Schuster Star Trek Conventions/1976 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention

Schuster Star Trek Conventions · 1975 New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1975 Philadelphia Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1976 (January) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1976 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1976 Washington D.C. Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1977 (February) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1977 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1977 Philadelphia Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1978 (February) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1978 (July) Philadelphia Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1978 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1978 Atlanta Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1979 (February) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1979 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1980 New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1981 (February) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1981 (September) New York City Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1981 New Jersey Schuster Star Trek Convention · 1981 Philadelphia Schuster Star Trek Convention

The Bi-Centenntial-10 Star Trek convention was held at the Statler Hilton on September 3–6, 1976. Approximately 5,000 fans attended.

front cover of the "1976 Bi-Centenntial 10" program book

Guests of Honor

All cast members, except for Leonard Nimoy, were guests. Hersh was also a guest.

Tidbits and Anecdotes

Connie Faddis won second prize in the dance contest.

The musical group, Omicron Ceti III had its first public performance at this convention.

John Townsley's First Con

A fan wrote:

This con is being run by John Townsley, and it is his first con. Now one is quiet [sic] sure about Bi-10 yet, but it looks to be shaping up pretty well... I'll only give you the new details. (Their advertising is very good and you can find it all over the place) First, I have just heard that he has over 6,000 pre-registered already, That is an awful lot. And I hear the Anniversary Ball is all sold out, now that is an ST first! Bill Shatner can be added to the Confirmed Guest list. The only problem that I can for see is that it could turn into a Boyton con ... But lets [sic] all hope not, we need every con we can salvage these days. I'll be there, and I hope to see you too.

Flyers, Badges, and Other Ephemera

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  a flyer

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  front page of a flyer for the September 1976 Bi-Centenntial 10 Star trek convention

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  back page of a flyer for the September 1976 Bi-Centenntial 10 Star trek convention with the program listing

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  an exhibitor's ribbon

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  from the "1976 Bi-Centenntial 10" program book, art by Gee Moaven

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  from the program book, art by Gee Moaven

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  from the program book, art by Gee Moaven

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  from the program book, art by Monica Miller

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  from the "1976 Bi-Centenntial 10" program book

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  from the "1976 Bi-Centenntial 10" program book

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  from the "1976 Bi-Centenntial 10" program book

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  Star Trek Promoters Out To Make A Fast Buck in the Lakeland Ledger dated Feb 22, 1976. Click twice to read.

Programming

The September 1976 convention schedule can be seen here along with the program book covers.

Articles/Further Reading

In 1976, Starlog magazine devoted an entire issue to Star Trek and the 1976 Bicentennial Star Trek convention. You can read the entire article here. The Star Trek Scrapbook also did a 4 part write up of the Starlog Article:

• My Star Trek Scrapbook: Starlog #3 Convention Article #1, ^{Archived version}
• My Star Trek Scrapbook: Starlog #3 Con Articles Part 2, ^{Archived version}
• My Star Trek Scrapbook: Starlog #3 Con Articles Part 3, ^{Archived version}
• My Star Trek Scrapbook: Starlog #3 Con Articles Part 4, ^{Archived version}

Con Reports

At the 1976 Star Trek Bicentennial Convention, the most special guest was William Shatner (unfortunately, Leonard Nimoy could not attend because he was performing in a play at the time) And I’m happy to report that I was able to see The Shat at this event, he strode out in a navy blue leisure suit and charmed the life out of the whole auditorium of adoring fans! Unfortunately, I had a really crappy pocket camera at the time and, like in most Trekkie nightmares, none of my pictures of Bill turned out! At the moment, I cannot recall much of what he said, although I remember how the everyone cheered with delight when he referred to the storied tale of how “Leonard Lost His Bicycle” (Nimoy used to ride a bike from Trek set to Trek set to save time, and Shatner and the crew were always hiding it from him, at one point suspending just above from a catwalk, right over Nimoy’s head!)

Anyway, I don’t have Shatner pictures today, but I do have a ‘sneak peek’ flier that was passed around at the time, previewing the new biography of Bill that was still being written at this point. Titled Shatner: Where No Man… . This was Shatner’s first foray into the printed press, and the first of his several autobiographies to plunge into the awesomeness of his legend. The flier promotes the hell out the book, as well as the accompanying LP album William Shatner LIVE, which preserved several of his college appearances. The flier even includes a “questionnaire and interest checklist’ just for Trek fans to aid and assist the authors of the book (Shatner, Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. The survey really digs with questions about how Trek and especially Shatner affected pop culture and real attitudes, for example:

Do you feel that the way Shatner played Kirk, as a strong man able and willing to express profound emotions, could have had an effect on people’s acceptance of emotional opennness, especially in men?

Wow, that’s pretty deep! But considering at the time that American culture had been through Vietnam and was evolving from an era when men were strong and silent,( like say Don Draper of Mad Men), these were pretty radical questions! I admit, I never read Shatner, Where No Man… but now I may check eBay for a used copy, just to see how they used this info from fans to write the book.

Clear your mind of old connotations of the word "convention."

Forget about business- suited men and women, sober sales seminars,

bored faces, boisterous luncheons, wives serving coffee in hospitality

suites, and industrial, displays of shoes, ships, sealing wax, or

whatever.

Think instead of an undulating crowd of casually clad teenagers (aged 10 to 50) convening to enjoy, learn, buy, sell, laugh, argue— and share an almost sinfully intense love

of science fiction in general and Star Trek in particular. Dress about a fifth of the participants in Star Trek tunics, tee shirts, Spock ears or alien antennae. Give another tenth

a phaser, communicator, tricorder, or doctor's kit. See that more than half are wearing a Star Trek button, banner, or piece of jewelry. Assume that every one of them has come voluntarily and plans to have a wonderful time— whether anybody else does or not,

And you'll have glimpsed what "convention" means to the Star Trek generation......

....Informal classes in animation techniques were taught; a NASA representative held a forum on the future of space travel; the L5 Society discussed very real plans for a space

colony; science-fiction writers (including David "Trouble With Tribbles" Gerrold) talked about

everything from creating monsters to securing the services of a literary agent; lectures were given on the mysteries of Star Trek special effects; and an amateur film festival sharpened the wits of some of tomorrow's talents.

It was in New York City, at Bi-Cen-Ten that we first saw William Shatner, at his first convention. He did two appearances, the first in the main ballroom, up on a stage with a phalanx of security guards standing between him and the audience for his protection, which we all thought was amusing. Poor Bill was obviously terrified of his fans! But he went out on that stage in spite of his fear, and charmed and captivated even the most die-hard Spock fans in the audience! He was witty, he was bold, he had countless new stories to tell us.

And at his second appearance, on his second day, he showed us all what made him the fearless and peerless Starship Captain. In another, smaller ballroom at the hotel, we were seated on the floor; all the chairs had been removed to allow more people in. He came out on a small balcony that ringed the front of the room. And speaking very quietly to get his audience quiet, he said, "Now. If you are all very good and remain very, very still, I'm going to come down and walk around among you. . ." You could have heard a pin drop in that room, believe me! No one dared breathe, let alone move. We were arranged in square-ish blocks, with clearly defined aisle ways, and Bill did, indeed come down and step carefully among us, talking quietly all the while, conquering his fears, endearing himself even more to one and all.

Everything was going fine until Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Rand), also a guest at the con, decided to pull a prank. We saw her behind Bill's back. She held up a finger to her lips to ensure our silence as she quietly tiptoed behind him. In what was meant as a tease to her fellow actor, she suddenly grabbed him around the waist. You could see the utter shock on his face as he instinctively reacted by grabbing at her hand. What few of us realized was that he had taken her thumb in a karate move and was about to break it when he realized who was there. He laughed it off and made nice with her, but you could tell that he was genuinely furious with her! After she left, he resumed his talk, but it wasn't the same; she had ruined something intimate and real between Bill and his audience.

I was sitting on the floor in that smaller ballroom (Terrace Ballroom) almost right in front of him. I literally could have touched his feet. I took a picture looking right up at him. He did not like flash in his eyes, so I waited until he looked away. At one point, someone to his left asked him a question that he couldn’t hear. He bent down some to hear, and a girl with a flash cube camera sitting there raised her camera up, and it was about a foot from his face. He said, slowly and jokingly, “You take that picture and I’ll kill you” which brought a laugh from the audience.

After a long train ride, we stepped off into Penn Station, still swaying back and forth, back and forth, like Chief Engineer Scott, after several double Scotches. We looked forward to a cozy room (at special con rates) wherein we could relax for a few minutes

before proceeding into the activities. To my dismay, I found that while Nancy and Sharon had a nice little beds to sleep on, I was given the dubious privilege of using a nice little cot. There is one key for each room, so there was always someone who had to make do with the hallway as a temporary home.

The convention was the best, (I think) it was my first. We spent a few minutes just looking around together, then finally split up as different things caught our attention. Things like the rip-offs and bargains of the dealers' room, the bridge set, the transporter room, the ballrooms, the episodes looking larger than life, the autographs being signed, the art displays, the...

We could never find each other, but who could care about an old acquaintance, while drooling over the likes of William Shatner or Grace Lee Whitney? Who can think of sleeping with the Lights of Zetar flashing before one's eyes! Who cares that she needs that money for meals with that luscious life-size poster of Spock on sale?

It gets to you. After a few hours, even minutes, no matter how hard you try, it gets to you. You come in Friday morning dressed in casual American Earth attire, and by Friday evening you have sprouted pointed ears and/or antennae, You are sporting the uniform of a Starship Captain, dressed to kill a Klingon, in the ceremonial costume of a Vulcan, or the garb of another miscellaneous costume of a Vulcan, or the garb of another miscellaneous being. So dressed, as long as you are wearing your convention badge, you are free to attend a light show, fashion show, discussion panel, and have the time of your life.

Little do you know what you may end up doing when the con schedule can't keep up with you. We never dreamed we'd be holding relay races and handstand contests in the halls. Or that we'd use the ice from the push button machine to pitch out the windows.

Nancy and I, bored after an overdose of excitement, went down to the lobby. We spent a while spying on some young, handsome, Japanese men polishing up their Karate skills in one middle of the lobby. Trying not to look obvious, we had bought four newspapers, and several rolls of life savers before we tired of that. Nancy mentioned vanilla ice cream and next we were in the restaurant ordering some. She'd occasionally gaze off into space and murmur something about GEORGE TAKEI. A word to those planning to attend cons in NYC. Two small scoops of ice cream go for $1.75 in the Big Apple. For that price, we attempted to take the waiter too.

I have vague recollections of calling the operator to see if she was staying awake, sneaking up to the 17th floor where the stars were, and knowing no bounds for simply enjoying myself. We all did. Who can't enjoy themselves among such nice things --- old friends, new friends, and STAR TREK?

Although it is often informative, exciting and lots of fun to attend one of your favorite star's question and answer sessions at a convention, many people share my experience of, after awhile, not wanting to go anymore. Watching the clever mind and sharp wit that brought an ENTERPRISE crew member to life for so many people answer

the same shallow questions again and again can begin to hurt.

On September 5, during on of George Takei's ballroom sessions, I was in deep pain. I felt terrible as he smilingly and patiently answered questions that had been posed countless times before. Perhaps he really was enjoying himself, but I wished I could put an end to the boredom he may have been feeling. SURE. But how? Maybe a very original question Maybe THE question...

Before I knew it, there I was, mike in hand, looking up into George's smiling face. I tried to keep a straight expression on my own as I asked,

"George, will you marry me?"

For the next fraction of a second,that man's entire being came to a standstill with shock. But after that fleeting instant, he was laughing no, make that roaring. So was I and so were the rest of the people in the ballroom. His reply? Well, I was in no condition to remember his exact words, but he felt that we ought to discuss it later without the mikes. So I could learn about his bad habits, etc. (Now we all know George Takei doesn't have bad habits) Well we didn't but my plan worked. He certainly was no longer bored. I would have gone back to my seat very satisfied. However, that wasn't the end of the story.

One of the members of my little party stood up and asked I'd settle (?) for a KISS. Next thing I knew, I was in the midst of exchanging a kiss with George Takei!! ME!!!... I thought my nerves couldn't take it anymore. Even that happy, blissful kind of excitement grows, building more excitement still. And I'm not done yet. Another of my dearest friends, [Sharon F], "conveniently" ran out of flashes and inquired if George would do it again for the camera. HE COMPLIED...

According to various reports, I wasn't on this lovely planet for the next several hours. But that is unimportant. What matters is we have here a wonderful, generous man. Lovely and lovable. And an awfully good sport. Let's hear it for GEORGE TAKEI.

[Later, at an hour-long private meeting with other winners of a raffle sponsored by the fan club, Hosato ]

I was herded into an elevator with about 15 of the other winners. We went up to a room where we waited for George [Takei]. At least someone is less punctual than I. But I was a mess with a mixture of excitement, anger, disappointment , and sheer bliss. Not many others were in that condition, but no one was exactly calm, save for one girl who fell asleep on the floor behind one of the beds.

After I had spent some time talking to a girl who had won by buying one ticket, GEORGE made his entrance. He was wearing white, which added to the way his presence brightened the room. His shirt was tucked in, but open all the way. The epitome of voluptuousness wrapped up in a neat little package. He made his way around the room, shaking hands with each shaking hand". Once he had gone around the room, he took his place in the chair that had been reserved for him (which I made certain to plant myself in front of) and formal introductions began.

Each of us was given the chance to present ourselves and reveal such personal facts as we would have liked George to know. And Geroge had his special comments for each of us. As discussion began, the topics were STAR TREK, GEORGE, and anything anyone cared to interject.

Ad the end, we were given the chance to take pictures and get George's autograph.

One hour, out of all the millions of hours we will live, will stand out in our minds for years to come, because of the wonderful man, named George Takei, and because of STAR TREK.