TOS in glorious . . . black and white

[jk82]

But I get tired of hearing how the colors of the sets and uniforms were garish.

Who said so? The colors in TOS are so vibrant and gorgeous to look at. I don't find them distracting at all. On the other hand I tried recently to watch TNG and DS9 on Netflix but the colors/lighting are so depressingly bland/dark that I kept losing interests and falling asleep.

However I don't understand why Kirk was put in those green shirts especially that wraparound shirt. That color doesn't convey a lot of gravitas or authority.

 

[T'Girl]

especially that wraparound shirt

It would have been different if William Shatner had great shoulder and arm muscles to show off, not bulging just defined, but he didn't.

I'm not saying that Shatner was out of shape because he wasn't, it just that he was average muscled for the day.

 

[HGN2001]

In the second and third year of STAR TREK, that summer cabin black & white TV came into play as STAR TREK was moved to Friday nights. So the early-season and late-season episodes I originally saw in black & white. Quite a change after getting used to it in color.

And of course, the first time we all saw "The Cage" in the '80s, some of the scenes from Gene's workprint were in black & white. Those survive on the DVD's and Blu-Rays to this day.

Harry

 

[Captain Robert April]

At the beginning of each season, Shatner showed up for work in great shape, fit, toned, etc, the uniforms were fresh and new, and he looked great in his velour jammies.

However, as the season wore on, two things happened.

1) Shatner got a bit lax in his exercise routine, and wasn't quite so fit and toned. Not fat, just a bit less lean.

2) Velour, particularly velour from that period, shrinks every time when dry cleaned, and all the costumes were dry cleaned every night.

So, between Shatner picking up a few pounds as the weeks wore on, and the shirt shrinking a bit every day, and we have a perfect storm for making your leading man look fatter than he really is. Just compare Shatner's tunic in "The Corbomite Maneuver" and in "Operation: Annihilate!".

The green wraparound number was made to accommodate this situation, by virtue of the fact that it's easily adjustable.

By the time the third season came around, they'd switched to a double-knit material that didn't shrink when dry cleaned, so no need for an alternate design.

 

[jk82]

At the beginning of each season, Shatner showed up for work in great shape, fit, toned, etc, the uniforms were fresh and new, and he looked great in his velour jammies.

However, as the season wore on, two things happened.

1) Shatner got a bit lax in his exercise routine, and wasn't quite so fit and toned. Not fat, just a bit less lean.

2) Velour, particularly velour from that period, shrinks every time when dry cleaned, and all the costumes were dry cleaned every night.

So, between Shatner picking up a few pounds as the weeks wore on, and the shirt shrinking a bit every day, and we have a perfect storm for making your leading man look fatter than he really is. Just compare Shatner's tunic in "The Corbomite Maneuver" and in "Operation: Annihilate!".

The green wraparound number was made to accommodate this situation, by virtue of the fact that it's easily adjustable.

By the time the third season came around, they'd switched to a double-knit material that didn't shrink when dry cleaned, so no need for an alternate design.

That explains why Kirk's shirts always seem too tight, especially after lunch. LOL Anyway I quite like the beefy Kirk and I don't mind the style of the wraparound shirt. But I don't like the shirt's color and I don't understand why they decided on that kind of green.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Because it looked funky on camera. Same reason they stuck with the velour for as long as they did in spite of the shrinkage problem, it looks great on camera.

RCA had to beat Zenith for market share, dammit! Gotta move those sets, and Uncle Milty ain't comin' back!

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I don't remember much from that period, but I sure remember that one...

In fact, based on your age as posted here on TrekBBS and elsewhere it's not possible that you remember even that.

 

[Captain Robert April]

What, 47 isn't old enough to remember the late 60's?

 

[Smellincoffee]

Closest I've come to seeing TOS in black and white is seeing the original pilot that way, as featured with the third TOS set...but of course, uniforms and set design were altered greatly, so I'm not getting the exact effect.

 

[jayrath]

I'm not a moderator, but I did start this thread. Please, no personal attacks, and no sidetracks to Shatner's weight, uniform cloth, etc.

 

[scotpens]

And of course, the first time we all saw "The Cage" in the '80s, some of the scenes from Gene's workprint were in black & white. Those survive on the DVD's and Blu-Rays to this day.

“The Cage” was restored to its original, full-color version sometime back in the ’90s. I recall reading somewhere that the bits that were cut from the original color negative to make the two-part ep “The Menagerie” were found at Paramount in a mislabeled can.

I'm not a moderator, but I did start this thread. Please, no personal attacks, and no sidetracks to Shatner's weight, uniform cloth, etc.

Well, someone mentioned the color and cut of Shatner’s wraparound tunic, so I think a few words regarding the actor’s weight and fitness level are relevant to the topic at hand. I mean, it’s not like anyone was hijacking the thread to discuss Shatner’s toupee.

 

[Warped9]

I initially started watching TOS in B&W and only saw it in colour maybe a year later. I thought it looked fine in B&W. Indeed once in awhile I'll tone the colour down for a bit of a retro experience and it's kinda fun.

I actually made the attempt to watch a couple of episodes in black and white. And I liked it a lot better. But that's just me, since I don't like the ultra colorful and camp look of TOS.

 

[RAMA]

I saw it in black and white--family didn't have a color tv till 1980--there was nothing glorious about it.

Please. Watching TOS in black and white was fun. I've been known to dial down the color and watch in b&w from time to time.

I miss childhood, when it was about the stories not whether or not you watched it on the latest gadget.

We can tell, nostalgia seems to be your most identifiable trait.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

When I was growing up, my parents had a color TV upstairs, while my brother and I shared a black and white one downstairs. We didn't exactly refuse to watch Star Trek just because we had to watch it in black and white. On the contrary, we were elated.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

When "Tin Man" was first broadcast I watched it with my family, coauthor and some friends.

Later in the evening I put in the tape, turned the color adjustment on the set all the way down, and watched it in black and white. Then I believed that I'd worked for Star Trek.

 

[BillJ]

We can tell, nostalgia seems to be your most identifiable trait.

Maybe...

But I feel sorry for you, you seem unable to simply enjoy something for what it is. I've watched Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation on pretty much every type of display from 12" black and white to a 40" LCD. Five minutes in I'm so engrossed in the actual story being told I take little notice of the display or format.

It's why most people aren't as mesmerized by the new effects as you are... they simply enjoy the stories first and foremost. Everything else is just gravy.

 

[T'Bonz]

Gee, I go away to a Trek convention for a few days...

 

[Navigator_NCC2120]

What, 47 isn't old enough to remember the late 60's?

Of course it is old enough to remember the late 1960s, I am 48 and I remember it too. But to be fair I think NBC used that catch phrase ("in living color") and the animated peacock image until about 1974, so I may be remembering it from the early 1970s. I also remember when I went to my first Star Trek convention in August 1978 I got to see TOS blooper reels for the first time and I think the blooper reels had the NBC catch phrase and peacock at the beginning of the reels. I think at one point a hand held phaser is fired and then the NBC peacock is shown, which was supposed to mean the phaser fired on the peacock. So I could be remembering the NBC catch phrase from August 1978.


Navigator NCC-2120 USS Entente
/\

 

[HGN2001]

For anyone feeling nostalgic about STAR TREK in black & white, here are a few DVD screen captures with the color saturation removed:

Harry

 

[Warped9]

Well, that's what my first exposure to Star Trek Looked like. And one thing you can say is that it helped hide some production sins. Of course the biggest aide to obscuring production sins in those days was the poor resolution of the era's television sets.