Studying and collecting original scripts

[Sir Rhosis]

^^^To expand on the quote Maurice posted above, per Heinlein's correspondence (1972-73, somewhere around there--I forget) with Harlan Ellison (quoted in Patterson's biography and on the Flat cat article on Wikipedia), he said (referring to David Gerrold ("nice kid") selling replica tribbles at conventions):

"If that matter had simply been dropped after that one episode was filmed, I would have chalked it up wryly to experience. But the 'nice kid' did not drop it; 'tribbles' (i.e. my 'flat cats') have been exploited endlessly… Well that’s one that did 'larn me.' Today if J. Christ phoned me on some matter of business, I would simply tell him: 'See my agent.'"

Now to be fair, obviously as a later date, we know that Robert and Ginny Heinlein became fast friends with Gerrold and left him some of their beloved cats when they grew too elderly to care for them. In turn, he dedicated a book or two to them, and so forth.

Sir Rhosis

 

[Eddie Roth]

I'm perhaps confusing blue with gray. Are there any blue covers?

Example of gray: this REVISED FINAL DRAFT, sent to Heinlein after he "okeydoked" the "sob story" Coon gave without seeing the script first. As he wrote to Harlan in 1975, "Well, that's one that did 'larn me.'"
View attachment 28994

That's exactly the kind of nugget that's so interesting to learn from such deep-diving. Very cool to have a piece of history like that.

All you experts, @Maurice @Sir Rhosis etc: do you happen to know the significance of the printed/stamped number in the upper right corner of script covers? They do not seem to correspond to either the episode's production number nor to the number of story assignments.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

I don't have much to add except that I'm thoroughly enjoying this thread so far. I do have a couple of questions though. How far in advance would production crew and actors receive scripts? Did they get them at the same time or were they staggered? How late could page revisions arrive?
It occurs to me I have no idea about the rehearsal to recording time for TOS. Did they do a table read, then a full rehearsal before recording?

 

[alchemist]

All you experts, @Maurice @Sir Rhosis etc: do you happen to know the significance of the printed/stamped number in the upper right corner of script covers? They do not seem to correspond to either the episode's production number nor to the number of story assignments.

That's the script number and they were machine stamped by the printing house who did the mimeographs (Ed Leavitt & Co.). Before Lincoln Enterprises was up and running, a typical script run was around 125 copies (more or less) and they were consecutively numbered. Generally, but not always, the lower numbered scripts went to the producers, the next higher numbered scripts went to the department heads, the next higher the actors, etc.

 

[Maurice]

That's the script number and they were machine stamped by the printing house who did the mimeographs (Ed Leavitt & Co.). Before Lincoln Enterprises was up and running, a typical script run was around 125 copies (more or less) and they were consecutively numbered. Generally, but not always, the lower numbered scripts went to the producers, the next higher numbered scripts went to the department heads, the next higher the actors, etc.

What he said.

 

[Eddie Roth]

That's the script number and they were machine stamped by the printing house who did the mimeographs (Ed Leavitt & Co.). Before Lincoln Enterprises was up and running, a typical script run was around 125 copies (more or less) and they were consecutively numbered. Generally, but not always, the lower numbered scripts went to the producers, the next higher numbered scripts went to the department heads, the next higher the actors, etc.

Aaaah, I see! That explains why the "Operation Annihilate" script pictured in the startrek.com article above has a "1" and "GR" on it. He would've gotten copy number one of course. Very interesting. Have you found that lower-numbered scripts fetch higher prices, e.g. because it can thus be assumed that it belonged to a "name"?

 

[Eddie Roth]

I don't have much to add except that I'm thoroughly enjoying this thread so far. I do have a couple of questions though. How far in advance would production crew and actors receive scripts? Did they get them at the same time or were they staggered? How late could page revisions arrive?
It occurs to me I have no idea about the rehearsal to recording time for TOS. Did they do a table read, then a full rehearsal before recording?

There seem to be some misgivings around concerning Marc Cushman and his books, but I wouldn't assume that he got dates and deadlines wrong. So maybe @Maurice may correct, but my knowledge from reading these books tells me that there were apparently never table reads (they're certainly not mentioned) and that rehearsals (as would be usual in film production) would not occur at a completely separate time from shooting days, but I would assume simply as a blocking or technical rehearsal right before the first take. That at least would be the typical way of doing it. Even episode directors didn't have more than a week I think for their prep.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

There seem to be some misgivings around concerning Marc Cushman and his books, but I wouldn't assume that he got dates and deadlines wrong. So maybe @Maurice may correct, but my knowledge from reading these books tells me that there were apparently never table reads (they're certainly not mentioned) and that rehearsals (as would be usual in film production) would not occur at a completely separate time from shooting days, but I would assume simply as a blocking or technical rehearsal right before the first take. That at least would be the typical way of doing it. Even episode directors didn't have more than a week I think for their prep.

So Trek used a rehearse/record method. I know Doctor Who production much better where they had a week's rehearsal then recorded the episode straight through. My knowledge of US TV production methods is not as good.

 

[Eddie Roth]

So Trek used a rehearse/record method. I know Doctor Who production much better where they had a week's rehearsal then recorded the episode straight through. My knowledge of US TV production methods is not as good.

I can't vouch for that. But I have never heard anything about specific rehearsal periods. And rehearsing on set right before filming the first take is the one and only method I know from my own (although few and far-between) ventures into filmmaking.

 

[Maurice]

The way the BBC shot, which was a mix of video and film, is an entirely different animal than on-film US TV production.

Cushman gets a lot right insofar as dates go, but we've caught him in some errors (e.g. mistaking an outline coming back from mimeo as a 2nd outline for a script when it was the word-for-word the same as the 1st). Such errors and his fabrications (see Horseplay Hooey here (link)) are enough to make us question the veracity of anything he writes.

We know they had a rehearsal day for "The Corbomite Maneuver", and IIRC Shatner asked for a table on set so the actors could sit down and work on scenes while the cameras were not rolling.

 

[Maab]

I like to collect Trek scripts, but the easy way, with copies or digital scans. The information you get from those are the same.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

So maybe @Maurice may correct, but my knowledge from reading these books tells me that there were apparently never table reads (they're certainly not mentioned) and that rehearsals (as would be usual in film production) would not occur at a completely separate time from shooting days, but I would assume simply as a blocking or technical rehearsal right before the first take.

There were table readings on Star Trek. Director Ralph Senensky described one for "Metamorphosis" in which Elinor Donahue's relative inexperience was ticking Shatner off, and Senensky had to tell him to lighten up on her. And I think it was a full-on table reading, not just a scene or two between takes. I also think Senensky went back and made some stealth edits to his blog post, to remove anything that might offend anyone, and that's why I can't find it now.

We know they had a rehearsal day for "The Corbomite Maneuver", and IIRC Shatner asked for a table on set so the actors could sit down and work on scenes while the cameras were not rolling.

I read that too. I'm struggling to find it now, but there was a director's interview saying that. He was annoyed that Shatner would use too much time rehearsing the cast at a table between takes.

And in that same interview, this director complained that television directors had become "errand boys" with no real power anymore. I'm sure it was in Starlog. I wish I could find it again.

 

[mb22]

There were table readings on Star Trek. Director Ralph Senensky described one for "Metamorphosis" in which Elinor Donahue's relative inexperience was ticking Shatner off, and Senensky had to tell him to lighten up on her. And I think it was a full-on table reading, not just a scene or two between takes. I also think Senensky went back and made some stealth edits to his blog post, to remove anything that might offend anyone, and that's why I can't find it now..

Have you tried the Wayback Machine function at Internet Archive? Assuming it was scanned, one can find web pages at various dates - you can search for the earliest one.

 

[Maurice]

I didn't say there weren't table readings. I said the only instance of a rehearsal day I know of was before "Corbomite".

As to Starlog, all the issues are on the Internet Archive. There aren't that many Star Trek directors. They can be pretty easily found using Google (Duck Duck Go and some other search engines don't work properly with boolean operators necessary), by searching like this:

site:archive.org starlog "marc daniels" interview

This is often a better way to find IA content than its internal search, depending on the subject.

That'll usually turn up the OCR of the issue, but you can get to the scan by chopping off everything after the issue number:

https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-172/page/n33/mode/2up?view=theater&q=senensky

Ralph Senensky interview
Marc Daniels interview
Joseph Pevney interview

Have you tried the Wayback Machine function at Internet Archive? Assuming it was scanned, one can find web pages at various dates - you can search for the earliest one.

The Wayback Machine is for retrieving web pages, not general searches.

 

[mb22]

The Wayback Machine is for retrieving web pages, not general searches.

True, but if you have the URL you can use it there to find the earliest version of the page before any possible alterations were made.

 

[mb22]

Corbomite director Joseph Sargent was interviewed in Starlog 121 (August 1987) but I don't see the material you mentioned.

Starlog Magazine Issue 121 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[Maurice]

True, but if you have the URL you can use it there to find the earliest version of the page before any possible alterations were made.

I misunderstood. You meant for searching for the Senensky comment. The oldest capture is here...
https://web.archive.org/web/20130109094516/http://senensky.com/metamorphosis/
...but it mentions a nothing about Donahue's inexperience or Shatner at all.

Nothing about it in the Bonus post either.
https://senensky.com/special-who-voiced-the-companion/

BTW, the easiest way to access the Wayback Machine is with its browser extension. You can also archive pages with it. Just search for Wayback Machine Plugin browsername

 

[Commishsleer]

I misunderstood. You meant for searching for the Senensky comment. The oldest capture is here...
https://web.archive.org/web/20130109094516/http://senensky.com/metamorphosis/
...but it mentions a nothing about Donahue's inexperience or Shatner at all.

Nothing about it in the Bonus post either.
https://senensky.com/special-who-voiced-the-companion/

BTW, the easiest way to access the Wayback Machine is with its browser extension. You can also archive pages with it. Just search for Wayback Machine Plugin browsername

From Donahue herself:
https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podca...d-the-odd-couple/id1550595194?i=1000531870869 at 8:33
I suppose this demonstrates that Shatner was concerned about the quality of the show even if he was a bit tough

 

[Maurice]

From Donahue herself:
https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podca...d-the-odd-couple/id1550595194?i=1000531870869 at 8:33
I suppose this demonstrates that Shatner was concerned about the quality of the show even if he was a bit tough

The part about Trek begins as 7:02, for those who wish to cut to the chase, and the part specifically about Shatner as 8:40. "He got a little annoyed with me during the table read and the director said 'Just leave her alone, will you.' But, he was fine [...] He saw I was professional about my work, and giving my best."

Nothing much to see here.

 

[alchemist]

Aaaah, I see! That explains why the "Operation Annihilate" script pictured in the startrek.com article above has a "1" and "GR" on it. He would've gotten copy number one of course. Very interesting. Have you found that lower-numbered scripts fetch higher prices, e.g. because it can thus be assumed that it belonged to a "name"?

Roddenberry's copy generally came from the first 10, not always the first script.

The value of an original TOS script depends on the episode, the draft, the original owner, whether it's annotated, it's condition, etc. The number by itself is not a good indicator of value.

Cushman gets a lot right insofar as dates go, but we've caught him in some errors (e.g. mistaking an outline coming back from mimeo as a 2nd outline for a script when it was the word-for-word the same as the 1st). Such errors and his fabrications (see Horseplay Hooey here (link)) are enough to make us question the veracity of anything he writes.

Yeah, he didn't/doesn't seem to understand the difference between a writer's draft and a studio draft. And, unfortunately, Memory Alpha has picked up this issue.

We know they had a rehearsal day for "The Corbomite Maneuver", and IIRC Shatner asked for a table on set so the actors could sit down and work on scenes while the cameras were not rolling.

They also did some table readings for "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "Mirror, Mirror."