"Star Trek" The City on the Edge of Forever (1967)

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Writers:

Harlan Ellison (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

6 April 1967 (Season 1, Episode 28)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

When a temporarily maddened Dr. McCoy alters history and eliminates his time, Kirk and Spock follow him to prevent it, but the price to do so is high.

Plot Keywords:

Time Travel | 1930s | Classic | Federation | Space

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
Joan Collins	...	Sister Edith Keeler
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
James Doohan	...	Scott
George Takei	...	Sulu
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
John Harmon	...	Rodent
Hal Baylor	...	Policeman
David L. Ross	...	Galloway
John Winston	...	Transporter Chief
Bart La Rue	...	Guardian (voice) (as Bartell La Rue)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage)

Runtime:

50 min | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Desilu Productions

Trivia:

Harlan Ellison's original story had the time portal manned by people who were the real guardians of time, rather than a machine entity.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Time has been changed so that the Enterprise never existed, yet the landing party still exist and remember their version of the time-line.

Quotes:

Edith Keeler: If you can leave right away, I can get you 5 hours of work at 22 cents an hour.
[seeing Spock's arcing and sparking tricorder adapter]
Edith Keeler: What, what on earth is that?
Spock: I am endeavoring, ma'am, to construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bear skins.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Star Trek: New Voyages: In Harms Way (#1.1)" (2004)

A significant and memorable episode

I have been re-watching the original Star Trek series from time to time on DVD and I generally cannot remember which one I re-watched 3 months ago on DVD. It has been so long since I have watched them on TV, many of them are new again.

This episode though, is an outstanding exception. Not because I enjoyed it... I REMEMBERED IT from years ago because of the awful conflicts of ethics that still remain unresolved. Supposedly, if Kirk did not take action, life as he knew it would not exist.

Still, it could have been wrong or right. We just don't know. The story was softened so we would feel it was right.. but, what could have become of the bigger picture if time is expanded and we are not locked into our Star Trek box? Maybe it is because of my particular age that this is an indelible episode. Similar concepts have been indulged in other shows. The original Star Trek to me remains a life-time keeper, and this episode a stand out.

It offers an end to a particular evil in its box, so we are satisfied. But it still leaves questions. It makes XXXX travel a four-letter word, (even for a Dr. Who fan).