Shore Leave (Super 8)

Real world article
(written from a production point of view)

"Shore Leave" was an unlicensed Super 8 home video format release of the Star Trek: The Original Series season one episode "Shore Leave". Released in the 1970s, it, together with its contemporary Super 8 Original Series releases, ranks among the very first Star Trek home video format releases.

Background information

  • The release was produced and distributed by New York City based company "Canterbury Films".
  • The episode was spread over three 400 feet, 7 inch film reels, packaged together in a single cardboard box endowed with photocopied imagery, glued on the box as cover art.
  • Not being an official franchise release, Canterbury Films had, according to author Richard W. Haines, made use of a contemporary loophole in the then applicable copyright laws; "Canterbury discovered that some episodes of the Star Trek TV show did not contain a copyright in the credits and released dupes to collectors." (The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001, February 2003, p. 183)
Previous release:
"Miri"
Star Trek: The Original Series
Super 8
Next release:
"The Squire of Gothos"