Treks disappearing directors

[IrishNero]

Yeah, Shatner sometimes gets singled out by fans for being difficult, perhaps unfairly, but Nimoy was known for insisting "A Vulcan wouldn't do that!"

Shatner has often earned that reputation with the fans, though that kind of reputation often takes on a life of its own and the legendary behavior becomes a round-the-clock thing in people's minds rather than the isolated events they often are. Besides, intensity, drive and focus is often mistaken for being difficult. Sometimes the actors take ownership of their characters, and want to protect them.

You have bitter, ex-co-stars to thank for establishing that. Starting on the 70s convention circuit, they (and Roddenberry) regularly peddled trash character assassination for money. You did not see Nimoy or Kelley trying to drag Shatner though the mud at every chance, but those who were ungrateful for what Shatner brought to ST, or thought (by some stretch of the imagination) that they were of equal importance to ST pushed this "bad Shatner" crap, long before any books even flirted with that idea.

Whether or not his co-stars are responsible for the whole of it, it's a classless move to perpetuate it. I think they should bury the hachet on it. It really sucks to watch a Star Trek movie with the knowledge that the co-stars actually hated their 'captain.'

 

[Forbin]

Koenig turned it around a few years ago. He must have gotten tired of the acrimony. He started pointing out that he, Takei and Nichols were only day players at the time, and realistically had no business expecting to be considered as important as the star and co-stars. He even said it to Shatner on that cable interview show Shat had a few years ago.

 

[Forbin]

I heard the director of Shore Leave, whose name escapes me at the moment, wasn't invited back because he clashed with Shatner.

A real shame because it's one of my favorite episodes.

I think it was the director of The Empath who, when Shatner and Nimoy told him he'd probably be invited back, said "No! I don't like working with you people."
(That's according to These Are the Voyages)

 

[Lance]

The story I heard is that, though they had an 'open door' policy to directors in season 1, in the second season they tried to streamline costs by just employing a couple of directors and rotating them from episode to episode as necessary.

Koenig turned it around a few years ago. He must have gotten tired of the acrimony. He started pointing out that he, Takei and Nichols were only day players at the time, and realistically had no business expecting to be considered as important as the star and co-stars. He even said it to Shatner on that cable interview show Shat had a few years ago.

This is why I like Koenig. He's honest, and he says it how it really is. I think maybe some of the other cast got primma donna-ish in the movies (like the story of Takei "holding out" for STV), but Koenig's always been pretty realistic about what his true place in the hierarchy is -- I can recall him saying at one point that he was always just happy to be brought along for the ride.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I think maybe some of the other cast got primma donna-ish in the movies (like the story of Takei "holding out" for STV)

Nothing prima donna-ish about one's agent attempting to get the very best deal they can for their client. Takei signed for ST II one day before the commencement of principal photography, and was promised a scene in which Sulu is promoted to captain (not used). IIRC, his special deal coinciding with ST III was representing Paramount by running with the Olympic Torch through the Asian district of Hollywood. For ST IV, he was to have the scene with his own (young) ancestor (rehearsed but unfilmed). And for ST VI, his character got to be a captain.

Worth holding out for!

 

[Harvey]

Koenig turned it around a few years ago. He must have gotten tired of the acrimony. He started pointing out that he, Takei and Nichols were only day players at the time, and realistically had no business expecting to be considered as important as the star and co-stars. He even said it to Shatner on that cable interview show Shat had a few years ago.

It's been a few years since I read it, but I didn't find Koenig's memoir to be particularly acrimonious. He's always been the most modest (and self-deprecating) of his co-stars.

Having said that, Koenig, Takei, Nichols, and Doohan were all regulars - not day players - at one point. Takei was reduced to day player status in season three. Doohan was a day player (albeit with a handshake agreement for multiple episodes) in season one, and elevated to a regular in seasons two and three. Nichols was made a regular for the first thirteen episodes of season two. And Koenig started as a day player in season two, and was hired on as a regular for season three.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Roddenberry was going to sell copies of the IDIC symbol by mail order from his “Lincoln Enterprises” company. He demanded that the IDIC symbol not be used and claimed he was being used to sell trinkets for Roddenberry.

I have never had a problem with that. Somewhere, long before I'd heard there was any controversy about the IDIC pendant - either in Susan Sackett's "Letters to Star Trek" or the Lincoln Enterprises' newsletter - there was a fan letter reprinted where Lincoln was being asked (by sufficient fans to create a market) for "Vulcan jewelry" to be sold. Of course, there really wasn't any "Vulcan jewelry" at that time, unless they extrapolated something from Spock's lyrette, or costumes and symbols used in "Amok Time" or "Journey to Babel".

So Roddenberry jotted the IDIC symbol on a napkin and explained how each element might relate to Vulcans. To satisfy (not create) fan demand. And Majel presumably sold hundreds of IDIC pendants, patches and badges after it featured in an episode of TOS.

My sympathies are totally with Nimoy and Shatner there. They were hired to act in a television show. Shilling merchandise for Roddenberry's private company in thinly-disguised commercials was not in their job descriptions. It was pretty underhanded of Roddenberry to try and sneak that past them, and they were right to speak out against that.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

This is why I like Koenig. He's honest, and he says it how it really is. I think maybe some of the other cast got primma donna-ish in the movies (like the story of Takei "holding out" for STV), but Koenig's always been pretty realistic about what his true place in the hierarchy is -- I can recall him saying at one point that he was always just happy to be brought along for the ride.

Koenig even volunteered to have his character killed off in STVI to help give it an air of finality. I can't imagine many of the other TOS actors doing the same.

 

[diankra]

The story I heard is that, though they had an 'open door' policy to directors in season 1, in the second season they tried to streamline costs by just employing a couple of directors and rotating them from episode to episode as necessary.

Bob Justman, Inside Star Trek p331: "I decided to mainly use only two alternating directors for the second season. It would be more efficient to have successful Star Trek veterans alternating episodes, rather than run the risk of breaking in directors new to the show. The main second-season directors would be Marc Daniels and Joe Pevney."
..."As soon as we had received the order for sixteen show, I made firm commitments with them for the early part of the season. We also had a handshake agreements for later; Marc and Joe gave us first refusal rights on their services. They would touch base with us before taking assignments elsewhere."
The problem came up later when NBC went to the line on picking up the option for 10 more episodes: they couldn't take up their handshake option on Daniels and Pevney beyond episode 16 until they knew there would be episode 17 and 18 to make... at least, not without committing Desilu to pay cancellation fees if the series wasn't picked up. So they took the jobs on offer elsewhere.
The change of producer from Gene Coon to Lucas would also be a factor: new producers bring in their contact books of people they've used before.