"Star Trek" The Devil in the Dark (1967)

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Writers:

Gene L. Coon (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

9 March 1967 (Season 1, Episode 25)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Enterprise is sent to a mining colony that is being terrorized by a mysterious monster.

Plot Keywords:

Federation | Space | Starship | Vulcan | Computer

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Ken Lynch	...	Vanderberg
James Doohan	...	Scott
Brad Weston	...	Appel
Biff Elliot	...	Schmitter
George Allen	...	Engineer #1 (as George E. Allen)
Jon Cavett	...	Guard
Barry Russo	...	Giotto

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:

William Shatner's favorite episode.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When deciding which of two tunnels to investigate, Kirk tells Spock to take the one on the left, and he'll take the one on the right. But he gestures with his phaser to the exact opposite tunnels.

Quotes:

Spock: Curious. What Chief Vanderburg said about the horta is exactly what the mother horta said to me. She found humanoid appearance revolting... but she thought she could get used to it.
McCoy: Oh she did, did she. Now tell me, did she happen to make any comment about those ears?
Spock: Not specifically, but I did get the distinct impression she found them the most attractive human characteristic of all. I didn't have the heart to tell her that only I have...
Capt. Kirk: [interrupts Spock] She really like those ears?
Spock: Captain, the horta is a remarkably intelligent and sensitive creature... with impeccable taste.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier (2007) (TV)

Still a favorite after all these years

Kirk and the crew are visiting a federation mining colony on a remote planet rich in mineral resources. The Devil in the Dark is the Horta, a very unusual silicon based life-form which tunnels through solid rock. The Horta has been killing miners and, it is decided, must be destroyed. But how?

It is hard to continue this review without writing a spoiler, so instead I simply concentrate on the technical aspects of the episode and touch on its themes. The special effects are OK, but many of the scenes with the Horta look a little absurd. The acting is fairly average for TOS. Some of the miners are a little awkward. Nimoy has the most difficult role of all in Devil in the Dark, and he pulls it off well.

Why is this still a favorite of mine?

Devil in the Dark is really an anthropological and ecological morality play disguised as an adventure. More than many episodes of this great TV series, it brings home the importance of maintaining an open mind and at least some degree of empathy toward others. Plus, it involves one of the most interesting, if not probable, plot twists in the original series.

Enjoy!