******STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!******

Here in the United States at the time of this writing, I’m not exactly in the ‘President’s Day’ spirit this month. However, this site is about sci-fi/fantasy/horror and nostalgia, not modern politics. Way back in March of 1969, Star Trek aired “The Savage Curtain,” an episode cowritten by no less than creator/ex-showrunner Gene Roddenberry himself, along with Arthur Heinemann. The episode sees the starship Enterprise orbiting a lava-saturated planet called Excalbia, that is giving off odd signs of intelligent life, when they encounter… ahem, long-dead US President Abraham Lincoln (Lee Bergere). Lincoln invites Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) down to the surface of the planet–courtesy of a newly formed habitable zone. There, the three puzzled guests also encounter Surak (Barry Atwater); the long-revered founder of Vulcan’s logical, pacifist culture.

Soon, a rocky native of the planet named Yarnek (Janos Prohaska, voice of Bart LaRue) introduces the group to Genghis Khan (Nathan Jung), along with a homicidal 21st century autocrat named Colonel Green (Phillip Pine), a barbaric scientist named Zora (Carol Daniels) and Kahless (Bob Herron); the “unforgettable” Klingon who set the pattern for his empire’s tyranny. Turns out, the Excalbians are deeply curious about these alien visitors to their solar system, and simply wish to learn about our strange concepts of “good” and “evil.” To get their answers, Yarnek threatens the Enterprise‘s safety in order to goad the two groups into fighting to see who will emerge victorious, based on their opposing philosophies.

On paper, it’s an interesting idea, but in execution, it used to be a bit embarrassing to me whenever I was caught watching Kirk, Spock and Honest Abe duking it out with Genghis Khan and a Klingon. However, if one simply listens to the episode (without the silly visuals), it’s somewhat better than it looks. With that, it’s time to pull back…

“The Savage Curtain” (1969)

Note: A little surprising that none of the Star Trek prequel series to date (“Star Trek: Discovery,”“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Star Trek: Enterprise”) have (yet) tried to fill in the blanks on what McCoy calls “those old space legends” regarding life on the molten world of Excalbia. Maybe some previous starship once encountered the same signs of life Spock and Sulu (George Takei) detected from orbit?

Note: As a kid, I used to get embarrassed whenever this episode came on TV; especially if I was trying to introduce someone new to the show. I used to think that ‘Abraham Lincoln in space’ looked like an episode of “Bewitched” or “I Dream of Jeannie.” However, in my early teens, I used to audiotape Star Trek episodes from the TV speaker (back in the days when VCRs were around $1000) and I’d listen to them as I did my homework. Listening to “The Savage Curtain,” without the goofy imagery, it was more compelling than it appeared. In fact, I’d say it’s another underrated gem from TOS’ often ill-reputed third season (“Day of the Dove,” “The Tholian Web,” “All Our Yesterdays,” and a few others also buck this reputation).

Note: The area of Earthlike climate that appears on the planet’s otherwise molten surface looks almost like a patch of mold in a bowl of aging tomato soup, though it’s surprisingly well-crafted for a 1960s TV series. The 2007 remastered Blu-Ray sets of Star Trek TOS have since modernized the visual FX, yet some of those old opticals done by The Howard Anderson Company, Film Effects of Hollywood, Inc., and The Westheimer Company still hold up well enough today.

Note: While the late guest star Lee Bergere (1918-2007) does a fine job as Abraham Lincoln, he is a bit shorter than the historically tall US president, who was 6′ 4″ (1.9 m). The Lincoln makeup is acceptable for older, low-resolution TVs, but in the high definition era, it looks quite rough and crude in places; particularly the heavy brown makeup used to darken the actor’s hands and reshape his cheekbones. Bergere (“Dynasty”) would also appear in the US Civil War TV miniseries, “North and South, Book 1” (1985), though not as Abraham Lincoln; who was played by the late Hal Holbrook (“Capricorn One”) in that production. A young Jonathan Frakes (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) would costar in the miniseries as well.

Note: The scene of Kirk taking the former president on a tour of the Enterprise is made memorable by giving Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) a rare moment to shine. Lincoln offhandedly refers to the ship’s communications officer as a “charming negress,” which he immediately regrets and apologizes for, only to learn that the lieutenant took no offense, since the enlightened humans of this idealized 23rd century have learned not to fear words. This deftly defuses a potentially awkward moment in the episode with a bit of elegant writing. Uhura smartly (and memorably) addresses Lincoln’s unintentionally racist faux pas without speechifying or soapboxing. Modern Star Trek could learn a few things from this 56-year old episode’s simple progressive messaging, delivered without grandstanding.

Note: The briefing room scene has McCoy and Scotty speaking out on behalf of Kirk and Spock’s safety after the two volunteer to accompany ‘Lincoln’ to the planet’s surface, and it’s similar to their concern for the pair as seen in the second season episode “Return to Tomorrow” (when Kirk and Spock volunteered to host alien minds in their bodies), though it lacks anything close to that episode’s memorable “Risk is our business” speech.

Note: This episode introduces one of the cornerstones of Vulcan lore in the character of Surak (Barry Atwater); a revered pacifist and scientist, whose philosophy of pure logic over emotion was believed to have saved the Vulcan people from endless wars and from another that was about to begin. While Lincoln was certainly a very important US president (arguably the most important of US history to date), Surak’s influence on his people was far greater; more akin to Moses, Jesus, Buddha, or Gandhi. He didn’t simply change one Vulcan sect–he changed the very nature of his planet’s population from a warlike race of half-savage conquerors to the cool, logical, pacifist intellectuals we see many centuries later. Barry Atwater (1918-1978) plays Surak as stoically as one might imagine such a revered hero, which makes sense, since this version of Surak is recreated largely from Spock’s own expectations.

Note: Surak, as seen in the character’s two ‘mind-meld’ appearances from Star Trek: Enterprise (“The Kir’Shara,” “The Awakening”), was played by the late Bruce Gray (1936-2017). In those episodes, Surak is seen as more lifelike and vulnerable than his more stoic visage from “The Savage Curtain.” This too, makes sense, since the ENT version of Surak comes from the dead Vulcan’s surviving ‘katra’ (spirit). Surak’s radiation-scarred appearance in ENT’s “The Awakening” implies the dying pacifist was unsuccessful in stopping that other imminent war he alluded to in “The Savage Curtain.” Neither “The Savage Curtain” nor ENT define exactly what role Surak played in Vulcan society. A throwaway line from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982) implied that Surak might’ve been a scientist, as he’s mentioned “in the same breath” with Newton and Einstein, though it’s not clear. There is still a lot of backstory for Surak that’s ripe for further exploration.

Note: The native Excalbian named Yarnek (whose name is never mentioned onscreen) shape-shifts from a rock into a living, sentient being (a well-executed visual effect) to answer his visitors’ many questions. Yarnek’s design was one of the most imaginative aliens from TOS; with a brownish color and texture that used to remind me of (forgive the pastry-comparison) apple fritter doughnuts; a favorite breakfast treat of mine as a kid. The creature’s smoking skin, large claws, and multiple glowing eyes (lighting in concert with its distorted voice) all add to its decidedly non-humanoid appearance. Yarnek is brought to life by the late costume-designer/performer, Janos Prohaska (1919-1974); who previously played the Horta in “Devil in the Dark” as well as one of the alien occupants of “The Cage” from TOS’ 1964 pilot. Yarnek ‘spoke’ using the distorted vocalizations of the late actor/announcer Bart La Rue (1932-1990); who also voiced the ‘Guardian of Forever’ in the classic episode “City on the Edge of Forever,” as well as a Nazi newscaster in “Patterns of Force” (in which he was briefly visible). To this day, the creature’s visage still stokes warm childhood memories for me of eating apple fritter doughnuts as a kid…

Note: Aside from real-life Mongol emperor Genghis Khan, played by stuntman/actor Nathan Jung (1946-2021), the representatives of ‘evil’ are all potentially interesting characters, with Kahless (Bob Herron) and Colonel Green (Phillip Pine) referenced or featured in later Star Trek stories (notably ENT’s “Demons” & “Terra Prime” and TNG’s “Rightful Heir”). Little is known about Zora (Carol Daniels), the savage scientist who experimented with the body chemistries of subject tribes on the planet Tiburon (the original Carib native name for ‘shark’). In this episode, the only member of the evil squad who shows any depth is Col. Green, with Kahless reduced to being Green’s sidekick rather than the legend he’d become on TNG and Deep Space Nine (“The Sword of Kahless”). It was wise for writers Roddenberry and Heinemann not to include a more contemporary evil character for this episode, like Adolf Hitler, since World War 2 and the Holocaust were still relatively fresh in public memory in 1969. Not to mention that Star Trek previously (if superficially) addressed the evils of Nazism in its once-controversial episode, “Patterns of Force.” Given the current rise of the global far-right and its draconian policies, I think we need more reminders of this danger, if it’s not too late…

Note: With the Enterprise disabled and facing an imminent warp core breach, Scotty and the bridge crew, along with Dr. McCoy, are forced to witness the ‘spectacle’ between good and evil on their main viewer, courtesy of Yarnek. This recalls a similarly disabled/endangered Enterprise and crew being forced by the advanced Metrons to witness Kirk’s famous battle with the Gorn, from the classic TOS episode, “Arena.” Both the Metron and Excalbian invisible cameras managed to get some discreet closeups, too...

Note: Given that Captain Kirk was loosely based on the slain ‘new frontier’ US president John F. Kennedy, the shady Col. Green seems to bear a subtle resemblance to Kennedy’s onetime political adversary, president Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon; who was newly elected at the time of this episode’s broadcast in March of 1969.

Note: Even in battle, TOS Star Trek championed equality of the sexes, with Spock taking on barbaric biochemist Zora during the first of several skirmishes between good and evil.

Note: Surak represents the popular ‘dove’ movement of the time; those antiwar activists who were sharply opposed to the Vietnam War (and the US draft). Ultimately, South Vietnam fell, the draft was rescinded, and US forces were driven out in defeat six years after this episode aired. Ironically, Vietnam today is a thriving tourist magnet. My own in-laws have vacationed there. This idea was forecast in pop sci-fi with a travel agency poster to “Surf Vietnam” in the 2015 ‘future’ of 1989’s “Back to the Future 2.”

Note: Other than impatience and a knack for mimicking the voices of Lincoln and Surak, not much is seen of the ‘evil’ Klingon first emperor, Kahless, as played by the late Bob Herron (1924-2021). In fact, he looks like any other Klingon from Captain Kirk’s era, with his smooth forehead and standard Klingon soldier’s uniform. No doubt this shallow ‘image’ of Kahless was created by the Excalbians from the Enterprise’s limited data on Klingon culture at that time (mid-23rd century). After the Federation and Klingons achieved peace (an eventuality foreseen by the omniscient Organians in “Errand of Mercy”), the Klingons were portrayed as more complex, and not simply ‘evil.’ When we eventually meet a clone of Kahless, as played by the late Kevin Conway (1942-2020) in TNG’s “Rightful Heir” (1993), he is quite different from the generic Klingon soldier seen in “The Savage Curtain.” The clone of Kahless (made from the original’s surviving genetic material) is a more regal figure, capable of humility, too; as we see when he learns he was grown in a lab, and pre-programmed with ancient texts.

Note: Lincoln making his reluctant case for rescuing Surak from the enemy camp is the character’s best moment. As he makes his argument for an offensive, we see his hands tremble; a subtle reminder that Lincoln (this version of him, anyway) took up arms against the confederacy with great reluctance. Despite the character’s belabored makeup job (he looks more like he hails from the “Planet of the Apes” than rural Illinois), Lee Bergere gives a charismatic and memorable performance. The admittedly silly premise of honest Abe Lincoln rumbling on an alien planet with Genghis Khan and a Klingon used to make me instantly facepalm whenever I saw “The Savage Curtain” (aka, “the one with Abraham Lincoln”). Though I’d end up watching it, anyway.

Note: The battle royale (constrained by 1969 broadcast standards) sees Kirk and Spock victorious, with evil in retreat. Granted, this battle gives a simplified presentation of ‘good vs evil,’ which was typical of most TV shows in those days. Gray morality wasn’t really a thing yet, save for occasional gems, like Rod Serling’s brilliant anthology series, “The Twilight Zone.” However, this simplified showdown of good vs. evil also works for the Excalbians, who are intelligent life forms, though completely unfamiliar with human behavior and philosophies.

Note: The same right by which the Enterprise violated Excalbian space also gave the Excalbians a right to examine their intruders, however unorthodox. Yarnek is disappointed that good and evil used the same methods, and achieved the same results. However, Yarnek and the Excalbians failed to realize that putting the Enterprise in danger rigged the outcome of their experiment. Duty, not goodness, forced Kirk and Spock to save their endangered shipmates at all costs. The emotionally-stunted Excalbians seem incapable of realizing that good and evil are largely matters of perspective, and are unprovable by strength, strategy or fisticuffs.

Note: Back aboard the ship, Spock surmises the shape-shifting Excalbians used their fellow creatures as source matter for the historical characters they encountered, drawing on the ship’s records and the crew’s thoughts to recreate the facsimiles; this made the replicas exactly what Kirk, Spock and the crew might expect. So, if the Excalbians could recreate complex, emotionally-aware beings so accurately, why put real humanoids through such dangerous exercises in the first place? Couldn’t they have simply deep-scanned the Enterprise’s crew as it orbited Excalbia, and found their answers without harming or capturing them?

The End.

Summing It Up

Directed by Herschel Daugherty (TOS’ “Operation: Annihilate!”), “The Savage Curtain” is one of the few episodes of Star Trek TOS with an actual writing credit by Gene Roddenberry; the series’ creator and showrunner of its first two seasons, before he stepped down in season 3 and handed the reigns to Fred Freiberger (the infamously-reputed ‘show-killer’ who oversaw several doomed the final seasons of several doomed TV shows, including “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Space: 1999”).

Conceptually, the episode has much in common with Roddenberry’s original pilot for Star Trek, “The Cage,” (later incorporated into “The Menagerie”). In both, Enterprise crew members are lured into elaborate scenarios by mind-probing aliens who create familiar illusions for them. However, unlike the withering Talosians, the curious Excalbians wish only to learn, not to rebuild their civilization. Roddenberry’s trope of humanity put through its paces by an alien intelligence would later be seen again in TNG’s 1987 pilot, “Encounter at Farpoint,” as well. “The Savage Curtain” also uses the appearance of Abraham Lincoln; a personal hero of Roddenberry’s (providing the name for his somewhat seedy 1970s mail order merchandising company, Lincoln Enterprises). Cowriter Arthur Heinemann also cowrote “Wink of an Eye,” along with the infamous ‘space hippies’ episode, “The Way to Eden” (not exactly Star Trek at its finest, but wildly entertaining and utterly hilarious).

To its credit, “The Savage Curtain” is well executed; with the truly imaginative alien named Yarnek, who looks nothing like the boring, bumpy-foreheaded aliens we’d see in later Star Treks. There are other colorful characters too, including a charming performance by Lee Bergere as Abraham Lincoln, whose hand trembles at the thought of another war. Bad guys Zora (Carol Daniels) and Genghis Khan (Nathan Jung) are little more than nonverbal placeholders, while Klingon warrior Kahless (Bob Herron) is reduced to a henchman. However, Phillip Pine’s Colonel Green makes for a nasty-enough group spokesman, bearing a slight resemblance to ex-US president Richard Nixon, but with the smarminess of a used car salesman (as seen when he offers Captain Kirk a false truce). Some of these colorful guest characters (Kahless, Colonel Green, Surak) would be explored with a bit more depth in future Star Treks.

Despite its quaintly dated, pre-Watergate/pre-Trump naïveté with regards to US political leadership, the forgivably goofy “The Savage Curtain” offers an intriguing story that sprinkles a few tantalizing bits of Star Trek lore on top. It also epitomizes Star Trek’s once central (and largely ignored since) notion that humanity is an ever evolving work-in-progress; and that even at our apex, those cherished ideals of ours will always be tested somewhere. Yes, there will be some terrible times ahead for us (as embodied by the 21st century’s nefarious “Col. Green”), though perhaps we may yet offer something of value to this universe–as both explorers and teachers.

To quote Honest Abe in the episode, “It was a worthy effort…worthy.“

Where to Watch

“Star Trek: The Original Series” is available to stream via Pluto (free) as well as Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video (with subscription).