The Production GuideScript To Screen: The Last Sunset
by Martin Willey
The Production Guide
The original story idea for The Last Sunset was conceived during pre-production of Space 1999. Inspired by Marghanita Laski's 1959 television play, The Offshore Island, Christopher Penfold wrote the final shooting script, dated 16th July 1974. This is the cover, with a sunset doodled by Martin Landau.
Here are the opening pages from an earlier draft of the script, dated 12th July 1974. This version has no scene or page numbers, but they have been added by hand.
In the 16th July "final shooting script", these pages are almost the same. The only change, probably to simplify the effects, is to remove Ariel's companion planet described in the opening shot.
Here the Eagles are in Ariel's atmosphere, leaving vapour trails, but as filmed they will be in space. This will change in the 22nd July revised pages, below.
1
"THE LAST SUNSET"
HOOK:
FADE IN:
1. EXT. SPACE SKY. SFX
A bright sun in the middle of a frame black with empty
space. Except that in the left E.G. is an atmosphere-
enshrouded planet, and in the right E.G. on a precisely
reciprocal orbit is another planet - totally without
atmosphere. Large in frame in the right F.G, is the
Moon.
2. EXT. ALPHA SFX.
Establishing shot.
3. INT. MAIN MISSION
KOENIG turns away from the window to look at an astro-
chart that BERGMAN has been compiling. On it is a plan
view of this new solar system with the sun at the centre
and the perfectly circular orbital path of the two planets
described around it. At a tangent to this circle and quite
close to the atmosphere planet is the projected course of
the Moon. BERGMAN is impressed by the perfect symmetry.of
the system.
BERGMAN
A sun like ours, Planet Ariel with
its atmosphere. It's a perfectly
balanced little solar system.
KOENIG
(indicates the Moon's course)
But if we go into orbit we'll upset
your sense of symmetry, Victor.
BERGMAN looks up and smiles.
BERGMAN
If we go into orbit I won't care
about the symmetry.
KOENIG
So long as the planet proves to
as well endowed as Computer predicts.
4. EXT. SKY. SFX
CLOSE SHOT Eagle rocket motors, The hot propellant gases
condense instantly to a white steam in the cold of an
CONTINUED:
2.
4. CONTD.
upper atmosphere, On the sound-track is the deafening
roar of rocket motors in air as distinct from space
vacuum.
PULL BACK:
To see the Eagle leaving a long condensation trail against
a blue sky and to include a second Eagle flying some
distance to one side of the first.
5 INT. EAGLE COMMAND.
CARTER and his co-pilot JOHNSON look out ahead and smile.
CARTER
Vapour trails. I'd almost forgotten
how they look.
6. INT. MAIN MISSION.
MORROW is at the console, SANDRA beside him, HELENA also
sits at a monitoring panel. KOENIG and BERGMAN leave the
window and come towards them.
SANDRA
Eagle surface temperatures
increasing.
MORROW
Turn up the heat shields four
points, Alan, and keep an eye
on them.
HELENA
This is not a computer analysis
but it seems to me they're flying
through a stratosphere.
KOENIG
(to CARTER)
How does it feel to be flying an
aeroplane instead of a spaceship,
Alan?
7. INT. EAGLE COMMAND MODULE.
CARTER and JOHNSON are delighted. KOENIG's smiling face is
on the TV screen.
CARTER
It feels just great, Commander.
8. INT. MAIN MISSION.
KANO takes a read-out from Computer. He hands it to BERGMAN
who looks at it, excited.
CONTINUED:
On 22nd July, these pages were replaced by new blue pages, and even these pages will be revised (notice the hand-written corrections by Martin Landau). The Eagles are still in space, not leaving vapour-trails. Helena now says the oxygen content is four times Earth. Paul Morrow's "nice'n'slow" remark will be cut, as will Koenig's line to Alan about flying an aeroplane instead of a spaceship, perhaps unnecessary foreshadowing at this point.
1
THE LAST SUNSET
HOOK.
FADE IN.
1 EXT. SPACE SKY. SFX. 1
A bright sun in the middle of a frame black with empty
space. Except that in the left F.G. is an atmosphere -
enshrouded planet. Large in frame in the right F.G.
is the Moon,
2 EXT. ALPHA SFX. 2
Establishing shot.
3 INT. MAIN MISSION. 3
KOENIG turns away from the window to look at an astro -
chart that BERGMAN has been compiling. On it is a
plan view of this new solar system with the sun at the
centre and the perfectly circular orbital path of the
planet described around it. At a tangent to this
circle and quite close to the planet is the
projected course of the Moon. BERGMAN is impressed by
the perfect symmetry of the system. [different SFX]
BERGMAN
A sun like ours, Planet Ariel with
its atmosphere. It's a perfectly
balanced little solar system.
KOENIG
(indicates the Moon's course)
But if we go into orbit [Victor] we'll [totally] upset
your sense of symmetry, Victor.
BERGMAN looks up and smiles.
BERGMAN
If we go into orbit I won't care
about the symmetry.
KOENIG
(Just) providing, of course, that that
So long as the planet proves to be
as well endowed as Computer predicts.
4 EXT. SPACE SKY. SFX. 4
CLOSE SHOT. Eagle flies towards camera.
REVERSE
Eagle flies towards the Planet Ariel, surrounded by its
atmosphere and looking a little like Earth from space.
|
"THE LAST SUNSET" |
22nd July 1974 |
2
5 INT. EAGLE COMMAND MODULE. 5
CARTER and JOHNSON look out ahead and smile. CARTER presses a key.
CARTER
Hello Main Mission.
MORROW (V.O.)
Come in, Alan.
CARTER
Planet Ariel's atmosphere looks
like pea-soup from here.
6 INT. MAIN MISSION. 6
MORROW is at the console, SANDRA beside him. HELENA also
sits at a monitoring panel. KOENIG and BERGMAN leave the
window and come towards them. HELENA answers CARTER's point.
HELENA
It is, Alan. Oxygen content is
upwards of four times Earth's.
SANDRA
You should monitor Eagle surface
temperatures carefully as you
enter the atmosphere.
MORROW
Heat shields at maximum. And
stand-by to fire retros in
thirty seconds. We're going
to take this nice n'slow, nice
n' sure.
KOENIG
I'll bet you're
Looking forward to flying an
aeroplane instead of a
spaceship, Alan?
7 INT. EAGLE COMMAND MODULE. 7
CARTER and JOHNSON are delighted.
CARTER
And how, Commander!
|
"THE LAST SUNSET" |
22nd July 1974 |
Copyright Martin Willey