Gene Coon

[TiberiusK]

I want to write something that celebrates the contributions and "legacy" of Gene Coon. Before doing so, I'd love to get suggestions and opinions from the TOS experts here.

How would you describe Coon's contributions to Star Trek? He wrote some of the best (Devil in the Dark) and worst (Spock's Brain) episodes of Trek. How would you describe his writing? Does Gene Roddenberry get much of the credit that Gene Coon deserved? Or, is it possible to give Coon too much credit for TOS?

 

[scottydog]

Coon was a huge part of trek's success. Yes, his style diverged from GR's a bit, but he was as prolific as he was talented.

 

[GodThingFormerly]

As I stated before, I enjoyed many of Coon's contributions to TOS but my very favorite episodes are from the Coonfrei early S1 and late S2.

TGT

 

[Esteban]

^^Non-sequitor. Your facts are unco-orindated^^

Coon only wrote while he produced, except for his forays as Lee Cronin in the 3rd Season. While he may have contributed to some scripts that were produced under John Lucas's reign, those efforts are unconfirmed and uncredited.

Edit--now that I read your Coonfrei I realize I may have mis-interpreted your thoughts....you are dead on there.

 

[Esteban]

Coon gave us the militarism of Star Trek (the Federation, the Klingons, the "I'm a soldier not a diplomat"), which I confess I enjoy, and made a franchise.

He wrote for Kirk. Fontana wrote for Spock and McCoy. They both worked and the two together made for the wonderful tapestry of their year together.

Coon also gave us the tight screenplays that Trek lacked, somewhat before, and definitely after, he was there. I think, but do not know, that he was a dynamite rewriter.

I have huge respect for him and wish he'd had his due. But when unleashed, without someone to watch over him (Gene? D.C.?) he could do some very bad things.

 

[AJBryant]

Esteban -- great observations.

Tony

 

[Botany Bay]

I doubt we'd all be here now if it wasn't for Coon and his massive contribution.

Basically Trek was a constant battle against the clock to find filmable scripts till they found him.

He is the most important member of the team behind GR, no doubt.

 

[Commander Cavit]

Esteban said:
Coon gave us the militarism of Star Trek (the Federation, the Klingons, the "I'm a soldier not a diplomat"), which I confess I enjoy, and made a franchise.


He wrote for Kirk. Fontana wrote for Spock and McCoy. They both worked and the two together made for the wonderful tapestry of their year together.

That covers all the salient points, quite nicely.

 

[Eddie Roth]

Also, Gene Coon and D.C. Fontana both contributed heavily to the rewrites of "City on the Edge of Forever" which, in my book, still made Harlan Ellison's script into an overall better episode, character interaction and all...

I think personally - and this is unsubstantiated by fact, I must say - that Gene Coon may have been instrumental in grounding Gene Roddenberry's lofty visions of the future in a workable realism with lively, human characters.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

Great, another thread bashing "Spock's Brain"

 

[Tallguy]

There need to be more threads bashing Alternative Factor.

 

[Noname Given]

Personally, I feel Coon introduced or refined a majority of the 'classic' Star Trek elemnts that help us love the show still, after 40 years (seriously). He expanded the premise of the Enterprise being strickly an Earth ship by coming up with the concept that there is a United Federation of Planets and a UFP Starfleet of which the 1701 is a part. He also wrote some good episodes (IMO better than the ones written soley by GR himself - YMMV on this); and intrioduced the Klingons to the series.

 

[TiberiusK]

These are all great points.

Can someone explain why he was writing under the name of Lee Cronin later on? I've heard/read different explanations for that. Some claim that he used LC when he didn't think the quality of the script was worth it, while others claim that he used LC because of some kind of writers' guild/conflict of interest rules. He was working for Universal Studios on another show, so he wasn't technically allowed to work for Paramount, or something.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The way I understand it, Coon wrote as Cronin when he was under contract to write for another series. So weh he was working for Trek, he used Cronin for other shows. When he left Star Trek, he wrote episodes as Cronin there.

 

[TiberiusK]

^interesting. Thanks.

His Filmography is extensive. Anyone know why he is credited with GR's Questor Tapes in 74 when he died in 73?

Writer:
1970s
1960s
1950s
"The Streets of San Francisco" (1 episode, 1974)
- Death and the Favored Few (1974) TV Episode
The Questor Tapes (1974) (TV)
"Hawkins" (1 episode, 1973)
- Die Die, Darling (1973) TV Episode
"Assignment Vienna" (2 episodes, 1973)
- Soldier of Fortune (1973) TV Episode
- So Long, Charlie (1973) TV Episode
"Kung Fu" (1 episode, 1973)
- Chains (1973) TV Episode
"The Sixth Sense" (1 episode, 1972)
- Can a Dead Man Strike from the Grave? (1972) TV Episode
"Nichols" (1 episode, 1971)
... aka James Garner (Canada: English title)
... aka James Garner as Nichols
- Ketcham Power (1971) TV Episode
"The Mod Squad" (2 episodes, 1970-1971)
- Suffer, Little Children (1971) TV Episode
- Is There Anyone Left in Santa Paula? (1970) TV Episode
"The Immortal" (1 episode, 1970)
- White Horse, Steel Horse (1970) TV Episode (story) (teleplay)
"Paris 7000" (1970) TV Series (unknown episodes)


"Then Came Bronson" (1 episode, 1969)
- The 3:13 Arrives at Noon (1969) TV Episode (as Lee Cronin)
"The Name of the Game" (1 episode, 1969)
- Good-bye Harry (1969) TV Episode
"It Takes a Thief" (6 episodes, 1968-1969)
- A Matter of Grey Matter: Part 1 (1969) TV Episode (teleplay)
- A Matter of Grey Matter: Part 2 (1969) TV Episode (teleplay)
- The Galloping Skin Game (1968) TV Episode (story) (teleplay)
- A Sour Note (1968) TV Episode (story) (teleplay)
- Turnabout (1968) TV Episode (story) (teleplay)
(1 more)
"Star Trek" (13 episodes, 1967-1969)
... aka Star Trek: TOS (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Star Trek: The Original Series (USA: informal title)
- Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (1969) TV Episode (story) (as Lee Cronin)
- Wink of an Eye (1968) TV Episode (story) (as Lee Cronin)
- Spectre of the Gun (1968) TV Episode (as Lee Cronin)
- Spock's Brain (1968) TV Episode (as Lee Cronin)
- Bread and Circuses (1968) TV Episode (written by)
(8 more)
Journey to Shiloh (1968) (screenplay) (as Gene Coon)
"Laredo" (6 episodes, 1965-1967)
- The Other Cheek (1967) TV Episode (writer)
- A Double Shot of Nepenthe (1966) TV Episode (writer)
- It's the End of the Road, Stanley (1966) TV Episode (writer)
- That's Norway, Thataway (1966) TV Episode (writer)
- The Calico Kid (1966) TV Episode (teleplay)
(1 more)
First to Fight (1967)
"The Wild Wild West" (1 episode, 1966)
- The Night of the Freebooters (1966) TV Episode
"Combat!" (3 episodes, 1966)
- Hills Are for Heroes: Part 2 (1966) TV Episode (written by)
- Hills Are for Heroes: Part 1 (1966) TV Episode (written by)
- The Ringer (1966) TV Episode (story) (teleplay)
"The F.B.I." (1 episode, 1966)
- Flight to Harbin (1966) TV Episode (co-teleplay) (story)
"My Favorite Martian" (1 episode, 1965)
- Hate Me a Little (1965) TV Episode
"The Virginian" (1 episode, 1965)
... aka The Men from Shiloh (USA: new title)
- The Showdown (1965) TV Episode
"Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1 episode, 1965)
... aka The Chrysler Theater
... aka Universal Star Time (syndication title)
- The War and Eric Kurtz (1965) TV Episode (story)
The Killers (1964)
... aka Ernest Hemingway's The Killers (USA: promotional title)
The Raiders (1963)
"Wagon Train" (7 episodes, 1958-1963)
... aka Major Adams, Trail Master
- The Robert Harrison Clarke Story (1963) TV Episode
- The Molly Kincaid Story (1963) TV Episode
- The Benjamin Burns Story (1960) TV Episode
- The Ben Courtney Story (1959) TV Episode
- The Dick Richardson Story (1958) TV Episode
(2 more)
"Alcoa Premiere" (1 episode, 1963)
- The Hat of Sergeant Martin (1963) TV Episode
"McHale's Navy" (2 episodes, 1962)
- Who Do the Voodoo (1962) TV Episode
- An Ensign for McHale (1962) TV Episode
"Rawhide" (1 episode, 1962)
- Incident of the Dogfaces (1962) TV Episode
"Follow the Sun" (1 episode, 1962)
- Sergeant Kolchak Fades Away (1962) TV Episode
"Bonanza" (4 episodes, 1959-1961)
... aka Ponderosa (USA: rerun title)
- The Thunderhead Swindle (1961) TV Episode
- The Ape (1960) TV Episode (writer)
- The Paiute War (1959) TV Episode
- Death on Sun Mountain (1959) TV Episode
"Acapulco" (2 episodes, 1961)
- Death Is a Smiling Man (1961) TV Episode
- The Gentleman from Brazil (1961) TV Episode
"Dan Raven" (1 episode, 1960)
- Man on the Ledge (1960) TV Episode
"Peter Gunn" (1 episode, 1960)
- The Semi-Private Eye (1960) TV Episode
"Mr. Lucky" (10 episodes, 1959-1960)
- The Gladiators (1960) TV Episode
- The Parolee (1960) TV Episode (teleplay)
- The Last Laugh (1960) TV Episode
- The Brain Picker (1960) TV Episode
- The Sour Milk Fund (1960) TV Episode
(5 more)
"The Rebel" (1 episode, 1960)
- Land (1960) TV Episode


"Riverboat" (1 episode, 1959)
- About Roger Mowbray (1959) TV Episode (story)
"Lock Up" (1 episode, 1959)
- Stakeout (1959) TV Episode
"The Four Just Men" (1 episode, 1959)
- The Battle of the Bridge (1959) TV Episode
"Dragnet" (1 episode, 1959)
... aka Badge 714 (USA: syndication title)
- The Big Appetite (1959) TV Episode
"Have Gun - Will Travel" (1 episode, 1959)
- The Fifth Man (1959) TV Episode
No Name on the Bullet (1959)
"Maverick" (1 episode, 1959)
- The Saga of Waco Williams (1959) TV Episode (teleplay) (as Gene Coon)
"Cimarron City" (1 episode, 1958)
- I, the People (1958) TV Episode (teleplay)
"Rescue 8" (1 episode, 1958)
- The Ferris Wheel (1958) TV Episode (teleplay)
"Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1 episode, 1958)
... aka Herald Playhouse (USA: syndication title)
... aka Schlitz Playhouse (USA: new title)
... aka The Playhouse (USA: syndication title)
- Guys Like O'Malley (1958) TV Episode
"Suspicion" (1 episode, 1957)
- The Flight (1957) TV Episode (teleplay)
"Zorro" (1957) TV Series (unknown episodes)
Man in the Shadow (1957/I) (written by)
... aka Pay the Devil (UK)
... aka Seeds of Wrath
The Girl in the Kremlin (1957)

Producer:
"Star Trek" (producer) (34 episodes, 1966-1968)
... aka Star Trek: TOS (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Star Trek: The Original Series (USA: informal title)
- Bread and Circuses (1968) TV Episode (producer)
- A Private Little War (1968) TV Episode (producer)
- The Trouble with Tribbles (1967) TV Episode (producer)
- Wolf in the Fold (1967) TV Episode (producer)
- The Deadly Years (1967) TV Episode (producer)
(29 more)
"It Takes a Thief" (1968) TV Series (producer) (unknown episodes)
"The Wild Wild West" (producer) (6 episodes, 1965-1966)
- The Night of the Murderous Spring (1966) TV Episode (producer)
- The Night of the Burning Diamond (1966) TV Episode (producer)
- The Night of the Freebooters (1966) TV Episode (producer)
- The Night of the Druid's Blood (1966) TV Episode (producer)
- The Night of the Two-Legged Buffalo (1966) TV Episode (producer)
(1 more)

 

[Noname Given]

TiberiusK said:
^interesting. Thanks.

His Filmography is extensive. Anyone know why he is credited with GR's Questor Tapes in 74 when he died in 73?

Well, while Questor Tapes aired in 1974, it was probably actually produced in 1973; and it's possible that GC could have help GR polish it a bit before submitting it to te Studio Heads as a pilot pitch; thus GC would still get WGA credit per union rules.

 

[TiberiusK]

That makes sense, although it sounds like Coon was writing from a hospital bed. Come to think of it, I remember reading something about GR visiting Coon in the hospital and asking for help with something.

 

[TiberiusK]

More questions!

Much of Coon's work prior to Trek was on episodic Westerns, like Wagon Train, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, and Have Gun, Will Travel (Was Laredo also a Western?). Could we say that Coon fulfilled GR's promise of a "Wagon Train to the Stars" by bringing that type of storytelling to Trek? Did it show in his teleplays and rewrites?

Also, Bread and Circuses was co-written by Coon and GR. Anybody know who did what on that episode? I suspect that Coon's touch was the round-table dialogue about cultural relativity and the World Wars, while GR probably brought in the worship of the Sun/Son.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I'd love to read any nonfiction about "Star Trek" actually written by Coon, or any interview with him.

 

[TiberiusK]

UWC Defiance said:
I'd love to read any nonfiction about "Star Trek" actually written by Coon, or any interview with him.

Do any interviews exist? I imagine that his memos are the closest thing to that.