"The Savage Curtain"
first aired on March 7, 1969
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Gene Roddenberry used violence in this story to make a point about violence – and its overuse on television. The NBC censors didn’t get it. Among the memos sent to producer Fred Freiberger by NBC Practices and Standards: |
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“Caution on the sight of Lincoln as we see him wounded and, later, dead; This also applies to Lvak and the four injured by the explosion. Make-up indicating injuries or stained clothing must be minimal if used at all, and the eyes of the dead must be closed or not featured. Please do not show the impact as Kahless is hit by the falling boulders.… The fight between Kirk and Green and the ensuing free-for-all is considered justified for story purposes but please make certain it is brief as possible and there must be no brutality; acceptability will be judged at the rough cut viewing.”
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Translation: Freiberger had been warned -- if NBC didn’t like what they saw at the “rough cut viewing,” the network could refuse to pay for (and not air) the episode. Freiberger recognized the seriousness of the threat and chose to take much of the action out of the action-adventure, including the explosion, the falling boulders, and the more horrific aspects of Lincoln’s death.
On the morning the episode began filming, NBC was not done with its pestering of Freiberger for more rewrites. His latest page revisions, from December 9 and 10, did not pacify the network censors enough. They now wrote:
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“Makeup indicating injuries must be minimal, with the results of the brawl more noted by dirt and grime rather than wounds. The attack and counterattack is considered justified for story purposes, well motivated, and well handled in its description; would you, however, please provide adequate cutaway shot so this sequence may be further edited after the rough cut viewing if such is deemed necessary. The conflict must not be unnecessarily prolonged and not brutal, and only a minimum of make-up indicating injuries and blood may be used. In addition: Surak’s collapse should not be sensationalized with bodily reactions and his posture in death not grotesque.… This caution also applies to Lincoln’s fall and death.…
Further, as Mr. Freiberger and I have discussed, the spear will not be shown at the point of contact with the body.” |
Preparing to film the battle that, because of NBC, would be a mere wrestling match
The battle of getting this episode made continued. Read all about it in These Are the Voyages, TOS [The Original Series]: Season Three.
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In honor of its broadcast anniversary, watch the original episode.
See the episode in a whole new way by reading all of the great behind-the-scenes details in Marc Cushman’s, These are the Voyages: TOS Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3
(Remastered Edition) Available in DVD and Blu-ray  
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* While some of the images in the excepts are shown in color, all images in the book are in black and white.
