Robert H. Justman
Encyclopedia
Robert Harris "Bob" Justman (July 13, 1926 – May 28, 2008) was an American
television producer
, director
and production manager. He worked on many television series including Lassie
, The Life of Riley
, Adventures of Superman
, The Outer Limits
, Then Came Bronson
and Mission: Impossible
.
, working both as an associate and supervising producer on Star Trek: The Original Series
and Star Trek: The Next Generation
. He was also the assistant director of the first two Star Trek episodes: "The Cage
" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before
." During Star Trek: The Original Series, he served as Gene Roddenberry
's right hand man, who managed the show along with John D. F. Black
, Herbert Solow
, D. C. Fontana
and Gene L. Coon
. Justman was the first to call Gene Roddenberry
"The Great Bird of the Galaxy," drawn from a throwaway line from the original series
episode The Man Trap.
Justman served as Star Trek's co-producer during the first 14 episodes of its third season before resigning due to his displeasure at the show's decline in production and script quality as well as what he regarded as the show's poor treatment by NBC which had slashed its budget during the third season.
His film credits as an assistant director include The Big Combo
(1955), Kiss Me Deadly
(1955), The Big Knife
(1955), Attack (1956) and Mutiny on the Bounty
(1962) among others. He was in front of the camera once as an actor. Justman appeared as the "Elder of Luminos" in the "A Feasibility Study
" episode in The Outer Limits. His name also graced a shuttlecraft
on The Next Generation.
Along with Herbert F. Solow
, he wrote Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, published by Pocket Books
in 1996. According to Publishers Weekly
, "As told by Solow, Star Trek's co-producer [sic], and Justman, the executive in charge of production [sic], this is arguably the definitive history of the TV show...With plenty of behind-the-scenes material that will be of interest to Trek fans, this book puts a good deal of emphasis on the show's business side, elucidating production difficulties, cost overruns and the seemingly constant debate with NBC over the show's future."
from complications of Parkinson's disease
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
and production manager. He worked on many television series including Lassie
Lassie (1954 TV series)
Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973...
, The Life of Riley
The Life of Riley
The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, is a popular American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a long-run 1950s television series , and a 1958 Dell comic book...
, Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
, The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965. The series is similar in style to the earlier The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction, rather than fantasy stories...
, Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson is a short-lived adventure/drama television series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970, and was produced by MGM Television. The series, created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, began with a movie pilot on Monday, March 24, 1969. The series was greenlit for one year and began its first...
and Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
.
Career
Bob Justman was one of the pioneers behind Star TrekStar Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, working both as an associate and supervising producer on Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
and Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
. He was also the assistant director of the first two Star Trek episodes: "The Cage
The Cage (TOS episode)
"The Cage" is the first pilot episode of the Star Trek: The Original Series science fiction series. It was completed in early 1965 , but not broadcast on television in its complete form until the autumn of 1988. The episode was written by Gene Roddenberry and directed by Robert Butler...
" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before
Where No Man Has Gone Before
"Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the second pilot episode of the television series Star Trek: The Original Series. It was produced in 1965 after the first pilot, "The Cage", had been rejected by NBC. The episode was eventually broadcast third in sequence on September 22, 1966, and was re-aired on...
." During Star Trek: The Original Series, he served as Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
's right hand man, who managed the show along with John D. F. Black
John D. F. Black
John D. F. Black is a scriptwriter, TV producer, and TV director. He has had a long and varied career in television, but he is best known for his work on the TV series Star Trek in 1966, and its sequel series, Star Trek: The Next Generation during the 1980s.Black was the associate producer for ten...
, Herbert Solow
Herbert F. Solow
Herbert F. Solow worked in Hollywood as a producer, director, studio executive, talent agent, and writer.-Biography:After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1953 Solow was hired by the William Morris Agency in New York City to work in the mailroom. In 1954 he was promoted to talent agent...
, D. C. Fontana
D. C. Fontana
Dorothy Catherine "D. C." Fontana is an American television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original Star Trek series.-Work with Gene Roddenberry:...
and Gene L. Coon
Gene L. Coon
Gene L. Coon was an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best remembered for his work on the original Star Trek series.-Life and career:...
. Justman was the first to call Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
"The Great Bird of the Galaxy," drawn from a throwaway line from the original series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode The Man Trap.
Justman served as Star Trek's co-producer during the first 14 episodes of its third season before resigning due to his displeasure at the show's decline in production and script quality as well as what he regarded as the show's poor treatment by NBC which had slashed its budget during the third season.
His film credits as an assistant director include The Big Combo
The Big Combo
The Big Combo is an American film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis and stylistically photographed by cinematographer and noir icon John Alton with music by David Raksin....
(1955), Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly is a 1955 film noir drama produced and directed by Robert Aldrich starring Ralph Meeker. The screenplay was written by A.I. Bezzerides, based on the Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer mystery novel Kiss Me, Deadly. Kiss Me Deadly is often considered a classic of the noir genre. The film...
(1955), The Big Knife
The Big Knife
The Big Knife is a film noir directed and produced by Robert Aldrich from a screenplay by James Poe based on the play by Clifford Odets. The film stars Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Wendell Corey, Jean Hagen, Rod Steiger, Shelley Winters, Ilka Chase, and Everett Sloane.-Plot:Charlie Castle, a very...
(1955), Attack (1956) and Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)
Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1962 film starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard based on the novel Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. The film retells the 1789 real-life mutiny aboard HMAV Bounty led by Fletcher Christian against the ship's captain, William Bligh...
(1962) among others. He was in front of the camera once as an actor. Justman appeared as the "Elder of Luminos" in the "A Feasibility Study
A Feasibility Study (episode)
"A Feasibility Study" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 13 April 1964, during the first season. It was remade in 1997 as part of the revived The Outer Limits series with a minor title change...
" episode in The Outer Limits. His name also graced a shuttlecraft
Shuttlecraft (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek fictional universe, a shuttlecraft is a small auxiliary spaceship carried by the larger craft such as the Enterprise. Shuttlecraft were documented in the writer's guide for the series in 1966 and first appeared in the episode The Galileo Seven. Galileo was the name of the...
on The Next Generation.
Along with Herbert F. Solow
Herbert F. Solow
Herbert F. Solow worked in Hollywood as a producer, director, studio executive, talent agent, and writer.-Biography:After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1953 Solow was hired by the William Morris Agency in New York City to work in the mailroom. In 1954 he was promoted to talent agent...
, he wrote Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, published by Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
in 1996. According to Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, "As told by Solow, Star Trek's co-producer [sic], and Justman, the executive in charge of production [sic], this is arguably the definitive history of the TV show...With plenty of behind-the-scenes material that will be of interest to Trek fans, this book puts a good deal of emphasis on the show's business side, elucidating production difficulties, cost overruns and the seemingly constant debate with NBC over the show's future."
Other Accomplishments
Along with Mr. Justman's long list of accomplishments he was also a guest of the U.S. Air Force special study, Maxwell AFB, AL (1993-1994 study), on the future of the military as a speaker and future thinker for the SPACECAST 2020 program.Death
Justman died on May 28, 2008 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
from complications of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.