Star Trek II's Original Ending

[Kamdan]

After hearing (again) about Leonard Nimoy's last minute addition to the film at the LA Festival, it makes me really want to see the original ending of the film Nicholas Meyer had for the film.

I've heard a bunch of details about the ending, including how Nimoy added the "Remember" line the day it was shot, while the footage of the Genesis planet that was added to the end after a test screening.

It'd be interesting to see how the film's ending played out without all of those (now) apparent sequel hooks, which apparently weren't approved by Nicholas Meyer.

 

[arch101]

I believe that after Kirk says "I feel young" we cut to space and the "Space, the Final Frontier..." and that's it. Cue closing music. I'd have been fine with that, too.

 

[Indysolo]

I believe that after Kirk says "I feel young" we cut to space and the "Space, the Final Frontier..." and that's it. Cue closing music. I'd have been fine with that, too.

That's what happened. We even found the recording of the music for that ending and included it on the Star Trek II expanded album!

Neil

 

[DonIago]

I kind of like getting a glimpse at the surface of Genesis myself.

 

[Data Holmes]

I believe that after Kirk says "I feel young" we cut to space and the "Space, the Final Frontier..." and that's it. Cue closing music. I'd have been fine with that, too.

There is a lot of "not seen" material from TWOK still out there. From the extended Kirk-spock exchange about Saavik's half romulian heritage, to the missing dialog in the travel pod, to the baby in Kahn's group sitting at the base of the genesis torpedo as it builds to detonation, to the "black face fall" (never to be seen because of legal reasons and perhaps destroyed), to Kirk losing the fight with David in the cave, and to the Saavik/David relationship angle culminating with the "she learns by doing" extended exchange as kirk arrives on the bridge at the beginning of the final scene.

That would be a part of the "original ending" that wouldn't effect the music cue.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjC_kIBVvFU[/yt]

 

[JRoss]

Black face fall? What was that?

 

[Uxi]

I really want a new version that replaces the re-used TMP footage with new Space Dock footage that we hear in the dialogue. Take the opportunity to put in all those cut scenes, especially Saavik. Was any of the Peter Preston crush stuff filmed? Or just his ABC scenes as Scotty's nephew?

 

[Harvey]

I really want a new version that replaces the re-used TMP footage with new Space Dock footage that we hear in the dialogue. Take the opportunity to put in all those cut scenes, especially Saavik. Was any of the Peter Preston crush stuff filmed? Or just his ABC scenes as Scotty's nephew?

I've seen an early cut of the movie, and it didn't have anything additional of note with Peter Preston. It does have a lot of deleted David/Saavik material, though.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Black face fall? What was that?

A sequence with Chekov reacting to the face at the portal (Khan's child), causing Chekov to scream and Terrell to tumble down an incline. A white stuntman had been ordered by the call sheet, but Meyer decided he needed him to double for Paul Winfield (instead of Chekov, as planned), and he asked Makeup to put the stuntman into blackface for the improvised scene. This goes against SEG regulations, since a black stuntman should have been hired.

It was briefly reported (in "Starlog?") but I was able to confirm it in an interview with Winfield prior to ST II's release. He was amazed that Aussie fans had heard all about the supposedly hushed-up incident.

 

[Mr Silver]

This was the original ending...

[yt]watch?v=9k5Aju0AHT4[/yt]

...And then common sense went out the window!

 

[Ryann866]

The final scene on the bridge was originally somewhat different. It was all filmed, but the first section of it was edited out and then changed with the addition of Kirk's new captain's log voiceover.

I think they made the change after a preview screening, feeling the tone needed to be more reflective.

Here's the scene as originally written:

INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE 247

The door whooshes. Kirk strides on the bridge, David with him. Carol is there with Bones; they are glad at what they see.

SAAVIK
Admiral on the bridge!

KIRK
As you were, Mr. Saavik.

SAAVIK
Aye, sir. On course to Ceti Alpha.
All is well.

KIRK
Good, I believe you already know
my, uh, son --

Saavik comes close to blushing --

KIRK
(continuing)
Yes, well, why don't you show him
around and...

SAAVIK
Aye, sir --

She takes him off, deadpan amusement --

SAAVIK
(continuing)
So you turn out to be the dumb
bastard.

They stare at her.

SAAVIK
(continuing)
That is a little joke.

Kirk has a smile. He joins Bones and Carol facing the screen.

BONES
She's changed her hair again.
(pause)
Will you look at that? Think
they'll name it for you, Doctor?

CAROL
Not if I can help it. We'll name
it for our friend.

KIRK
(quietly)
It is a far far better thing I do
than I have ever done before... a
far better resting place I go to
than I have ever known...

CAROL
(soft)
Is that a poem?

KIRK
Something Spock was trying to
tell me. On my birthday.

He shakes his head, remembering --

BONES
You okay, Jim? How do you feel?

KIRK
(considers; smiles)
Young. I feel young, Doctor.

He turns to Saavik and David --

KIRK
(continuing)
Lieutenant, new course: 'Second
star to the right and straight on
till morning.'

The bridge crackles with lights and CHATTER as we...

CUT TO:

247A THE VIEWSCREEN 247A

AND GO THROUGH TO:
248 EXT. SPACE FINALE (BOARDED)

SPOCK'S VOICE
Space, the final frontier... These
are the continuing voyages of the
Starship Enterprise... Her ongoing
mission: to explore strange new
worlds... to seek out new life and
new civilizations... To boldly go
where no man has gone before...

She is moving out now, passing CAMERA and heading
toward the distant stars. She is beautiful and they are beautiful. And as she slowly disappears from VIEW...

MUSIC RISES. CREDITS ROLL.

THE END


Meyer also talks about reshooting the scenes in the corridor leading to the Genesis cave. The shot a different version but came back after filming was finished to redo it.

 

[Kamdan]

This was the original ending...



...And then common sense went out the window!

I really wish the alternate ending where Spock leaves the ship (using footage from Star Trek: The Motion Picutre) could be reposted sometime. It was a riot!

 

[Grant]

They cut together a version of Chekov & Terrell being surprised by the baby at the 'window' of the cargo carrier without the 'black-face fall'. So they could include that in any deleted scene section-along with the scenes of the baby inside the cargo carrier and with the torpedo at the end.

 

[Fisherman'sWorf]

In his memoir book, To The Stars, George Takei also talked about a scene with Shatner being filmed, but because of Shatner's performance it was unusable.

If there's any truth to the story, Kirk is supposed to be informing Sulu of his promotion to captain, and getting command of Excelsior. Takei said that Shatner was so angry about the character's promotion he deliberately sabotaged the scene.

 

[Harvey]

I don't know if Shatner performed badly deliberately, but I've seen the extended version of that scene in the workprint version I've mentioned before -- and his performance isn't great.

 

[Data Holmes]

I don't know if Shatner performed badly deliberately, but I've seen the extended version of that scene in the workprint version I've mentioned before -- and his performance isn't great.

Where did you get to see the workprint?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Where did you get to see the workprint?

I saw the workprint of ST IV, but only because our local club's committee was helping the promoters organize the gala premiere in Sydney. Paramount had no spare final prints to send until just before the event so, in order for us to replicate costumes for our Spock lookalike, we got to see the workprint.


Buspak program by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

They still managed to get the name of the film wrong!

 

[Harvey]

I don't know if Shatner performed badly deliberately, but I've seen the extended version of that scene in the workprint version I've mentioned before -- and his performance isn't great.

Where did you get to see the workprint?

UCLA Film & Television Archive. It was made for an outside vendor to produce a trailer, so it's missing everything at the end that could tip someone off about Spock's death.