Parade Magazine ST:TMP cover article

From Ye Olde Collection Cabinets this time, is the ST:TMP cover story from the December 10, 1978 Parade magazine. This probably did more to make people aware of the coming movie than anything else did or could have because it went into so many households. You probably saw it and saved it, or at least remember it, if you lived during that time.

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Although "The Star" got the scoop on the first color pics in the article posted last time, this was the first major mainstream publication to do a cover feature with color photos on the new movie. I had seen a preview in Friday's edition of the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, that tipped me off to what was coming in the Sunday edition. So, prepared with that foreknowledge, I made a trip down to the drugstore on Sunday morning, December 10, 1978 to get several copies.

This was the most exciting thing that had come out about the movie so far, and I was thrilled beyond words. The fact that this was an event is demonstrated by the press coverage on the filming a full year away from the release. Below is the article that was inside. If you saw this years ago, I hope it brings back some memories. Some of that excitement is coming back now as the characters from the show are finding new life in the JJ Abrams movie, the trailer for which is now out and making waves, the like of which hasn't been seen since the days leading up to the unveiling of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that I had a constant conflict with my stepfather over my Star Trek obsession. As a grade-school dropout who worked in road construction, he resented my more cerebral interests and love of books, and science fiction. But Star Trek was the focus of his scorn since it was my one true overarching hobby. I had to keep my collection items out of sight lest they become targets for destruction, as he knew that was the one area I was most vulnerable to harm in. A belting I could take, but threaten my books or magazines and you had me by the short hairs.

Once I made the trip to the drugstore that morning, I tossed the rest of the papers and smuggled the two copies of Parade magazine in under cover. He was reading the same paper that had been delivered to the house, and I could see the Parade cover plainly sitting in the "read" pile. I knew he was expecting me to salivate over it, and eagerly hope to secretly claim it when he was through with it. But having my copies already, that particular bit of tension was non-existent and I coolly walked on by. A little later I found that Parade magazine in the trash (although the rest of the paper was still on the living room sofa) with a pile of wet coffee grounds on top of it for good measure; an act that no doubt brought him satisfaction at my imagined disappointment.

Although saddened by the fact that someone who should have been on my side as a father acted like an enemy even in such small matters, I was inwardly chuckling because I had outfoxed him again. Instead of taking the opportunity to make me happy by bringing the article to my attention, he took the opportunity to try to make me unhappy. But I got it in spite of him, and he added yet another brick to the wall between us that would remain till he passed away years later.

Star Trek truly was the bright spot in an otherwise dark home life as I went through my teen years, and many of my good memories revolve around it.

First color photos from ST:TMP

It was a good Thanksgiving that year... in part because I was so thankful and happy to see these first color photos released, in the November 28th, 1978 edition of The Star tabloid. But some fans couldn't wait for official releases, apparently... according to the article below, even back then those pesky Trekkers were a security problem!

Enterprise To Fly Again

The newspapers had been running articles about Star Trek's return since 1975, but not until the press conference held in summer of 1978 with Robert Wise, Roddenberry and the cast did it become real. They were filming it, finally! The excitement starts to build...

And then... it hit! On August 12, 1978, the very first photo was released to newspapers. Below is a scan of my clipped copy from the Ft. Lauderdale newspaper. The first new image of Kirk, Spock and McCoy in 10 years! My fingers were trembling with excitement as I cut it out and put it in my scrapbook.

Shortly afterward, on August 25th, a second exciting photo appeared, which is below...

But these two b&w pics were the only ones forthcoming for pretty much the rest of the summer. It would be later in the year, in November, before more photos were revealed in full color. See those memory-jogging articles here soon!

Shatner May Not Be In New Star Trek Movie

Gotcha! The article is about the first ST movie, not the new one for 2009.

When the efforts began to get Star Trek restarted, it had more sudden jerks than Kirk's flivver driving in "A Piece of the Action." From reluctant stars to script problems, it seemed as if the Enterprise would never leave drydock. These two articles from 1977, one from The Star tabloid and the other from a Macon, GA. newspaper, illustrate the kind of coverage that the starts and stops got in the press.

But eventually it would happen... and in the days, weeks and months leading up to the 2009 release of the new Star Trek movie by JJ Abrams, I'll be posting many articles and items having to do with the creation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. It was an exciting time unlike any other for Trek fans, and I hope that the posts here help you recapture that period... or if you're too young to remember it, to see what it might have been like.

1976 Crawdaddy article

The road to new Star Trek was long and full of potholes. It's a miracle it ever happened! This article in the rock music magazine "Crawdaddy" reveals some of the problems and pitfalls that were hindering Trek from being revived on film.

As one who lived through as a fan those lean years between the end of the series and the beginning of the movies, finds like this were the only thing we had to look forward to from week to week. Looking back at them now, it's interesting to see it again as past history.

1976 TV Movie Scene: ST Comes Back!

Love this rare behind-the-scenes shot of the crew having a laugh while rehearsing. (See bottom of this post for a color photo taken at the same time.)

Note the Don Post "Capt. Kirk" mask that Gene is posing with; that's one of the kind used for Michael Meyers in Halloween, just altered by being spray painted white with different hair added. I attribute Michael's ability to overcome knitting needles, coat hangers, butcher knives and six bullets to the Power of the Shat imparted by the mask.

The photo of Nichelle in her miniskirt and white go-go boots was exciting, because I have had a crush on her from the beginning. I loved that sassy pose!

Back in 1976, I was always on the hunt for ST-related items in any type of magazine. In Macon, GA where I lived (my hometown) there was a used bookstore downtown that I went to when I could. They had stacks of pre-read magazines of the tv/movie-fan sort, and they very often had ST articles and photos in them. A good part of my Star Trek scrapbook was from these sources, and one had a regular monthly ST photo as a feature, and that was always great to find. When it was a big article like this one, it was particularly exciting, especially when it talked about the possibility of Trek returning.

Not from the magazine, but found online, this awesome behind-the-scenes picture was taken during the same rehearsal as the one on the first page of the article. Nichelle is vamping it up here in a way I've never seen and I adore it. She seemed to be the life of the party that day! Here's a larger version, although darker.

Star Trek Gadgets article

The article on the right I clipped from the National Enquirer circa 1975. This was the first of many articles over the years that talked about the tech in Trek working it's way into the real world, often by inspiring young technology developers.

Shatner has even done a book and a TV special about the topic, as have other writers. I many ways what we have has surpassed the filmed Treknology of the 60s', which predicted a lot quite well. The big ones, like warp drive and transporters, we are still a long way off from having, if ever.

Next is a short bit about Shatner clipped from a movie/tv fan magazine, which went into the trash as soon as the article was cut out by me. Who cared about all the other things in it? I was on a hunt for Trek stuff only. Note that the Shat's propensity for shirt removal was not limited to the show only. If only there had been more equality for the women on the show in that regard.

And as an extra bonus, below is the cover of a magazine from May 1977. During it's short run it did a lot of Trek related items.