STAR TREK no. 6149-06
THE MAN TRAP
THE MAN TRAP (MT) STARDATE: 1513.1 -- McCoy looks forward to meeting a former girlfriend when the Enterprise arrives at Planet M113 for an archeological survey ÿcolony's annual checkup and supply renewal. The landing party finds that Professor Crater and his wife, Nancy, are the sole survivors of the group. Crater seems unaffected by the unexplained demise of his fellow scientists, and says they need only salt tablets and to be left alone. McCoy sees Nancy Crater as a graciously graying but still attractive woman, but Kirk sees a much older woman and wonders at his friend's smitten blindness. The Captain is suspicious of Crater's attitude and of the situation. A landing party crewman is found dead after he wanders off with a blowsy blonde woman, whom he believes is a seductive Mrs. Crater. Alarmed, Kirk orders the landing party and the Craters to the ship over the Professor's objections. Nancy Crater's youthful appearance has rekindled tender feelings in McCoy, but she is actually the last of M113's native inhabitants, who killed Nancy and took her place. These creatures have the power of illusion but need sodium chloride to live; its kind became extinct when M113 was depleted of salt. Crater kept the creature alive because he is a scientist and it is the last of its race, but the professor's own salt supply is dwindling. Aboard the Enterprise, the creature assumes various human forms to entice crewmen, then kills them by draining salt from their bodies. Yeoman Janice Rand and Lieutenant Uhura both have narrow escapes. Having no human feelings of gratitude, the creature finally kills Crater for his body salt. Kirk and Spock learn its secret but are trapped by the salt-sucker. McCoy could rescue them, but the creature assumes Nancy's form and appeals to the doctor's old love for her. Spock uses his Vulcan strength to make the M113 creature return to its true form to retaliate the attack. McCoy is horrified and kills the salt vampire before it can kill Kirk.
CAST:
Kirk: WILLIAM SHATNER Spock: LEONARD NIMOY
McCoy: DeFOREST KELLEY Yeoman Janice Rand: GRACE LEE WHITNEY
Sulu: GEORGE TAKEI Uhura: NICHELLE NICHOLS
Nancy Crater (Nancy I & II): JEANNE BAL Blonde Nancy (III): FRANCINE PYNE
Professor Crater: ALFRED RYDER Crewman Darnell: MICHAEL ZASLOW
Crewman Green: BRUCE WATSON Uhura's crewman: VINCE HOWARD
M113 Creature: SHARON GIMPEL First Crewman Guard: GARRISON TRUE
Transporter Chief: LARRY ANTHONY "Beauregard" Puppeteer: BOB BAKER
UNCREDITED ATMOSPHERE:
Crewman Barnhart (man in fire control suit) Crewman Sturgeon
Second Crewman Guard Enterprise crew people
PRODUCTION
Directed by: Marc Daniels Written by: George Clayton Johnson
Created and Produced by: Gene Roddenberry Associate Producers: Robert H. Justman
John D.F. Black
Director of Photography: Jerry Finnerman Production Designer: Walter M. Jefferies
Music Composed and Conducted by: Alexander Courage Art Director: Rolland M. Brooks
Film Editor: Robert L. Swanson Assistant Director: Michael S. Glick
Set Decorator: Carl F. Biddiscombe Costumes Created by: William Theiss
Post Production Executive: Bill Heath Music Editor: Robert H. Raff
Sound Editor: Joseph G. Sorokin Sound Mixer: Jack F. Lilly
Photographic Effects: Howard Anderson Co. Script Supervisor: George A. Rutter
Music Consultant: Wilbur Hatch Music Coordinator: Julian Davidson
Special Effects: Jim Rugg Property Master: Irving A. Feinberg
Gaffer: George H. Merhoff Head Grip: George Rader
Production Supervisor: Bernard A. Widin Makeup Artist: Fred B. Phillips, S.M.A.
Hair Styles by: Virginia Darcy, C.H.S. Wardrobe Mistress: Margaret Makau
Sound: Glen Glenn Sound Co.
SEE LEXICON UNDER:
Acknowledge, Alkaloid, Apology, Archeological site, Archeological survey, Artifacts, Asteroid, BAL, JEANNE: Nancy Crater I & II, Crewman Barnhart, Beauregard, Blows, Books (in McCoy's room), Borgia plant, Buffalo, Chameleon, Conversation, Corinth IV [planet], Crater, Nancy, Crater, Professor Robert, Creature, M113, Cry, frequency, DANIELS, MARC [director], Darnell, Death, Deck 9 Section 2, trouble on, Diggings, Dispensary, Dominguez, Commander Jose', Earth history, Fire control uniform, Fright, General quarters 3, Glands, Gods, GQ3 Security, Great Bird of the Galaxy, Green, Harass, HOWARD, VINCE: Uhura's crewman, Hypnosis, Intruder Alert, JOHNSON, GEORGE CLAYTON [writer], Kill Laser (Crater used old-time laser pistol), Life Sciences Department: Botany, Love, M113 [planet], M113 creature, Merry chase, Moon, Mooning, M'Umbha, Nightshade, Passenger Pigeon, Phaser setting ¼, Pills, red, for sleep, Plum, Poison, PYNE, FRANCINE: Blonde Nancy III, Quarters, Recreation (changed from Games & Recreation), Religion ("Lord forgive me!"), McCoy, Report (as in "answer"), Rings, RYDER, ALFRED: Prof. Crater, Salt, Salt-sucker (use only as description: was never used), Salt tablets, Saurian brandy, Screams (Kirk), Sodium Chloride, Space happy, Speaker, Spook, Sturgeon, Swahili, Tonsils, Trespasser, Truth serum, Twitchy, UFP, Uhura's crewman, Violence, Vulcan, WATSON, BRUCE: Crewman Green, Weeper, Wife, ZASLOW, MICHAEL: Crewman Darnell
NOTES ADDED TO LEXICON
TREK HISTORY: This was the first episode to air on television. Ironically, it was not one of the two pilots filmed to introduce the series. The viewer is thrown into the STAR TREK universe with very little background, and introduced to the characters and situation with no previous information. Yet in spite of this abrupt introduction, STAR TREK became popular and fans identified with the characters very quickly. (MT) "The Man Trap" was written by GEORGE CLAYTON JOHNSON, co-author (with WILLAM NOLAN) of "Logan's Run," which became a movie, then a TV series. "The Man Trap" was the only STAR TREK episode by George ever filmed. He wrote another Star Trek script, "Rockabye Baby, Die! Die!" but it was never filmed. George didn't like what was done to the storyline, and bought it back! That is real integrity. Other writers bitch and complain about how their works are treated, but they take the money (and often the awards) and run. (MT) When Dr. Crater (ALFRED RYDER) is stunned by phaser fire, the camera is slowed to speed up his fall, then the soundtrack is slowed to emphasize the effect of his being stunned. (MT) Many futuristic salt shakers were purchased to use in this episode, on tables, and on Janice Rand's tray to Sulu. Later, these salt shakers showed up as McCoy's medical instruments! (MT) The Enterprise sickbay is called the "dispensary." (MT) Kirk says "Captain's log, additional entry" -- the standard term became "Captain's Log, supplemental. (MT) Sulu says to Janice: "May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet" - this was a reference to STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry. It was started by Associate Producer Robert H. Justman. Fans were quick to pick up on this "blessing" and frequently use it to this day. (MT) Chekov had not been introduced to the show, yet. (MT) They were still working out everyone's stations on the bridge. For this episode, Sulu is at the communications console; he later became the navigator. Uhura is at the sciences and then at the navigation console; she later became a permanent fixture at the communications console. (MT) The communicators make a chirping sound instead of the sharp beep that becomes a standard in subsequent episodes. (MT) They are still working out the settings on the weapons. Spock's phaser is on "one-quarter" while Kirk's is on stun, when they meet the salt creature. Kirk's phaser shoots a beam, but Crater is hit by a bolt. (MT) This is the first "He's dead, Jim" in the original series. The body count for this show was Crater, one blue-shirt, three red-shirts, plus the M113 salt creature. (MT) The Beauregard hand-puppet was designed by then-unknown puppeteer BOB BAKER. It looks like a hairy barrel cactus with pink chiffon moving flower. The puppet was built on a large gardening glove. (MT) Last line: "Warp one, leaving orbit" (Sulu to Kirk) (MT)
DOCTOR McCOY: This was very much his show, setting the mood of for Doctor McCoy which fans would recognize and love throughout three seasons and six movies. Almost everyone recognized his sarcasm as a disguise for loving his friends; his constant verbal attacks on Spock as a means of bringing the Vulcan out of his corner. There was never a doubt, from this show onward, that Dr. McCoy was one of the most sympathetic and caring individuals on the series -- it hit a chord in the viewers that has never abated. (MT) McCoy's quarters are room number 3F 127. (MT) McCoy says "Lord forgive me" before he shoots the M113 creature. This sets the stage for the doctor being much more spiritual minded than many of the other Enterprise people. (MT) Nancy Carter is the "one woman" in McCoy's past - knew her 12 years before. Yet he was also married at one time (which he never discusses) and has a daughter. Would this imply that he was carrying the torch for Nancy even during his marriage, or that the marriage occurred before he met Nancy? (MT) McCoy is already nettled by his Captain's way with women, for he comments to Kirk: "Is that how you get girls to like you - bribery?" (MT) For once, Kirk has to chide McCoy about "thinking with your glands" instead of the other way around. (MT) McCoy says "Sir" to Kirk -- he doesn't do that again, except in extreme sarcasm. (MT) Nancy calls McCoy "Leonard" -- no one else ever does so until "Friday's Child" when Eleen calls him that. (MT) Not too surprisingly, there are books in McCoy's quarters, but inexplicably placed on the shelf spines up. His bookends look like South Seas Island tikis. (MT) Writers were still thinking in 1960's style: McCoy has lots of small red-hots sized red pills that should cause him to sleep or at least rest; Kirk suggested the Dr. take some. Today's TREK does not show as much pill-taking as the original series. (MT) A large potted plant in McCoy's room is large-leaved, dark green with lavendar strip down the center of each leaf. Perhaps it is an alien plant that does not develop bacteria in the damp soil -- one of the reasons why doctors do not like to have plants in their offices. (MT)
UHURA: If this show is McCoy's piece, the secondary slot must go to Lt. Uhura. She gets more dialog in this episode than in many subsequent shows, and shows to good advantage while teasing Spock. (MT) Uhura is very talkative when flirting with Spock. She knows he won't flirt back and enjoys the joke. When Uhura comments on romance and full moons, Spock pedandently points out that "Vulcan has no moon." Uhura archly answers, "I'm not surprised, Mr. Spock." (MT) Uhura's crewman -- actually the M113 creature -- speaks Swahili: "Nina ku dhania mwanamke mzuri" (I think of you, beautiful lady). Uhura answers: "Hali Gani, mzenzi" (How are you, friend?). Researcher Joan Pearce found the Swahili for them to use. Check to see if either said "Usijue upekee kamwe" (You should never know loneliness), which was one other suggestion. (MT) Uhura reproofs Spock: "Captain Kirk is the closest thing you have to a friend." (MT) Uhura complains that the door to her quarters still rattles and asks Bobby, a maintenance technician in blue wrap-coveralls, to fix it. This is the only indication that the Enterprise has a repair crew. (MT) When the turbolift opens with Uhura in it, she stands there until the males part to let her pass - almost regally. (MT)
THE ENTERPRISE: Futuristic food served on the Enterprise includes celery with the top left on; red "cheese"; red, green and orange fruit chunks; a salt shaker. Wonder what GEORGE TAKEI thought of that lunch? (MT) The transporter slider bar is sticky; the transporter chief has trouble with it, when he beams the landing party back up. (MT) Spock is almost emotional when Kirk's life is in danger; as he became more and more Vulcan, we don't see this as often. (MT) The Enteprise turbolift is shown with other people in it, like a regular elevator. This does not happen very often in future episodes. (MT) The crew eats on duty, when necessary. (MT)
PLANET M113 & THE CREATURE: M113 has a red sky -- this was one of the easiest alien skies to do. (MT) The original M113 culture is interesting: there is a Chaldean lion statue in the ruins. (MT) Budget was always a problem: the interior of the Crater's quarters on planet M113 are the same as in "The Naked Time" and "Errand of Mercy." (MT) Professor Carter calls M113 "my planet" so he is evidently at home on a dry, hostile world with a large salt-sucking creature that killed his wife. Talk about scientific detachment! (MT) How to tell when a transformed human is really the M113 salt creature: the person licks his lips, chews on back of his knuckle. Also, when transformed into a human, it walks and talks in slower reaction time. (MT) The M113 creature was later seen briefly in "The Squire of Gothos" as a stuffed trophy of the inventive Trelane. (MT)
COSTUMES: STAR TREK was still working out costumes, future technology and whether the colors of the uniforms meant anything. Uhura is in a red uniform in this episode, but she is also seen in some episodes in a gold uniform. That also showed the sequence in which the shows were filmed, then aired (MT) The braid on uniform sleeves is closer together and Uhura's neckline is different - more symmetrical. The uniforms were still in a state of flux, too. (MT) The doctor sleeps in black T-shirt; no information on what else he wears, as he had a blanket pulled up to his waist. (MT) The landing party wears brown leather phaser belts; this was later replaced with the Velcro™ patches on the uniform pants to hold the smaller phaser. (MT) Some crewmen wear coveralls; women in pants, as well as skirts. (MT)
BLOOPERS & QUERIES: A crewman wears life support suit in Jeffries Tube; wonder why? This is inside the ship, which should have full life support in all areas. (MT) Spock has red blood, though it is eventually established that Vulcans have copper-based green blood. (MT) In sickbay, McCoy uses tongue depressor for the first and last time. Then the writers woke up and realized that with a medical tricorder that could read the entire human body, they wouldn't need anything as primitive as a wooden tongue depressor! (MT) Kirk likes his food hot and spicy, judging by his enthusiasm for the "hand-picked...prime Mexican chili peppers" from Commander Dominguez (wonder what KIND of chilies??) (MT) Sturgeon's body was found near Green's body before Kirk and Spock beamed down to get Crater. Why didn't the transporter officer find Green when he went to retrieve Sturgeon's body to bring it home? Had he done so and raised suspicion earlier, the show would have been a lot shorter! (MT)
