True story: Years ago, somebody sent me a replica of that device--and I never found out who. To this day, I have no idea where it came from. It just showed up in my mail one day . . . and still haunts my office.
Sci-Fi Cinematic & TV Inspirations for Star Trek?
- Thread starter Ensign Ricky
- Start date
True story: Years ago, somebody sent me a replica of that device--and I never found out who. To this day, I have no idea where it came from. It just showed up in my mail one day . . . and still haunts my office.
Yes. I would say Forbidden Planet modeled the premise and structure of Star Trek, but some ST episodes were influenced by the feeling and light-horror style of The Twilight Zone. "The Cage", "Charlie X", "What are Little Girls Made Of" and "The Lights of Zetar" are pretty good Twilight Zone episodes. "The Menagerie" framing story is scary like a Zone, with respect to Captain Pike's dreadful condition.
Also, Roddenberry sold the series as having the flexibility of an anthology, with the comforting presence of a continuing cast and a home-base that traveled with them. He had to be thinking about The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits to bring the anthology concept into his pitch.
"Arena" pretty much was an Outer Limits ep before it was a Star Trek ep, while "The Cage" borrowed an alien mask from that same Outer Limits episode.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun_and_Games_(The_Outer_Limits)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun_and_Games_(The_Outer_Limits)
I was watching an episode of The Twilight Zone last night titled "People Are Alike All Over." It's a lot like the the first half of "The Cage." A crashed space ship, man trapped in a zoo for the amusement of his telepathic captors, and hey, Susan Oliver.
As the ultimate TZ fan of all time, I remember that episode well. The plot had similar elements to "The Cage" except the story's gimmick was somewhat reversed.
Report #2:
Since my last report, I have seen 16 science-fiction films. Out of the 16, I have found 3 films that might have influenced Star Trek:
Fight To Mars (1951)
This movie is totally Star Trek! If you remove the opening on Earth and forget that it takes place on Mars, it plays out like a Star Trek episode. All it's missing is a starship.
A party of five crash lands on Mars. They meet the inhabitants of the planet, who take them to their subterranean city. The planet seems to be advanced and utopic, but in fact, the planet and its inhabitants are dying. In a last-ditch effort to save their civilization, the Martians plan to kill the Earthmen and steal their ship, so they can build a fleet to conquer Earth and the Universe. Meanwhile, the Captain of the group, Dr. Lane, falls in love with the Martian scientist Alita. With the help of Alita and her father, the group discovers the Martian plot and all seven escape to Earth. If you can locate a copy, I would highly recommend watching this movie if you are a Star Trek fan.
Project Moonbase (1953)
Not much in this movie that is Star Trek. This movie does, however, feature a military-like space organization. In this vision of the future, there is full gender equality, yet, somehow sexism still exists. Both men and women work side-by-side in this film.
Gog (1954)
A sequel to The Magnetic Monster (1953) and Riders To The Stars (1954). While this film does not take place in space, it does have a lot in common with Trek. The film takes place in a top-secret underground laboratory. This laboratory is wheel-shaped and designed like a upside down cone.
There are 5 levels, connected by a cylindrical elevator that runs down the middle. The laboratory has various rooms and departments. It features a computer core (so to speak) and an engineering section. The doors slide open automatically, either by button or by sensor. The people working at the laboratory wear jumpsuits or lab coats with colored division arm bands. There are 3 division colors: gold, blue, and green. The scientists and workers enjoy full gender equality, and work side-by-side. The main plot of the movie involves a computer, NOVAC, that goes haywire and begins to kill the scientists, kinda like the M-5.
Since my last report, I have seen 16 science-fiction films. Out of the 16, I have found 3 films that might have influenced Star Trek:
Fight To Mars (1951)
This movie is totally Star Trek! If you remove the opening on Earth and forget that it takes place on Mars, it plays out like a Star Trek episode. All it's missing is a starship.
A party of five crash lands on Mars. They meet the inhabitants of the planet, who take them to their subterranean city. The planet seems to be advanced and utopic, but in fact, the planet and its inhabitants are dying. In a last-ditch effort to save their civilization, the Martians plan to kill the Earthmen and steal their ship, so they can build a fleet to conquer Earth and the Universe. Meanwhile, the Captain of the group, Dr. Lane, falls in love with the Martian scientist Alita. With the help of Alita and her father, the group discovers the Martian plot and all seven escape to Earth. If you can locate a copy, I would highly recommend watching this movie if you are a Star Trek fan.
Project Moonbase (1953)
Not much in this movie that is Star Trek. This movie does, however, feature a military-like space organization. In this vision of the future, there is full gender equality, yet, somehow sexism still exists. Both men and women work side-by-side in this film.
Gog (1954)
A sequel to The Magnetic Monster (1953) and Riders To The Stars (1954). While this film does not take place in space, it does have a lot in common with Trek. The film takes place in a top-secret underground laboratory. This laboratory is wheel-shaped and designed like a upside down cone.
There are 5 levels, connected by a cylindrical elevator that runs down the middle. The laboratory has various rooms and departments. It features a computer core (so to speak) and an engineering section. The doors slide open automatically, either by button or by sensor. The people working at the laboratory wear jumpsuits or lab coats with colored division arm bands. There are 3 division colors: gold, blue, and green. The scientists and workers enjoy full gender equality, and work side-by-side. The main plot of the movie involves a computer, NOVAC, that goes haywire and begins to kill the scientists, kinda like the M-5.
Last edited:
Report #3:
Hey y'all, its been a while since my last report. I've been busy with things, and haven't really had the time to sit down and write. However, I took that time to watch some more sci-fi that could have influenced Star Trek. Warning: Long Post.
Conquest Of Space (1955)
Set in the near future, the story revolves around a united Earth. In orbit, is a space station with an Interracial/Multinational crew. The men are preparing to launch an expedition to the moon. However, the crew are given new orders: Bypass the moon and go to Mars. A crew of 5 are selected. Upon arriving on Mars, they discover it to be uninhabitable. It is then a race against the clock to make it back to Earth. The film shares many themes and tropes with Trek. Among them, a military-style spacefaring organization, a united Earth (a common theme in the Cold War 50s & 60s), artificial food, a multicultural crew, and landing on an inhospitable world.
This Island Earth (1955)
A dying alien civilization, at war with another, kidnaps two scientists in a last bid to save their world. However, thanks to time dilation, they arrive on their planet, named Metaluna, too late. The opposing aliens, the Zagons, have begun their attack. The scientists flee back Earth as Metaluna is destroyed. This film is similar Star Trek in that a dying/dead culture wants the power of human intellect to save their planet. It is also similar in that it features a Saucer-shaped craft that can use its tractor beam to "beam up" individuals. It also uses a teleconference machine called the "Interocitor," similar to the view screens and monitors of the Enterprise. It is also not hard to imagine that the art direction and set design had some later influence on Roddenberry and Matt Jefferies.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Can any more be said on this movie and Star Trek?
World Without End (1956)
At first I was skeptical about this film, mainly because it takes place post-apocalypse, but the more I watched it, the more I made the connections. Basically, a group of astronauts, in orbit around Mars, are launched into a time-warp and crash land on Earth, in the year of 2508. There, among the ruins, the find two races of men: the savage and caveman-like mutates, and the advanced-but-feeble, subterranean humans. The astronauts take it upon themselves to rebuild society and revitalize humanity. If you take away the fact that it takes place on Earth, this film plays like an episode of Trek. An expedition of astronauts, time-warps, deadly surface creatures, a dying/stagnated culture, a captain trying to convince said culture to reclaim whats theirs, a captain/leader's daughter romance subplot, a crewman/servant girl romance subplot, and a subplot featuring an antagonist who wants to foil the astronauts' efforts. The set and costume design is quite similar as well.
Kronos (1957)
Not much in this movie that is Trek-like. Takes place on Earth. A hostile alien civilization attempts to conquer Earth by sending a doomsday-style weapon down on Earth to destroy humanity. It is up to three scientists (two men, and a woman) to stop what they dub "Kronos." It is kinda like Trek in that it features a mind control subplot and the team uses real scientific theory to stop the machine.
War Of The Satellites (1958)
Given this was produced and directed by Roger Corman, I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Whoever wrote this film, in my opinion, wrote a mature, intelligent, well thought out script. There are quite a few things that are Trek-like. The basic plot of the film involves an unseen alien force that is trying to prevent a united Earth from establishing a space station. There is a mind-control subplot involving one of the commanding officers. There is also an inter-gendered crew and a few redshirt deaths.
Queen Of Outer Space (1958)
Okay, granted, this film inspired Star Wars more than it inspired Star Trek, but there are a few similarities. Basically, an Earth space station is destroyed by a ray of unknown origin, and a party of astronauts are brought to Venus. It turns out that an evil, masked Queen has kidnapped them to witness the destruction of Earth by her Death Ray. It is similar to Trek in that it's a jail break story in which our protagonists escape and overthrow the Queen with the help of an underground resistance (led by Zsa Zsa Gabor). I'd also like to entertain the idea that the set and production design were influences on Star Trek. For example, the Queen's minions are dressed in Gold, Red, and Blue uniforms:
It! Terror From Beyond Space (1958)
If you took your MOTW, placed it in the neck of the Enterprise, between the saucer section and engineering, then you would have this movie. Written by Trek writer Jerome Bixby, It! Terror From Beyond Space is the story of a crew who are transporting an accused murderer back from Mars. Unbeknownst to them the real killer, one of the native Martians, has stowed away aboard their rocket. If this sound familiar, it's because this film was one of the inspirations for the movie Alien (1979). Granted, while the monster is a little cheesy, the tension and drama is not unlike what we see later in Trek. It also features an inter-gendered crew and a few redshirt deaths.
Nebo Zovyot (1959)/Battle Beyond The Sun (1962)
Nebo Zovyot (tr. Sky Calls) is a Soviet science-fiction film. Battle Beyond The Sun is an adaptation of Sky Calls by Roger Corman and Francis Ford Coppola. The basic premise of both versions of the film is that two global factions race to be the first to land on Mars. A lot from Star Trek seems to have been lifted from Battle Beyond The Sun. There is World War III subplot involving the factions of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Some of the sound effects in the film were later used in Trek. The film contains a message of how all life is sacred, even if they are our enemies. Also, the control console of the Mercury rocket is quite similar to the helm of the USS Enterprise:
Angry Red Planet (1959)
Okay, this one is really stretching it. A rocket crew lands on Mars and encounter the hostile flora and fauna of the planet. They also receive a warning not to return to Mars by the Martians. I guess its like Trek in that crew is like a landing party (three men, one woman), there are two redshirt-like deaths, an unknown alien disease, and a abandoned alien city (via matte painting). That's where the similarities end.
Battle In Outer Space (1959)
If Gene Roddenberry and the crew of Star Trek borrowed many concepts from Forbidden Planet, then they must have borrowed equally as much from Battle In Outer Space. There are too many similarities to be coincidence. Battle In Outer Space is a Japanese film produced by Toho Co.,Ltd. and Tsuburaya Productions. It was released in the USA in 1960 by Columbia. After a United Nations space station is destroyed by aliens, two rockets are dispatched to destroy the aliens and their base on the Moon. There are many things in the film that would appear in Star Trek, including:
A multi-rung ladder
A high powered ray gun/laser cannon
Chest insignia that denote division
A glass archway
Radar/Astrogator
A bridge with the captain in the middle, surrounded by his crew
A large engineering section
And, of course, space battles
Stay tuned for Report #4.
Hey y'all, its been a while since my last report. I've been busy with things, and haven't really had the time to sit down and write. However, I took that time to watch some more sci-fi that could have influenced Star Trek. Warning: Long Post.
Conquest Of Space (1955)
Set in the near future, the story revolves around a united Earth. In orbit, is a space station with an Interracial/Multinational crew. The men are preparing to launch an expedition to the moon. However, the crew are given new orders: Bypass the moon and go to Mars. A crew of 5 are selected. Upon arriving on Mars, they discover it to be uninhabitable. It is then a race against the clock to make it back to Earth. The film shares many themes and tropes with Trek. Among them, a military-style spacefaring organization, a united Earth (a common theme in the Cold War 50s & 60s), artificial food, a multicultural crew, and landing on an inhospitable world.
This Island Earth (1955)
A dying alien civilization, at war with another, kidnaps two scientists in a last bid to save their world. However, thanks to time dilation, they arrive on their planet, named Metaluna, too late. The opposing aliens, the Zagons, have begun their attack. The scientists flee back Earth as Metaluna is destroyed. This film is similar Star Trek in that a dying/dead culture wants the power of human intellect to save their planet. It is also similar in that it features a Saucer-shaped craft that can use its tractor beam to "beam up" individuals. It also uses a teleconference machine called the "Interocitor," similar to the view screens and monitors of the Enterprise. It is also not hard to imagine that the art direction and set design had some later influence on Roddenberry and Matt Jefferies.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Can any more be said on this movie and Star Trek?
World Without End (1956)
At first I was skeptical about this film, mainly because it takes place post-apocalypse, but the more I watched it, the more I made the connections. Basically, a group of astronauts, in orbit around Mars, are launched into a time-warp and crash land on Earth, in the year of 2508. There, among the ruins, the find two races of men: the savage and caveman-like mutates, and the advanced-but-feeble, subterranean humans. The astronauts take it upon themselves to rebuild society and revitalize humanity. If you take away the fact that it takes place on Earth, this film plays like an episode of Trek. An expedition of astronauts, time-warps, deadly surface creatures, a dying/stagnated culture, a captain trying to convince said culture to reclaim whats theirs, a captain/leader's daughter romance subplot, a crewman/servant girl romance subplot, and a subplot featuring an antagonist who wants to foil the astronauts' efforts. The set and costume design is quite similar as well.
Kronos (1957)
Not much in this movie that is Trek-like. Takes place on Earth. A hostile alien civilization attempts to conquer Earth by sending a doomsday-style weapon down on Earth to destroy humanity. It is up to three scientists (two men, and a woman) to stop what they dub "Kronos." It is kinda like Trek in that it features a mind control subplot and the team uses real scientific theory to stop the machine.
War Of The Satellites (1958)
Given this was produced and directed by Roger Corman, I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Whoever wrote this film, in my opinion, wrote a mature, intelligent, well thought out script. There are quite a few things that are Trek-like. The basic plot of the film involves an unseen alien force that is trying to prevent a united Earth from establishing a space station. There is a mind-control subplot involving one of the commanding officers. There is also an inter-gendered crew and a few redshirt deaths.
Queen Of Outer Space (1958)
Okay, granted, this film inspired Star Wars more than it inspired Star Trek, but there are a few similarities. Basically, an Earth space station is destroyed by a ray of unknown origin, and a party of astronauts are brought to Venus. It turns out that an evil, masked Queen has kidnapped them to witness the destruction of Earth by her Death Ray. It is similar to Trek in that it's a jail break story in which our protagonists escape and overthrow the Queen with the help of an underground resistance (led by Zsa Zsa Gabor). I'd also like to entertain the idea that the set and production design were influences on Star Trek. For example, the Queen's minions are dressed in Gold, Red, and Blue uniforms:
It! Terror From Beyond Space (1958)
If you took your MOTW, placed it in the neck of the Enterprise, between the saucer section and engineering, then you would have this movie. Written by Trek writer Jerome Bixby, It! Terror From Beyond Space is the story of a crew who are transporting an accused murderer back from Mars. Unbeknownst to them the real killer, one of the native Martians, has stowed away aboard their rocket. If this sound familiar, it's because this film was one of the inspirations for the movie Alien (1979). Granted, while the monster is a little cheesy, the tension and drama is not unlike what we see later in Trek. It also features an inter-gendered crew and a few redshirt deaths.
Nebo Zovyot (1959)/Battle Beyond The Sun (1962)
Nebo Zovyot (tr. Sky Calls) is a Soviet science-fiction film. Battle Beyond The Sun is an adaptation of Sky Calls by Roger Corman and Francis Ford Coppola. The basic premise of both versions of the film is that two global factions race to be the first to land on Mars. A lot from Star Trek seems to have been lifted from Battle Beyond The Sun. There is World War III subplot involving the factions of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Some of the sound effects in the film were later used in Trek. The film contains a message of how all life is sacred, even if they are our enemies. Also, the control console of the Mercury rocket is quite similar to the helm of the USS Enterprise:
Angry Red Planet (1959)
Okay, this one is really stretching it. A rocket crew lands on Mars and encounter the hostile flora and fauna of the planet. They also receive a warning not to return to Mars by the Martians. I guess its like Trek in that crew is like a landing party (three men, one woman), there are two redshirt-like deaths, an unknown alien disease, and a abandoned alien city (via matte painting). That's where the similarities end.
Battle In Outer Space (1959)
If Gene Roddenberry and the crew of Star Trek borrowed many concepts from Forbidden Planet, then they must have borrowed equally as much from Battle In Outer Space. There are too many similarities to be coincidence. Battle In Outer Space is a Japanese film produced by Toho Co.,Ltd. and Tsuburaya Productions. It was released in the USA in 1960 by Columbia. After a United Nations space station is destroyed by aliens, two rockets are dispatched to destroy the aliens and their base on the Moon. There are many things in the film that would appear in Star Trek, including:
A multi-rung ladder
A high powered ray gun/laser cannon
Chest insignia that denote division
A glass archway
Radar/Astrogator
A bridge with the captain in the middle, surrounded by his crew
A large engineering section
And, of course, space battles
Stay tuned for Report #4.
Last edited:
@Ensign Ricky this is great work!
That's always an unwise thing to say. There are lots of reasons for similarities. In this case, most of the similarities you cite are just things that are logical or expected in the context of this category of fiction. So no, not a coincidence in the sense that they're both in the same genre and draw on the same wider tropes, but that doesn't prove a direct influence from one to the other.
And seriously, you're citing ladders, archways, and radar screens as "proof" of influence? Come on, that's not even trying. You might as well cite the fact that they both feature oxygen-breathing bipeds.
Similar threads
