Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Gene L. Coon papers, 1956-1973
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Coon, Gene L.
- Title
- Gene L. Coon papers
- Dates
- 1956-1973 (inclusive)19561973
- Quantity
- 12.40 cubic feet (28 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 06650
- Summary
- This collection contains the papers of Gene L. Coon, an American screenwriter, television producer, and novelist. It contains his personal papers and scripts from his work. Included are materials from his time on the early seasons of Star Trek, one of his most notable credits from his television career.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
Finding aid available in repository.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Eugene “Gene” Lee Coon was an American Screenwriter, television producer, and novelist. He is best known for his work on the original Star Trek as a screenwriter, story editor, and showrunner. Gene was born in Nebraska in January of 1924. The Coon family moved to California when he was a teenager. During World War II, Gene served stateside in the Marine Corps from 1942-1946. He remained a reservist afterword, while he studied radio communications at Glendale Junior College, and additional studies at University of Iowa before returning to active duty in 1950 during the Korean War. He was demobilized in 1952. Coon wrote about his military experience in his novels Meanwhile Back at the Front and The Short End of the Stick. Gene died of lung and throat cancer at 49 in July of 1973.
Gene began his television career in 1956. He was first involved with scripting popular western and action shows. Notable titles he worked on include Dragnet, Wagon Train, and Bonanza. In the early 1960s, while working at Universal, he turned McHale’s Navy from a one-hour drama to a 30-minute sitcom. Coon then joined the Star Trek project partway through it’s first season. Coon’s Wagon Train scripts, containing strong moral values about personal redemption and opposing war, provided a basis for his Star Trek scripts. David Gerrold credited him with being a skilled showrunner before Coon left in the middle of the second season. The reason for the split was reported as arguments between Gene and Gene Roddenberry. Coon would later contribute to four more scripts in the third season under the pseudonym Lee Cronin.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection contains Gene L. Coon’s personal papers and scripts from his work as a screenwriter, television producer, and novelist. Included are materials from his time on the early seasons of Star Trek, scripts from his shows such as Wagon Train, Zorro, and Dragnet, as well as manuscripts for his novels.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Restrictions on Use
Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in CollectionsThe American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.
Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.
Preferred Citation
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I. Personal PapersReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | Biography of Gene L. Coon |
undated |
| 1 | Cannes Documentary material |
undated |
| 1 | Correspondence |
1969-1973, undated |
| 1 | Excerpt from the Garm Resource Committee Report |
undated |
| 1 | Miscellaneous |
undated |
| 1 | Manuscript- "America the Nice" unknown author |
undated |
| 1 | Manuscript- "The Big Propaganda Machine" by Gene L. Coon |
undated |
| 1 | Manuscript- "The Edge of Hope" by Sprouse, Irby Jr. |
undated |
| 1 | Manuscript- "The Hottest Summer" by Sprouse, Irby, Jr. |
undated |
| 1 | Manuscript- "The 100% American's Guide to the World" unknown author |
undated |
| 2 | Manuscript- "My House in Order" by Sprouse, Irby, Jr. |
March 4, 1973 |
| 2-3 | Manuscript- "The Nice People" Novel by Gene L. Cook drafts |
undated |
| 3 | Manuscript- "The Nice People" Novel by Gene L. Cook Final draft |
undated |
| 3 | Manuscript- "The Nice People" Novel by Gene L. Cook Pre-Publication Copy |
undated |
| 3 | Manuscript- "Wild Bill or the Hitchcock Murder Case" by Gene L. Coon |
undated |
| 4 | Newspapers |
1960, 1972 |
| 4 | Outlines- "Fields" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Flannagan and the Ghosts" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines" The Sunset of the Golden Dawn", Flint |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "The Galactics" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "The Generations of the Rock" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Hang Ten" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Flight of Angels", Hawkins on Murder by David Karp |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Honky" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Keeper" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "The Mild Bunch" |
September 22, 1969 |
| 4 | Outlines- "Mr. Adams Eden" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "My Brother's Killer" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "O'Neill" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "The People's Man" |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Rogue Four" by Gene L. Coon and Herb Solow |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "Search and Rescue" by Arthur Joel Katz and Alfred Brenner |
undated |
| 4 | Outlines- "The War Against the Garms" |
undated |
| 4 | Periodicals |
1967-1972 |
| 4 | Selected Chinese Sayings |
undated |
| 4 | "Spectre"- A Series Format written by Gene Roddenberry |
March 14, 1972 |
| 4 | "The Story of Young David" Essay by George M. Collins |
December 3, 1951 |
| 4 | "Unnamed Poem" by Sprouse, Irby, Jr. |
undated |
Series II. ScriptsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 5 | The Feathered Serpent (unknown author) |
undated |
| 5 | The Goddon Dawn |
undated |
| 5 | The Green-Eyed Monster (unknown author) |
undated |
| 5 | Habitat by Richards, David |
undated |
| 5 | Hey Gunner (unknown author) |
undated |
| 5 | Hitler is Alive (unknown author) |
undated |
| 5 | Ichabod's Romance |
undated |
| 5 | The Leathernecks |
undated |
| 5 | The Lincoln Coppers |
undated |
| 5 | A Man Named Gonzales |
undated |
| 5 | Me and My Shadow by Fritzell Jim, Everett Greenbaum, and Geen L. Coon |
undated |
| 5 | The Second Time Around |
undated |
| 5 | The Seventh Column |
undated |
| 5 | X Marks the Project (unknown author) |
undated |
| 6 | Plays- Guys Like O'Malley (unknown author) |
undated |
| 27 | Unidentified Scripts |
undated |
| 6-10 | Screenplay: |
|
| Box | ||
| 6 | Circle of Fire by Gene L. Coon and Lester Colodny |
undated |
| 7 | The Death Rider |
undated |
| 7 | The Ferris Wheel |
February 25, 1958 |
| 7 | First to Flight |
June 6, 1966 |
| 7 | The Fox in Devonshire |
November 8, 1957 |
| 7 | Hello, Daddy by Marty Roth and Gene L. Coon |
undated |
| 7 | Here There Be Tygers |
October 31, 1969 |
| 8 | It's A Girl by Gene L. Coon and Marty Roth |
undated |
| 8 | Johnny North |
undated |
| 8 | Journey to Shiloh |
July 13, 1966 |
| 8 | The Mudskipper by Nelson Gidding |
undated |
| 8 | Munich Project by Eric Berocovici and Jerry Ludwig |
September 22, 1971 |
| 8 | The Night Belongs to Charlie by Lester Colodny |
undated |
| 9 | Night of the Tiger by Gene L. Coon and Robert Smith |
1956-1957 |
| 9 | No Name On The Bullet |
August 20, 1958 |
| 9 | Pay the Devil |
June 12, 1956 |
| 10 | The Short End (incomplete) |
undated |
| 10 | Stalin is Alive |
October 26, 1956 |
| 10 | Stranger From Nowhere |
September 19, 1957 |
| 10-26 | Television: |
|
| Box | ||
| 10 | Acapulco #3B- "The Gentlemen from Brazil" |
February 6, 1961 |
| 10 | Acapulco #3B- "Death is A Smiling Man" |
February 22, 1961 |
| 10-11 | The Adventures of Diamond Smith- "The Lost Continent of Mu" |
1972 |
| 11 | Alexander Slept Here- Outline and Biographical information |
undated |
| 11 | Afterwards- Script, Outline, Proposal |
undated |
| 11 | Alias Smith and Jones- "The Great Thingamajig Robbery" |
undated |
| 11 | Appointment of Honor |
undated |
| 11 | Assignment Europe- Solider of Fortune" |
undated |
| 11 | Assignment: Singapore-"Man of Two Worlds" |
April 20, 1972 |
| 11-12 | Assignment: Vienna-"Adios Charley" |
June 21, 1972 |
| 12 | Assignment: Vienna- "Soldier of Fortune" |
1972 |
| 12 | Attack- "The Legend" |
October 4, 1965 |
| 12 | Balance of Fear |
undated |
| 12 | The Ballad of Laura Lee |
undated |
| 12 | Bearcats- "The Feathered Serpent" |
July 12, 1971 |
| 12 | Beyond Reproach by Gene L. Coon and John Wilder |
November 17, 1969 |
| 13 | Bonanza- "The Ape" |
September 9, 1960 |
| 13 | Bonanza- "The Paiute War" |
July 22, 1959 |
| 13 | Bonanza- "The Thunderhead Swindle" |
December 19, 1960 |
| 13 | Bullhead Ridge |
undated |
| 13 | Camera! Action! World War II! |
undated |
| 13 | Chronog Three |
undated |
| 13 | Cimarron City- "I, The People" |
December 24, 1957 |
| 13 | Circle of Fire |
undated |
| 13 | The Cold, Cold, Room by Gene L. Coon and Herbert F. Solow |
undated |
| 13 | Combat- "The Ringer" |
December 1965 |
| 14 | Combat- "Six, Two and Even" |
1965 |
| 14 | Counterpoint |
May 28, 1970 |
| 14 | Crisis At Morgan's Holding |
undated |
| 14 | Dan Raven- "Man on the Ledge" |
October 3, 1960 |
| 14 | Death and the Favored Few |
undated |
| 14 | Destry- "The Courtship of Sheba Hannibal" |
February 18, 1964 |
| 14 | Destry- "Destry Had A Little Lamb" |
January 10, 1964 |
| 14 | Destry- "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Gunner" |
March 23, 1964 |
| 14 | Destry- "Stormy Is A Lady" |
January 27, 1964 |
| 15 | Dragnet- "The Big Appetite" |
undated |
| 15 | The Eleventh Hour- "Along About Late in the Afternoon" |
May 10, 1962 |
| 15 | The Eleventh Hour- "Going to the Fair" |
1962 |
| 15 | The Eve Arden Show- "A Wall By Any Other Name" |
December 7, 1964 |
| 15 | The FBI- "Flight to Harabin" |
January 6, 1966 |
| 15 | Follow the Sun- "Sergeant Kolchak Fades Away" |
December 12, 1961 |
| 15 | For He's A Jolly Good Fellow, The Fink (unknown author) |
undated |
| 15 | Hawkins on Murder- "The Eyes of the Law" (Incomplete) |
undated |
| 15 | Hawkins on Murder- "Untitled" by David Karp |
December 7, 1972 |
| 15 | Hellmarines Series- "The Cave" |
February 24, 1959 |
| 15 | Ichabod- "The Great Summer Stock Swindle" |
March 7, 1961 |
| 16 | Ichabod and Me- "The Purple Cow" |
April 27, 1961 |
| 16 | The Immortal- "White Horse, Steel Horse" |
August 6, 1970 |
| 16 | The Islander- "The World's Her Oyster" |
undated |
| 16 | It Counts on Thirty (unknown author) |
March 22, 1965 |
| 16 | It Takes A Thief- "A Matter of Grey Matter" |
August 15, 1968 |
| 16 | It Takes A Thief- "A Sour Note" |
March 26, 1968 |
| 16 | It Takes A Thief- "A Spot of Trouble" |
January 19, 1968 |
| 16 | It Takes A Thief- "Turnabout" |
February 6, 1968 |
| 16 | Kraft Suspense Theatre- "Exit Laughing" |
March 1963, March 1968 |
| 16 | Kraft Suspense Theatre- "The Hat of Sargeant Martin" |
December 10, 1962 |
| 16 | King Fu- "Chains" |
1973 |
| 17 | Laredo- "The Calico Kid" |
October 26, 1965 |
| 17 | Laredo- "A Double Shot of Nepenthe" |
May 23, 1966 |
| 17 | Laredo- "The Golden Trail" |
August 24, 1965 |
| 17 | Laredo- "The Impostors" |
November 16, 1965 |
| 17 | Laredo- "The Other Cheek" |
October 11, 1966 |
| 17 | Laredo- "Stage Stop" |
January 14, 1966 |
| 17 | The Last Resort |
September 19, 1962 |
| 17 | The Man From Singapore |
undated |
| 18 | McHale's Navy- "Who Do The Vodoo?" |
September 13, 1962 |
| 18 | Medic- "Don't Count the Stars" |
February 20, 1956 |
| 18 | Medic- "The Reach of A Giant" Part Two |
April 27, 1956 |
| 18 | The Men From Shiloh- "Flight From memory" |
November 2, 1970 |
| 18 | The Men From Shiloh- "The Regimental Line" |
October 28, 1970 |
| 18 | The Mod Squad- "Is There Anyone Left in Santa Paula?" |
1970 |
| 18 | The Mod Squad- "Suffer, Little Children" |
1970 |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "Aces, Back to Back" |
November 16, 1959 |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Brain Picker" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Gladiators" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "the Gordon Caper" |
October 22, 1959 |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Hollywood Party" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Last Laugh" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Leadville Kid Gang" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "Little Miss Wow" |
November 2, 1959 |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Money Game" |
September 21, 1959 |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Quiet Life" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "Mr. Thaw" |
undated |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Semi-Private Eye" |
January 25, 1960 |
| 19 | Mr. Lucky- "The Sour Milk Find" |
December 11, 1960 |
| 19 | My Favorite Martian- "hate Me A Little" |
July 23, 1965 |
| 19 | The Name of the Game- "Abduction of A Poet" |
April 8, 1969 |
| 19 | The Name of the Game- "Clash of Thunder" |
May 13, 1969 |
| 19-20 | The Name of the Game- "Goodbye Harry" |
undated |
| 20 | The Name of the Game- "No Rage, No Light" by Anthony Terpiloff |
April 1969 |
| 20 | The Name of the Game- "Tomorrow You Shall Not Be Less" |
undated |
| 20 | Nichols- "Ketcham Power" |
July 9, 1971 |
| 20 | One Way Out |
undated |
| 20 | Operation: Hang Ten- "The Lucifer Affair" |
September 21, 1972 |
| 20 | Paris 7000- "Beyond Reproach" |
undated |
| 20 | Paris 7000- "Task Force Lockner" |
January 5, 1970 |
| 20 | The Patriot |
undated |
| 20 | Pattern For Death |
September 25, 1957 |
| 20 | Peter Gunn- "The Semi-Private Eye" |
March 29, 1960 |
| 21 | The Plainsman- "The Plainsman" |
February 15, 1962 |
| 21 | The Plainsman- "The Returning" |
March 23, 1962 |
| 21 | The Plainsman- "Walk Among Heroes" |
February 23, 1962 |
| 21 | P.O.W.- "The War and Otto Kurtz" |
July 28, 1964 |
| 21 | Powederkeg- "The Bod Fenian Men" |
June 3, 1971 |
| 21-22 | Questor by Gene L. Coon and Gene Roddenberry |
1972, undated |
| 22 | Rawhide- "Incident of the Dogfaces" |
August 9, 1962 |
| 22 | Rogue Cop |
undated |
| 22 | Run for the Money |
undated |
| 22 | Series 511-2B- "Stake Out" |
October 30, 1958 |
| 22 | Short Walk to Daylight (ABC Movies) |
undated |
| 23 | The Sixth Sense- "Show #6" |
January 27, 1972 |
| 23 | St. Jimmy's |
undated |
| 23 | The Streets of San Francisco- "The Thirty-Year Pin" |
June 6, 1972 |
| 23 | Tarzan and the White Ape |
undated |
| 23 | Task Force Muldoon |
September 23, 1969 |
| 23 | Then Came Bronson- "The 3:13 Arrives at Noon" |
August 1969 |
| 23 | The Virginian- "Showdown" |
undated |
| 23 | Wagon Train- "The Albert Farnsworth Story" |
undated |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Amos Gibbon Story" |
December 8, 1959 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Ben Courtney Story" |
October 7, 1958 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Benjamin Burns Story" |
September 1, 1959 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Bill Strode Story" |
October 17, 1960 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Captain Jim Brady Story" |
undated |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Charley Shutup Story" |
November 13, 1961 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "Clyde" |
June 30, 1961 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Colonel Harris Story" |
October 1959 |
| 24 | Wagon Train- "The Dick Richardson Story" by Martin Berkeley and Clark E. Reynolds |
September 12, 1958 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Eleanor Culhane Story" |
April 3, 1961 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Emmett Lawton Story" |
November 9, 1962 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Hollister John Garrison Story" |
May 2, 1962 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Hunter Malloy Story" by Thomas Thompson and Gene L. Coon |
November 17, 1958 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The John Turnbull Story" |
February 9, 1962 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Jose Morales Story" |
undated |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Joshua Gilliam Story" |
undated |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Mary Ellen Thomas Story" |
October 1958 |
| 25 | Wagon Train- "The Molly Kincaid Story" |
April 4, 1963 |
| 26 | Wagon Train- "The Robert Harrison Clarke Story" |
undated |
| 26 | Wagon Train- "Three Little Girls From School" |
August 16, 1961 |
| 26 | Wagon Train- "The Tiburcio Mendez Story" |
January 19, 1961 |
| 26 | White Carnation- "Pygmalion Is A Dirty Word" |
September 22, 1964 |
| 26 | The Wild Wild West- "The Night of the Freebooters" |
February 16, 1966 |
| 26 | Zorro- "Rendezvous at Sundown" shooting script |
may 22, 1958 |
| 26 | Zorro- "Spark of Revenge" |
June 23, 1958 |
| 26 | Zorro- "Zorro Rides Alone" |
April 25, 1958 |
| 26-27 | Treatments: |
|
| Box | ||
| 26 | Assignment : Singapore |
undated |
| 26 | The Blood |
undated |
| 26 | Call Him Adam |
undated |
| 26 | Genesis II |
undated |
| 27 | Heat Wave |
undated |
| 27 | Here There Be Tygers |
October 1, 1969 |
| 27 | Impulse |
September 12, 1961 |
| 27 | Kidnapped |
undated |
| 27 | The Long Way Out |
undated |
| 27 | The Man in the Middle |
1968 |
| 27 | The Return of Sam Bannock (with a biography) |
undated |
| 27 | Shanahan's Friend |
undated |
| 27 | The Short End |
undated |
| 27 | The Strange Death of Arnold Popper |
undated |
| 27 | World of Strangers |
undated |
| 28 | Star Trek Materials: |
|
| Box | ||
| 28 | Script- "The Devil in the Dark" final draft |
December 22, 1966 |
| 28 | Script- "Metamorphosis" revised final draft |
May 3, 1967 |
| 28 | A Star Trek Memoir (incomplete) |
undated |
| 28 | Star Trek Concordance |
1969 |
| 28 | Star Trek Concordance- The 3rd Season Supplement to |
1973 |
| 28 | The Star Trek Songbook |
undated |
| 28 | T-Negative 18 by A. Andres |
March 22, 1972 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Television -- Production and direction -- United States.
- Television authorship.
- Television programs -- United States.
- Television scripts.
Form or Genre Terms
- Scripts.
Occupations
- Television writers.
Titles within the Collection
- Star trek (Television program)
- Wagon train (Television program)
- Zorro (Television program)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Colodny, Lester
- Gerrold, David, 1944-
- Roddenberry, Gene
Processed by Brittany Heye
2023
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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