Spec phasers?

On reading "Inside Star Trek: The Real Story," By Bob Justman and Herb Solow, there's a part in the book that describes a toy company that was going to build phasers for TOS (which was then in pre-production), the plan being that this company would get a license to sell a toy version by building the "real" versions for the show free of charge. Justman and Solow were delighted with the idea because of the cost savings, but in the end the idea was nixed in favor of the normal phasers.

However, there was at least one publicity photo taken of Kirk, Spock, and Rand holding the "spec" phasers (Since this was pre-production, Rand is wearing a yellow WNMHGB shirt and black pants). Although you only see the phasers from the front, they resemble nothing more than flashlights, with Kirk's light being red, Spock's purple, and Rand's green.

Does anyone with a vast and infinite knowledge of TOS have any more info about these spec phasers?

 

The only thing that I can remember was that Desilu hated them, since they looked like Buck Rogers toys. Other than that, I don't know if there's much more information.

 

I found the photo of what you described here. The phaser/flash lights look terrible, I am glad they dropped that idea.

Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
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I never knew those were supposed to be Phasers in those shots!?!
I always thought they were just cheap props whiped up for that shoot. Go figure.

 

That makes sense when you figure they already designed and used the phaser props for the first 2 pilots.

Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
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I wasn't able to access your link but I did an online search and I think I found the same photo. I agree those props look like flashlights and thank goodness the studio rejected them. But, that blonde actress is not the same actress who played Rand, is she? She looks very different.

 

Those are flashlights, and yes, that is Grace Lee Whitney. They were still playing with the makeup.

 

I couldn't see Navigator_NCC2120's image, but this just can't be what you're talking about can it?

These are simply regular flashlights.

 

According to Justman and Solow's book, this was supposed to be the publicity photo showing the spec phasers. By the way Shatner, Nimoy and Whitney are holding them, they do look more flashlight-y than gun-y.

Unless I'm wrong, and there's another photo out there showing the real spec phaser props, but I've never seen another photo showing something that wasn't a TOS phaser, communicator or tricorder.

 

Take a look at the shadows, as well. They're simple aluminum flashlights with colored lenses.

 

That is incredible that anyone even considered for a second using those props!

I have to say I like Whitney's look in these photos way better than the wardrobe (costume and hair) that they ultimately gave her to work with.

 

Personally, I doubt those were ever considered for actual props, just something that was thrown together for the photo shoot.

In other words, no, I don't think those were phaser props that were being considered, I think those were three flashlights they borrowed from Security, put colored gels behind the lenses, did the pictures, and returned the flashlights to Security.

 

Oh, didn't someone say that they were designed by a toy company who would later have the rights to manufacture them for retail?

 

Uh, yeah. I did. When I started this topic.

So I suppose that's good (that those flashlights weren't really the spec phaser props), but also bad (since I really would have liked to see the actual prop, unless there's some other publicity photo out there showing them).

 

I wouldn't bet on that, sadly. We tend to forget these days just how bad toy companies were back in the 1960s, particularly for science-fiction properties. It's not exactly a stretch of the imagination that the toy company in question thought 'cheap recolored flashlights for the kids!'

(Remember, this is also BEFORE Star Trek aired, obviously, so the idea of taking a science-fiction show seriously, at any level, wouldn't even occur to the executives as 'Cheapass Toys'.)

 

So these indeed could be the spec phaser props...

 

I think that Shatner needed longer sleeves.

 

Sadly, I honestly think they are. Remember that they showed up, got photographed once with the actors (the then-planned three leads, Kirk, Spock, and Rand) and were summarily dumped along with the contract.

These flashlights fit the bill for all that...

 

Actually, I just found this site, which pretty much confirms that those flashlights were the spec phasers (and with a different publicity shot of Kirk & Rand, still sadly showing only the front of the prop). Note to self: do more Googling before asking questions on the TrekBBS

And if I had to guess, I'd think the prop would most likely resemble this, but in adult size.

 

Ironically, the design of these "phasers" is not that unlike the design of light-sabers (just a narrower flashlight that emits a laser beam rather than a light beam) from that other famous sci-fi fantasy franchise.