Uhura's Old Klingon Language Books, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

 

Fans that consider Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country among the better of the TOS movies of course remember the gag scene where, to get past a Klingon listening post while trespassing in Klingon space, Uhura refers to old-timey books rather than risk being caught using the Universal Translator. 

"HA. HA. HA..." 

I agree with Nichelle Nichols, who believed Uhura would be able to speak at least basic Klingon - a fact made right in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Gosh Zoë Saldana is the best. Anyway, by coincidence - I picked up my recent Half Price Books-purchase: Klingon for the Galactic Traveler, while a Klingon language article on Memory Alpha was freshly left in disarray. One thing led to another, and now I find myself deep-diving into those stacks of physical books from The Undiscovered Country...

(Chekov) "We must respond in person, a universal translator would be recognized..."

(Starting from the presumption that all cuts are more or less the same.) Scotty hands Book1 to the JuniorOfficer1(Left) with his left hand, Scotty's right hand rustling Book8; while Uhura flips through Book2. JuniorOfficer1(Left) is flipping Book6, JuniorOfficer2(Left) is holding an open page of Book12, as JuniorOfficer3(Right) comes into frame with Book7 closed. (JuniorOfficer4(Right) and 5(Right) fumble with Book15 and Book16.) JuniorOfficer1(Left) flips to a photo page of Book6. Uhura closes Book2 as Chekov rises into frame, and she puts Book2 on the console revealing Book13 beneath it. JuniorOfficer4(Right) comes into frame with closed Book14 in hand. Scotty opens Book8. Uhura seems to reach for Book 17, which was at first hidden behind JuniorOfficer1(Left).

[Shot of Klingons]

Uhura is ready with Book13 (Spoken Languages of the Klingon Empire) open on her lap on top of Book16; Book5* and Book4 on the console. Chekov pulls Book4* away from the controls with his left hand as Scott closes Book18 to pick it up (we see the Klingon emblem on the cover.) Uhura recites "tongDuj 'urISva' maH. jav Hogh maH Qo'noSvo'. rIn. [We am thy freighter Ursva. Six weeks out of Kronos. Over.]" from Book13, while Chekov's right hand is on what seems to be an open Book5*.

[Shot of Klingons. Shot of Uhura. Shot of Klingons. Shot of Uhura.] Book18 is open on the console behind her.

Scotty finds the translation in Book19: "What is your destination? Over." Book15 is closed with the cover legible (Klingon Technical Communication Standards).

• Book1: Bound-book. The high-contrast title is briefly visible in the very first frames, as Scotty hands it to the junior officer to put on top of an open Book6. The junior officer opens it, and 2 pages have pictures.
  
  
• Book2: Bound-book.
• Book3: Okrand's Unabridged Klingon Dictionary. Binder-style, with tons of space!
• Book4: Bound-book.
• Book5: Bound-book.
• Book6: Binder-style. A junior officer is flipping through this, and has it in his right hand the whole scene. It has a red interior binding.
• Book7: Binder-style.
• Book8: Bound-book, maybe.
• Book9: Bound-book, maybe. 
• Book10: Bound-book, maybe.
• Book11: Bound-book, maybe.
• Book12: Bound-book, maybe.
• Book13: Spoken Languages of the Klingon Empire. Binder-style. This book starts the scene in a pile on Uhura's lap, beneath Book2, on top of Book16. It ends up saving the day a bit, offering the translation necessary to first respond to the listening station. When open, you can see the high-contrast title on the cover more clearly than most of the other books.
• Book14: Binder-style.
• Book15: Klingon Technical Communication Standards. Bound-book. When Scotty says "What is your destination? Over." You can see the cover (closed) most clearly in JuniorOfficer(Right)'s hand.
• Book16: Bound-book.
• Book17: This book was behind the junior officer at the start of the scene, but Chekov may hand it to Uhura when she reaches for it.
• Book18: Bound-book.
• Book19: Binder-style (with blue tabs). Klingon emblem on the cover. This is the book Scotty finds the "What is your destination? Over." translation in.

Tracking the Props & Other Known Information:

• Introduction to Klingon Grammer (sic). Green bound-book with silver text. While I'm still hunting for this book on screen, the prop has one of the most detailed track records!
  
  
  
  
  

  Introduction to Klingon Grammer was still in Paramount's prop archives during the 2003 filming of Penny Juday's bonus feature on the ST:VI special collector's edition DVD (below). Note that the "E" is already scratched up (leaving most of the top left, and bottom right serifs.)
  
  

  

  
  This prop later sold for $410 in 2007 (IAW #0975, above right photo), and then later for $350 in 2015 on LiveAuctioneers.com (above left photo).
  
  The LiveAuctioneers description states: "A 'Introduction to Klingon Grammar' book featured in the motion picture Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. This piece was used by Starfleet as a linguistic reference resource and shared screen time with "Scotty" (James Doohan) and 'Uhura' (Nichelle Nichols). The cover has been modified by the Star Trek props department to read “Introduction to Klingon Grammar” on the front and spine of the book and there is a piece of the spine missing. The actual book inside is a registry from the 'Alloy Steel Products Company, Inc.' 1951. Item measures 14" x 9" x 5" and remains in generally good condition." The Trek Auctions listing shows the spine, with the title perpendicular to the spine rather than along it -- which tells me I need to update Memory Alpha!
  
  
• Also featured in Juday's 2003 bonus feature: Klingon Technical Communication Standards and a Hexagon-spined manual.
  
  
  
  
  

  Later in the feature (about 3:18 in), Juday shows the inside and cover of what looks to be the Hexagon-spined manual. (Because we know what the Technical Standards cover looks like, and when she does so, the pile of two books becomes only one! With Klingon Grammer in the background.)
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
• Four prop books featured on StarTrek.com, still visible via Internet Archive. The StarTrek.com photo was saved as "Auction Items on Display in Christie's booth at Comic-Con," featured the caption "Klingon reference books as seen in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"", and were described as: "Some of the Star Trek memorabilia that will be auctioned off in October by Christie's, on display at Comic-Con 2006 in San Diego as part of a travelling exhibit. Shown here are Klingon reference books used by Uhura in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," including one titled "A Concise History of the Klingon Empire by G.L. Coon," and another titled "Okrand's Unabridged Klingon Dictionary.""
  
  The Christie's Auction page (sale #1778, lot #777) indicates these four sold for $2,400. The Christie's Auction page describes the lot as: "Three heavy binders and one hardbound book, two with titles silkscreened in Klingon lettering, one titled Okrand's Unabridged Klingon Dictionary, and one titled A Concise History of the Klingon Empire by G.L. Coon -- featured as Uhura's reference books in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (4)."
  
  
  
• Three Binder-style Books. Sold as two lots. The first lot (IAW #5352) features two binder-style books of taxation documents, while the single binder-style book lot (IAW #1497) duplicates the exterior Klingon artwork of one of the others but contains payroll related documentation. One of these binders with the large red emblem is Scotty's Book 19.
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
• Diagonal text cover, inside cover reads "Superior Court, Los Angeles County."