” quality which will be most helpful in your script which does use the Doctor considerably. (GR4-2)

  Roddenberry also didn’t like how Matheson played Kirk’s double as being so primal that he was incapable of being deceitful. He wrote:

  Suggest some caution in portraying him too animalistic. Let’s keep in mind that even this negative side of Kirk would have our Captain’s intelligence and thus even the most evil things would be done with considerable cleverness. This should help the general blocking of the story too, since the more shrewd and cunning this double, the more of a threat he poses. If he just went drunkenly bumbling around, we’d begin to wonder after a while why our well-trained crew hasn’t been able to apprehend him more easily.... The more I review this aspect, the surer it seems that the double should not be drunk. Let him drink, but does he have to be out and out drunk to be evil? (GR4-2)

  An important addition to the story was made at this time, with the idea coming from Roddenberry. He told Matheson:

  Suggest early in the script, certainly early in Act II, we should begin to suggest that the real Kirk has been changed by all this too. Deprived of the negative side... he must begin to lose some of the strength that positive-negative gives a man. Decisiveness would be one of the first things he’d have trouble with. And he would probably have some difficulty making decisions that endangered others, i.e., the men left down on the planet surface. If his alter-ego is bad and disdainful of the life and safety of others, the real Kirk would possibly be over-conscious of the safety and comfort of others. Important, however, his intelligence would tell him something is wrong and he would struggle against all of this.... In other words, this allows us to display the problems the real Kirk is fighting, but keeping him something of a hero figure even in this strange state since he will be making a valiant fight to stay in command of himself. (GR4-2)