The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek, Volume 1

by Edward Gross

  JAMES GOLDSTONE

  I was very happy with it. From a director’s point of view—or this director’s point of view—you have certain targets and certain problems which have to be overcome in any picture, whether it’s a twenty-million-dollar feature or a television show. A director measures his success in two ways. Obviously, like everybody else, you measure it by whether or not it’s a critical and commercial success, but you also measure it in terms of overcoming obstacles. The obstacles were temporal, budgetary, but they were also conceptual. I was very proud of the work we were able to do. When I say “we,” I don’t mean it in a generous sense. I mean that it was a very collaborative effort, as are all pilots. We, being Gene, especially; Bobby Justman, and the main actors who later became the main stars. Everything was planned in detail, and Bobby and I knew if we didn’t move from one set to another or one scene to another by a certain hour, we were in trouble.

  ROBERT H. JUSTMAN

  We had a method in our madness. I always knew what setups Jimmy had planned to cover the work we had to do that day, and he’d give me the list of setups and I’d arranged them so that no time would be lost. So if we’d point the camera in one direction and lit in that direction for the most part, we would shoot everything that needed to be shot that day in that direction before we turned around and shot the opposite angle.

  On day one of principal photography, Gene Roddenberry received a telegram from Robert Butler, director of the original pilot. “Good luck today. Once again I hope all goes well and it sells.” Oscar Katz and Herb Solow were more to the point in their telegram that arrived at Stage 15 of the Desilu Studios in Culver City that day: “Do us a favor and make it good this time.”

  GEORGE TAKEI

  That first day of production, and that was at the Desilu Culver studios, not the Desilu Studios in Hollywood, has the same kind of memory of the first day of the first film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Shooting the pilot was exciting, participatory, and a little scary, because so much hope was vested in it.

  And as an actor, you have the responsibility for creating this new world, and make it seem as though it’s a normal part of that character’s existence. It was really quite different from, say, getting cast in a detective show where all of the settings are familiar and understood and you’re able to move right into the character. In this case, it’s an entire environment that you have to create, so it was both exciting and a little scary.

  I knew when I got cast as Sulu that it was a breakthrough opportunity for me. I never thought he would become a role model, but it was a pioneering effort in that until then any regular series roles for an Asian or an Asian-American character were either servants, buffoons, or villains, so it was a breakthrough.

  GARY LOCKWOOD

  I guess “Where No Man Has Gone Before” is effective because it sold the series. You’ve got to keep in mind that the Star Trek pilot was made in those days on a very tight budget. I think there was a big fight between the network and Roddenberry over making the second pilot, so there was a lot of pressure on him. They came up with this idea of two characters getting ESP, which I liked. I think they made up for not having an opportunity do a lot of effects by just creating a couple of interesting characters, and that helped sell the show. It was a good creative decision on the part of Roddenberry.

  GENE RODDENBERRY

  When you get into SF, you’re lucky if 75 percent of your pilot is believable, because you’re creating, in space science fiction, everything new. It was very helpful to be able to do one pilot, take a look at it, and then do a second. The second pilot was really better in many ways because we had a chance to look at the costume work, how the gadgets worked, and all that. And the second pilot seemed to have great concepts; humans turning into gods. But they were nice, safe gods, gods who go, “Zap! You’re punished!” Kind of like the guys you see on those Sunday morning shows. The biggest factor in selling the second pilot was that it ended up in a hell of a fistfight with the villain suffering a painful death. Then, once we got Star Trek on the air, we began infiltrating a few of our ideas, the ideas the fans have all celebrated.

  LUKAS KENDALL (editor, Film Score Monthly)

  Gene Roddenberry told his composers not to give him “beeps and boops” space music à la Forbidden Planet. He wanted the scoring to emphasize the timeless human drama, not the strange future environment. This was a conceptual leap in sci-fi music—to let the setting take care of itself and score the storytelling. His producers, particularly Bob Justman, did a great job picking the right composers, who were genuinely inspired by what they saw. A lot of 1960s television music is drab and repetitive even some by the same composers—but Star Trek’s music stands out for its quality.

  ALEXANDER COURAGE (composer, Star Trek)

  Wilbur Hatch was doing music for the original Lucy radio show which was called My Favorite Husband. When that became I Love Lucy, he continued to do it. When Lucille Ball bought Desilu, he came in as head of music. So when Star Trek came on the scene, Wilbur suggested me to Roddenberry and I turned out a theme. Roddenberry liked it and that was it. He said, “I don’t want any space music. I want adventure music.”

  LUKAS KENDALL

  The Star Trek theme is in two parts. The opening “space, the final frontier” fanfare sums up the entire franchise in just eight notes—the questing nobility of the Star Trek mission. It is recognized worldwide, an extraordinary achievement. Only a handful of TV themes reach that level of awareness—maybe Twilight Zone, Mission: Impossible, The Simpsons. The second part, the wordless female vocal over the jazzy groove, is kind of like what the title Peanuts is for Charlie Brown. Today, everybody knows what Peanuts is, but it has nothing to do with the strip. (It was foisted upon Charles Schulz, who hated it, by the syndicator.) That to me is the second half of the Star Trek theme: it’s kind of lame and doesn’t work, yet it’s forever Star Trek.

  On March 6, 1966, Gene Roddenberry dispatched a Western Union telegram to star Bill Shatner at the Hotel Richmond in Madrid, Spain. It read simply “Dear Bill. Good news. Official pickup today. Our Five Year Mission. Best Regards, Gene Roddenberry.”

  THESE WERE THE VOYAGES

  “SOMETIMES PAIN CAN DRIVE A MAN HARDER THAN PLEASURE.”

  In reflection, 1966 was a time of unprecedented pop-culture phenomena dominating the media, planting seeds that would still be flourishing many decades later. There was The Beatles, winding down their time as the Fab Four and preparing to become something more … substantial. James Bond had single-handedly launched the spy craze that dominated that decade (and continues to this one). The ABC gothic soap opera Dark Shadows had launched and was about to revolutionize the genre with the introduction of vampire Barnabas Collins. In prime time, Adam West and Burt Ward became the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin. And on September 8, 1966, Star Trek made its debut “in living color” on NBC.

  At the time, it was a show that, even as it coalesced in terms of its cast and on a creative level, spent its lifetime struggling. Struggling to meet its budget, struggling for production time, struggling to create visual effects unlike anything that had been attempted in the medium before, struggling in a never-ending battle between Gene Roddenberry and the network, both of which were united in their goal to create a first-rate series, but divided in their views on how that could be achieved. And most of all, it struggled to find an audience.

  But all of that paled in comparison to the primary struggle: to provide the high-quality scripts that held the key to Star Trek’s potential by offering up episodes that differed from anything that television had ever presented. It was a challenge that plagued the show right through the end of its network run.

  OSCAR KATZ (vice-president of programs, Desilu)

  The secret of its success was its attention to detail. Up until that point, science fiction on television was all Irwin Allen–type shows, whereas Gene’s concept was science fiction in the true sense of those words. It was like what things might be about in the future, not
only in the size of the concept and the ship and the problems they face, but in the smallest details. And Gene was a stickler for details.

  One of the earliest decisions Roddenberry made to avoid the show seeming dated was the cut of the men’s sideburns, which were to be shaved in a point, including extras, rather than reflect the fashions of the mid sixties. It was a source of consternation to many of the series leads, who tried to avoid having their sideburns groomed for the twenty-third century. On June 10, 1966, Roddenberry shot out a memo to Shatner. “Dear Bill. You’re cheating. See Freddie.” Of course, Freddie was Freddie Phillips, the head of makeup and hair who was waiting in the makeup trailer with razor in hand to shear the squared sideburns on Shatner. As Roddenberry asserted in a memo of May 20, 1966, “This is mandatory for all actors appearing in our show.”

  Roddenberry’s attention to detail extended to each and every square foot of the starship Enterprise. He wrote in a May 24, 1966, memo to Walter “Matt” Jeffries, “Much pleased with our Enterprise sets, Matt. However we will shortly be getting two scripts which call for other Enterprise sets. Referring now specifically to the need for ‘Engineering Deck’ or ‘Engine Room,’ we should definitely think in terms of creating an illusion of a room of considerable size. We’ve got a huge ship and I definitely feel the audience will ultimately be disappointed if they are not taken occasionally into a set or sets with some feeling of vastness. Perhaps some of this can be done in cohort with Anderson Company, letting them create the extra space with some form of optical matte.“

  In another memo, Roddenberry told Jeffries, “I’m sure you’ve already thought of this, but I think we should be medically accurate on which instruments we decide to show on the bed, and then very carefully label each of them so the audience can easily read it and know exactly what these gizmos are doing.”

  Roddenberry even weighed in on the appearance of Kirk’s quarters. “Suggest interesting set dressing in captain’s quarters, possibly in some other places too. Might be barbaric odd-shaped shields, lances, maces, etc. collected on various planet expeditions, used as colorful wall dressing. Also would it be possible to make use of what appear to be animal pelts taken from strange creatures?”

  GENE RODDENBERRY (creator, executive producer, Star Trek)

  I didn’t want only science-fiction writers, because many of the science-fiction writers available to me then talked about objects, about science, rather than about people. Over half the writers we used are just good, regular writers, because I wanted my show to be about people, not objects, and if you think back, the things you remember are the characters.

  JOHN D. F. BLACK (executive story editor, associate producer, Star Trek)

  I joined the show about two months before we shot anything. Harlan Ellison and I had [each] won an award at a Writers Guild ceremony and we were cheering each other and racing toward each other to exchange congratulations. As I neared Harlan, Gene Roddenberry—who neither one of us knew from a bar of soap—was standing there. Harlan and I had both talked to him once, separately, in regards to his upcoming show Star Trek. Gene said, “We’re having a party at my house for the winners, so come on over.”

  So we went to Roddenberry’s house for a rather laid-back, dull party, but there were many people there and a lot of Scotch. At the party, I found out, because my agent just happened to be there, that I had an assignment on Star Trek. GR took me into the den and asked me if I would like to come onto the show as executive story consultant and associate producer. It was the first offer of its kind that I had ever gotten, so I said, “What have you got?” And he said, “I’ve got six assignments out, and your job would be to work with the writers and learn whatever production you want to learn.” I went away, discussed it with my agent, and took the gig.

  I can’t remember specifically which writers were on line, but I went in with an ultimate respect for writers. I insisted, as any credible writer would, that I get the opportunity to give shots to young writers who had a great story. Here I was talking with Theodore Sturgeon, Ray Bradbury, and those kinds of heavyweights. And it was an awesome thing to confront. I was not talking to anybody like Edgar Allen Poe, but at that moment in time, I was already aware that Theodore Sturgeon was the most anthologized writer in the history of the English language, which is pretty spooky. And now I’m “Johnny the Black Space Bear” in Theodore Sturgeon’s books. I was also in one of Harlan Ellison’s books as John D. F. Black. So that was my introduction to Star Trek.

  JOSEPH SARGENT (director, “The Corbomite Maneuver”)

  My episode was the first one they shot, and during it Leonard Nimoy was unhappy because his character was without emotion. He said, “How can I play a character without emotion? I don’t know how to do that. I’m going to be on one note throughout the entire series.” I agreed with him and we worked like hell to give him some emotional context, but Gene said, “No way, the very nature of this character’s contribution is that he isn’t an earthling. As a Vulcan, he is intellect over emotion.” Leonard was ready to quit because he didn’t know how he was going to do it.

  LEONARD NIMOY (actor, “Mr. Spock”)

  Spock is not a character without emotions; Spock is a Vulcan who has learned to control his emotions, and in his particular case it’s even more difficult because he is half human and he has that side to control as well. Believe me, twelve hours a day, five days a week of controlling your emotions can have some strange effects on you. I remember one time in a meeting room having a conference with a couple of writers and suddenly finding myself crying for no reason at all. The emotions just had to come out somewhere, sometime. So I welcomed opportunities to do scenes or episodes where Spock had some kind of emotional release.

  Although it has been suggested elsewhere that NBC was reluctant to embrace the multicultural aspect of the Enterprise crew, that could hardly be farther from the truth. In fact, NBC encouraged the casting of non-Caucasian actors. In a letter to Gene Roddenberry sent by network VP Mort Werner on August 17, 1966, Werner points out NBC’s interest in championing diversity and presenting “a reasonable reflection of contemporary society,” noting that “NBC’s pursuit of this policy is preeminent in the broadcasting industry,” citing such shows as I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Run for Your Life as being indicative of their progressive casting. “While we have made noticeable progress we can do better, and I ask for your cooperation and help.”

  NICHELLE NICHOLS (actress, “Nyota Uhura”)

  I tried to put into Uhura the qualities that I admire and demand of myself. Discipline, a forward attitude toward life, and high demands. She’s head of all communications on that ship, so she’s not just sitting there pushing buttons. For her or anyone to be entrusted with that kind of responsibility I felt she had to have a strength and dignity and a command of authority very much like Spock has.

  JOHN D. F. BLACK

  In some ways, Uhura was a difficult character to deal with. Nichelle was breathtakingly gorgeous, a skilled actress, and limited to “I’m hailing them, Captain.” We could open it up a little, but not much. George Takei, when he came in and became the helmsman, had that marvelous stentorious deep voice that very few people are even aware that he has, although they heard it over and over again. That voice really gave strength to that chair, so that when the captain said whatever to George, and he said, “Aye, Captain,” the audience knew he was going to do his best and that it was going to be enough. Scotty … if he got an awful lot of repetition because the engines had to go out a number of times, Jimmy Doohan never lost that characterization that he walked in with on the first day. The dialect stayed in place, as did the amount of smile he permitted. He was a very gifted actor.

  GRACE LEE WHITNEY (actress, “Yeoman Janice Rand”)

  Rand had a lot of strength and a lot of guts. I think her character could have been further developed. Rand was on the same card of credits as McCoy in the beginning. She was to be the major female character. All the early publicity shots were with Bill,
Leonard, and me in the middle. The thing about this business is that you have to survive no matter what they do to you. Taking her out of the show has made Rand somewhat of an underdog and the fans have always rallied behind her all this time. I feel cheated.

  I was supposed to do thirteen episodes of Star Trek. I was not in all thirteen, but I was contracted to do thirteen. I did seven where I had a major part and then there were two or three where I did walk-ons to fulfill the contract. I actually did nine out of thirteen. They did use me in some of those, though. I remember one time in the episode “Conscience of the King,” I just walked across and handed Bill Shatner a clipboard and winked and walked away. But there was no dialogue. I knew at that time that I had been let go. I was let go because of several reasons. The main reason was that they told me they wanted Captain Kirk to have more female friends. They felt Rand and Kirk were getting too close and they didn’t want that. They were going to write Scotty out, too, but decided to keep him. They even had a clause in Leonard’s contract that said if his ears didn’t go over they could get rid of him.

  GENE RODDENBERRY

  The mistake I made with Rand, and I’ve regretted it many times, was the network said to me, “We’ve been meeting on this and we think what you should do is get a different, exciting young lady every week, rather than the same one.” And I had said no so many times to the network that I thought I maybe should give them a yes this time. But looking back now, I would’ve kept Rand on the show and I’m sorry I didn’t. I know what a disappointment it was to Grace Lee Whitney as it was to Majel to be the number two in line and then be gone. But producing is not a science and sometimes we make mistakes.

  JOHN D. F. BLACK