So long, Harve Bennett: Don't forget this savior of Trek

This is unbelievable, but in the midst of already reflecting and mourning the loss of Leonard Nimoy comes word that 1980s Trek film producer Harve Bennett passed away quietly near his retirement town in Medford, Ore.—a couple days earlier, actually, on Feb. 25. With no immediate family nearby and his current wife ill as well, news of his passing and the exact date was delayed getting out until DeForest Kelley biographer Terry Rioux got local police to check on him, then worked with Nick Meyer to get the word out in L.A.

I and others have long noted that Harve—as the guy entrusted with the leaner, meaner comeback from the production bog-down of Star Trek—The Motion Picture, and the guy who brought Nick to the franchise through the films of the 80s that cemented all future Trek—has to be on any short list of The Guy Who Saved Star Trek, of which there at least four or five by now.

But it's personal now, as Harve as producer of his big-woop smash comeback charge, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, also jumped at the chance late in retirement to talk to me on camera for my documentary, The Con of Wrath, about the meltdown mega-show moment we both unwittingly shared back in Houston, Texas just after ST II premiered. Harve's agreement to take part in my doc was one of the early check-marks that had to happen before I knew it would be do-able at all.

That sit-down over Memorial Day weekend 2011—where we shared local beers, at his insistence—was later confided to me by his wife to be his last-ever interview, a sobering realization. The Harve on camera is still sharp as we talk about not only the "Ultimate Fantasy" story but others as well from his career—Trek and non-Trek—but his fatigue grows even as he tells me he's okay to go on and on, each time I ask his permission. It's been hard to stay in touch since then, and now I know why.

Harve's story throughout Trek, much less his years running TV's "Bionic Empire" and pioneering the art of the TV mini-series, is well chronicled. His Emmy and other awards attest to that—but we took time that day to talk of smaller and equally amazing stories, as well. I hope to share some of those as well at the right time, too.

For all you did for Trek, Harve—and for all you shared with me that day, for posterity... safe travels, Admiral Bob. This will not be the last time we speak of or hear from you in this space... We will not let your legacy be unknown to those whose are still coming to enjoy what you brought new life to.

Happy birthday, Harve Bennett!

And the Trek birthdays just keep coming this week!

So today we have to stop and bid greetings to our buddy Harve Bennett at 82, whom we had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing in his home for The Con of Wrath—and many other topics from his career—after we'd made mutual promises to do so for years.  You folks at our meetup-fundraiser at cons all this year have gotten sneak-peeks at Harve's insight and sense of humor.

So, let's see, Bjo Trimble is the "lady who saved Star Trek"... and the "man who saved Star Trek" I believe can be equally parsed between Michael Piller, for settling down TNG's core writing into a spinoff-bearing hit as the '90s dawned, and his predecessor, Harve: who made The Wrath of Khan soar as producer, especially after coaxing writer-director Nick Meyer aboard, and ensure movie sequels that might then begat TV sequels. (JJ Abrams, it can be argued, is on deck and might snare the co-title, with more hindsight still to pass.)

Here's to Harve—and the memorable local Fat Tires we shared over a year ago!

An Andy Griffith-Star Trek link? Not once, but twice!

Happy Independence Day, y'all...

And while all of America joins in to mourn and remember the great Andy Griffith, who died Tuesday at the age of 86, it took a Facebook poke from Dan Madsen to remind me of a site that actually has a great Andy-Star Trek connection: a study of the commonly seen Mayberry small town exteriors at the Desilu "Forty Acres" lot in Culver City that Desilu-produced Star Trek redressed and shot wider, in "Miri," "The Return of the Archons," "Errand of Mercy," and "The City on the Edge of Forever": with an even greater link here.  "Forty Acres" (actually 29) was also the home of the Hogan Heroes' "Stalag 13" POW camp set, with "Mayberry" serving earlier for both the Superman TV series and even as Atlanta in Gone With the Wind. The large outdoor set complex was sold, bulldozed and developed more industrially in 1976.

But Mayberry-Trek lives on in film: Not Andy per se, but the iconic "Goodnight, Sweetheart" Kirk-Edith scene in "City" actually includes a stroll past the iconic "Floyd's Barber Shop" (above), whose sign is left uncovered across the whole frame as the two tragic lovers walk by, on what is of course ostensibly a 1930 New York City street.

If you want to go one more Andy-Trek connection, don't forget the yes-they-really-aired-this-concept Salvage 1 (left), which starred Andy and was executive produced by none other than ... Harve Bennett! For all its glorious 19 episodes in 1979, over a half and a quarter season—this was Harve's TV follow-up to The SIx Million Dollar Man and his last series prior to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

What's more, guess who got her first writing credits ever on that Andy-starring series in its dying weeks? None other than future TNG executive producer and Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor!

Happy birthday, Harve—and you can (please) tell him so!

He was the first guy of at least 3 or 4 post-TOS to get the byline "The Man Who Saved Star Trek"—i.e., producing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a budget-minded megahit comeback to The Motion Picture, finding and inviting writer-director Nick Meyer to the fold, and heading the "middle four" TOS movies overall in the '80s.

Now, just two months after he talked on camera for our documentary The Con of Wrath, comes word via wife Jani that Harve Bennett has been admitted to an assisted living center in the week of his birthday, Aug. 17.

BIRTHDAY cards would be the best medicine right now, Jani says, and invites fans from all over to send Harve birthday wishes—even if a few days late. If you saw me on stage at Vegas we passed along the address, but here it is again; Jani did not mind sharing the mail address with everyone:

Harve Bennett
444 Granite Street
Ashland, OR 97520

We'll have a promo clip for The Con of Wrath up soon from the summer cons that includes Harve—so for now, get those cards and cards into the mail. As I say here often, we have 45 years of incredible history to preserve, and pass on to our own "next generation." Here's a chance to say thanks in yet another way.