Kirk's "Let's get the Hell out of here"

[Ssosmcin]

According to director Joe Pevney, the network did have a problem with the line and the use of the word. He said Roddenberry fought for it to remain as no other word would "convey the emotion of the moment." He also said Shatner fought to keep it, that everyone wanted it to remain. The network finally relented. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season 1 - Marc Cushman, etc. 2nd edition page 586).

I couldn't find any audience reaction.

 

[Greg Cox]

"Hell" itself was hardly verboten back then, depending on the context. Hell, they even used it in Disney movies and TV shows, years before Kirk did.

Just off the top of my head, Malificent threatens the Prince with "all the fires of Hell!" in the original Sleeping Beauty (1959). while The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh "rode from the gates of Hell" on The Wonderful World of Disney, at least three years before Star Trek debuted.

 

[golddragon71]

That's not cursing. Just because you say "Hell" or "damn" doesn't mean it's the swear of those words. In "City on the Edge of Forever", it's the only time I remember in TOS where they actually swore.

That is true, of course. It's like the saying 'Come Hell or high water' wouldn't be cursing, either. Other than those instances, along with McCoy's "Hell for leather, right out of history." in Spectre of the Gun, those are the only occurences of the word, I think.

Which brings us to the matter of Kirk's swearing in City.. that you asked about. I'm trying to remember something else from that era of television which was similar, but so far I can't think of any.

But it does remind me of some parody of Planet of the Apes I saw a few years back, I have no idea where it was, but I just remember monkeys in the place of humans. Some chimp did Heston's classic line, only it was "Darn you..darn you all to heck!" I wish I could remember what it was...

Which doesn't answer your question at all, does it?

I'll step aside and let someone useful chime in.

It wasn't a parody....well it wasn't intended as a Parody anyway

In the 2001 Planet of the Apes reboot attempt directed by Tim Burton Charlton Heston himself played Zaius the Chimpanzee who was the father of Thade the chief Military officer.

As he's laying on his deathbed Heston as Zaius paraphrases his classic line from the original apes Film by saying "God damn them all to Hell"

Back to the topic at hand I think McCoy has the brunt of the swearing in the series down with all his "Dammits"

 

[Green Shirt]

Back to the topic at hand I think McCoy has the brunt of the swearing in the series down with all his "Dammits"

I'm hard pressed to think of any time where McCoy used the word "dammit" during the three years of the show. Now the movies are a different matter.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Back to the topic at hand I think McCoy has the brunt of the swearing in the series down with all his "Dammits"

I'm hard pressed to think of any time where McCoy used the word "dammit" during the three years of the show. Now the movies are a different matter.

In order:

"hell:"

Kirk: "It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."
Lazarus: "I'll chase you to the very fires of hell!"
Kirk: "Let's get the hell out of here."
Decker: "Right out of hell, I saw it."
McCoy: "Hell for leather, right out of history."

"damn:"

Kirk: "I can't damn him for his loyalty, for doing his duty, but I'm not going to let him commit patricide."
McCoy: "Don't give me any damnable logic about him being the only man for the job."

 

[Emperor Norton]

Back to the topic at hand I think McCoy has the brunt of the swearing in the series down with all his "Dammits"

I'm hard pressed to think of any time where McCoy used the word "dammit" during the three years of the show. Now the movies are a different matter.

In order:

"hell:"

Kirk: "It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."
Lazarus: "I'll chase you to the very fires of hell!"
Kirk: "Let's get the hell out of here."
Decker: "Right out of hell, I saw it."
McCoy: "Hell for leather, right out of history."

"damn:"

Kirk: "I can't damn him for his loyalty, for doing his duty, but I'm not going to let him commit patricide."
McCoy: "Don't give me any damnable logic about him being the only man for the job."

Except for arguably the last, that's not swearing. The word is not the same as the swear of the word. It's a world apart, for example, between talking about a female dog and the swear "bitch".

 

[GSchnitzer]

I'm hard pressed to think of any time where McCoy used the word "dammit" during the three years of the show. Now the movies are a different matter.

In order:

"hell:"

Kirk: "It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven."
Lazarus: "I'll chase you to the very fires of hell!"
Kirk: "Let's get the hell out of here."
Decker: "Right out of hell, I saw it."
McCoy: "Hell for leather, right out of history."

"damn:"

Kirk: "I can't damn him for his loyalty, for doing his duty, but I'm not going to let him commit patricide."
McCoy: "Don't give me any damnable logic about him being the only man for the job."

Except for arguably the last, that's not swearing. The word is not the same as the swear of the word. It's a world apart, for example, between talking about a female dog and the swear "bitch".

Oh, I concur.

But "COTEOF is the first time "hell" was used" is wide of the mark--even for Star Trek. It needs to be qualified with the "...but not in the context of the place of eternal torment from folklore, mythology, and religion" exception.

All the "damn it, Jim"s from McCoy would also seem to be an exaggeration. McCoy appears not have said that--at least not until the movies. I think it was generally something more PC like "What in the devil...?"

 

[JT Perfecthair]

Scotty was certainly swearing at the shorting-out jefferies tube in Doomsday Machine even though you cant make out the words.

 

[Relayer1]

Something I've always been curious about. In "City on the Edge of Forever", Kirk ends the episode by saying "Let's get the Hell out of here", which people didn't say on television in the 60s and it's a powerful moment in that context. But at the same time, people did not swear in the 1960s on television. So does anyone know how they got that on the air or the reaction to it?

I'd never have even considered 'hell' as swearing, whatever the context of its use.

 

[Armored Saint]

Hello!

 

[martok2112]

Here's a bit of interest: even the animated series used the word "hellish" in an episode. I'd have to go back through and see which ep it was, but it was there. Even though it was not used in an expletive sense, the very use of the word indicatess that this was not some kiddie show.

Yes, TAS had its flaws, but I enjoyed the animated series, and still revisit it to this day, thanks to its dvd release. Before that, the only way you could watch it was if you had one of the rare vhs releases....and before that, airings on Nickelodeon.

 

[GSchnitzer]

Here's a bit of interest: even the animated series used the word "hellish" in an episode. I'd have to go back through and see which ep it was, but it was there. Even though it was not used in an expletive sense, the very use of the word indicatess that this was not some kiddie show.

Yes, TAS had its flaws, but I enjoyed the animated series, and still revisit it to this day, thanks to its dvd release. Before that, the only way you could watch it was if you had one of the rare vhs releases....and before that, airings on Nickelodeon.

From "The Magicks of Megas-Tu:"

"We massed together, outside the town, immersed ourselves in Megan lore, revived ourselves enough to unite our minds and reach into our own universe, tap enough of its power to return from your hellish Earth to Megas-Tu."

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Here's a bit of interest: even the animated series used the word "hellish" in an episode. I'd have to go back through and see which ep it was, but it was there. Even though it was not used in an expletive sense, the very use of the word indicatess that this was not some kiddie show.

Yes, TAS had its flaws, but I enjoyed the animated series, and still revisit it to this day, thanks to its dvd release. Before that, the only way you could watch it was if you had one of the rare vhs releases....and before that, airings on Nickelodeon.

The animation is clunky by today's standards, but I thought TAS was clever...and enjoyable...and 'cute.'

 

[ToddPence]

The word "hell" was used in at least ten episode TITLES before CEF.

BOURBON STREET BEAT - "Green Hell" (1960)
THRILLER - "Pigeons From Hell" (1961)
HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL - "Justice in Hell" (1962)
ROUTE 66 - "Hell is Empty, All the Devils are Here" (1962)
DUPONT SHOW OF THE WEEK - "The Hell Walkers" (1964)
THE FUGITIVE - "Corner of Hell" (1965)
COMBAT - "Hell Machine" (1965)
BOB HOPE PRESENTS THE CHRYSLER THEATER - "When Hell Froze" (1966)
WILD WILD WEST - "Night of the Bars of Hell" (1966)
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - "Snowball in Hell" (1967)

 

[Metryq]

The word "hell" was used in at least ten episode TITLES before CEF.

BOURBON STREET BEAT - "Green Hell" (1960)
THRILLER - "Pigeons From Hell" (1961)
HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL - "Justice in Hell" (1962)
ROUTE 66 - "Hell is Empty, All the Devils are Here" (1962)
DUPONT SHOW OF THE WEEK - "The Hell Walkers" (1964)
THE FUGITIVE - "Corner of Hell" (1965)
COMBAT - "Hell Machine" (1965)
BOB HOPE PRESENTS THE CHRYSLER THEATER - "When Hell Froze" (1966)
WILD WILD WEST - "Night of the Bars of Hell" (1966)
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - "Snowball in Hell" (1967)

Voldemort!
Voldemort!
Voldemort!

As Emperor Norton already noted on the first page of this thread, Hell is a place name and not necessarily an expletive. Damn also has meaning outside of being a swear—it all depends on context.

Of course, writers can always invent their own gorram swears.

 

[TOSalltheway]

I agree totally with Red Omega. Kirks', now innocent sounding, "let's get the hell out of here" being stated in Shatners excellent hurt and angry delivery was far more powerful than any over the top swearing you would find on today's cable shows.

 

[Forbin]

Scotty was certainly swearing at the shorting-out jefferies tube in Doomsday Machine even though you cant make out the words.

Doohan says those are made-up Scottish-sounding nonsense words.
Kinda like Yosemite Sam swearing.

 

[martok2112]

Voldemort!
Voldemort!
Voldemort!

"You must be very brave...or very foolish...to speak the dark lord's name aloud." -Lucius Malfoy

Of course, writers can always invent their own gorram swears.

No frakkin' kiddin'!

 

[martok2112]

Here's a bit of interest: even the animated series used the word "hellish" in an episode. I'd have to go back through and see which ep it was, but it was there. Even though it was not used in an expletive sense, the very use of the word indicatess that this was not some kiddie show.

Yes, TAS had its flaws, but I enjoyed the animated series, and still revisit it to this day, thanks to its dvd release. Before that, the only way you could watch it was if you had one of the rare vhs releases....and before that, airings on Nickelodeon.

From "The Magicks of Megas-Tu:"

"We massed together, outside the town, immersed ourselves in Megan lore, revived ourselves enough to unite our minds and reach into our own universe, tap enough of its power to return from your hellish Earth to Megas-Tu."

Well spotted. Thank you.

 

[scotpens]

Scotty was certainly swearing at the shorting-out jefferies tube in Doomsday Machine even though you cant make out the words.

Doohan says those are made-up Scottish-sounding nonsense words.
Kinda like Yosemite Sam swearing.

I believe Scotty's made-up expletive was "Borgus frat!"