The American Heritage Center houses the papers of two influential Hollywood figures from the mid-20th century: Gene L. Coon and George Pal. Coon was known as "The Other Gene" by Star Trek fans. He was a prolific screenwriter. He invented the Klingons and other mainstays in the franchise. Pal, a producer and director, invented Puppetoons. He produced many science fiction and fantasy films in the 1950s and '60s.
Their collections reveal the challenging process of screenwriting and producing, with countless ideas and scripts that never made it to the screen.
Of the thousands of script submissions received by Star Trek each year, only a handful were purchased. Often, they went through multiple editing passes.
The archives also showcase the evolution of projects like Logan's Run and Genesis II.
For a glimpse into the creative process behind the scenes of TV and film production, see the papers of Gene L. Coon and George Pal at UW’s American Heritage Center