A clip of the Original Enterprise Studio Model

[EddMarkStarr]

I ran into a short video clip of the original eleven-foot Star Trek Enterprise studio model.

The production video footage was shot in 1964. The finished episode, called "The Cage", was delivered to NBC in January, 1965.

The eleven-foot Enterprise model was a real challenge to film.

But the results at the end of the video clip highlight why the model footage is superior to the animated enterprise used in later production.

 

[gsdx]

Ah, The Cage. Back before the network became sexist (bye bye, Number 1) and when Spock still had emotions.

I often wonder what would have been if Jeffrey Hunter had continued as captain in Star Trek.

 

[rareboy]

It was an incredibly radical and magical imaging of what a spaceship could be....this incredibly clean and bright luxury hotel in the sky.

 

[smokeshadow]

^^IIRC, the model was actually flipped upside down from early sketches of the starship, which had the engineering section above the saucer and the warp drive below

 

[gsdx]

A few years ago I watched a documentary on the restoration of the original Enterprise. I couldn't find it on YouTube, but I found a few interesting videos.

Filming the model

Preserving the Enterprise

Restoring the Enterprise This video loses sound a few seconds into the video but returns near the end. There is only the Star Trek theme to hear. There is no dialogue

Restored Model Comes Home

 

[EddMarkStarr]

It was an incredibly radical and magical imaging of what a spaceship could be....this incredibly clean and bright luxury hotel in the sky.

My dad was a Navy man and families could tour the ships whenever they were at homeport.

Star Trek was the first regular TV series with a spaceship that wasn't a small saucer or rocket ship. The Enterprise was huge, with multiple decks and a crew of hundreds.
It really grabbed my imagination to see a spaceship with onboard observation decks, a library, theater hall, mess hall and crew quarters.

 

[PrinceCory]

Thanks for the memories everyone. Most of these videos I had not seen.

 

[Telstra]

I love the old star trek.
The new star trek is very average, too much talking and no funny acting.