Introduced in the original Star Trek series, the Green Woman (also referred to as “the Orion Woman” and later “the Orion Slave Girl”) captivated audiences with her striking appearance and sexy, enigmatic allure.
Originally filmed for the pilot episode “The Cage” in 1964, the Green Woman created a problem from the outset. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry decided that the female character would wear a very skimpy costume, and she should be “Wild, green-skinned, and glistening, as if oiled!”
And so, prior to filming, the production team decided to shoot some test footage to get the right shade of green. Several shades of green greasepaint were applied to the actress, and different camera exposures and lighting settings were filmed. The test shots were sent to be developed and they were received back the following day.
To everyone’s surprise, the actress was just as pink-skinned as ever! There was absolutely no trace of green. Roddenberry ordered the make-up artist to, “Paint her greener!”
Once again, when the results were received, she didn't appear green at all. They tried a third time, and the same result came back. Finally, a frustrated Roddenberry phoned the film development lab, “What the heck is going on?”
Well, as it turned out, the lab had presumed that the cinematographer had set up the camera incorrectly, and they had kept correcting the film development process in order to turn the actress’s skin color back to pink, her normal color!
🖖😍 Star Trek Gigi