Finding a Composer for Star Trek's First Pilot

Still from 'Requiem for Methuselah' (1969)

The process of hiring a composer to score 'The Menagerie' was an arduous one. According to Herb Solow, "We approached agents and managers, only to discover their top film and pilot composers were working elsewhere or not interested."  After so many rejections, Solow says, "Wilbur [Hatch] came to us with a suggestion, volunteering the name of an arranger working at Twentieth Century Fox." The name of that arranger was Alexander Courage, and rest is history.

Almost fifty years later, however, it's fascinating to read the names of some of the other composers who were considered for Star Trek's first pilot, which we have thanks to notes taken during a music meeting held on December 8. 1964. As music historian Neil Lerner points out, the list is a fascinating mix of "well-established names (such as Franz Waxman, David Raksin, Hugo Friedhofer, and Elmer Bernstein) and up-and-comers who have since become quite famous, like Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams."

This behind-the-scenes document has been printed before, in Lerner's informative essay, "Hearing the Boldly Goings: Tracking the Title Themes of the Star Trek Television Franchise, 1966-2005," although the version found there has been edited from the original.  What follows is a complete transcription of the original document, found in the Gene Roddenberry Star Trek television series papers held by UCLA. The misspellings are the work of whoever originally typed up the notes, possibly D.C. Fontana, who was Roddenberry's secretary at the time. My notes are in brackets.

NOTES ON MUSIC MEETING - 12/8/64

1 - Jerry Goldsmith - Not Available [Eventually hired by Roddenberry to score Star Trek--The Motion Picture in 1979]

2 - Elmer Bernstein - Interested - likes pilot - wants to read script. Wilbur sending script to Bernstein.

3 - Harry Sukman - MGM - Available [Sukman scored an episode of The Lieutenant and the unsold pilot 333 Montgomery Street, both for Roddenberry. He was also slated to score two episodes of Star Trek during the 1967-68 season, but dropped out for reasons unknown. After the series, he would go on to score two more pilots for Roddenberry (both unsold): Genesis II (1973) and Planet Earth (1974)]

4 - Les Baxter - Available - Wilbur Hatch reluctant to recommend.

5 - Dominic Tronteri - Available [Scored multiple episodes of The Outer Limits, which involved associate producer Byron Haskin and assistant director Robert H. Justman]

6 - Franz Waxman - Available

7 - Sy Coleman - Suggested by Oscar Katz - Wilbur checking him out.

8 - Alexander Courage - Young composer - up and coming.

9 - Hugh Friedholder - Did some of the original music on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

10 - David Raxton - Wrote Laura. Works closely with the producer.

11 - Johnny Green - Would love to do a series. Did music for Empire.

12 - Leith Stevens - Doing Novack. Did the last few shows for Empire. Score a feature with a Science Fiction theme. [Scored Roddenberry's unsold pilot, A.P.O. 923, as well as the Haskin-directed The War of the Worlds (1953)]

13 - Johnny Williams - Did Checkmate - Presently doing music for "Baby Makes Three" pilot for Bing Crosby Prods.

14 - Jack Elliott - Suggested by Oscar Katz - Feels that he has great potential. Wilbur checking him out.

15 - Wilbur Hatch checking out the composer of "The Man from Iphania" [The identity of this composer remains a mystery to me]

16 - Will Markowitz - Wilbur checking him out. [Richard Markowitz was later hired to score episodes of Mission: Impossible and Mannix for Desilu]

17 - Lalo Shiffrin - Recommended by Wilbur Hatch and Herb Solow - Wilbur checking him out. [Later hired to score Desilu's two other successful pilots from this era -- Mission: Impossible and Mannix]

18 - Nathan Van Cleave - Wilbur checking him out. [Van Cleave had previously worked with Byron Haskin on two features, Conquest of Space (1955) and Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)]

Image courtesy of Trek Core.

Sources:

The Gene Roddenberry Star Trek Television Series Collection (1964-1969)

Inside Star Trek : The Real Story (Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman, 1996)

Music in Science Fiction Television: Tuned to the Future (edited by K.J. Donnelly and Philip Hayward, 2013)

Star Trek's First (Associate) Producer

Byron Haskin in the documentary miniseries Hollywood (1980)

Byron 'Bun' Haskin may not be a name that registers on the radar of many Star Trek fans, but as the Associate Producer of 'The Menagerie' he was an important early contributor to the series. In the book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, Bob Justman remembers running into Haskin on his way out from an interview with Gene Roddenberry for the Associate Producer job:

Before leaving, I recommended my friend, director and postproduction photographic effects whiz Byron Haskin. 

In an odd coincidence, on my way out of the studio, I met Byron on his way in.

'Hi, Bun. What are you up to?' 

He was his usual crusty self. 'Hi, Bobby. I'm gonna see some guy with a really weird name, Rodenberg or Rosenberry . . . or whatever. I don't know. Probably another rank amateur who doesn't know diddley [sic] and wants me to save his ass. He's looking for an associate producer type for some kind of science-fiction show.' 

'Well, good luck, Bun.' I smiled. I didn't mention where I'd just been. I went back to work on The Outer Limits, and Byron got the Associate Producer job with Gene.

--Bob Justman, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (1996), p.30

Justman's background was as an assistant director for television, including The Outer Limits, The Thin Man, and The Adventures of Superman. In 1964, he had no experience as an Associate Producer. Neither did Haskin, but as a veteran director and special effects artist, Haskin was more than qualified for the job.

In the thirties and forties, Haskin rose through the ranks at Warner Bros. until he became the head of the studio's special effects department. During his tenure there, Haskin was nominated for four consecutive Best Effects Oscars and given a Technical Achievement Award for developing a triple head background projector in 1939. In 1948, Haskin transitioned to directing, and by 1964 he was a veteran director who had made a number of recognizable science fiction movies, including The War of the Worlds (1953), Conquest of Space (1955), and Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964).

Haskin had this to say about being hired for the position when he was interviewed in 1984, shortly before his death:

(Gene) Roddenberry, who had the idea, who eventually formulated the whole series, called me. He knew my reputation as a special effects expert and a director of science fiction, and asked me if I would like to be an advisor in the preparation. He didn't have any staff or anything together at the time. I said, 'Yes, sure.' Why not? What you need one one of these shows, to ramrod them through, is an understanding person who knows when to say -- 'Take all the time you want' -- or if you're noodling, say -- 'Cut it out and let's get going.'

Bobby Justman and Lee Katzin, who had alternated as assistant directors on OUTER LIMITS were both sharp guys. So I told Roddenberry he needed Justman, and he put him on. Justman was on for the pilot, and then he went to producing himself. I was there also.

--Byron Haskin, Interviewed by Joe Adamson, A Director's Guild of America Oral History (1984), p.280

Justman and Haskin did work together on The Outer Limits, but according to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, it was Herb Solow who made the decision to bring Justman aboard as assistant director, not Roddenberry. Solow does say that he chose Justman after checking for recommendations from 'producer and director friends around town,' one of whom may have been Haskin.

In the same interview, Haskin described his function on the pilot episode:

I supervised the planning of special effects, worked with NBC color people, and was sort of the standby expert -- I did not have any further function than that.

I don't think I had screen credit, because I didn't want screen credits that didn't say 'Directed by -- .' (Laughs) So I was on it two or three months, got some good money out of it, and had a lot of fun. 

--Byron Haskin, Interviewed by Joe Adamson, A Director's Guild of America Oral History (1984), p.280

Byron Haskin's credit on 'The Menagerie, Part II' (1966)

While Haskin doesn't have credit on the released version of the original pilot, he is credited as an Associate Producer (alongside Bob Justman) on 'The Menagerie, Part II," which incorporated a great deal of footage from the original pilot.

Bob Justman corroborates Haskin's account that Haskin supervised the planning of the pilot's special effects in Inside Star Trek: The Real Story:

Justman met with Roddenberry and Associate Producer Haskin to question the show's creator closely about how he wanted various elements of the pilot's production handled: which effects were necessary and which others could be eliminated or revised to make them more doable.

 --Herb Solow and Bob Justman, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (1996), p.34

On the other hand, the book doesn't portray Haskin's time as Associate Producer as anything close to 'a lot of fun.' On the contrary, Justman describes the 'escalating tension' between Roddenberry and Haskin, which was apparent as early as the preproduction phase of the pilot:

'You can't do it that way,' Byron would say to Gene.

'Why not?'

Byron folded his arms across his chest. 'Because it can't be done that way. I've been in this business forty years. You can't reinvent the wheel.'

Gene would look at him and then me, exasperated.

So later, when Byron and I were alone, I'd step in, gently. 'You know, we're all after the same thing, the effect that Gene wants to see. It's not how we end up doing it; it's the final result that counts. Maybe you can find another way to do it, Bun. Or maybe you can dream up an even better effect--and one not so expensive.'

Byron would harumph a bit and allow as how he could try; and sometimes, he'd come up with an answer to the problem. And sometimes not. But it was like pulling teeth. Gene greatly disliked going through the same motions consistently.

--Bob Justman, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (1996), p.34

In his 1984 interview, Haskin seems to imply that he only took the Star Trek job on a short-term basis, taking the money for a few months work and forgoing screen credit when it was done. Inside Star Trek: The Real Story suggests it was Roddenberry's decision not to have Haskin back for the second pilot and subsequent series, not Haskin's, in the following exchange between Roddenberry and Justman:

'Great news, Bob! We're going to make another Star Trek pilot.'

'Wonderful, Gene. I'm very happy for you.'

'I want you with me again, and this time you have to be my Associate Producer. I won't take no for an answer.'

'But what about Byron?'

'He won't be back, period. You're the one I want.'

It was Gene's ball game and he had decided to keep Haskin out of the lineup. It stood to reason; the two of them didn't get along. Gene reassured me that I wasn't cutting my friend out of the running.

--Bob Justman, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (1996), p.61

Whatever the circumstances of Haskin's departure, he seems to have kept watching the series when it finally premiered the fall of 1966.  He had this to say about the evolution of the program two decades later:

What happened between that and the purchase of the series, I don't know. In the warfare of selling it to a network, a great deal of the original excellence was lopped off, I thought. It was pretty well made later, but nothing near the class of the original pilot film, because the standards were lower. They compromised in every direction. Jeff Hunter, who was playing the guy -- I didn't think he was a ball of fire anyhow. 

Like OUTER LIMITS, it fought through a certain hit and miss interest, and then took off. It didn't really go to town the first half season, but by fidelity to the concept and continued exposure of the Mr. Spock character with the phony ears -- Leonard Nimoy -- and so forth, it caught on. The audience began to show an interest in the weirdos -- that's what the kids liked. Teenage kids became aficionados. Geez, it's a classic now.
Roddenberry supervised all the stories for a while, like Stefano did, and Roddenberry was a class concept man. He was never the writer Stefano was, but he had good concepts -- he avoided the comic strip kind of thinking that goes with a great deal of this stuff. 

--Byron Haskin, Interviewed by Joe Adamson, A Director's Guild of America Oral History (1984), p.281.

After Haskin departed Star Trek in early 1965, the Hollywood veteran eased his way into retirement. From 1965 to 1967 his only credit was on 'The Menagerie, Part II.' Then, in 1968, he completed his last two directing assignments: The Power, a feature film produced by his old friend, George Pal, and an episode of The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His last credit was in 1969, as the co-writer of a film called The Great Sex War.

Image from 'The Menagerie, Part II' courtesy of Trek Core.

Sources:

Byron Haskin, Interviewed by Joe Adamson, A Director's Guild of America Oral History (1984)

Inside Star Trek : The Real Story (Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman, 1996)

Gene Roddenberry's Cinematic Influences

Since I've become seriously interested in the development and production of Star Trek, I've found a number of books and websites which claim that Gene Roddenberry publicly admitted the influence of a few science fiction films, particularly Forbidden Planet (1956), on the program's early development. Recently, for example, Mark Clark wrote in the book Star Trek FAQ (2012) that 'Roddenberry freely credited Forbidden Planet as an inspiration for Star Trek.' However, in all my research, the only direct quote from the writer/producer that I've found about the movie directly contradicts this sentiment. When asked by a reporter in the 1970s if the Star Trek concept had been heavily influenced by Forbidden Planet, Roddenberry replied:

Definitely not...the only time I ever thought of Forbidden Planet specifically when I was laying Star Trek out was when I said to myself that here were some mistakes they made in the film that I did not want to repeat. I think one of the obvious mistakes, and one that amazed me when I saw the show, although I generally liked [it], was the fact that you had a ship capable of interstellar travel and you had a cook aboard who scrubbed pots and pans by hand and I said, 'Hey, come on, it just doesn't fit.' At least they would have had a radar range oven or something if they had interstellar capacity! But, no, I cannot remember a single time during the planning of Star Trek that I looked at another show and said, 'I will borrow this.'

--Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages (1995), p.9

After doing some research, however, it's clear that Roddenberry either misremembered events or wasn't being entirely truthful in his answer. A memo from the UCLA files, which is reprinted in David Alexander's Roddenberry biography, sheds some light on the movie's influence:

To: Herb Solow
From: Gene Roddenberry
CC: [Pato] Guzman
Date: August 10, 1964
Subject: FORBIDDEN PLANET

You may recall we saw MGM’s 'FORBIDDEN PLANET' with Oscar Katz some weeks ago. I think it would be interesting for Pato Guzman to take another very hard look at the spaceship, its configurations, controls, instrumentations, etc. while we are still sketching and planning our own. Can you suggest the best way? Run the film again, or would it be ethical to get a print of the film and have our people make stills from some of the appropriate frames? This latter would be the most helpful. Please understand, we have no intention of copying either interior or exterior of that ship. But a detailed look at it again would do much to stimulate our own thinking.

Also, would much appreciate it if you could provide me with a credit list on that picture, specifically the director, art director, special effects men, etc. Thank you.

--David Alexander, Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry (1994), p.202

Looking at Forbidden Planet and 'The Menagerie' today, it's clear that, although Star Trek is far from a one to one copy of the movie (in many ways, the film's production design has more in common with the look of Lost in Space than it does with Star Trek), it certainly was influenced by the movie:

Still from Star Trek, 'The Menagerie' (1965)

Still from Forbidden Planet (1956)

Still from Star Trek, 'The Menagerie' (1965)

Planetary matte painting from Forbidden Planet (1956)

Still from Star Trek, 'The Menagerie' (1965)

Still from Forbidden Planet (1956)

Again, I don't mean to suggest that Star Trek simply copied Forbidden Planet, but Roddenberry's memo and the accompanying images certainly demonstrate that Forbidden Planet was a stronger influence on Star Trek (particularly the first pilot) than Roddenberry was willing to admit in the 1970s. Of course, there are other similarities (and I am far from the first to notice them): both Forbidden Planet and Star Trek grounded their interstellar adventures by using contemporary naval terminology, and the relationship between Commander J.J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and Dr. Ostrow (Warren Stevens) is very reminiscent of the way Kirk and McCoy would interact on Star Trek.

Still from Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Less well known than Forbidden Planet, but of similar importance to the development of Star Trek, is the film Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964). Unlike Forbidden Planet, which was one of a number of films Oscar Katz, Herb Solow, and Gene Roddenberry ran on the Desilu lot during the development of the series, Robinson Crusoe on Mars was still in theatres when Gene Roddenberry saw it during the development process. Roddenberry first wrote about the film in a memo to Oscar Katz on July 21, 1964, prior to the film's Los Angeles release:

I would like to bring to your attention a science fiction film titled 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars'. As yet it is unreleased in this area, but it has been given excellent reviews in Variety and the Reporter and is regarded as a sleeper. Since it is unlike many of the pictures we have been seeing, dealing directly with planetary exploration and survival, it might be a good idea to screen this one if it is possible to obtain a print.

Two weeks later, on August 3, 1964, Roddenberry had seen the film and indicated as such in a memo to Herb Solow:

As mentioned, I saw the above motion picture and considered it extraordinarily good, better than anything we have run here. Suggest we get a print when possible so that Oscar can run it for himself. Also, would like appropriate department heads and personnel here to see it. Would much appreciate your office obtaining a complete credit list for this film. Many thanks.

Still from the trailer for Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

It's easy to see why the film appealed to Roddenberry from its trailer, which opens by proclaiming, 'This film is scientifically authentic. It is only one step ahead of present reality!' Roddenberry and others would make similar audience appeals, however far-fetched, about Star Trek. Unlike Forbidden Planet, Roddenberry's interest in the complete credit list of Robinson Crusoe on Mars yielded a few important behind-the-scenes hires. The film's director, Byron Haskin, was brought on as associate producer (Haskin ended up clashing with Roddenberry, and wasn't asked back for the second pilot). The superlative Albert J. Whitlock, a matte painter for the movie, did matte paintings for 'The Menagerie' as well as several later episodes. And although Van Cleave was only considered to score the first pilot (according to a December 8, 1964 note by Gene Roddenberry), his orchestrator on Robinson Crusoe on Mars was Fred Steiner, who went on to score a number of Star Trek episodes (and an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation).

In terms of casting, both films clearly had an influence on Roddenberry and others at Desilu. In an October 14, 1964 casting memo from Gene Roddenberry to Kerwin Coughlin, Paul Mantee (the lead in Robinson Crusoe on Mars), Leslie Nielsen, and Warren Stevens were all considered for the role of Captain April (later changed to Captain Pike). Likewise, in an October 30, 1964 casting memo from Roddenberry to Herb Solow, Anne Francis was listed as one of a few possibilities for the role of Vina in 'The Menagerie.' Ultimately, none of these actors would be cast in the first pilot, but Warren Stevens (Dr. Ostrow in Forbidden Planet) and Victor Lundin (Friday in Robinson Crusoe on Mars) would later be cast in guest roles in 'By Any Other Name' and 'Errand of Mercy,' respectively.

Historian's Note: During the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry also screened a number of recent science fiction films, including Blade Runner (1982) and Aliens (1986). The memos I have uncovered at UCLA suggest Roddenberry, Oscar Katz, and Herb Solow screened a number of films during the development of Star Trek, but Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Forbidden Planet are the only two that the archival record specifically names. I would love to know what some of the other titles were, if they've been mentioned elsewhere that I've overlooked.

Shameless Note: If you like this blog and want to support my research, consider shopping on Amazon.com through one of the affiliate links below. I'll receive a small percentage of any purchase you make there, as long as you check out within twenty-four hours after clicking the link.

Images from 'The Menagerie' courtesy of Trek Core.

Sources:

The Gene Roddenberry Star Trek Television Series Collection (1964-1969)

Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry (David Alexander, 1994)

Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages (Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, 1995)

Star Trek FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise (Mark Clark, 2012)

Films Cited:

Forbidden Planet (1956) -- DVD Version / Blu-Ray Version

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) -- DVD Version / Blu-Ray Version