Ohura in ST3

[jimbotron]

Was there a behind-the-scenes reason for Uhura to stay behind and effectively miss over half the movie?

I also find it hard to believe Uhura was easily able to leave Spacedock after participating in stealing the Enterprise. Hid on Sarek's ship, perhaps?

 

[Maurice]

You do realize the name is Uhura, don't you?

 

[Basill]

I believe the novelization had her beaming over to the Vulcan Embassy and requesting asylum. Certainly explains her presence on Vulcan with the Ambassador later.

 

[jimbotron]

Well that was mighty stupid of me... I was even thinking about the "Uhuru" typo in ST6, yet I made one anyway.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Was there a behind-the-scenes reason for Uhura to stay behind and effectively miss over half the movie?

Harve Bennett had promised each of the "Gang of Four" a scene in which to shine. Koenig had gotten his meaty stuff in ST II, but Harve was keen for the others to get their own good scenes. In a "Starlog" interview he tells of Nichelle's reaction when the courier delivered her ST III script. She got straight on the phone and complained to him that she didn't have enough to do.

Harve asked her, "What did you do, just count your lines?"

She said, "Yes."

He told her to go back and read the script. When she had, she rang him back and apologized. The scene was short, yes, but she was very much the star of the scene. Glamorous closeups, pithy dialogue, nice comedy, and absolutely crucial to the success of the crew's mission.

Nichelle apologized. (And I believe she has told the same story at conventions.)

 

[jimbotron]

I did notice that the rest of the cast had their moments to shine in ST3, except for Chekov. Sulu had "don't call me Tiny", Scotty sabotaged Excelsior and "up your shaft", and Uhura had "Mr. Adventure."

But it still seems weird that Uhura's moment forced her to stay behind. We then have Chekov manning the communications instead, and wearing that awful pink shirt.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

She ended up running to the Vulcan embassy seeking protection, according to the novelization. She risked immediate imprisonment.

 

[Harvey]

It's a shame she didn't have more screentime in the movie, but it's by far the best scene she has in all six of the features (perhaps, honestly, ever).

 

[Pauln6]

She had to stay behind because Starfleet security is actually a bit better than portrayed in the movie. It was her job to scramble communications for as long as she could and to mask what was going on and then get the hell out of there before Starfleet security beamed in. It's a shame they didn't extend the scene to make it clearer how crucial she was.

However, I wish they had used more of the crew this way more often. They didn't all need to be on board to contribute (which they sussed with Sulu in STVI). I would have liked other actors to have been given similar roles like Kyle in STII, and Rand in STVI. Chapel or Rand would have been great as Admiral Morrow's assistant in STIII and could have then played a role in investigating the conspiracy in STVI.

 

[F. King Daniel]

It's a shame she didn't have more screentime in the movie, but it's by far the best scene she has in all six of the features (perhaps, honestly, ever).

Nichelle would have died (and probably killed, too) to have a scene like Zoe's Klingon negotiation in Into Darkness. It was serious, deadly and it was all on Uhura (well... until you-know-who came along)

 

[2takesfrakes]

As I understand it, Harve Bennett and Leonard Nimoy wanted STAR TREK III to resemble THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, which was a group of Men doing The Needful of the story, whose themes this movie was borrowing from. Sexist, perhaps, but that was their reasoning ...

 

[Therin of Andor]

Chapel or Rand would have been great as Admiral Morrow's assistant in STIII and could have then played a role in investigating the conspiracy in STVI.

According to the DC Comics that filled in the gap between the comic adaptations of ST III and ST IV, Rand was one of Admiral Cartwright's assistants.

Grace Lee Whitney's cameo in ST III was a personal invitation from Director Nimoy. Majel Barrett asked not to be written into ST II because Gene R. had been demoted to Creative Consultant. Her role in ST IV was a personal invitation from Director Nimoy.

 

[Therin of Andor]

it's by far the best scene she has in all six of the features (perhaps, honestly, ever).

Exactly. And Nichelle agreed.

As I understand it, Harve Bennett and Leonard Nimoy wanted STAR TREK III to resemble THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, which was a group of Men doing The Needful of the story, whose themes this movie was borrowing from. Sexist, perhaps, but that was their reasoning ...

Huh?

Perhaps you are thinking of 1980's "Battle Beyond the Stars", which had already done a science fiction version of "The Magnificent Seven"?

So who were the "seven"? Kirk, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Chekov, Saavik, David.

By your reasoning Saavik should have been male.

 

[2takesfrakes]

... At which point, Nimoy turned around and deleted all of Majel's scenes and left her with a one-liner, in the whole movie.

As to the 7 ... I am only the messenger, sir!

 

[Therin of Andor]

... At which point, Nimoy turned around and deleted all of Majel's scenes and left her with a one-liner, in the whole movie.

No, Majel's lines are all there! They can be heard behind the main dialogue. Her script was separate to the main script. I have one of her cue cards.


Star Trek IV cue card for Majel Barrett by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Bought in a charity auction at a New Zealand convention, Converge (1988), thanks to auctioneer David Gerrold. The cue card, supposedly written by hand by the director, Leonard Nimoy, features dialogue for the character of Commander Christine Chapel. In 1996, I was able to surprise Majel Barrett with it at a Conquest convention in Brisbane, Australia, and asked her to autograph her own cue card.

(She did have an earlier scene, showing Sarek into the Council Room, but that was cut for time.)

As to the 7 ... I am only the messenger, sir

Perhaps your sources got it wrong. Uhura was not given that scene for sexist reasons. You can bet that if it were true, Nichelle would still be complaining.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I wasn't talking about Uhura's scene, with regards to THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. I was saying that she was excluded from most of the movie, because the 7 vibe was what they were going for - all men, proving their friendship and their mettle, Against All Odds. Uhura's scene is neither here, nor there. Nimoy could've cut it out, entirely and the movie would not have been altered in tone or meaningful content, in any way. However, I am entirely willing to entertain the possibility that my "sources" are inaccurate ... and incorrect, with regards to Uhura's absence throughout most of the picture.

As to Majel's Cue Cards and all of that ... Therin, you AMAZE me!!! Very interesting, sir ... and entirely unexpected! you ARE the Go-To guy for all of STAR TREK. That much is certain ...

 

[Robert Comsol]

I also find it hard to believe Uhura was easily able to leave Spacedock after participating in stealing the Enterprise. Hid on Sarek's ship, perhaps?

From behind-the-scenes concepts we do know that the bar scene with McCoy trying to hire a ship took place on Earth and in San Francisco.

McCoy was apparently moved to a police facility in San Francisco and then brought to the "Old City" transporter station ("the worst duty station in town") from where they beamed straight aboard the Enterprise in Spacedock.

After her little stunt there, I also believe she hid on Sarek's ship to travel to Vulcan (or was beamed up by Sarek's ship after her part in the Kobayashi Maru Operation was over).

Bob

 

[Harvey]

However, I am entirely willing to entertain the possibility that my "sources" are inaccurate ... and incorrect, with regards to Uhura's absence throughout most of the picture.

Well, what are your sources? I don't remember this claim.

 

[Grant]

Cutting "all of Majel's scenes/lines" from trek 4 amounted to one scene with two lines with Sarek.

 

[Timewalker]

You do realize the name is Uhura, don't you?

It wouldn't be the first time Uhura was mistaken for an Irish name...

It's a shame she didn't have more screentime in the movie, but it's by far the best scene she has in all six of the features (perhaps, honestly, ever).

She had some nice scenes in "Mirror, Mirror" (aside from whining about being frightened). None of the men wanted to take the phaser away from Marlena, so Uhura had to act.