Sunday 9 October 2022

STAR TREK VIEW-MASTER

 

Following my Dinky USS Enterprise photos, our blog friend, Mish mentioned the Star Trek View-Master set which showed two Federation Starships on the cover, so I felt prompted to dig out my example and do a short post about it.


The cover does indeed show two Starships, the USS Enterprise and the USS Exeter.



The cover photo shows the three-foot model used at the time in several publicity photos, while the other Federation ship is a AMT model kit. The scene was set up by the View- Master camera team.



The episode featured is The Omega Glory, originally titled The Omega Story, and written by Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry as a story outline submitted for the second of the series' pilots.


The episode is considered by many to be amongst the worst in the original show’s history, due to the story’s heavy -handed allegorical and jingoistic content.


The story ends with Captain Kirk saving the day by reciting the US Pledge of Allegiance, which had been misinterpreted by the indigenous humanoids on the planet of Omega IV.



9 comments:

  1. Nice reminder. I didn't have many viewmaster sets as a kid but I did have this one and I liked it. There is a certain irony in Kirk taking exception to Captain Tracy breaking the Prime Directive, I mean pot...kettle..., come on!

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    1. Yes, the Prime Directive is certainly very flexible, especially if it gets in the way of the plot.
      I suppose as the episode was conceived early in the development of the series by Roddenberry, himself, he wanted to instil the idea that the advanced and enlightened Federation shouldn't interfere with less advanced civilisations.
      Of course, it never stopped them imposing their own pragmatic ideals on the advanced ones, and to be honest, the not so advanced! ; )

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  2. That's the one Scoop.
    It's the red/blue lighting combo that's similar.

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    1. Yes, I can see exactly what you mean, Mish. I should try it with my AMT Enterprise kit.

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  3. Lovely stuff Scoop. I didn't have this but would have loved it as a small Trekkie. I'm just enjoying the Deadly Years on Legend! Great original epsiode!

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  4. Yes, the Comms and Yangs... Ive got that ViewMaster Set too,although i cant remember how i got it, exceot it was in the very early 1970s. And as I was also at the age when I was beginning to notice girls; Irene Kelly's outfit was definitely getting noticed in my eyes at the time. Then again, I always noticed the beautiful (and often, not that heavily clothed actresses they had on the show)

    I guess the connoisseurs of the narrative would think it rubbish, but I don't think I was taking a great deal of interest in how good that was. As an early teenager, there were other things I was appreciating! And have to say still appreciate now how beautiful the women are in Star Trek.

    No wonder Captain Kirk was like the Ships Tomcat!

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    1. I'm sure you're aware of the episode, The Gamesters of Triskelion, Bill, which featured Angelique Pettyjohn in a very skimpy 'spacegirl' outfit. She appeared in Playboy ,and was happy to sell posters of herself showing her in costume and without at conventions!

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  5. What a beautiful woman! Angelique Pettyjohn also did nude modelling and possibly adult movies too. That outfit was clearly designed to get the guys Jaws dropping!

    Without a doubt she was the star of that episode!

    She died far too young.

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