Product Details

• Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan
• Directors: Vincent McEveety
• Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Gene L. Coon
• Producers: Edward K. Milkis, Fred Freiberger, Gene Roddenberry, Gregg Peters, Robert H. Justman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: CBS Paramount International Television
• VHS Release Date: April 15, 1994
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300213609
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #37,024 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In this taut, exciting episode, the Enterprise trespasses Melkotian space and is punished in a unique fashion. Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are all transported to the planet's eerie surface, where they are trapped in a re-creation of 1881 Tombstone and mistaken for the Clanton brothers, doomed principals in the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral.

Despite their efforts to avoid trouble, Kirk and company can't seem to avoid their fateful duel with the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday (Sam Gilman). When Chekov is shot dead by Morgan Earp (Rex Holman), the danger is all too clear. The strange Twilight Zone look and atmosphere of this episode--tumbleweeds and Old West facades popping up in a black void--grips one's imagination and doesn't let go until the very end. Fans of Captain Kirk's street-fighting style will especially enjoy the thrilling climax. --Tom Keogh

From the Back Cover

After Kirk and his crew destroy the Melkots' warning buoy, they find themselves forced to relive the gunfight at the O.K. Corral on the Melkotian's bizarre planet.

TREK TRIVIA
Rex Holman (Morgan Earp) portrayed J'onn in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. DeForest Kelley appeared as one of the Earp brothers in the 1957 Paramount film Gunfight At The O.K. Corral.
Note that when Kirk and party are transported to the Old West, their positions change (Kirk and Spock switch, as do Chekov and McCoy).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kirk & Co. manage to tick off yet another species, November 29, 2004

By	Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 56: Spectre Of The Gun [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Starfleet sends the Enterprise to make contact with the Melkotians "at any cost." There is no reason stated for this urgency, just that no one has recorded contact with them. As they approach Melkotian space, they encounter a probe that communicates with all of them in their own language, telepathically. The telepathic message tells them to turn around and leave because they are tresspassing on Melkotian space - and they are told, "this will be your only warning."

Kirk has no respect for the Melkotian's claim on their space or desire for privacy, and Spock doesn't seem to think there will be any bad consequences. He concedes that he would prefer to be welcomed by them, but absent a welcome, they are going to beam down to the planet armed with phasers.

The Melkotians don't take kindly to this cowboy mentality and promise that they will all die for their actions. Since Kirk was the one in charge, they telepathically get images from his head to choose the pattern of death appropriate for them.

Everything blinks and suddenly, their phasers are gone, replaced by 6-shooters. They find themselves at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, circa 1881. When they try to leave town to avoid conflict, they are met with force fields. It seems inevitable that they will be forced to relive the last day of the doomed Clanton brothers, shot down by the Earps.

When Chekov is killed, they begin to grasp just how real this surreal movie-lot appearing town is. Consequences are real - but they then realize that Chekov, perceived as Billy Clanton by the townsfolk, was the only Clanton to survive the 1881 shootout - so maybe they aren't doomed to repeat history after all. Chekov might be dead, but they don't have to be.

Things would have been a lot simpler if they had just been polite to the Melkotians, respected their rights to privacy and sent them a Hallmark card instead. Fun fighting but the opening premise - pulllllease!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Draw!, May 14, 2009

By	Lokai (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 56: Spectre Of The Gun [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Gene Coon is my favorite Star Trek writer. He wrote so many wonderful stories for Star Trek. I think he made the series really great. After he left the series, his absence was felt.

A couple of years ago, there was a blackout. I went to another house that had power and brought along this episode. I fell in love with it and watched it many times over. This was a beautiful way to begin the Third Season.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surreal set & excellent performances make it one of the best, June 23, 2004

By	Charles Ashbacher "([e-mail])" (Marion, Iowa United States([e-mail])) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 56: Spectre Of The Gun [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A major question that will have to be addressed when humans meet new species will be convincing them that our intentions are indeed peaceful. If the creatures can read our historical records and perhaps our minds, they will find ample evidence that we are not to be trusted. Our history is replete with the callous destruction of each other as well as any species deemed unworthy. Our minds are full of irrational fears, prejudices and impulses to destroy that which we don't immediately understand.
In this episode, the Enterprise is given specific orders to make contact with the Melkotians. As they approach Melkotian space, they encounter a buoy, which issues a warning, telling them that they are not welcome and to immediately leave the area. After noting the warning, they move onward to the Melkotian planet. Once arriving, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Chekov beam down to the planet, only to find themselves in a fog, which parts to reveal a facsimile of a frontier town.
This is the backdrop to a reenactment of the famous gunfight at the OK corral in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881. In that fight, the Clanton gang fought it out with the three Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. Kirk's party is forced to assume the role of the Clanton gang, which lost the fight. Only one member of the Clanton gang survived the battle, the person whose role is being filled by Chekov.
Despite everything they do to avoid it, the "Clanton gang" is clearly being forced into a fight that they feel they cannot win. However, when Chekov is "killed" by Morgan Earp, Kirk and company realize that the results are not pre-ordained. However, when they try to build a device to render the Earp gang unconscious, Spock realizes that there is a solution that does not involve killing the members of the Earp gang. He understands that what they are doing is not real, so if they truly believe that the bullets from the Earp gang are not real, then they will not be harmed. They manage to win the fight without "killing", which impresses the Melkotians, and they allow the Enterprise to continue and make contact.
This episode is superb, both in the premises of the story and the execution. The choice of a scenario from Earth's violent past (and Kirk's mind) is an excellent test of the true nature of the humans who desire the contact. All of the members of the Earp gang play their roles very well. Their muted, yet clearly violent hostility towards the "Clantons" is very well done. I consider it some of the best acting by guest stars in the series. The surreal aspects of the set and the other supporting members of the episode all combine to create just the right atmosphere for a test of what the human species really is capable of doing and avoiding. It is one of the better episodes in the original series.