What Was The Best Fred Phillips Make Up Job On An Alien?

[Redfern]

I'll admit the strategist use of theatrical greasepaint and a bald cap really helped the Ruk motif, but the costume? Did the infamously colorblind Hal Sutherland (who directed 21 of the animated Star Trek episodes) sneak in behind Bill Theiss and swap fabric swatches? I mean..."pink"?! It makes his robes look like a house coat my grandmother often wore!

Yeah, keep the cut of the outfit, but couldn't they have used other colors?

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Superman likes pink very much.

 

[Vulagr]

Making Kirk look human.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Interesting. In all the outlines and drafts for the In Thy Image/TMP scripts I've seen there's never been a hint of such a scene. I wonder if this is a misremembrance or perhaps a Roddenberry brainstorm that never actually made it to the page.

It seems to me that it was part of Fred's initial brief when designing the aliens, so yeah, a Roddenberry brainstorm. The assumption that there would be opportunities for closeups in the movie. It certainly wasn't, "We need lots of aliens in luxurious costumes and elaborate over-the-head masks who will be barely be seen in the background."

As I said, Fred was originally led to believe the scene would be reminiscent of the "Journey to Babel" banquet. What changed was Robert Wise's appointment as director.

Of course, the other reason would probably be: if TMP was intended (in one scenario) to kick off a series of telemovies, utilising the already-prepared "Phase II" scripts, Roddenberry was seemingly stockpiling lots of expensive costumes with TMP's wardrobe budget. I was amazed how many Epsilon Nine space station costumes were auctioned off by "It's a Wrap!". They could have set a whole TV series on a 23rd century space station and never have to create another uniform, leisure robe, sickbay outfit or space station insignia badge!

Ditto all those ambassador's robes, many made with bolts of fabric that had been in the Paramount vaults since the days of Cecil B. de Mille.

 

[Maurice]

I dunno, it still seems odd that he'd be making all these masks for a scene that wasn't in any script that's ever surfaced. You'll probably disagree, but I suspect the masks were made for "Starfleet Headquarters" scenes and not a "banquet" and that Phillips merely misremembered the details. People do it all the time.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I dunno, it still seems odd that he'd be making all these masks for a scene that wasn't in any script that's ever surfaced. You'll probably disagree, but I suspect the masks were made for "Starfleet Headquarters" scenes and not a "banquet" and that Phillips merely misremembered the details. People do it all the time.

I didn't write down the conversation we had, of course, but "like the banquet" could easily be the HQ sequence. It was supposed to capture the feel of that JtB sequence: a way to showcase the aliens and progress the plot. Many of the alien masks were also used in the rec deck scene, but the notes on a few of Robert Fletcher's drawings (ie. Saurian) are marked "Rec Deck only". But Fred was expecting the aliens to get closeups, and deliberately designed a few for dialogue/eating, if required.

Was dialogue ever scripted for the Nogura scene? I know they'd suggested casting and even built a wall to be in his office, but that scene seems to have been dropped quite early. Again, strange that a set was being built if no version of the scene was actually scripted to final draft.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Was dialogue ever scripted for the Nogura scene? I know they'd suggested casting and even built a wall to be in his office, but that scene seems to have been dropped quite early. Again, strange that a set was being built if no version of the scene was actually scripted to final draft.

The Nogura scene was scripted in the PHASE II draft of "In Thy Image."

 

[Maurice]

^^^Yup, which is why those set elements were built.

 

[Captain Tracy]

I don't know if it was FP or not, but what about the visually effective, inexpensive, and story-relevant mak

e-up of Loki and Bele from 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield' ?

Brilliant in simplicity and relevance.

 

[KirksStuntMan]

I don't know if it was FP or not, but what about the visually effective, inexpensive, and story-relevant mak

e-up of Loki and Bele from 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield' ?

Brilliant in simplicity and relevance.

...and it really makes you wonder...every imaginable part of their unseen bodies is also half and half colored. Too frightening to even think about.

 

[Maurice]

I don't know if it was FP or not, but what about the visually effective, inexpensive, and story-relevant mak

e-up of Loki and Bele from 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield' ?

Brilliant in simplicity and relevance.

...and it really makes you wonder...every imaginable part of their unseen bodies is also half and half colored. Too frightening to even think about.

Squeamish much?

 

[KirksStuntMan]

I don't know if it was FP or not, but what about the visually effective, inexpensive, and story-relevant mak

e-up of Loki and Bele from 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield' ?

Brilliant in simplicity and relevance.

...and it really makes you wonder...every imaginable part of their unseen bodies is also half and half colored. Too frightening to even think about.

Squeamish much?

No, I'm just glad that the NBC censors deleted the strip search scenes when Bele and Lokai came aboard the Enterprise.