Many moons ago when my website, RALPH’S CINEMA TREK: A Journey In Film took flight, I wrote:
STAR TREK was a phenomenon. I directed six and a half episodes of the original series, working a total of ninety days. I worked many more days than that on just the pilot of DYNASTY. I directed twice as many episodes of THE WALTONS and two and half times as many episodes of THE FBI; I directed more episodes of THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY and more episodes of THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER than I did of STAR TREK. And yet today if you google-search my name on the internet, you will think I spent most of my career directing STAR TREK.
Today, three years shy of half a century since its birth, the phenomenon known as STAR TREK shows no sign of dimming. In fact, as of this month, September, 2013, its fame is exploding courtesy of the unprecedented fervor of a man who was in the fifth grade the year the USS Enterprise first shot into orbit. Now grown up Marc Cushman has written a remarkable tome — THESE ARE THE VOYAGES (TOS). Books have been written about STAR TREK before. Books have ben written about almost every successful television series, but never has there been a chronicle like the present one. I am only half way through the 541 pages of the first volume about Season One (Season Two and Season Three will be out within the next six months). I have read about the first 11 voyages; I have 13 more voyages to cover before I came aboard (but I have peeked), and I have been completely blown away by the enormity of the challenge Marc faced.
The first 78 pages (and they are oversized pages) present in minute detail the development of the series from a seed of an idea in Gene Roddenberry’s head through the filming of TWO pilots. When he gets to the actual voyages, Marc is just as meticulous. For each voyage he presents THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY – the arduous struggle from the contributing writer’s original pitch through the multiple Story Outlines (all after the first one being gratis), through the original author’s Draft Teleplay (again followed by gratis revised Drafts). Marc presents in detail the voluminous notes to the writer for script changes that came from the network (NBC), from Robert Justman concerning production problems and from Gene Roddenberry, always concerned with keeping the script in line with his vision of STAR TREK. Marc follows this constant reworking of the script as it moved across the desk of staff writers until finally Gene Roddenberry would do a final rewrite, without taking any onscreen credit.
Marc’s microscopic eye then continues as the scripts move through PRE-PRODUCTION, a PRODUCTION DIARY and finally POST-PRODUCTION. As I stated above, I was in awe of the enormity of the project. All of this would be commendable if it were merely presented Jack Webb-DRAGNET style – “just the facts. ma’am.” But it’s more. Marc has dramatized the events. He takes his readers into the offices where the pre-production activities occurred, onto the soundstages and locations for the filming and into the editing rooms and optical houses for the post-production. It’s an exciting and hair-raising ride.
I am impressed, but feel a little guilty. Filming on the series began in May, 1966. I arrived to direct THIS SIDE OF PARADISE 7 months later in January, 1967. Oh I’ve read about the script revisions on PARADISE that preceded my arrival, but once filming began, I faced none of the turmoil that I am reading about in the early months of production. My major problem, in fact my only problem was on my third day of filming at the Disney Ranch when Jill Ireland did not report to the location because it was feared she had measles. She didn’t, and even that worked to my advantage. Since the Disney Ranch was no longer available for us to finish our work there, we were forced to film the remaining location scenes in Bronson Canyon. I have always felt that the Canyon provided a better place than the Disney Ranch to film those final scenes, especially because of that wonderful tree limb where Mr. Spock so charmingly dangled.
I will be looking forward to the arrival in November of Volume Two, the story of the second season. I know that I will be more than interested as Marc delves into the turmoil that this time I was involved in, the turmoil that followed the purchase of Desilu Studios by Paramount.
But for now I am more than content to return to finishing reading Volume One.
LATEST BREAKING NEWS: Plus being a great read (I have read it cover to cover and am now going back and rereading) THE PRICE AT AMAZON HAS JUST DROPPED TO $27.95. I’m even more anxious for Season Two to arrive.
Ralph, this was so unexpected. We have recieved wonderful reviews on this book, but none have greater meaning to me than those who come from the people who had a hand in making Star Trek. And now one of that talented group has put his words down in writing to share with others. I am blushing … and glowing at the same time … and I thank you. Marc Cushman.
You can stop blushing — but continue to glow. In the words of John Houseman — YOU’VE EARNED IT!
Dear Mr. Cushman,
I’ve just finished reading your book (I read it in 5 days!), and must congratulate you on the exemplary and extraordinary work you’ve done.
Until now, Solow and Justman’s book was my “Bible” regarding The Original Series, now it has found a serious competitor on my shelf. And in fact, what I truly appreciated in your fine book is that you’ve examined Star Trek from a wide range of perspectives, not just from the producers’ point-of-view like Inside Star Trek.
I enjoyed reading through the trivia (in which even I could find things I’ve never known) and the production process for each and every episode. (I must say, coming from a small country in Eastern Europe with a small-budget film industry, the stories decipted in filming episodes, like Shore Leave or The Alternative Factor were quite familiar.)
So, congratulations and I’m awaiting the next two volumes!
Dániel Rudolf
(from the same country and city as “the Horta and the Mugato” came from)
So happy to see this Ralph, working on TOST was important to me, both at the time and for what it has given me today. I just hope people remember Gene Coon was there. so often all I hear about is The Great Bird, Herb and Bobby Justman. I can never forget how they took Nichelle’s cute story about me from her book and corrupted it. That was a bit of dishonesty I never would have expected. just because I disappeared to Australia 40 years ago when Gene died, doesn’t mean that I’m not still interested. Anyway, nice to see you back.
sorry, to clarify: it was herb and bobby, not Gene R
The website trekbbs.com has message boards on ‘Star Trek’ and its various offspring. In the forum for The Original Series, someone started a thread for this book and it’s up to 465 comments.
Have you flipped ahead to see if the author discovered the specific reason why you were switched from “Devil in the Dark” to “This Side of Paradise”? I think it was a lucky break for you, although DITD (directed by Joe Pevney) is a good episode.
I certainly did peek. Gene Coon thought because it was my first show that DITD would be too difficult.
Hello fellow Ralph! I’m so glad you found Marc Cushman’s book and have been enjoying it. I savored it all summer, sipping it one page at a time to get all of the details. (Now I’ve just received what’s billed as an “updated and expanded” version of the season one book, which is both exciting and frustrating…how am I supposed to know what parts are updated and expanded? One thing that’s early to tell is that there are many more photos than in the first edition, all of them fascinating.
Ralph, it’s been a little while since we exchanged some thoughts on your site and I wanted you to know I’m glad you’re keeping the site alive and adding new material. Other than the fact that we both share the burden of one of the more unfortunate “given” names on the planet (I wouldn’t have been surprised if in “The Way to Eden” the space hippies called Kirk “Ralph” instead of “Herbert”), you are one of my Star Trek heroes. I hope all is well with you!
Ralph Adler
I enjoyed all three volumes! I’m now revisiting them by listening to the audiobook editions, which includes narration and guest performers.
http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/audiobook—these-are-the-voyages.html
Enjoy! I’m one of the guest performers on Volume 1 — THIS SIDE OF PARADISE!
I just ordered the audiobooks and am really looking forward to them. If COVID has done any good at all for me, it’s given me time to stop and read and listen. Never pass up a silver lining when it comes your way.