Star Trek Original Series V. 08 (1966)
Front Cover Actor
Movie Details
Genre Sci-Fi; Sci-Fi / Fantasy; Star Trek; Television
Director James Goldstone; Murray Golden
Studio Paramount Pictures
Language English
Audience Rating NR
Running Time 1 hr 40 mins
Country USA
Color Color
Plot
Volume 8 in the DVD series of original Star Trek episodes includes the fascinating two-part drama "The Menagerie." As if guided by the frugal wisdom of schlockmeister producer-director Roger Corman, Trek creator Gene Roddenberry found a clever way of using, instead of losing, extensive and costly footage from the then-unseen, discarded Star Trek pilot, "The Cage." Roddenberry's solution was to integrate pieces of "The Cage" into a whole new story context, and the surprisingly moving result was "The Menagerie." First, a bit of background: "The Cage" starred film actor Jeffrey Hunter (King of Kings, The Searchers) as Christopher Pike, the original captain of the Enterprise. Among Hunter's costars was Leonard Nimoy as Science Officer Spock, who eventually carried over, of course, into the reconfigured series starring William Shatner. Rather than write off "The Cage," Roddenberry conceived of a story line in which Captain Pike would re-appear on the show in a badly disfigured, paralyzed, and mute form--the result of a terrible accident in which the character saved a number of lives but took a pounding in the process. In "The Menagerie," Spock hijacks the Enterprise to transport Pike to a secret destination. During court-martial proceedings for this crime, Spock's defense is presented via archival footage of an old, pre-Kirk mission aboard the Enterprise. That footage, of course, is a re-edited "The Cage." A must-see for Star Trek fans, "The Menagerie" is a stellar example of Roddenberry thinking on his feet. --Tom Keogh
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 203
Collection Status In Collection
Quantity 1
Links IMDB
Amazon US
Product Details
Format DVD
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio Standard 1.33:1
Layers Single side, Single layer
UPC 097366000843
Chapters 13
Release Date 1999
Subtitles English
Packaging Keep Case
Audio Tracks ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1
Extra Features
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Original Broadcast Trailers