Ridicule me all you like. It doesn't change the fact that I saw TUC in theaters twice in '91-'92, and the line was there both times. Yet, there is no evidence of it ever existing in published scripts of the film, or in any video release, all of which would have been overseen by Rick Berman in his position of Head of All Things Star Trek during that era.
You dreamed it. Can you imagine the expense and red tape required to recall all prints of the film to remove said line... not to mention getting Dr Pulaski to erase our memories? There were lines about being a captain towards the end, but they were about Sulu: The fifth draft, still with Saavik instead of Valeris, has this early scene: http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/Trek/Star_Trek_VI.htm
None of that would have been overseen by Rick Berman, or even involved with him at all in any way. Of course you don't have to take my word for it, you could actually investigate this for yourself. But then again this is an internet message board, don't let pesky little things like facts get in the way of your opinion!
In the film I saw, both times I saw it, this scene: 30 INT. BRIDGE, USS ENTERPRISE - NIGHT 30 Kirk sits comfortably with a smile on his face. KIRK (continuing) Lieutenant... Saavik faces him. KIRK (continuing) ... I don't care if I'm senile. If I sit in this chair and give the word you jump. Spock watches. LT. SAAVIK Aye, sir. KIRK Plot a course for Kronos, Lieutenant. LT. SAAVIK (startled) Kronos, sir? KIRK I'm still in the chair, Lieutenant. LT. SAAVIK Aye, sir. Other reactions. Kirk has taken command. --was replaced with Kirk giving his little smile and saying "I'm still the Captain." And I'm not the only one to remember it. I've spoken with others who remember the same sequence.
Don't be disingenuous, it's unbecoming. If you would care to read the last part of my post, I said the scene was replaced with a two-second shot of Kirk, saying "I'm still the Captain." That's all. Nothing else. No other part of the shot, or scene. And Indysolo, where this scene is in Therin's posted link, scene 30, is where I saw it. And I'm not the only one that did. I just seem to be the only one that remembers it anymore.
Why would such a meaningless line of dialogue be cut from the film? It doesn't save more than a few seconds of time. --Sran
There are examples of small meaningless cuts from films all the time. It's fun watching people shit themselves whenever someone suggests a scene of this nature that they didn't see themselves. It couldn't possibly have happened!
^I don't really care either way. I just think it's funny that the direction of the thread has completely changed because of it. --Sran
Eh, I'm pretty sure nobody is shitting themselves so far... Memories are a really tricky thing, especially 20-something year old ones, and these kinds of claims are actually ridiculously common. Of course it's possible that some random guy on the internet got to see this secret extra scene that mysteriously nobody else in the world remembers... but I wouldn't put money on it. The fact that FormerLurker refuses to even acknowledge the possibility of his memory being faulty makes the whole thing even more suspect.
My problem with his anecdote is that the scene he is so sure that he remembers seeing onscreen had already been altered in later versions of the script (ie. with Val'eris, as it was originally spelt).
I've seen vintage prints of this movie and there were no splices at this moment in either 35mm or 70mm prints, and I know that Paramount is not going to make new 70mm prints, suggesting the line was never there. Also, and I hate to pull out the big guns, I edited the expanded soundtrack album and had access to all sorts of paperwork and nothing indicated this line. On top of that, the music composed for the scene (which by your account would have been at the end of "Clear All Moorings") lines up perfectly with the scene as it is presented on home video. If something had been cut, this wouldn't be the case.