Interesting trims from Star Trek scripts

^^ Hmm...maybe the producers of "Aliens" had a copy of these outlines?

Bob

 

foxhot, for you, my next write-up will be on the outline for By Any Other Name. Stay tuned...

Sir Rhosis

 

Yes its alien bamboo anyway - not Earth bamboo. It doesn't necessarily have the same properties as I think Earth bamboo requires lot of water.
Anyway the rules of the challenge were that Kirk and the Gorn would have the opportunity to win using their strength and resourcefulness. The Metrons placed the stuff there so Kirk would have a chance against the Gorn's strength. They're not going to put dud bamboo that would blow apart.

The biggest flaw in the Mythbusters test however was they put Kirk in a redshirt.

 

^Well, of course -- the conclusion was that he would be killed. So of course they dressed him in red!

 

Great thread and very interesting. I love hearing (or in this case reading) about little bits of the story that didn't make it into the final, filmed version. Since seeing the clip of Kirk's nephew in the command chair with a command tunic on; I have searched for such information. The only thing that I can offer off of the top of my head are the description in "The Galileo Seven" that talks about the shuttlecraft landing in the bottom of a crater on a spongy surface which neither made it into the script. It explains how they could have survived the impact of the crash (with no apparent structural damage to the Galileo) due to the soft spongy surface and also you can imagine the natives around the rim of the crater heaving spears down on our crew.

I look forward to further installments and for updates on the Orion Press website.

 

Yup.

 

+1

 

I have a favorite little scene that was edited out of "Return to Tomorrow." I don't know if it was ever actually shot. (The Alchemist is never around when you need him.)

Folks may remember that after Sargon and Thalassa (while inhabiting Kirk and Dr. Anne Mulhall) share a last kiss, Nurse Chapel proclaims "It was beautiful," and the episode concludes. But as scripted, the interchange went on a little longer. Here's how the script wraps up:

SCENE 118 WIDER ANGLE

Kirk and Anne disengage, a bit embarrassed despite
themselves.

KIRK
We'll, ah... I'm sure, Doctor
Mulhall, that Sargon appreciated
your, ah... cooperation.

ANNE
Yes, I was, ah... happy to
cooperate, Captain.

CHRISTINE
It was beautiful.
(to Spock)
I felt the same when I shared
my consciousness with you.

Spock reacts; McCoy turns toward him:

McCOY
That sounds almost immoral,
Mister Spock.

SPOCK
I assure you, it was a most
distressing experience.
(to McCoy)
Doctor, you could not believe the
torrents of emotion I encountered...
the... jungle of illogic...
(Spock almost shudders)
It was like being in the mind of
an alien.

CHRISTINE
(smiles)
Why, thank you, Mister Spock.

SPOCK
(puzzled)
I don't understand. Thank me?

KIRK
You just paid her a high
compliment, Spock.

McCOY
Yes, you do turn a nice phrase
now and then, Spock.
(to Christine)
Thank the stars women are
that different from us.

ANNE
(to Christine)
Come along, fellow alien. If
he doesn't understand, I doubt
if we could explain.

SCENE 119 ANOTHER ANGLE

Kirk moving to his command chair. Spock is still stand-
ing there puzzled.

SPOCK
Captain... I really don't
understand.

KIRK
Sargon did, Spock. 'Together
... forever'. I hope some day
with someone you'll be able to
know what that means.

SPOCK
(considers it)
Sargon was enormously advanced,
Captain. I will consider this.

Spock moves off to his station. Kirk and McCoy ex-
change looks; then Kirk turns toward the helm.

KIRK
Take us out of orbit, Mister
Sulu.

SULU
Leaving orbit, Captain.

As they look up toward the Main Viewing Screen:

CUT TO:

SCENE 120 - INSERT MAIN VIEWING SCREEN

Leaving the planet, heading into star-studded space.

FADE OUT.

THE END

 

^Oh, I'm glad that scene was cut. More of the same sexist condescension we got in "The Changeling" -- "Ooh, wimmens is these strange hyperemotional creatures that we rational men can't understand!" Ugh.

 

The Revised Final Draft script of "Dagger of the Mind" (August 5, 1966) offers a bit of extra dialog that helps flesh out Dr. Adams' motivation a bit.

From Act Four, Scene 177--Kirk is in the Tantalus device chair for another treatment:

ADAMS
I give you credit. Van Gelder was
on his knees sobbing by
now.
(nods)
It's good I've had a pair like you.
I've learned a great deal.

KIRK
(with difficulty)
For... what purpose, Doctor? I
cannot understand a man of your...
of your...

ADAMS
Of my reputation? Unfortunately,
I have little else... except...
now, with this device... power.
Power over minds... and thus
over everything that counts.
The final great criterion.
Intriguing. And since I have
it, I've decided to use it for
myself... after all these years
of doing things for others.
(beat... a smile)
Say I want a very comfortable
old age... on my terms... and
I am a most selective man.

KIRK
Unnecessary. Just... trust...

ADAMS
TRUST mankind to offer me my
just rewards?
(smiles)
You're an optimist, Captain.
In this work I've learned too
much about men's minds.
(interrupted by
Lethe hurrying
into scene)

LETHE
The woman doctor... she is gone,
Doctor Adams...

At this, Adams throw a look at Kirk, reaches for the
panel, turns up the volume, the device HUMMING STRONGLY.

So, it appears Dr. Adams is an embittered, disgruntled employee, tired of constantly taking care of others. Dr. Adams simply went "postal."

 

The Final Draft script for "And the Children Shall Lead" dated June 21, 1968 sheds a little bit of light on this issue of how Kirk learns the name "Gorgan."

In Scene 215 after Mister Spock plays back the tape of the children's chant from earlier, Kirk moves from his position where he was standing near Spock's station and goes over in front of the turbo lift where Melvin Belli is slowly beginning to appear:

KIRK
The time has come to gather and
see the world as it is.

The shimmering figure of Gorgan begins to appear
before the boys who do not form a circle, only watch,
uncertain, confused.

KIRK
(continuing)
Come -- join us. You must
have a name.

TOMMY
(defiantly)
He is Gorgan. He is our friend --
and he is powerful.

Now Gorgan reaches full flower.

GORGAN
(confused)
Who has summoned me?

KIRK
I did, Gorgan. My beast is gone.
It lost its power in the light of
reality. I command again. And I
ordered you to appear.

It's hard to tell if the dialog was shot but not used or if it was simply never shot at all. My hunch, from looking at how the scene is edited, is that the little bit of dialog was indeed shot but not ultimately used.

It's a little plot hole, I guess, and it's hard to say why the two seconds of dialog wasn't used. I guess it slowed down the exquisite storytelling that was going on and I guess the writer and/or director and/or editor just figured that the audience would simply conclude that one of the kids told Kirk the name of this alien being offscreen at some point.

As I've said before: this line doesn't really salvage the episode. But it's interesting that it's not a plot hole that someone forgot to fill; rather, it's a plot hole someone intentionally chose to create for some unknown reason.

 

I think that was a good trim. Season 2 tried too hard to be "funny" at the end of some of the episodes. I like some humor, but they went a bit too far sometimes, and season 3 had almost none, which was too far in the other direction.

 

YES, MY SON, MUCH OF THAT SCENE PERISHED TO THE OBLIVION OF THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR.

 

Thank you for that!

Awesome info. I always wondered what could have been his motivation. That added some insight.

 

Very interesting thread.

I have one question: where to find TOS scripts? I bought a few on ebay, with the idea of finding them all, but at 30/40 dollars each (including shipping) they'd cost me a fortune (and I believe not all episodes are available).

I also found few of them to download but only 3 or 4 episodes (with TNG and DS9 it's different since all the scripts have been released on CD-ROM so they are all easily accessible).

Any suggestion?

Best,
Maab

 

Re: Interesting trims from Star Trek scriptse

There's also an interesting little oddity from the script for
"Amok Time." The Final Draft (July 5, 1967) has this brief exchange when they are introduced to Vulcan matriarch T'Pau:

SCENE 84 MED. FULL SHOT - T'PAU. SPOCK, KIRK, McCOY

Spock indicates Kirk, is having increasing difficulty
speaking.

SPOCK
This... is Kirk...

KIRK
At your service, Madam...

T'PAU
(overlapping
to McCoy)
And thee is called...?

McCOY
Leonard McCoy, ma'am.

T'PAU
Coy?

McCOY
McCoy, ma'am.

T'PAU
Coy. We do not employ titles.
(turning to Spock)
Thee names these outworlders
'friends.' How does thee pledge
their behavior?

SPOCK
With my life, T'Pau.

(etc., etc., etc.)


So evidently Vulcans don't use titles--and "Mc" (meaning "son of") is considered a title. It's unclear precisely what T'Pau means. They don't use titles ever? They don't use titles when they are actually on Vulcan? When it's koon-ut-kal-if-fee? When it's any kind of ancient ceremony? When addressing an elder statesman? When addressing a woman?

Is it possible that Spock grew up never using titles, and now that he's in Starfleet with Lieutenants and Captains and Admirals and Doctors and Ambassadors, he's had to learn a whole new non-Vulcan way of addressing folks? If so, this might be yet another way in which Spock is far more alien than he ostensibly seems.

Whatever this "we don't use titles" rule is meant to imply, and whenever it is to be invoked, it's an interesting characteristic Vulcans would seem to have. It would seem to highlight a more egalitarian society and would seem to highlight people's value as individuals, rather than their class or vocation or education.

 

^^^She known English really well if she understands that "Mc" means "son of". I guess "Robertson" just becomes Robert on Vulcan?

 

Or, more to the point, Amanda Grayson.

Like I said, it's unclear as to exactly when this rule is invoked. Perhaps it's used only on the 43rd day of the month of Tasmeen.

 

I guess Bones could have come back with calling her Pau, because he doesn't do floating consonants.

 

Didn't McCoy identify himself as "McCoy, son of David" at the Vulcan ceremony at the end of STIII?