ENCYCLOPEDIA FILM-FANNICA
BIOGRAPHY SECTION
R: Roddenberry, Gene=Genius
THE COP WHO LAUNCHED THE ENTERPRISE
by Allan Asherman
Some years ago there was a wartime flier named Eugene W. Roddenberry, who became Gene Roddenberry; policeman. Flier Roddenberry loved excitement and freedom, and was a part of an immense organization working to win a war and preserve a way of life. He was, in a way, living out some of the excitement of his favorite fictional hero, Captain Horatio Hornblower.
A policeman, is an organization-man, but the flight is sociological instead of militaristic. Policeman Roddenberry learned to fight sans protective wings and propellers and still remain a “good cop.”
he gets itchy typewriter fingers
Most people would have been satisfied with the vocation’s excitement. The Creative Urge took hold of him. He made time to write for that most creative field, dramatic television. Roddenberry was successful, and soon his scripts (written under a pen name) were being seen on several series.
He started writing on a semi-regular basis for “Dragnet,” using his experiences on the police force as source material for his scripts. He was a concerned authority on narcotics, and so – many of his stories dealt with that special problem.
Successful sales and the lure of Hollywood beckoned Gene, and he quit the Force to become a full-time T.V. writer, at last using his own name on scripts.
he commands creative respect
Besides “Dragnet,” he wrote plays for Dick Powell’s prestigious “Four Star Playhouse.” His work was liked in the industry, and he quickly became head-writer for Richard Boone’s highly successful teleseries “Have Gun Will Travel.” The M.G.M. series “The Lieutenant” followed, with Roddenberry creatively behind the show.
The background for inspiration was set. The ingredients, true-life adventure, experience with fictional adventure and action, were about to combine.
In his post-air-force days, Roddenberry had been a civilian pilot for 3 years. He survived a wartime crash, and later narrowly escaped the crash of a civilian airliner (Only he and 7 others survived.) And yet with such experiences behind him, Roddenberry remained a fairly reserved type. Military, law enforcement and flying experiences began to gel into an idea; the idea formed slowly, painstakingly, at first as a kind of private dream.
a dreamin’ Gene
Roddenberry had read and seen science-fiction. Though there was no limit to what a person could write in this field, but budget limitations often gave way to unconvincing storylines and uninspired production. The reality and feeling were simply not there and science-fiction, especially on television, had come to be looked upon as being suitable only for children. Gloppy monsters and equally substantial plots. There were exceptions, but these were all anthologies (“The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits,” “Science-fiction Theatre” and Ronald Dahl’s “Way Out”) and did not revolve around a set situation and cast of characters.
What if a man tried to do justice to science-fiction by treating it the same as he would adventure, action or combat stories? Suppose this was done on a running basis, within a given universe of places and people … provocative people in an intriguing age meeting fantastic situations, but meeting them realistically. You would have something that was never seen before. Something NEW and quite worthwhile.
hmm: “STAR-SMOKE”. “DRAGNET-TREK?”
You take “Dragnet,” and “Gunsmoke,” the U.S. Air Force and an implicit faith in man’s sincere thirst for knowledge and companionship, and you move them all 200 years or so into the future.
Get a cast of dramatic actors to tackle, create and mold the roles. Hire art directors and set designers who can give the thing body and spirit unique. Emphasize the things that really matter, and don’t get carried away with non-essentials. Take the deadlines of television budget and production time into realistic account. Get it all together in your mind. And call it “STAR TREK.”
And so that’s just what the cop who launched the Enterprise did!