Newly rediscovered original TOS script by Norman Spinrad

Johnny Storm

Norman Spinrad , author of well liked TOS ep "the Doomsday Machine" and many SF novels such as Bug Jack Barron and The Iron Dream, recently rediscovered another, never-produced script he had written for TOS. Its now for sale on Amazon

Sez Norm:

LONG-LOST UNPRODUCED CLASSIC STAR TREK SCREENPLAY
This screenplay was commissioned by Gene Roddenberry as a vehicle for Milton Berle as a serious actor and he also sent me to an overgrown backlot village set he wanted to to try to write into the script too.
It was written in 1967 and lost for 45 years.
This original version was rewritten into an unfunny comedy by the line producer Gene Coon apparently unaware that Uncle Miltie was also a serious dramatic actor and a good one. It t was so bad that I complained to Roddenberry.

"This is so lousy, Gene, that you should kill it!" I told him. "You can't, you shouldn't, shoot this thing! Read it and weep!"

Gene did, and he agreed with me. I killed my second Star Trek, which, down through the years has cost me tens of thousands of dollars in lost residuals.

I thought the text of my original version--written on a typewriter!--was lost forever until recently a fan asked me to autograph a faded copy he had bought somewhere. I did, and in return he sent me a pdf off a scan, and that's what I've put on Amazon, not a great copy maybe, but the only one that exists or probably can exist:STAR TREK--He Walked Among Us screenplay on Amazon ]

downwithpeace

I wonder if the fan had the original valued, probably a collector or two out there desperate to get their hands on something so rare.