"Star Trek" The Menagerie: Part I (1966)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Marc Daniels

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

17 November 1966 (Season 1, Episode 11)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

While visiting a Starbase 11, the Enterprise is hijacked by Mr. Spock leaving Captain Kirk but abducting...

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Computer | Vulcan

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
Jeffrey Hunter	...	Captain Christopher Pike (archive footage)
Susan Oliver	...	Vina (archive footage)
Malachi Throne	...	Commodore Jose Mendez
Majel Barrett	...	Number One (archive footage) (as M. Leigh Hudec)
Peter Duryea	...	Lt. José Tyler (archive footage)
John Hoyt	...	Dr. Boyce (archive footage)
Adam Roarke	...	C.P.O. Garrison (archive footage)
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
James Doohan	...	Scott
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Sean Kenney	...	Injured Pike
Hagan Beggs	...	Lt. Hansen
Julie Parrish	...	Miss Piper

Runtime:

50 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

It would seem that the nation of Cuba still exists in the 23rd Century. In "The Menagerie: Part 1" from Season 1, during the court-martial scene, if you look carefully, you can see a flag stand in the back of the room, and looking at the flag hanging on it, you can make out the blue stripes and red triangle, which are part of the Cuban flag.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Kirk and Mendez follow the Enterprise in a presumably warp-capable shuttle after Spock commandeers the Enterprise. They run out of fuel, and "coast". Quite some time later, Spock has the Enterprise stop, tractor in the shuttle, and transport Kirk aboard. However, they should be far out of range to use those devices.

Quotes:

Captain James T. Kirk: There's a false entry in the log right now which doesn't jive with the established facts. How do you explain that?
Dr. McCoy: I can't. But to question Spock of all people. Me, yes. I could run off half-cocked given a good reason, so could you. But not Spock. It's impossible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Farscape: Losing Time (#3.9)" (2001)

Cool but lousy!!

Okay, I know my summary doesn't make a lot of sense,...but neither does the show, as the two episodes that make up THE MENAGERIE were originally the pilot for the first incarnation of Star Trek spliced apart and with added new stuff--a cheap way to use up seemingly wasted film. As a kid, I liked this two-parter, but also felt the plot made no sense--and only when I learned about the show's pedigree did I understand why. Seeing the original crew and Roddenberry's original idea for the show is really amazing--especially since it's all so "alien" since only two crew members returned for the actual series and only one of those in the same role from the original pilot (Spock). However, since the episode is so hacked apart and spliced together in a poor way, I DON'T recommend you see it. Instead, try to find the original unedited pilot episode entitled THE CAGE. This is one of the better episodes ever made and it's great seeing this alternative vision.