27 Rarely Seen Behind-the-Scenes Photos from the Filming of The Cage (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Digitized film clips, donated images, and other rarities associated with the first pilot. Originally called Menagerie, then The Cage, and later wrapped in a two part series story called The Menagerie, this gallery is composed of souvenirs from the time of the filming of the first pilot original footage in late 1964 and completion of f/x in early 1965.

Spock from The Cage.

From the filming of The Cage, this shot shows the set of the subterranean "cage" area where Captain Pike was held by his Talosian captors. Visible in this shot are the spotlights above the set, the edge of the artificial rock surrounding Pike's cell, and some elements of the soundstage.

In this posed shot on the set of The Cage, Susan Oliver in her non illusion (well, actually her illusion of beauty) dress can be seen on the set of subterranean Talos IV.

A clapper from December 1964, documenting the filming of a scene during the fourth week of shooting of The Cage. This is of course Vina playing the "damsel in distress" role for Pike's illusion version of the battle on Rigel VII.

This shot shows the bridge of the Enterprise from the starboard side railing height.

Janos Prohaska, who also played the Mugato and Horta, played the bird like creature in an adjacent cage under the surface of Talos IV in the first pilot.

A frontal shot of the creature from the adjacent cage from the first Star Trek pilot, The Cage. This costume was originally from The Outer Limits. It was used for this scene where the creature was obviously a fellow prisoner of a different species (this is a different though similar pose to that used) and also was used as an illusion by The Keeper as Pike strangled him.

An historic and previously rarely seen shot of Susan Oliver in fully deformed state makeup and costume holding a sign with an inside joke directed towards Desilu executive Oscar Katz. Oscar Katz knew Gene Roddenberry and is credited with convincing Lucille Ball and others at the studio to take a chance on the original Star Trek concept.

Many visual effects were evaluated before deciding on the final shimmer asssoicated with the transporter beaming process. This was the most colorful, showing what ultimately was a discarded effect using multiple, different color fills for each person within a red outline being "beamed" out or in via a shimmering column.

Majel Barrett in her original role from the Star Trek TOS pilot The Cage, as Number One, shown on the original bridge set of the Enterprise.

One of several optically composited images produced to illustrate the surface of Talos IV on the Enterprise briefing room computer screen after Pike has been taken by the Talosians.

A very early clapper from what I believe is the second day of filming for The Cage in 1964. This scene shows Laurel Goodwin as Yeoman Colt and Majel Barrett in her original role as Number One, a lieutenant, executive officer, and presumably second in command, in the briefing room of the Enterprise after Captain Pike has been captured on the Talos IV planet surface.

This shot shows the construction of the set used for the filming of the original 1964 pilot The Cage.

This shot shows a wide view of the set of the briefing room of the Enterprise, during the scene that discusses the fact that Captain Pike has gone missing on the surface of Talos IV.

In this shot, Number One and Yeoman Colt both are symmetrically stepping off the transporter platform.

This very early shot of the filming set for the transporter room aboard the Enterprise dates back to 1964 and the production of the first pilot (known originally as The Menagerie, then The Cage).

Majel Barrett, Leonard Nimoy, and Jeffrey Hunter are visible in the shot, but in addition one can see both a sound boom and wires that presumably carry the power that is illuminating a number of the controls at the helm and weapons stations.

A rare and beautiful clapperboard from the later December fourth week of filming (!!) of the first pilot The Cage.

A restoration of a badly decomposed clip showing filming of The Cage in December 1964.

The laser canon, pre-fx shot, from the surface of Talos 4, from the pilot The Cage, later reworked into the TOS episode The Menagerie.

Clapper scene start up of the Talosians under the surface of Talos IV from the filming of the first pilot The Cage for Star Trek.

Iconic Star Trek TOS image, an illusion recreating a castle and battle with hostile warriors on Rigel VII, now with Vina to protect, as put in the mind of Christopher Pike by Talosians in the first pilot, The Cage.

A servant feeds Christopher Pike fruit in the Vina as Orion slave dancer illusion from the first pilot, The Cage. This scene and the servants were not shown, even in the pilot reel. Note the multiple eyebrows!

In the Orion slave dance illusion, the script calls for an introduction that shows servants attending Pike, Vina as the slave dancer coming out and acting cat like and snarling at them to chase them away, Pike's personal servant brandishing a whip to settle her down and focus on her dance, and ultimately her doing the dance we see in the pilot.

This shot is taken after the scene has finished (maybe it is before the start), as Susan Oliver walks from or towards her mark and stares down at her nails smiling (red lips show up well contrasted to her green face).

A clapper from the filming of the first piloit setting up Vina's dance. Susan Oliver's expression, nails, and one of the band members make this an interesting and historical shot from one of the iconic early TOS moments.

Another unused shot from the various sensuous dance moves executed by Susan Oliver as Vina for the illusion sequence from the original filming of the first pilot, The Cage. In this shot the band and instruments can be seen in the background, and most obvious here are the long and (of course) green nails both shadowed and reflected in the stairs and floor below.

(via birdofthegalaxy)