RED ALERT Lost 3 ft TOS Enterprise found????

[joberg]

Howdy,

It’s crazy, isn’t it?

Definitely not a lawyer on my end (thank the Lord!)… But I have since discovered the “real” reasons behind special laws in certain states.
I think that as a result of Hollywood; there are hundreds of these storage auctions every year. And without this law, the liability for the Storage Unit companies is simply way too high. And that’s why they passed this law all the way back in 1982. It’s been challenged a lot over the years, and it’s been upheld each time. I think that if they could find a way to legally handle the liability while still providing protections in the case of stolen property; they would then refine that law. But who knows?

And I agree with you on the whole “storage unit” loop hole. One of the very earliest videos I ever did about the subject a few years back talked about how I thought the model would eventually be found in a storage unit. Not because I knew it would provide any legal protection - but because it provided ethical protection. Just say you found it in a storage unit and come forward. No one will think you were a bad person. And there is always the potential for a reward. So even if you were the one who put it there in the first place; you wouldn’t have to admit knowing where it came from and who had it.

And in the case of Texas - well…… In Texas, the law allows the customer to be able to bid on their own sale unit. It is considered a public sale and no member of the public is excluded. So that law also hints at why Heritage is a Texas company instead of a California company. People have said for years that they were concerened that some bids on items were made in order to simply drive up the final auction price.

Of course; that’s hypothetical.

As some of my lawyers friends say: "Immoral, but not illegal"

 

[Maurice]

The Howard A. Anderson Company logo appears in the background in the leader of some of that Burton Holmes footage.

Also, the name of Howard Anderson's facility is scratched into the blank leader at the tail of this reel of rear-projection material for ST—TMP, which I personally scanned for Rick Sternbach, who wrote: "This print was likely created at the Howard Anderson facility on the Paramount lot, in support of the high-tech displays seen on various spaceship and starbase sets, when the use of computer graphics in film and television was in its infancy."

So Anderson wasn't exactly societas non grata for Star Trek.

 

[Trek World]

BTW, how does one square that with this press release:

https://entertainment.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/heritage-auctions-returns-tv-s-first-uss-enterprise-to-eugene-roddenberry-jr.-son-of-star-trek-creator-gene-roddenberry.s?releaseId=4956

It doesn't. That's why I am amazed they have left it up after all that happened. It's the one I mentioned the other night.

The press release went out via AP on 4/18. It says : "On Saturday, Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena returned the 3-foot-long model of the Federation’s flagship, used in the original Star Trek series’ opening credits, to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry Jr., son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and caretaker of his father’s legacy. The handoff occurred at Heritage Auctions’ Beverly Hills location, where the Enterprise was stored for safekeeping."

But the LA court records show that they were told that the sellers would not accept contract modification that gave Heritage the ownership instead of directly to REI. April 1, meeting in the photos was held and the subsequent PR was released saying they had successfully returned the model. In their required complaint response to the court they said they couldn't deliver the model to REI because they didn't have the completed contract to do so.

 

[Trek World]

The Howard A. Anderson Company logo appears in the background in the leader of some of that Burton Holmes footage.

Also, the name of Howard Anderson's facility is scratched into the blank leader at the tail of this reel of rear-projection material for ST—TMP, which I personally scanned for Rick Sternbach, who wrote: "This print was likely created at the Howard Anderson facility on the Paramount lot, in support of the high-tech displays seen on various spaceship and starbase sets, when the use of computer graphics in film and television was in its infancy."

So Anderson wasn't exactly societas non grata for Star Trek.

Hi Maurice,

I understand it looks like it could be Anderson's logo underneath the leader's production info. And its a good starting point to try to followup on in research. However, there is no documentation to support that Anderson ever did anything after the series. From anyone. And that symbol is used in way more things than Anderson's logo.

Also, I respect Rick immensely. He gave you his opinion. But again.. that's only hearsay because there is no supporting documentation to back it up after 45 years.

I love what you guys do on your site. And one of the reasons I do is because you refuse to simply accept something until you can prove it with evidence one way or the other. And you regularly chide people for purporting facts without proper documentation. And you can be quite brutal when doing so.

Think about it logically for just a moment. The film was created by BHI for the hologram as a special project that no one ever remembered. And I double checked that no one remembered by questioning Susan directly, and more than once. She was 100% certain it was delivered to Abel's location. But no one knew why or to whom it went from there. I have those conversations with Susan saved. Not because I had to; but because I knew about the BHI footage and who had it created. Heck, that hologram image has been floating around these boards for years. I myself found it in 2019 while researching Trek holograms. No one of us ever questioned what model was in it the entire time. So I needed to give her every chance to tell me no to having ever heard anything about it without me "poisening the well".

In addition, she told me that Gene told her many times after that just how much he valued it and badly he wanted it back. So her comments reflect not a single point in time - but the *entire* time between STTMP and Gene's passing.

Rick points out that he believes Anderson created the print "in support of the high-tech displays seen on various spaceship and starbase sets." A hologram of the original prototype, complete with sagging nacelles, is not in any way related to that kind of work. And if it actually *had* been a request in support of the actual production team; then someone would have known about that. And since everything in Hollywood has a contract when dealing with the unions; the union contract would require some kind of invoice for audit on compliance. Remember, thats what messed things up for Gene with Wah. And everyone involved: Anderson, Katzenburg, Roddenberry, Povill, Abel, & Taylor would all have been involved in making the request. But every one of them said they didn't know anything about where the model went or what it was used for.

So the Anderson thing is hearsay at best, and wishing at most. If you, or anyone else, has *any* documentation which directly references Anderson and the BHI hologram in any way then simply publish the document and everyone can move on.

You guys are my template, so to speak. I first found you when you were doing the inconsistencies in the Mark Cushman books. And you know there is no way on earth that you would accept the Anderson story if it was recorded by Cushman without documentation to back it up. Every one of your articles tears into what you are examining. And the same should be done on Howard Anderson's alleged compliance in producing the film. And then they - and everyone else - conveniently forgets about it.

Really?

 

[Maurice]

Re the Anderson Co. working on TMP. I have asked Sternbach specifically about this, and he said, "I do know that they did animations for TMP because I got to see their gear at Paramount when Mike Minor did the prep and timing sheets for things like the asteroid encounter. I did some of the B&W artwork for that stuff.

Add that to the "Micro Circuitry" bridge monitor footage with the Anderson name scratched into the leader and the Anderson logo on some of the BH reels of the model.

David Tilotta, who did the actual legwork and wrote the piece, has participated in this thread and could answer anyone's questions about his research more conclusively than I.

 

[PVmodels]

This whole thing is sad. Someone borrowed Roddenberry’s property and kept it for themself. The people who had it for 40+ years likely knew that. Then throw in 2 people who capitalize on other peoples property. And lastly, add an auction company. All of whom want a big payday from someone else’s property. Do the right thing and give the Roddenberry family back what is there’s.

 

[Lightning]

Then throw in 2 people who capitalize on other peoples property.

thats unfair to Storage buyers everywhere. Without people like them storage companies would have no recourse except to destroy anything left in an abandoned unit.

 

[PVmodels]

thats unfair to Storage buyers everywhere. Without people like them storage companies would have no recourse except to destroy anything left in an abandoned unit.

Perhaps the wording is direct. There is nothing illegal or inherently wrong with what they do for a living. But that also doesn’t make what they chose do with the model the right thing. There’s lots of facts about where it’s been and what was done with it for 40+ years that are not known. But there are a couple well documented facts at the beginning of this: It is Gene Roddenberry’s. He let people borrow it. And he repeatedly tried to get it back because it was important to him.

I’m sure there are lots of people who would love to have this model despite its provenance. Just like the Red 1 X Wing that was stolen in 1977 and auctioned recently. For me, I would always look at it and think “yep. That’s stolen property”.

 

[David Tilotta]

Hi Maurice,

I understand it looks like it could be Anderson's logo underneath the leader's production info. And its a good starting point to try to followup on in research. However, there is no documentation to support that Anderson ever did anything after the series. From anyone. And that symbol is used in way more things than Anderson's logo.

Also, I respect Rick immensely. He gave you his opinion. But again.. that's only hearsay because there is no supporting documentation to back it up after 45 years.

I love what you guys do on your site. And one of the reasons I do is because you refuse to simply accept something until you can prove it with evidence one way or the other. And you regularly chide people for purporting facts without proper documentation. And you can be quite brutal when doing so.

Think about it logically for just a moment. The film was created by BHI for the hologram as a special project that no one ever remembered. And I double checked that no one remembered by questioning Susan directly, and more than once. She was 100% certain it was delivered to Abel's location. But no one knew why or to whom it went from there. I have those conversations with Susan saved. Not because I had to; but because I knew about the BHI footage and who had it created. Heck, that hologram image has been floating around these boards for years. I myself found it in 2019 while researching Trek holograms. No one of us ever questioned what model was in it the entire time. So I needed to give her every chance to tell me no to having ever heard anything about it without me "poisening the well".

In addition, she told me that Gene told her many times after that just how much he valued it and badly he wanted it back. So her comments reflect not a single point in time - but the *entire* time between STTMP and Gene's passing.

Rick points out that he believes Anderson created the print "in support of the high-tech displays seen on various spaceship and starbase sets." A hologram of the original prototype, complete with sagging nacelles, is not in any way related to that kind of work. And if it actually *had* been a request in support of the actual production team; then someone would have known about that. And since everything in Hollywood has a contract when dealing with the unions; the union contract would require some kind of invoice for audit on compliance. Remember, thats what messed things up for Gene with Wah. And everyone involved: Anderson, Katzenburg, Roddenberry, Povill, Abel, & Taylor would all have been involved in making the request. But every one of them said they didn't know anything about where the model went or what it was used for.

So the Anderson thing is hearsay at best, and wishing at most. If you, or anyone else, has *any* documentation which directly references Anderson and the BHI hologram in any way then simply publish the document and everyone can move on.

You guys are my template, so to speak. I first found you when you were doing the inconsistencies in the Mark Cushman books. And you know there is no way on earth that you would accept the Anderson story if it was recorded by Cushman without documentation to back it up. Every one of your articles tears into what you are examining. And the same should be done on Howard Anderson's alleged compliance in producing the film. And then they - and everyone else - conveniently forgets about it.

Really?

Thanks for the response. A few comments/questions about your major points:

1. The Howard Anderson Company logo consists of a script "a" and a silhouette of a film canister. That logo can be seen in the leaders of the composited multiplex film used to generate the hologram, a frame of which is shown in the Lost Voyage article. What other "things" is that logo used in?

2. As Maurice pointed out, Anderson worked on Star Trek after the original television series concluded. While it would be nice to have work orders or contracts as further proof that Anderson worked on the hologram film, their logo in the film leaders is evident and meets the definition of documentation.

3. As the Lost Voyage article states, Richard Winn Taylor and Andrew Probert, who were both affiliated with Robert Abel & Associates and were involved with the preproduction/ production of ST-TMP, have stated that they never saw the small model at Abel & Associates. Gene Roddenberry's relevant memo of 11/5/79, dictated to Susan Sackett, states that Jon Povill picked up the model and delivered it to someone either at Paramount or at Robert Abel & Associates. However, he says that Povill no longer remembers the exact party.

I state at the beginning of the Lost Voyage article that this story is still unfolding and that the article will be updated when new information is obtained. I'm an open-minded researcher. However, and respectfully, I have not read anything here that warrants an update.

David