The Questor Tapes

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The Questor Tapes
Genre Sci-fi
Running time 92 minutes
Creator Gene Roddenberry
Written by Gene L. Coon
Gene Roddenberry
Directed by Richard Colla
Produced by Howie Horwitz
Jeffrey M. Hayes (executive)
Gene Roddenberry
(executive)
Starring Robert Foxworth
Mike Farrell
John Vernon
Lew Ayres
James Shigeta
Robert Douglas
Music by Gil Melle
Country of origin United States
Language English
Original channel NBC
Release date(s) January 23, 1974
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Questor Tapes is a 1974 TV-movie about an android (portrayed by Robert Foxworth) with incomplete memory tapes who is searching for his creator and his purpose. Conceived by and executive produced by Gene Roddenberry, the script is credited to Roddenberry and fellow Star Trek alumnus Gene L. Coon.

A novelization, written by D. C. Fontana (another Star Trek alumna), was dedicated to Coon, who died before the program was broadcast.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Project Questor is the brainchild of the genius Dr. Emil Vaslovik: he developed plans to build a superhuman android. A team of the world's foremost experts is able to build the android, even though they do not understand the components that they are working with — they are only able to follow the instructions and install parts left by Vaslovik, who has disappeared. Attempts to decode the programming tape were not only unsuccessful, approximately half of the tape was erased. They decide to substitute their own programming, over the objections of Jerry Robinson (Mike Farrell), the only team member who actually had worked with the mysterious inventor. He is overruled by the head of the project, Geoffrey Darro (John Vernon).

When the android has been finished, the new tape is loaded, with no results. In desperation, Robinson persuades Darro to allow Vaslovik's tape — what remains of it — to be loaded. Again, the team is disappointed, as there is no response.

However, once left alone, the android comes to life. It adds the various cosmetic touches to a previously featureless outer skin, then leaves the lab to visit Vaslovik's office. There, confronted by the scientist's secretary, he identifies himself: "I am part Project Questor."

The android forces Robinson to accompany him in a search for Vaslovik, pursued by Darro, following a tiny scrap of the original programming. Questor (who becomes more "human" as the story progresses) only knows that it has something to do with an "aquatic vehicle" — a boat — and that if he does not find Vaslovik before the end of a countdown, his nuclear-furnace stomach will overload and explode. Vaslovik programmed this to prevent his creation from being misused, and time is running out.

Then, just as Questor realizes what the clues have been pointing toward, he is shot by British soldiers, and returned to the laboratory. Robinson repairs Questor, and Darro gives him two options: if Robinson puts a homing transmitter inside the android, they will be given a plane to go find Vaslovik, but if Robinson refuses, the android will simply be flown to a safe location where the explosion will not endanger anyone. Robinson implants the beacon, and they jet off to Mount Ararat — the "boat" imperative referred to Noah's Ark.

They arrive with seconds to spare. Questor's timer is made safe, and he has found Vaslovik (Lew Ayres), who tells Questor and Robinson that he, too, is an android. Questor is the last of a series, going back to "the dawn of this world," left there by "Masters" to serve and protect Mankind. Each had a lifespan of several hundred years, assembling his replacement, but Vaslovik had been damaged by the unexpected, rapid advent of nuclear physics and its fruits. Questor's design corrected these failures, and finally Vaslovik is able to die in peace, after asking Robinson to help Questor learn about humanity.

Darro, having followed the pair, has heard enough to know how important it is that Questor be allowed to fulfill his mission. Unfortunately, he has brought the military with him, to destroy the android. The cynical Darro believes that this is proof that humanity does not deserve Questor's help. However, he takes the transmitter and leaves, telling the military commander that the android had escaped, and to send in jet fighters when the beacon signal was picked up. He then takes off in the jet that Questor and Robinson had used, turning on the transmitter as he goes so that they will think that the android is aboard. The plane is destroyed, and Questor and Robinson begin their mission together.

[edit] Production

The Questor Tapes was originally intended as a pilot episode for a television series. In fact, a 13-episode go-ahead was given for the series before the TV movie was aired, with Foxworth and Farrell reprising their roles. Joining the actors behind the scenes were producers Michael Rhodes and Earl Booth and story editor Larry Alexander. The green-lighted series was slated for Friday nights at 10 pm on NBC — the "death slot" where the final season of the original Star Trek withered.

However, conflict between Roddenberry and both Universal and NBC over the content of the proposed series doomed it, most notably ignoring the revelation at the end of the TV movie and eliminating the key character of Jerry Robinson. These changes were too much for Roddenberry, who abandoned the project. No episodes were produced.

The Questor Tapes was one of a series of TV movies created by Gene Roddenberry, including Genesis II, Planet Earth, and Spectre, all of which were intended to be pilots for prospective TV series.

[edit] Nominations

In 1975 The Questor Tapes was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

[edit] Legacy

The Questor android is widely believed to be the inspiration for Roddenberry's later character, Data.

Herbert Wright, who had a long friendship with Roddenberry, has strong ties to the series that was never made. The two met when Wright became aware of the movie and fell in love with the story and wanted to be a part of the series. After some sample submissions, Wright was allowed to join, but he never had the chance, as the series was scrapped after Roddenberry's creative differences with the studio. Wright kept the idea alive, with hope of the series coming to fruition throughout the years. When the rights finally came back to the Roddenberry family in the early 2000s, Wright secured the rights with the blessing of Roddenberry's family to produce the series. Wright made several promotions for the series in 2003 at conventions. Wright even reserved production locations while working on a first script. The show suffered what was at first a simple setback when Wright fell ill within a year, which delayed the show's development. Wright died in 2005 before he could finally bring the show to life. There are, however, talks of the project continuing with his business and creative partners based on what he had completed before his death.

[edit] Notable scenes

  • The casino scene involving Questor's detection of weighted dice, and their subsequent realignment in his precise, powerful hand (This subtle fix was later duplicated by the Data character in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Royale.")
    • Robinson accepts this interference on Questor's part because the casino had attempted to cheat, and Questor was merely correcting for this.
  • The discovery of the missing android-creator's secret and amazing (pre-Internet) control centre (Robinson suspects nefarious global activity)
  • A surprise ending with significant religious (set in a cave in the Middle East) and beneficial alien invasion overtones

[edit] Music

The music for The Questor Tapes was scored by Gil Melle, who had made a mark in the world of jazz as an outstanding saxophonist, composer, and also noted as a painter. Gil also was know for scoring, My Sweet Charlie, That Certain Summer, and Frankenstein: The True Story. His most well-known film score was The Andromeda Strain (directed by Robert Wise, who later directed Star Trek: The Motion Picture). As an innovator in the use of electronic music in films of the 1960s, Melle contributed to a great many science fiction, fantasy, and horror television and feature film scores, including Night Gallery (theme and episodes), The Six Million Dollar Man (original TV movie), A Cold Night's Death, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Starship Invasions, World War III, and many others.

[edit] External links