Video: Jerry Goldsmith's Unused Score to STAR TREK

Above photo of Jerry Goldsmith from the Film Music Society site.


I used to work in an office and there was this one guy who swore to me that one day he would leave the rat race and go in business for himself. He would figure out a successful idea and that would do it. Then, he would make his own hours, take it easy, buy a sports car.

 Above: Paramount still of Leonard Nimoy, Robert Wise, Gene Roddenberry, DeForest Kelley and William Shatner.


You would think that after decades as an award winning composer for TV and movies, it would all be easy for someone like the great Jerry Goldsmith. But, no. He composed the wrong theme for STAR TREK; THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) and director Robert Wise was not happy ... but he could not articulate it. Goldsmith had to listen to Wise's comments ("It sounds like Conestoga wagons.") and change it.

"I was crushed," admits Goldsmith in the video below, which was part of a DVD extra for STTMP THE DIRECTOR'S CUT. 

"Well, what's bothering you?" Goldsmith asked Wise.

"There's no [STAR TREK] theme," said Wise.

Goldsmith said "Oh." And he went away for a time to rework the score.

Above: STTMP preview poster from early 1979 via Technicolordreams70.


To keep on top of the game, you need to buckle down, take criticism, and work. There's no taking it easy.

Gene Roddenberry was so happy with the final result, that, years later, he used Goldsmith's "STAR TREK march" as the theme for his NEXT GENERATION TV series. Now, most people know the Goldsmith tune from that show.

Here's what happened, from Wise and Goldsmith: