ALL SCI-FI

[Pow]

Cleveland Amory's March 25, 1967 TV Guide Review of Star Trek.

The mission of the "Star Ship" Enterprise is to seek out and discover new worlds---"To boldly go," as is stated each week, "where no man has gone before." In other words, Enterprise not only splits the infinite---but, horror of horrors, infinitives, too. And quite a trip this good ship has each week.

The Enterprise has plenty of fun places to go, and, make no mistake about it, it has fun people to go to those fun places.

First of all, there is Captain Kirk (William Shatner), who's pretty close to the last of the clean-cutters. When he says sternly, "Affirmative" or "Negative" to some scheming girl yeoman, you just know---well, he yeomans it.

Second, there is his space mate, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), a "science officer" who not only has pointed ears but also, we are told, a "precise, logical" turn of mind [which he] inherited from his father, a native of the planet Vulcanis, who married an Earth woman. (We've) warned you men before about marrying below you.

Third, there is Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelly) who is, we are also informed, "the oldest and most experienced space traveler on the ship." (If he's too old for you, girls, look at it this way---200 years from now, what will it matter?)

And fourth and fifth, there are Mr. Sulu (George Takei), "the helmsman", and Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), a beautiful Negro communication officer.

Altogether, they're so darn well-integrated internationally that it seems a pity to waste them on outer space. We need them right here on Earth.

Most of the trips, of course, involve shoot-'em-ups of one sort or another. Our favorite trip was to a beautiful planet where the crew saw, in short order, a large White Rabbit, a small Alice ("You follow the rabbit," Shatner barks, "and I'll backtrack the girl"), a Don Juan, a tiger, a Japanese samurai, a German strafing plane, a Black Knight (apparently a loser in the Ajax contest), as well as a rather hazy girl friend of Captain Kirk's of 15-years before (Shirley Bonne) and a man named Finnegan (Bruce Mars), an upperclassman who had actually hazed Kirk at the Space Academy.

Even when it turned out that all these hallucinations were hallucinated up by the crewman themselves, we still weren't out of the woods because one of them, the Black Knight, looked like the real McCoy---or at least real enough to kill Dr. McCoy.

"It's my fault!" cried yeoman Tonia Barrows (Emily Banks), who had Hallucinated up both Don Juan and the Black Knight. "I'm to blame!" But Captain Kirk shook her. "I need every crewman alert," he said. "Face front. Don't talk. Don't think. Don't breathe!" It was good advice---and in our opinion the best way for an adult to watch this show. For the kids, though, let 'em breathe. Let 'em even hallucinate. They'll love it.

[Bud Brewster]

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This is a fun piece to read, Pow!

We get to spot the mistakes which Cleveland Amory made, like the one that shows he did do this homework —

"Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) . . . a native of the planet Vulcanis, . . ."

— and his week attempts at humor —

""To boldly go," as is stated each week, "where no man has gone before." Enterprise not only splits the infinite — but, horror of horrors, infinitives, too."

— his "funny" references to commercials from the 1960s —

" . . . a Black Knight (apparently a loser in the Ajax contest)."

— his outdated use of terms referring to race —

" . . . Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), a beautiful Negro communication officer . . . "

— and his apparent disdain for Star Trek in general.

Captain Kirk shook her. "I need every crewman alert," he said. "Face front. Don't talk. Don't think. Don't breathe!" It was good advice — and in our opinion the best way for an adult to watch this show. For the kids, though, let 'em breathe. Let 'em even hallucinate. They'll love it.

Obviously Mr. Amory picked an episode which (in his opinion) proved that the series was not suitable for adult viewing. He used it to poke fun at a series which has since gone to successful syndication, as well as inspiring eight spinoffs and numerous big-budget motion pictures!

Mr. Amory passed away on October 14, 1998. It's ironic that Star Trek has outlived him by 26 years . . . and its still going strong.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I've had a blast reading these old TV Guide reviews by Amory, and others, which are posted on Facebook. My folks had a subscription to TVG forever, I remember reading them with joy yesteryear. Even if they do a negative critique of a show that I love, I still can grin & chuckle because of their wit and snark doing their reviews.

I was surprised Amory was so kindly disposed to Star Trek. I cannot recall for sure, but I don't believe he was all that fond of science fiction series.

One error he made was describing the "German strafing plane." It was supposed to be a Japanese Zero fighter, at least in the dialogue. What aircraft was really used in the (I assume) stock footage, I cannot say for certain.

Amory left out Grace Lee Whitney (Janice Rand), and Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), in his listing of the cast.

This fun episode was scripted by noted SF author Theodore Sturgeon. Would have been cool if Amory could have mentioned that, letting viewers know that serious SF writers were associated with the show. So few SF series back then employed SF writers, and it showed, in a bad way.

I feel that instead of mentioning so many of the plot details in "Shore Leave," Amory could have written about the amazing transporters of the Enterprise. That was such an innovative concept for a show. And how about the faster-than-light engine system for the Enterprise?

I'm not sure if he got it wrong calling Vulcan as Vulcanis. While it is true that Vulcan was never called that in the series 3 year run, that could have been an early name for the planet Vulcan, perhaps something in the press book for Star Trek? In the episode "Mudd's Women" (never a fav of mine), Mudd refers to Mr. Spock as a Vulcanian. That term was never heard again.

Still & all, ole' Cleveland did seem to enjoy Trek.

[Maurice]