Hall of Ancient Thought set from Star Trek III

[Maab]

Hi everybody,
I was going through the Star Trek III making of book by the Tenutos couple. I was really hoping to find some pictures of the famous deleted Hall of Ancient Thought set (you can read more about it on Memory Alpha: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Hall_of_Ancient_Thought), but there are none.
We know it was built, but it wasn't very satisfying, but it surely must have been impressive.
So, is it possible that no pictures of it exists? We have pictures basically of all the sets and locations of the movie, but only few drawings of this one.
Strange, isn't it?

 

[fireproof78]

So, is it possible that no pictures of it exists? We have pictures basically of all the sets and locations of the movie, but only few drawings of this one.
Strange, isn't it?

It would depend. If the concept was rejected it would be torn down without thought or documentation.

 

[Firebird]

We know it was built, but it wasn't very satisfying, but it surely must have been impressive.

If it wasn't satisfying, then it wouldn't have been impressive.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I didn't miss it. I wasn't thinking, Gee, there's something missing from this part of the movie. If anything, I was on pins and needles to see how Spock was going to make it back. The final act did not need to get bogged down. Something visually interesting might have been, well, interesting, but it wouldn't have materially improved the film.

 

[Maurice]

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The pictures are great, thank you!

But that text is crazy in multiple places, for varying reasons.

 

[Maurice]

The pictures are great, thank you!

But that text is crazy in multiple places, for varying reasons.

Yeah, it's pretty stupid.

 

[drt]

Man, it used to drive my teenaged self crazy back in the 80s that the ST3 credits listed "Vulcan child" - i was like, what Vulcan child?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Man, it used to drive my teenaged self crazy back in the 80s that the ST3 credits listed "Vulcan child" - i was like, what Vulcan child?

Memory Alpha has an article on the actress, with another photo (clickable, to embiggen).

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Katherine_Blum

 

[Maab]

Hi @Maurice. I do have a copy of this magazine and I've seen these pictures (for years, the only ones available of the deleted Vulcan child). However this is just the beginning of the procession and it's not the Hall of Ancient Thought. The Hall was at the top of the stairs, it's the building with a truncated cone shape. Furthermore, while during the climbing of the stairs, Spock's body was transported by his crewmates, in the Hall it was transported by the priestess' (or whatever they are), which we see when they get to the altar. All we have are these drawings.

https://fantascienza.tv/Slide23.JPG

https://fantascienza.tv/Slide24.JPG

https://fantascienza.tv/Slide25.JPG

https://fantascienza.tv/Slide26.JPG



https://fantascienza.tv/Slide27.JPG

The Hall of Ancient Thought

https://fantascienza.tv/Slide22.JPG

 

[Grant]

One reason they may have cut it is that the Vulcan girls are "levitating" Spock by holding their hands above his body. You can barely see this in the final cut when they emerge from the hall onto the outside altar.
I think they felt that to introduce this ability out of the blue may have been met with annoyance from fans.
The script clearly states they are doing this "magic".




278 INT. VULCAN TEMPLE - SERIES OF SHOTS 278



The Hall of Ancient Thought, lined with massive heads

of stone. DOLLY with the procession as an amazing

thing takes place:



As Spock's body moves, now seen -- now blocked by

passing forms, we realize the bearers' hands are

no longer under the body, but are ON TOP OF IT.



The magic of this moment is not lost on Kirk, Bones and

the others as we --

I do wish they had kept in the little girl though.

 

[Maurice]

I think they cut it because it required a lot of effects to pull off those storyboards, and they realized they just needed to get on with it and get to the ending because it was all denouement that risked overstaying its welcome.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

One reason they may have cut it is that the Vulcan girls are "levitating" Spock by holding their hands above his body. You can barely see this in the final cut when they emerge from the hall onto the outside altar.

Their hands on top of the body was always something I noticed since first viewing.

 

[Set Harth]

If Vulcans are actually Jedi, that's gonna have ramifications.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The Vulcans' copper-based blood might be conducive to high midichlorian counts.

The novels of both Diane Duane and JM Dillard posit that some Vulcans have very strong psionic abilities. Levitation may not be out of the realm of possibility.

 

[fireproof78]

The Vulcans' copper-based blood might be conducive to high midichlorian counts.

The novels of both Diane Duane and JM Dillard posit that some Vulcans have very strong psionic abilities. Levitation may not be out of the realm of possibility.

I'm wanting more psionic based weapons.

 

[Maurice]

I'm wanting more psionic based weapons.

Well, the mid-70s went-nowhere Jon Povill treatment for a Star Trek movie woulda been right up your alley, then, as it involved an ancient Vulcan psychic cloud weapon.

 

[FredH]

One reason they may have cut it is that the Vulcan girls are "levitating" Spock by holding their hands above his body. You can barely see this in the final cut when they emerge from the hall onto the outside altar.
I think they felt that to introduce this ability out of the blue may have been met with annoyance from fans.
The script clearly states they are doing this "magic".




278 INT. VULCAN TEMPLE - SERIES OF SHOTS 278



The Hall of Ancient Thought, lined with massive heads

of stone. DOLLY with the procession as an amazing

thing takes place:



As Spock's body moves, now seen -- now blocked by

passing forms, we realize the bearers' hands are

no longer under the body, but are ON TOP OF IT.



The magic of this moment is not lost on Kirk, Bones and

the others as we --

I do wish they had kept in the little girl though.

Pretty sure “the magic of this moment” is the awesomeness of it, not actual “Vulcan magic”. They could just be making ritualized gestures while the coffin’s antigravs operate.

 

[Grant]

"Use the force...." -- Sarek

 

[The Salt Umpire]

Guess their lightsaber colour will be green.