One of the persons responsible for the production of the original series, Herb Solow, has turned from moviemaking to teaching students in the picturesque town of Lampeter, Wales.

Solow, whose role in the creation of Star Trek is often overlooked, recently granted a rare interview to the BBC. He spends his time these days lecturing students about the influence of Jewish-Americans in Hollywood. Solow is of Russian-Jewish ancestry.

Solow recalled how, when working for Desilu Studios, he was approached by Gene Roddenberry with an idea for a new show. The concept was good, but some things needed to be changed. "He wanted to create a new version of Buck Rogers," said Solow, referring to Roddenberry, "but we had to change a few things. Initially, Gene had Spock with a red face, pointed ears and a tail, and he looked just like Satan." The changes were made and Spock became a popular character.

Solow still maintains Hollywood connections and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts. He has maintained friendships over the years with some of the Star Trek actors. "Leonard Nimoy (Spock) is devoid of any ego," he says, "and remains a close personal friend and so does George Takei. (Sulu)"

After working for Desilu, he moved on to MGM, where he was in charge of their studio in California as well as one in England. He worked with David Lean, the British director, on the Oscar-winning Ryan's Daughter. He also worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley; producing the Elvis documentary That's The Way It Is.

""I've enjoyed my life and I've worked with some great people," he said. For more of his thoughts on Sinatra and Elvis and the rest of the article, head over to the full article.

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