"Star Trek" The Cloud Minders (1969)

Director:

Jud Taylor

Writers:

Margaret Armen (teleplay)
David Gerrold (story) ...

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

28 February 1969 (Season 3, Episode 21)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Kirk and Spock are caught up in a revolution on a planet where intellectuals and artists live on a utopian city in the sky while the rest of the population toils in mines on the barren surface below.

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Computer | Vulcan

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Jeff Corey	...	Plasus
Diana Ewing	...	Droxine
Charlene Polite	...	Vanna
James Doohan	...	Scott
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Kirk Raymond	...	Cloud Guard #1 (as Kirk Raymone)
Jimmy Fields	...	Cloud Guard #2
Ed Long	...	Midro
Fred Williamson	...	Anka
Garth Pillsbury	...	Prisoner
Harv Selsby	...	Guard

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

David Gerrold conceived the original story on which this episode was based, an outline called "Castle in the Sky". He was deeply disappointed with the final script. His original concept dealt with a three-way conflict between the elite of the planet's sky city and two groups of the cave-dwelling miners - one adhering to the tenets of a pacifist, Martin Luther King-like leader, the other followers of a more militant Malcolm X-like figure. Gerrold's story ended on a deliberately ambiguous note, with the only "triumph" being that Kirk finally managed to establish a dialogue between the groups. Gerrold later characterized the final script - in which the miners' violent actions are blamed entirely on a toxic "zenite" gas in the mines - with the scathing line, "And if we can just get them troglytes to wear gas masks, then they'll be happy little darkies and they'll pick all the cotton we need."

Goofs:

Continuity: During the shot of Plasus being forcibly beamed directly to Kirk's location in the mines, the bottom of the curtains behind him change position as he transports.

Quotes:

Plasus: [to Droxine] Leave here at once. Go to your music.

Pretty good for a later episode

This is a pretty good episode that nearly merits a score of 8. The Enterprise arrives at a strange planet in search of dilithium crystals. The rulers of the planet live in a lovely city sitting in the clouds and they spend most of their days relaxing and thinking noble thoughts. The rest of the planet must live in the caves and work as miners and their lives totally suck. The dichotomy and basic unfairness of this isn't an issue to the people in the clouds (no big surprise) but the miners are sick of their lot in life. Plus, although no one knows it, inside the mines is Zenite gas, that makes the miners more angry and hostile. But, mediating the rebellion that erupts is something that seems impossible for the crew--especially since the cloud people are major jerks and the miners behave, when around the gas, like they are crazy. So, the Kirk-Meister, who is desperately in need of the crystals, creates an effective solution that isn't exactly in sync with the prime directive!!! All in all, an interesting episode that is quite thought-provoking.

By the way, it really was pretty cool for once to see the "hot babe" go for Spock and not Kirk!! For once, there's a woman who wants a smart and not a studly man!