A Piece of the Action 

The crew of the Enterprise struggles to cope with a planet of imitative people who have modeled their society on 1920s gangsters.

Director:

James Komack

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), David P. Harmon (teleplay by)

Stars:

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
William Shatner	...	Capt. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Anthony Caruso	...	Bela Oxmyx
Vic Tayback	...	Jojo Krako (as Victor Tayback)
Lee Delano	...	Kalo
James Doohan	...	Scott
Nichelle Nichols	...	Uhura
Walter Koenig	...	Chekov
John Harmon	...	Tepo
Sheldon Collins	...	Tough Kid
Dyanne Thorne	...	First Girl
Sharyn Hillyer	...	Second Girl
Buddy Garion	...	Hood
Steven Marlo	...	Zabo (as Steve Marlo)

Storyline

The Enterprise investigates a planet visited 100 years ago by the U.S.S. Horizon. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down and find themselves in a culture similar to Earth gangs of 1920 Chicago. They are quickly taken prisoner by men in the employ of a mob boss named Bela Oxmyx, who wishes them to give him phasers in exchange for "a piece of the action." When they refuse, Oxmyx puts them under guard. Kirk creates a diversion with a card game called "fizzbin," but without their equipment, the trio must find a way to unite the planet and escape to the Enterprise alive.

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Plot Keywords:

cultural contamination | boss | gangster | earthlike planet | fashion of the 1920s | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Chicago Mobs of the Twenties" was published in 1992.

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Goofs

Kirk and Spock drive back and forth several times between the headquarters of Oxmyk and Krako, all the while Kirk is having trouble with the gears of his car and stalls and jerks the automobile causing it to drive slowly and erratic. However, Oxmyk earlier tells Kirk that he and Krako have the two largest territories in the *world*. If the geographic distance is analogous to, say, Washington and Moscow, then it would take days, if not weeks, for Kirk to drive between the capitol buildings of the two largest nations on the planet. (And that's not taking into account whatever oceans Sigma Iotia II may have.) The script is clearly written as if the Krako-Oxmyk war is fought on an urban scale, rather than a planetary one.

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Quotes

Spock: [balking at the prospect of another ride in a car with Kirk at the wheel] Captain, must we?
Capt. Kirk: It's faster than walking.
Spock: But not as safe.
Capt. Kirk: Are you afraid of cars?
Spock: Not at all, Captain. It's your DRIVING that alarms me.

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Alternate Versions

Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song

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Connections

Referenced in Weird Science: Strangers in Paradise (1996)

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Soundtracks

Theme
Music credited to Alexander Courage
Sung by Loulie Jean Norman

User Reviews

Reminds me of a ham sandwich!

This second season episode of "Star Trek," lays on the goofy qualities a bit thick at times! William Shatner hams it up shamelessly in his attempts to imitate a gangster after he and his party land on a planet that resembles 1920s Chicago. I can't recall seeing Kirk and Spock dressed in 1920s suits very often. This is harmless fun, to be fair. The cast look as though they are having a good time and that's one way of encouraging the viewers to do the same. It's best to switch off the brain when seeing this.

Details

Official Sites:

handitv Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

Greek English

Release Date:

12 January 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Piece of the Action

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television, Norway Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Digital (re-mastered version) DTS (re-mastered version)

Color:

Color Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

4:3