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John Ford's Star Trek!
Feb. 9th, 2007 03:04 pmA little bit of Alternate History...
"Think of it as a wagon train to the stars..."
With those words, was launch one of the greatest leaps ever made by a director. John Ford, famous as the greatest director of western films, decided to make a "sci fi" movie called _Star Trek_. Coming off his Oscar wining movie, _The Quiet Man_, Ford happen to catch a showing of _The Day The Earth Stood Still_. Impressed with Wise's movie, he thought he could do a better sci fi movie, a sci fi movie that reflected American values. As he had once said, "My name's John Ford. I make Westerns. I don't think there's anyone who knows more about what the American public wants than me. I know how to deliver the goods."
Now facing a career breaking jump in genres, especially to a genre generally believed to be no better than children's fare, he decided to tackle this new genre with both guns a blazing. The first thing he did was find a script that he could use to make the kind of move he wanted to see.
"First off, I knew I didn't want none of them fake looking spaceships that were flying in most B-Movies. That flying saucer in Wise's movie, that's what I wanted, something real looking."
He also decided that he'd use the settling of the American West set in space, which is why the Fort Enterprise was a thinly disguised US Cavalry fort, and the local settlement was more Dodge City, than Alpha Centauri.
He was also able to convince the John Ford Stock Company, (John Wayne, Harry Carey, John Carradine, and Henry Fonda) make the leap as well, telling them that they wouldn't be wearing silver suits, but futuristic uniforms.
The aliens/Indians were to use minimal makeup, so they were distinguished by their costumes and an early use of an appliance, a foam latex nose and forehead ridge. Topped off with big hair wigs, they were dubbed "Klingons" by John Wayne, mainly because of how the foam appliance was always "clinging on to their foreheads.
The story Star Trek would be familiar to many western fans, a group of settlers want to settle in the middle of Klingon territory, and it's up to the troops from Fort Enterprise to protect them.
Because he kept the special effects to a minimum, and mostly to sets and stages built in Utah's Monument Valley, the hardest part of the movie was script.
"Sometimes I just wanted to pull out a raygun and blast it!" said John Carradine in an interview. "It was just full of big words like transmatter teleporter and crap like that."
Ford wisely kept the scenes that involved the Klingons to a minimum, due to the time it took to get them dressed up and there makeup applied. Many shortcuts were used, including whole head appliances that extras would wear in the background shots.
Still, there was the climatic battle between the US Space Rangers and the Klingon warriors. In many senses, it was the most spectacular battle ever filmed, even with the blaster beams added in post production. The sight of the Rangers riding modified motorcycles and jeeps, going up against Klingons riding heavily disguised motorcycles is one not many viewer ever forgets. The battle ended in a climatic combat scene between John Wayne's character Captain James T. Kirk and John Carradine's character the Klingon warrior Kholof.
It was released in 1954, it went on to become one of biggest blockbusters for the decade. Ford was nominated for best director and _Star Trek_ itself was nominated for best picture, which it lost out to _On the Waterfront_.
Despite it's success, Ford refuse to make a sequel to the movie, saying, "I now know why no one wants to make these sci fi movies... They are just too full of special effects and crap."
Quotes from Star Trek:
Captain James Kirk: [Sulu and Chekov are about to fight over Janice Rand] Button your shirt, Mister Checkov! Thought better of you. Four years out here and still actin' like a wet-eared "kaydet" on Proxima Centauri. What is this all about, Mr. Sulu?
Lt. Sulu: Sir, I... I decline to answer... respectfully.
Captain Kirk: Mr. Sulu, it is a bitter thing, indeed, to learn that an officer who has had nine years experience in the space rangers - the officer to whom I am surrendering command of this troop in two more days - should have so little grasp of leadership as to allow himself to be shivvied into a go at "fisticuffs" while 'Taps' still sounds over a brave man's grave! God help this troop when I'm gone.
Captain Kirk: You got a breath on you like a hot Gaah pie.
Top Sergeant Montgomery Scott: Aye, Captain darlin'. As you well know I took "the pledge" after Fomalhaut.
Captain Kirk: And Alpha Centauri, and Betelgeuse, and Sirius, and St. Patrick's Day, and Fourth of July!
Quotations from other Space Westerns: (With thanks to Jack Linthicum)
"We gotta move this herd of Yridian yaks down the box canyon and out on the flatlands so we can reach water before they stampede."
"But, Duke, them varmits is ready to go at the drop of helmet, why don't we just beam em over to the canal, down there, and save ourselves eating dirt?"
"That's a good idea, Pilgrum. Make it so."
Rocket Cogburn: "Ah see you're packin' plastic, Ned, careful how you use that thing, better men than you have been outdrawn by a one eye-fat man. I don't set my phaser for stun, so fill your hand!"
Rocket Cogburn:"I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged in Polyphemus IV at Judge Parker's convenience. Which'll it be?"
Ned Pepper: "I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man."
Rocket Cogburn: "Fill your hands, you son of a bitch."
Rocket Cogburn: "Why, by God, girl, that's a Klingon Disrupter. You're no bigger
than a corn nubbin, what're you doing with all this pistol?"
"Think of it as a wagon train to the stars..."
With those words, was launch one of the greatest leaps ever made by a director. John Ford, famous as the greatest director of western films, decided to make a "sci fi" movie called _Star Trek_. Coming off his Oscar wining movie, _The Quiet Man_, Ford happen to catch a showing of _The Day The Earth Stood Still_. Impressed with Wise's movie, he thought he could do a better sci fi movie, a sci fi movie that reflected American values. As he had once said, "My name's John Ford. I make Westerns. I don't think there's anyone who knows more about what the American public wants than me. I know how to deliver the goods."
Now facing a career breaking jump in genres, especially to a genre generally believed to be no better than children's fare, he decided to tackle this new genre with both guns a blazing. The first thing he did was find a script that he could use to make the kind of move he wanted to see.
"First off, I knew I didn't want none of them fake looking spaceships that were flying in most B-Movies. That flying saucer in Wise's movie, that's what I wanted, something real looking."
He also decided that he'd use the settling of the American West set in space, which is why the Fort Enterprise was a thinly disguised US Cavalry fort, and the local settlement was more Dodge City, than Alpha Centauri.
He was also able to convince the John Ford Stock Company, (John Wayne, Harry Carey, John Carradine, and Henry Fonda) make the leap as well, telling them that they wouldn't be wearing silver suits, but futuristic uniforms.
The aliens/Indians were to use minimal makeup, so they were distinguished by their costumes and an early use of an appliance, a foam latex nose and forehead ridge. Topped off with big hair wigs, they were dubbed "Klingons" by John Wayne, mainly because of how the foam appliance was always "clinging on to their foreheads.
The story Star Trek would be familiar to many western fans, a group of settlers want to settle in the middle of Klingon territory, and it's up to the troops from Fort Enterprise to protect them.
Because he kept the special effects to a minimum, and mostly to sets and stages built in Utah's Monument Valley, the hardest part of the movie was script.
"Sometimes I just wanted to pull out a raygun and blast it!" said John Carradine in an interview. "It was just full of big words like transmatter teleporter and crap like that."
Ford wisely kept the scenes that involved the Klingons to a minimum, due to the time it took to get them dressed up and there makeup applied. Many shortcuts were used, including whole head appliances that extras would wear in the background shots.
Still, there was the climatic battle between the US Space Rangers and the Klingon warriors. In many senses, it was the most spectacular battle ever filmed, even with the blaster beams added in post production. The sight of the Rangers riding modified motorcycles and jeeps, going up against Klingons riding heavily disguised motorcycles is one not many viewer ever forgets. The battle ended in a climatic combat scene between John Wayne's character Captain James T. Kirk and John Carradine's character the Klingon warrior Kholof.
It was released in 1954, it went on to become one of biggest blockbusters for the decade. Ford was nominated for best director and _Star Trek_ itself was nominated for best picture, which it lost out to _On the Waterfront_.
Despite it's success, Ford refuse to make a sequel to the movie, saying, "I now know why no one wants to make these sci fi movies... They are just too full of special effects and crap."
Quotes from Star Trek:
Captain James Kirk: [Sulu and Chekov are about to fight over Janice Rand] Button your shirt, Mister Checkov! Thought better of you. Four years out here and still actin' like a wet-eared "kaydet" on Proxima Centauri. What is this all about, Mr. Sulu?
Lt. Sulu: Sir, I... I decline to answer... respectfully.
Captain Kirk: Mr. Sulu, it is a bitter thing, indeed, to learn that an officer who has had nine years experience in the space rangers - the officer to whom I am surrendering command of this troop in two more days - should have so little grasp of leadership as to allow himself to be shivvied into a go at "fisticuffs" while 'Taps' still sounds over a brave man's grave! God help this troop when I'm gone.
Captain Kirk: You got a breath on you like a hot Gaah pie.
Top Sergeant Montgomery Scott: Aye, Captain darlin'. As you well know I took "the pledge" after Fomalhaut.
Captain Kirk: And Alpha Centauri, and Betelgeuse, and Sirius, and St. Patrick's Day, and Fourth of July!
Quotations from other Space Westerns: (With thanks to Jack Linthicum)
"We gotta move this herd of Yridian yaks down the box canyon and out on the flatlands so we can reach water before they stampede."
"But, Duke, them varmits is ready to go at the drop of helmet, why don't we just beam em over to the canal, down there, and save ourselves eating dirt?"
"That's a good idea, Pilgrum. Make it so."
Rocket Cogburn: "Ah see you're packin' plastic, Ned, careful how you use that thing, better men than you have been outdrawn by a one eye-fat man. I don't set my phaser for stun, so fill your hand!"
Rocket Cogburn:"I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged in Polyphemus IV at Judge Parker's convenience. Which'll it be?"
Ned Pepper: "I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man."
Rocket Cogburn: "Fill your hands, you son of a bitch."
Rocket Cogburn: "Why, by God, girl, that's a Klingon Disrupter. You're no bigger
than a corn nubbin, what're you doing with all this pistol?"
