The People (film)

Last updated
The People
GenreDrama
Science fiction
Written by Zenna Henderson (books)
James M. Miller
Directed by John Korty
Starring Kim Darby
William Shatner
Diane Varsi
Laurie Walters
Dan O'Herlihy
Theme music composer Carmine Coppola
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers Francis Ford Coppola
Charles W. Fries
ProducerGerald I. Isenberg
CinematographyEdward Rosson
EditorPatrick Kennedy
Running time74 minutes
Production companies American Zoetrope
Metromedia Producers Corporation
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseJanuary 22, 1972 (1972-01-22)

The People is a 1972 science fiction TV movie, broadcast as an ABC Movie of the Week on January 22, 1972. It is primarily based on "Pottage", a novella by Zenna Henderson, with elements of Henderson's stories "Araret", "Gilead" and "Captivity." It stars Kim Darby, William Shatner, Diane Varsi, Laurie Walters, and Dan O'Herlihy. Darby and Shatner had previously appeared together in the Star Trek episode "Miri."

Contents

Plot summary

Melodye Amerson is a young teacher who goes to a remote area to work with a group of individuals who have isolated themselves from civilization and maintained an independent community, vaguely similar to the Amish or a religious commune. Melodye is unnerved by the secretive behavior of her students, and the fact that all fun, games and activities she proposes are forbidden to them. Valancy, an elder in the community, advises Melodye to stay, because she senses that things are about to change in the valley, and Melodye herself is a part of that change.

Melodye soon discovers that the secluded and "backwards" residents are actually aliens with mild paranormal powers. A natural disaster destroyed their planet, and they are hoping to establish a life on Earth. Landing in the late 1800s, initially they shared their secret with local residents, but found themselves condemned as witches. Many were killed, and the survivors forbade their children ever to use their abilities, even with extreme discretion. Young adults like Valancy (and even some of the older people) have been pushing for an end to these restrictions.

Cast

Production

As noted above, the film was notable for its second pairing of William Shatner and Kim Darby, who had worked together in the Star Trek episode "Miri."

The children's illustrations in the film were done by Arthur Okamura.

The film was the first TV movie for John Korty, and was produced by his sometime partner Francis Ford Coppola, listed as the Executive Producer on the actual film, and scored by his father Carmine. [1]

Reception

One history of science fiction reports that the film stood out in its time "for being neither shoddy nor sentimentalized." [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. It acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it began.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James T. Kirk</span> Character in the Star Trek media franchise

James Tiberius Kirk, commonly known as James T. Kirk or Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in Star Trek serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as captain. Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds, new civilizations, and "boldly go where no man has gone before". Often, the characters of Spock and Leonard "Bones" McCoy act as his logical and emotional sounding boards, respectively. Kirk has also been portrayed in numerous films, books, comics, webisodes, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Nimoy</span> American actor (1931–2015)

Leonard Simon Nimoy was an American actor and director, famed for playing Spock in the Star Trek franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original Star Trek series in 1966, then Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Nimoy also directed films, including Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), and Three Men and a Baby (1987), and appeared in several films, television shows, and voice acted in several video games. Outside of acting, Nimoy was a film director, photographer, author, singer, and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spock</span> Fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise

Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Trek series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer and first officer and later as commanding officer of the vessel. Spock's mixed human–Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances. Along with Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, he is one of the three central characters in the original Star Trek series and its films. After retiring from active duty in Starfleet, Spock served as a Federation ambassador, and later became involved in the ill-fated attempt to save Romulus from a supernova, leading him to live out the rest of his life in a parallel universe.

<i>Star Trek: Phase II</i> Un-aired television program

Star Trek: Phase II was the initial working title for what officially became titled Star Trek II, an unproduced American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as a sequel to the original Star Trek, which had run from 1966 to 1969. The plans for the series were first developed after several failed attempts to create a feature film based on the property, coupled with plans for a Paramount Television Service (PTS) as a fourth broadcast television network in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeForest Kelley</span> American actor (1920–1999)

Jackson DeForest Kelley, known to colleagues as "Dee", was an American actor, screenwriter, poet, and singer. He was known for his roles in Westerns and achieved international fame as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the television and film series Star Trek (1966–1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zenna Henderson</span> American science fiction and fantasy writer (1917–1983)

Zenna Chlarson Henderson was an American elementary school teacher and science fiction and fantasy author. Her first story was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1951. Her work is cited as pre-feminist, often featuring middle-aged women, children, and their relationships, but with stereotyped gender roles. Many of her stories center around human aliens called "The People", who have special powers. Henderson was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1959 for her novelette Captivity. Science fiction authors Lois McMaster Bujold, Orson Scott Card, Connie Willis, Dale Bailey, and Kathy Tyers have cited her as an influence on their work.

"Miri" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Adrian Spies and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on October 27, 1966.

"Plato's Stepchildren" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Meyer Dolinsky and directed by David Alexander, it was first broadcast on November 22, 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Darby</span> American actress

Kim Darby is an American actress best known for her roles as Mattie Ross in True Grit (1969) and Jenny Meyer in Better Off Dead (1985).

The Spacey Awards was an annual award presented by the Canadian cable network Space from 2003 to 2007. Awards were presented in the areas of sci-fi, fantasy and horror films, television series and video games. The awards included both audience-voted categories and juried categories, whose winner was selected by a committee of employees of the channel. The award statue was an alien with large, insectoid eyes.

Cultural influence of <i>Star Trek</i> Star Trek influence on society

The science fiction multimedia franchise of Star Trek since its original debut in 1966 has been one of the most successful television series in science fiction television history and has been considered by many to have had a large influence in popular culture as a result.

John Korty was an American film director and animator, best known for the television film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and the documentary Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?, as well as the theatrical animated feature Twice Upon a Time. He has won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and several other major awards. He is described by the film critic Leonard Maltin as "a principled filmmaker who has worked both outside and within the mainstream, attempting to find projects that support his humanistic beliefs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Shatner</span> Canadian actor (born 1931)

William Shatner is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trekkie</span> Fan of the Star Trek franchise

A Trekkie or Trekker is a fan of the Star Trek franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise.

<i>The Captains</i> (film) 2011 Canadian film

The Captains is a 2011 feature documentary that follows actor William Shatner through interviews with the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in five other incarnations of the Star Trek franchise. Shatner's subjects discuss their lives and careers before, during, and after their tenure with Star Trek. They explore the pressures, stigmas, and sacrifices that accompanied their roles and their larger careers. The film makes use of conversations, personal observations, interviews, and archival footage.

<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek, premiered on NBC on September 15, 1967 and concluded on March 29, 1968. It consisted of twenty-six episodes. It features William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy.

<i>Dr. Kildare</i> (TV series) American medical drama television series (1961–1966)

Dr. Kildare is an NBC medical drama television series which originally ran from September 28, 1961, until August 30, 1966, for a total of 191 episodes over five seasons. Produced by MGM Television, it was based on fictional doctor characters originally created by author Max Brand in the 1930s and previously used by MGM in a popular film series and radio drama. The TV series quickly achieved success and made a star of Richard Chamberlain, who played the title role. Dr. Kildare inspired or influenced many later TV shows dealing with the medical field. Dr. Kildare aired on NBC affiliate stations on Thursday nights at 8:30–9:30 p.m. until September 1965, when the timeslot was changed to Monday and Tuesday nights at 8:30–9:00 p.m. through the end of the show's run.

<i>Mind Meld</i> 2001 American documentary film by Peter Jaysen

Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime is a 2001 American documentary film in which actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy discuss the Star Trek science fiction franchise and its effects on their lives. Shatner and Nimoy portrayed the characters James T. Kirk and Spock respectively in the 1960s Star Trek television series, the 1970s animated television series, and their film sequels.

References

  1. Miller, Ron (1995-04-21). "Film studios beckon but director John Korty prefers freedom of TV". San Jose Mercury News .
  2. Aldiss & Wingrove, Trillion Year Spree , Victor Gollancz, 1986, p.407
  3. "The People (1972 USA, TV)". Modcinema.com. Retrieved 14 September 2018.