Analysis of a document released by Roddenberry Vault

[Maab]

Hi everybody, I was reading this document with story idea released by Roddenberry’s Facebook page in 2016.
https://www.roddenberry.com/media/vault/Idea-Notes.pdf

(this is the original Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/roddenberry/photos/a.379278853143/10153343948698144/)

In the document there are 4 story ideas ("Hitler’s Father", "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral", "McCarthy Witch-hunt story", "Kafka’s Trial"). The first story (but not the remaining three) is included on Memory Alpha (here: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wik...he_Original_Series_episodes#"Hitler's_Father"), where there is written “No writer is credited on the outline, though given that it appears as part of Gene Roddenberry's archive, he may have been the author.” However reading the full document I’m convinced that it was not written by Roddenbery. It doesn’t seem to have his style of writing and they’re don’t appear to be his kind of stories. Also I’ve found it strange that in the second story, at the end, the German word “schamlz” is used, as if the writer had German origin. Any thoughts on who may be the author?

Also is there anybody who can read the last hand written page?
This is what I can read:

---
… into town (1910)
I. Captured + into…
II. Turned down + to auction + hanging. Saved by fun… interest
III. L. … “…” – end with attack
IV. Battle + epilogue
Title “A Woman’s Best Friend Is…”

Pen + Quiel
FR 92477
---

 

[J.T.B.]

Here's what I got:

I. Captured & into pound
II. Turned down & to auction & hanging. Saved by female interest.
III. Life as "poodle" - end with attack
IV. Battle & epilogue​

Edit:

Also I’ve found it strange that in the second story, at the end, the German word “schamlz” is used, as if the writer had German origin.

The word "schmaltz" meaning mawkish or overly sentimental, entered American English via Yiddish and was fairly common by the 1940s.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Yeah, I remember it was used in "I Love Lucy" episode "Lucy Meets Charles Boyer":

Lucy: Oh, no, no, Maurice.

Charles: What's wrong?

Lucy: Charles Boyer doesn't kiss like that. When you kiss a woman's hand, put
some schmaltz into it.

Charles: (smooching loudly)

Lucy: Silent schmaltz.

 

[Maab]

Here's what I got:

I. Captured & into pound
II. Turned down & to auction & hanging. Saved by female interest.
III. Life as "poodle" - end with attack
IV. Battle & epilogue​

The word "schmaltz" meaning mawkish or overly sentimental, entered American English via Yiddish and was fairly common by the 1940s.

Thanks! I believe you are absolutely correct. So, this is clearly the basic scheme for Roddenberry's idea “The Pet Shop” (https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_is...), where the Enterprise arrives on a planet ruled by women where men are treated as pets (Roddenberry would subsequently use this idea for his second pilot "Planet Earth"). To confirm this, the fact that on the pitch it's specified that this planet is similar to St. Louis, 1910, a year included also in the hand written page.

This should bring the conclusion that also the other story ideas have been written by Roddenberry, though this is not strictly necessary, as Roddenberry could have hand written something on someone else ideas, or that last page could be totally unrelated with the previous ones and it's there only by chance.

It still doesn't seem his style. Thanks also for the "schmaltz" explanation.

 

[NCC-73515]

Kafka is basically Farpoint

 

[drt]

Kafka is basically Farpoint

Roddenberry never said no to reusing a story idea down the road.

 

[NCC-73515]

It's just funny that this idea already existed long before TNG