Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Man on the Moon: The End of Day is the debut studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on September 15, 2009, through Dream On, GOOD Music, and Universal Motown Records. A concept album, narrated by fellow American rapper Common, it follows the release of his first full-length project A Kid Named Cudi (2008), and is the first installment of the Man on the Moon trilogy. Production was handled by several high-profile record producers, including Kanye West, Emile Haynie, Plain Pat, and Jeff Bhasker, as well as contributions from Dot da Genius, Free School and The Kickdrums, among others.

Man on the Moon: The End of Day spawned three singles—"Day 'n' Nite", "Make Her Say" and "Pursuit of Happiness"—that attained chart success and US multiplatinum to diamond-certifications. To further promote the album, he toured with Asher Roth and Lady Gaga, respectively. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised it for its music composition and different approach to being a hip-hop record. Aside from being included on critics list of the best albums of the year, Man on the Moon: The End of Day received three Grammy Awards nominations.

The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 104,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States. It later became certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Outside of the US, the album was less commercially successful, generally peaking outside of the top fifty positions of album charts. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it number 459 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

## Background

According to AllMusic, soon after it was announced that Kid Cudi would release this album it became "deep in the category of 'much anticipated'". Prior to the album being picked up by the likes of Universal Motown and GOOD Music, he had previously worked with mentor and fellow rapper Kanye West on his 2008 record 808s & Heartbreak, co-writing four hits for it. He said that without those song successes Man on the Moon: The End of Day would not have been picked up by any major labels. Cudi, who became West's protege and collaborator, hoped Man on the Moon: The End of Day would show people that he had his own voice and set him apart. The record was originally titled Man on the Moon: The Guardians, but its subtitle was later changed to The End of Day. Performance artist Andy Kaufman partly inspired the new title. He planned for this record to be the first in a trilogy, with the next edition being entitled The Ghost and the Machine.

Before the success of "Day 'n' Nite", the rapper had said that he would never try to mix politics or jocular things in with his lyrical content. After realizing the power of his voice he then decided to make important and unique songs, focusing on the message, rather than just creating inane music. He said his mode of operation at that time "was just, 'Hey, I'm making these cool sounding songs and I have little messages in them'", but still had himself in it. Although Cudi had a message in every track, he chose to avoid using dense lyrics, explaining that he did not want to write material that he would not actually say or use in real life, adding that being true to yourself entirely was meaningful to him. "I don't speak like a fucking nerdy guy; I speak like a regular dude", he remarked.

He wrote "Day 'n' Nite" after the death of his uncle. The two were not on speaking terms after his uncle forced him out of his home before Cudi could find another living situation. A bitter Cudi never apologized to him before his death, which he now regrets. Other songs on the album expand upon themes discussed in that single. Back in 2007, Drake, who was one of Cudi's first supporters, had shown interest in doing an official remix of the song with him. However, Cudi chose against it since he was not interested in working with people who are in the "same creative realm" as him and because he was in the midst of creating his own works. Beginning in the fourth grade, and getting more tense after his father's death when he was 11, Cudi began dreaming of his own death (which usually was an automobile accident). He channeled these things into his material. Speaking to BlackBook in May 2009, Cudi said of the album and its content:

> Each song is a message. All the hooks are stadium-worthy, crowd sing-along, powerful joints that I can't wait for people to hear in stadium magnitude. My album definitely needs to be heard loudly, but it's also a great album if you're smoking and you need to go to sleep. So far I have the lineup of how I want the first seven tracks on my album and if I play the first seven from the beginning to the end, I'm zoned out and it's the best trip ever. You need to be high to appreciate the instrumentation and how everything is put together on the album—but you don't have to be high just to enjoy it in general.

## Recording and production

Cudi recorded the album from 2007 to 2009. Man on the Moon: The End of Day was recorded in sessions at Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, with additional recording at The Broski Room, Chung King in New York City, and the Jim Henson and Record Plant in Hollywood, California. On January 13, 2009, American R&B producer Ryan Leslie posted on his blog that he was in the studio with Cudi and posted a 2-minute video of them working on a song. Later, Cudi spoke to Pitchfork about the production of the album; producers he mentioned that were working on the album include Ratatat, Ryan Leslie, 88-Keys, and The Alchemist. Rap-Up confirmed that he was in the studio with American musicians Travis Barker and will.i.am. Months later, American rapper Pusha T spoke of how he and his brother Malice (of Clipse) had recorded an unreleased song together called "Angels & Demons". On Cudi's official blog, he announced three features for the album, the artists were Kanye West, Common, and Snoop Dogg. News also broke out that MGMT was also set to appear on the album, with Common set to narrate throughout.

In an interview with Joe La Puma from Complex, executive producer Emile Haynie explained the album process and the relationship he had with Cudi prior to the album:

> You know what, I heard "Day 'N' Nite" on Cudi's Myspace and was blown away by the record. It didn't even have that many plays on MySpace yet. I don't know how I stumbled across it, but I stumbled across it and heard it. The second I heard it I was like, "Holy shit!" I looked around on his page and saw [Plain] Pat on his top friends list. Me and Pat have had a long relationship, we've always kind of worked together with him being an A&R and me as a producer. So, I hit Pat up and was just like, yo there's this cat with this song that has you as one of his top friends and this song is just like the illest song ever. Obviously he had started to work with Cudi, and was like, "Yeah, yeah that's my guy we should get up." I said bring him by the studio, because I think some of the new beats I got are pretty well-suited for him, we should do some shit.

Later he said:

> We didn't get up until a few months after that. I think Pat was doing the Graduation album with Kanye at the time and I was doing this album out in England. Then I think Pat might have hit me up and brought Cudi to the studio. On that first day we cut "Bigger Than You." I remember I was playing them mad beats, and he liked the beats but it was the sort of thing where you're playing an artist mad beats and they're like, yeah that's good, that's good, but you know when somebody really wants something, things get done. The artist hears something and they're like, I'm getting in the booth or I'm writing right now. When you're in the studio that either happens or it doesn't. That wasn't happening and I was just like, fuck it, let's just make something from scratch. And that kinda just sent the tone for how we did everything. The way we did "Bigger Than You," that very first record, it was a sample and we were just listening to records and he was just like, "Yo that's crazy" and we built it up. That's kinda how we did everything from then on.

On the final tracklisting, the guest appearances contained Kanye West, Common, Billy Cravens, Ratatat, MGMT, and Chip tha Ripper. Cudi commented on his Twitter about Cravens that "the world will never know...he wants to keep his identity private...", also gave news that the Clipse and Snoop Dogg records won't be on the album, but will still be made available to fans in some capacity.

## Music and lyrics

Man on the Moon: The End of Day has an outer space, futuristic aesthetic akin to 808s & Heartbreak. Primarily a genre-bending album, it has a spacey, atmospheric production that fuses psychedelic, indie pop, rhythm and blues, electronica, and rock styles. The music is typified by synthetic textures, infectious melodies, sparse arrangements, experimental structures, and lush beats. The album's elements contain shuddering keyboards, brooding synths, syncopated drums, sinister strings, and light pianos.

The album received positive comparisons in production to West's 2008 album. Jeff Giles of Pop Dose stated "It's basically a slightly more sonically expansive cousin, only Cudi doesn't have to rely on Auto-Tune shenanigans to get his point across." Aaron Williams of Uproxx said that "The ideas that Kanye gave him the early space to explore on that project ultimately culminated in similar, more fully fleshed-out concepts." HotNewHipHop writer Luke Hinz commented "The abstract nature of his music isn't condescending or isolating; instead, it is deeply personal and genuine in its focus. It is the embodiment of everything that makes him so unique." Cudi's vocals on the album features soulful crooning, off-key singing, humming, baritone vocals, poetic cadence, and an unhurried nasal flow.

Lyrically, Man on the Moon has dark, introspective themes of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. It also touches on family issues, alcoholism, sex, paranoia, and fame. A concept album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day is an autobiographical track series of moody dark material that is separated into five acts that all surround "Day 'n' Nite" with an arcane account. One reviewer summed up the story to be: "[a] lonely guy sits in his room and dreams of success. He uses drugs to calm his fears and fend off night terrors. He eventually gets recognized as the star he always knew he was, and lives the superstar life... or maybe he's still dreaming about that stage of his life, and we're just witnessing what his dreams sound like." According to Cudi, more lively songs had to be added so that listeners did not feel like they were listening to a "slit-your-wrists album". It was observed by a reviewer that on Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Cudi neither raps nor sings, instead he goes "puzzling through some third way: a sort of loose, hazily melodic talking." Musical collaborators included Kanye West, Ratatat and MGMT, among others, and the record is narrated by Common.

The album's first two songs are a one-two introduction to the rapper and what he is up to. There is a gloomy interior monologue about success, the lack of it, and Cudi's inner conflicts, where he welcomes listeners by saying they are in his dreams. "Soundtrack 2 My Life" is the vibrant opening to Cudi's dreamland, as he raps about the work ethic of his mother, the death of his father, and the subsequent depression that came to consume him. It's a prelude of what's to come: the pain, the loss, the feelings of insignificance, and the boundless introspection. His lyrics on the track contain various musical and popular culture references, including those to the song "99 Problems", rapper Jay-Z, mentor Kanye West, the 80s sitcom Charles in Charge, the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon, and the movie The Sixth Sense. The third track "Simple As", which is part of the second half of the introduction, has an outer-space style, which is due in part to the Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark group sample, and showcases the rapper's readiness to experiment.

Following the opening three-track introduction, there is another three-song section of Man on the Moon: The End of Day where Cudi is confined in his solitary world. Like his current state, the music is appropriately obscure. This chapter of the album is the marijuana section, while in next part the rapper is on psychedelics. References to both drugs are abundant throughout the record, but the latter's part carry "the blind-to-the-world quality of the former." They are internal tracks, where Cudi's mind's state of being is the subject at hand. "Solo Dolo" incorporates a sample of the Menahan Street Band's "The Traitor". Its lyrics are a look into Cudi's darkest nightmares: being alone and unable to escape due to poor decisions. Characterized by eerie strings, it's a vivid, horror-esque examination of a particularly bleak chapter of his life. "My World" features a sample of "All What I Have" by Le Système Crapoutchik, the lyrics deals with his insecurity being overcome by his success and drive to be the man.

"Day 'n' Nite" is the album's turning point, where it transitions from the drab theme of loneliness to vitality. "Sky Might Fall", which is produced by his mentor West, details how Cudi is able to deal with problems and continues on his search for happiness. Among the brighter songs are "Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part 1)", a "trippy disco anthem" that is inspired by when he and a female friend ate shrooms and listened to music by The Postal Service together. "Alive" revolves around how Cudi truly finds himself during the night and seems to turn into a truer version of himself. "Make Her Say" includes a sample of pop singer Lady Gaga's 2009 smash hit "Poker Face" and features verses from West and Common. It takes Gaga's naughty, mischievous central hook and turns it around to be an unrefined oral sex reference that makes it a "hyper-catchy, forward-looking single." He channels André 3000 in "Cudi Zone". "Pursuit of Happiness" is a melancholic return to self-examination from the perspective of an addict looking for their next hit. The happiness of the track is fleeting, confined within the limits of each high; it's a glimpse into a search that seemingly will never come to an end. Cudi understands that the happiness of each addiction is only temporary and ultimately unsatisfactory, yet he can't manage to break free of the cycle that always seems to end in failure. The album's closer is "Up Up and Away", a drug escapist anthem on which Cudi sets his sights on the "happy thoughts" that allow him to fly like Peter Pan. He is "perfectly at peace," and content to "move along a bit higher" in an effort to further elude the troubling thoughts that race through his mind. His realization that people are going to judge him regardless and that he may as well do whatever he pleases is a hopeful conclusion; it also seems to hint that the emotional rollercoaster voyage that he has dreamed of is only beginning. Unlike other music's common theme of drugs being used as an escape from the unpleasant realities, this however, is about breaking free from the rough reality of someone's own mind and heart.

## Promotion

### Singles

The first track from the album to be released as a single was "Day 'n' Nite" which was a commercial success, when it debuted at number 88 and peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Cudi's highest charting song on that chart. Reaching its highest peak at number two on both the United Kingdom and Belgium charts, "Day 'n' Nite" also found its peak positions within the top ten on the French singles charts, as well as charting in the top twenty positions on Irish, German and Australian charts. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for paid digital downloads of more than one million copies in the United States in July 2009. Although Cudi was grateful for the opportunity to make a video for "Day 'n' Nite" and enjoyed the overall concept for it, he was disappointed that a majority of his ideas were ignored and cut out of the video. When he saw the video for the first time, he claims he provided feedback for it, but was ignored. The rapper than decided to make another video for the track, which was directed by French artist and director So Me.

Despite Cudi announcing plans to release "Sky Might Fall", as Man on the Moon: The End of Day's second single, "Make Her Say" was instead chosen. Compared to its previous single, "Make Her Say" was less successful on the music charts, with its highest peak position being at number 18 on the Belgium Singles Chart. The music video for the track was directed by Nez Khammal and utilizes a split screen effect to create the illusion that the three artists (Cudi, Kanye West and Common) were all filmed in the same location. In reality, they had shot their individual scenes on opposite coasts of the United States; Common and Cudi were filmed in New York City while West was filmed in Los Angeles. The third and last single to be released from Man on the Moon: The End of Day was "Pursuit of Happiness" on January 25, 2010. "Pursuit of Happiness" managed to chart at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100, with its highest peak position being at number 41 on the Australian Singles Chart.

### Touring

Initially Cudi stated that he would "lay low until his album drops to avoid unnecessary hype." Despite this statement, he went on a tour with rapper Asher Roth between July and August 2009. He performed all of the album's singles at Maryland's The Ulalume Music Festival in October 2009. In 2009, the rapper also toured with singer Lady Gaga as an opening act during the first leg of her The Monster Ball Tour in North America, where he performed the track "Make Her Say". Less than a month later, and after an altercation with an audience member in Vancouver, it was announced that due to time conflicts, Cudi chose to leave the tour. An official statement from him read, "Kid Cudi has decided to take an early leave of absence from Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour, in order to balance his schedule surrounding the recording of his next album and acting commitments. Cudi does not want to disappoint his fans and will move forward with his individual show dates in December and throughout the month of January." However, in Complex's October / November issue the rapper claimed that he was kicked off of the tour, commenting "she's going to kick me off the tour because she didn't want that type of negative energy at her shows? Word? I never did nothing to that girl".

## Critical reception

Man on the Moon: The End of Day was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 15 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

The Boston Globe praised the experimental quality of the album: "It's spacey, adventurous, and ridiculously intriguing if only because it's so different". Complimenting Cudi's "introspective persona, ear for melody, and eclectic taste in beats," Entertainment Weekly music reviewer Simon Vozick-Levinson called him "a hyped upstart who really does represent a promising new phase in the genre's evolution." David Jeffries of AllMusic called it "a soul searcher [that] may require more patience than your everyday debut", but "perfects the futuristic bleak-beat hip-hop Kanye purposed a year earlier, and rewards the listener with every tripped-out return." Greg Kot, writing in the Chicago Tribune, believed that the album had the potential to turn heads as well as "bum-rush the charts." Slant Magazine's Paul Schrodt wrote that the album attempts to be "both a bigger pop platform and indie credibility", and felt that Cudi's verses "are too good to ignore" so long as you do not take them too seriously. Ann Power of the Los Angeles Times called Man on the Moon a "standout release" in spite of "Cudi's voice". Billboard magazine's Michael Menachem said that the album is "anything but a traditional hip-hop recording" and that Cudi's "delivery is confident in a poetic and artful way". David Bevan of The A.V. Club said that, despite its filler, Cudi's "thick layer of open, intense self-loathing is a clever way of unifying Man on the Moon as pure mood piece, a stream-of-consciousness pop voyage that's more Phil Collins than rap."

In a mixed review, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone was impressed by its music, but found Cudi's raps "pedestrian". Ian Cohen of Pitchfork gave the album a negative review, finding it frustrating that the album felt like a failed opportunity rather than a "non-starter". He further wrote that Cudi largely smears his verses with a "flat warble" that is salvaged by Auto-Tune, which he remarked would be "numbing enough on its own" had it not been for the frequent "terrifyingly underwritten lyric to jolt you into sharp pangs of embarrassment." In a largely mixed review, Jon Caramanica of The New York Times expressed his astonishment at the emotional honesty embedded into Cudi's songwriting but felt his restrained vocal performance diminished his presence on the album, writing, that the album "is a colossal, and mystifying, missed opportunity, misguided if it is in fact guided at all." Citing the tracks "Solo Dolo" and on "Cudi Zone" as Cudi's most "appealingly creepy" and intricate vocal performance, on his general view of the album, Caramanica wrote that the rest of the album lacks that liveliness and drive, reducing Cudi to a "gaseous nonentity".

### Accolades

Man on the Moon: The End of Day was named Entertainment Weekly's Best Hip Hop Album of 2009 and called one of the year's best debut albums. Due to his "key track", "Day 'n' Nite", Cudi was also one of their five breakout stars of the year. Calling it a "wonderfully weird album", MTV's James Montgomery listed Man on the Moon: The End of Day as being the nineteenth of twenty best albums of 2009. Montgomery wrote that the album's collaborations, Commons narration of it and its detailed storytelling as some of the reasons for its inclusion on his list. The album was also Complex's Best Album of 2009. Prior to its official release as a single, "Pursuit of Happiness" was listed as being number 15 on Montgomery's list of "Best Songs of 2009", and "Day 'n' Nite" was ranked in at number 15 on the list of "Best 25 Songs of 2009" by Rolling Stone. Two singles from Man on the Moon: The End of Day were nominated for awards at the 2010 Grammy Awards. "Day 'n' Nite" was nominated for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance, while "Make Her Say" was also nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group category. The lead single was also nominated for two BET Hip Hop Awards and one Urban Music Award. The "Crookers Remix" of "Day 'n' Night" earned Cudi his first and only Beatport Music Award. In October 2013, Complex named it the fifth best hip hop album of the last five years. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Man on the Moon: The End of Day as the 459th album on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

## Commercial performance

In the week ending on September 23, 2009, Man on the Moon: The End of Day debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, selling 104,000 copies in its first week of release, charting behind Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, Whitney Houston's I Look to You and Muse's The Resistance. On the 2009 year-end chart for Billboard 200, the album was listed at number 157. It failed to rise above its positions on those charts and would later be outperformed by his next studio album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). Man on the Moon: The End of Day also peaked on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums top ten positions.

In the French Album Charts, Man on the Moon: The End of Day debuted at number 56, and again did not rise above this position. After charting on the chart for five consecutive weeks, it fell out of the top two-hundred positions by October 2009. The album also found its peak at number 56 again on the Swiss Album Charts. In Australia, on the week commencing September 28, 2009, the album reached its peak of 85 on the ARIA Charts. As of April 22, 2016, the album has sold 860,000 copies in the United States. On December 15, 2022, Man on the Moon: The End of Day was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales, streaming and track-sales equivalent of four million units.

## Legacy and influence

Man on the Moon: The End of Days influence continues to be felt both in hip hop and in pop culture. Numerous publications have cited Man on the Moon: The End of Day as having a significant influence on subsequent hip hop music, and has been described as a "classic". Travis Scott, Kyle, Logic, Isaiah Rashad, Raury and Lil Yachty have all cited Kid Cudi and the album as influential to their music. Travis Scott's 2013 mixtape Owl Pharaoh has been compared to Man on the Moon: The End of Day and considered to have been stylistically influenced by the album.

In 2018, Uproxx released an article titled "Kid Cudi Helped Bring Mental Health to the Forefront of Rap with 'Man on the Moon'."

## Track listing

Notes

- signifies a co-producer
- "In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)", "Simple As...", "Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)" and "Up Up & Away" feature narration by Common
- "Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)" features background vocals by Jeff Bhasker
- "Day 'n' Nite (Nightmare)" features background vocals by L.E.X.; and on iTunes the song is only titled as "Day 'n' Nite"

Sample credits'''

- "In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)" contains a sample of "Biceps", performed by Garnegy and Maties.
- "Simple As..." contains a sample of "ABC (Auto-Industry)", performed by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.
- "Solo Dolo (Nightmare)" contains a sample of "The Traitor", performed by the Menahan Street Band.
- "Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music)" contains an interpolation of "You Make Me Feel Brand New", performed by The Stylistics.
- "My World" contains a sample of "All What I Have", performed by Le Système Crapoutchik.
- "Make Her Say" contains an interpolation of "Poker Face" (Piano & Voice Version), performed by Lady Gaga; and contains a sample of "Let's Ride", performed by Q-Tip.
- "Hyyerr" contains a sample of "Early Morning Love", performed by Lou Rawls.
- "Man on the Moon (The Anthem)" contains a sample of "Aquarium", performed by Nosaj Thing.

## Personnel

Credits for Man on the Moon: The End of Day'' adapted from AllMusic.

- Jeff Bhasker – keyboards, producer, background vocals
- Common – narrator
- Andrew Dawson – engineer
- Matthew Friedman – producer
- Dot da Genius – engineer, mixing, producer
- Larry Gold – conductor, string arrangements, strings
- Ben Goldwasser – vocals
- Emile Haynie – engineer, executive producer, producer
- Kid Cudi – executive producer, producer
- Anthony Kilhoffer – engineer
- L.E.X. – vocals
- Erik Madrid – assistant
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Vlado Meller – mastering
- The Larry Gold Orchestra – strings
- Anthony Palazzole – assistant
- Christian Plata – assistant
- Ratatat – engineer, producer
- Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds – executive producer, producer
- Sylvia Rhone – executive producer
- Scott Sandler – art direction, design
- Bill Sienkiewicz – illustrations
- Andrew VanWyngarden – vocals
- Kanye West – executive producer, producer
- Crada – producer
- Ryan West – engineer
- Alain Whyte – guitar

## Charts

### Weekly charts

### Year-end charts

## Certifications


The Man Trap

"The Man Trap" is the first episode of season one of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by George Clayton Johnson and directed by Marc Daniels, it featured design work by Wah Chang and first aired in the United States on September 8, 1966.

In the episode, the crew visit an outpost on planet M-113 to conduct routine medical exams on the residents using a Tricorder, only to be attacked by a shapeshifting alien who kills by extracting salt from the victim's body.

This was the first Star Trek episode to air on television, although the sixth to be filmed; it was chosen as the first of the series to be broadcast by the studio due to the horror plot. "The Man Trap" placed first in the timeslot with a Nielsen rating of 25.2 for the first half-hour and 24.2 for the remainder. It aired two days earlier on Canadian network CTV.

## Plot

The USS Enterprise arrives at planet M-113 to provide supplies and medical exams for the only known inhabitants of the planet, Professor Robert Crater (Alfred Ryder) and his wife Nancy (Jeanne Bal), who operate an archaeological research station there. Captain Kirk, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Leonard McCoy, and Crewman Darnell (Michael Zaslow) transport to the surface as Kirk teases McCoy about his affection for Nancy ten years earlier. They arrive in the research station, and each of the three men sees Nancy differently: McCoy as she was when he first met her, Kirk as she should look accounting for her age, and Darnell as an attractive blonde woman whom he met on a pleasure planet. When Nancy goes out to fetch her husband, she beckons Darnell to follow her.

Professor Crater is reluctant to be examined, telling Kirk that they only require salt tablets. Before McCoy can complete the examination, they hear a scream from outside. They find Darnell dead, with red ring-like mottling on his face, a plant root in his mouth, and Nancy standing over him saying she was unable to stop Darnell from tasting the plant. On board Enterprise, Spock analyzes the plant. He confirms that it is poisonous, but that mottling is not a symptom. McCoy conducts a medical exam and, together with Spock, determines that all the salt was drained from Darnell's body. In response, Kirk transports back down to the planet with McCoy and two crewmen, Green (Bruce Watson) and Sturgeon (John Arndt). Kirk tells Professor Crater that he and his wife should stay aboard the Enterprise until they find out what killed Darnell. Crater then runs off trying to find Nancy. Nancy kills both Sturgeon and Green; their faces show the same mottling as Darnell. Nancy assumes the form of Green, and meets Kirk and McCoy. They beam back up to the ship with Sturgeon's body.

"Green" roams the corridors, stalking several crew members, killing one. It shapeshifts into the form of McCoy after confirming that the real McCoy has taken a sedative to sleep. Meanwhile, Spock confirms that scans show only one person, Crater, on the planet; Kirk and Spock beam down to capture him. They find Green's body before Crater tries to frighten them away with phaser fire. After they stun him with a phaser beam, the dazed Crater reveals that the real Nancy was killed by the creature – the last member of a long-dead civilization of shape-shifters who feed on salt – a year earlier. The creature continued to take on the appearance of Nancy out of affection for Crater, and he has been feeding it, comparing it to the "now-extinct buffalo". Kirk informs Enterprise of the creature's intrusion, as the landing party and Crater transport back to the ship.

Crater refuses to help them identify the creature, so Kirk orders the fake "McCoy" to administer truth serum. Kirk arrives in sickbay to find Crater dead and Spock injured; Spock's Vulcan blood made him incompatible with the creature's needs. Back in its "Nancy" form, the creature goes to McCoy's quarters. Kirk arrives with a phaser to provoke the creature into attacking. McCoy gets in the way, giving the creature the opportunity to attack Kirk. The creature reverts to its natural appearance and starts to feed on Kirk. McCoy opens fire with his phaser. The creature changes back into the shape of "Nancy" to plead for its life as McCoy continues firing and kills it. As Enterprise leaves orbit, Kirk comments to Spock that he was thinking about the buffalo.

## Production

### Writing

"The Man Trap" appeared in Gene Roddenberry's original pitch for Star Trek as the title of a show with a different plot: the crew face several apparitions that are "wish-fulfilment traps which become as real as flesh and blood"; the traps increase in subtlety until the crew struggle to differentiate between apparition and reality. Lee Erwin, who had previously worked on The Lieutenant with Roddenberry, was commissioned to produce a treatment; an outline featuring a salt-devouring vampire was handed in on April 8, 1966. Meanwhile, George Clayton Johnson had been assigned a storyline, tentatively titled "Chicago II", in which the crew of the Enterprise visit a planet where the culture was that of 1920s mob-era Chicago, which later evolved into "A Piece of the Action". Johnson was hired after story editor John D. F. Black recommended him to the producers. Johnson decided to use the 1953 science fiction novel The Syndic by Cyril M. Kornbluth as the basis for the story. Roddenberry felt that Johnson's treatment did not match his vision for Star Trek, but did not want to lose him entirely, and asked him to write "The Man Trap". Erwin was paid in full for his version, and given a separate "kill fee" because it would not be used.

Roddenberry wanted to see more action, so the creature's ability to create apparitions was added to the script from the original pitch. Stan Robertson at NBC suggested to Roddenberry that they might wish to get medical advice over whether the draining of a chemical from a person would kill them instantly. To find out, Roddenberry asked Kellam de Forest Research, who said that, while it had never happened in reality, a quick death would be likely. Johnson suggested that the creature in "The Man Trap" could be the last of its species. He compared its situation to the reduction in numbers of American bison. Roddenberry found the idea intriguing.

Erwin was paid a further fee to terminate his contract, and Johnson wrote a first draft teleplay titled "Damsel With a Dulcimer." While writing, Johnson consulted Black, who advised him to place the creature on the Enterprise quickly to increase the pace of the episode. This draft was delivered on May 23, but NBC felt that hallucinations were being overused; the same plot device had appeared in the pilot episode "The Cage". Johnson wrote a further draft on May 31, which reduced the number of apparitions, and was well received by Robert H. Justman. Roddenberry and Justman made further tweaks; one was to restore the name "The Man Trap" from Erwin's original treatment, another removed a scene which introduced McCoy's apprehension when using the transporter. Johnson further edited the script, but complained about the change in name. After a second edit by Johnson, it was passed from Justman to story editor Black. While the former felt that the script still needed work, Black felt it was nearly ready. Following Black's review, Roddenberry re-wrote the script between June 16 and 21. Johnson felt this re-write had "downgrad[ed] the story."

Black later said that Roddenberry removed a large part of Johnson's work, and that Johnson's original work was better than Roddenberry's edited version. Johnson was pleased with the final episode, although he was concerned that viewers might not understand Star Trek after watching "The Man Trap" owing to differences in characterization between this episode and the rest of the series. He admitted that he did not like Spock and was concerned that the character would not be understood after this episode. Roddenberry was pleased with Johnson's work, and offered him further writing work on "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", which had been written by Robert Bloch. Roddenberry only wanted Johnson to "polish" the script; Johnson, feeling he was unable to improve it without starting from scratch, turned down the offer, but expressed the desire to work on the show again. He later wrote a story outline titled "Rock-A-Bye Baby, or Die!" in which the Enterprise would have become a childlike sentient being who idolizes Kirk as its father. This was not commissioned, so "The Man Trap" was Johnson's only work on the franchise.

### Guest appearances

Jeanne Bal was cast as Nancy Crater, McCoy's former love interest; the actress had previously guest-starred in Perry Mason and was one of the main performers in the sitcom Love and Marriage. Alfred Ryder was well known for his numerous appearances in similar genre series such as The Wild Wild West and The Outer Limits. After his appearance as Robert Crater in "The Man Trap", he appeared in the science fiction series The Invaders.

Actors playing two of the crewmen who died on screen later appeared in other episodes of Star Trek. Michael Zaslow, seen in "The Man Trap" as Darnell, appeared in "I, Mudd", and later had a long-running role in the soap opera Guiding Light as Roger Thorpe. John Arndt appeared in four further episodes of the original series.

### Direction and filming

All previous episodes of Star Trek had overrun their filming schedules, and the producers were concerned that not enough time had been allotted to each production. Marc Daniels was recruited as director of "The Man Trap"; among his varied directing credits were episodes of I Love Lucy for Desilu Productions. Pre-production began during the six scheduled filming days for "The Enemy Within", but that episode ran long. Filming for "The Man Trap" commenced around 3:20 p.m. on June 22 and continued until 7:10 p.m. Several futuristic-looking salt shakers were sourced for scenes in "The Man Trap", but due to concerns that they would not be recognized, they were instead used from "The Man Trap" onward as McCoy's tools in sickbay.

The first full day of filming on June 23 was predominantly shot on the set representing the bridge of the Enterprise. Two small establishing shots were postponed until the filming of the next episode. The following day, corridor scenes were filmed, as was the climactic scene featuring the creature's death. At that point, Daniels estimated that he was only a third of a day behind schedule. After a break for the weekend, production resumed on June 27 for scenes in the botany lab, the briefing room and sickbay. One of Grace Lee Whitney's favorite sets to work on throughout the series was the lab, which was the sickbay redecorated, as she enjoyed working with George Takei. The animated plant in that scene was a hand puppet controlled from under the table, and Whitney later recalled that the operator could see right up her skirt throughout the shoot and would occasionally try to grope her using the puppet.

For the sickbay scenes when Spock bleeds, Daniels decided that Vulcans should have green blood. Roddenberry disliked the idea and unsuccessfully attempted to have it corrected in post-production. By the end of the fifth day of shooting, Daniels estimated that he was now only half an hour behind schedule. Days six and seven were spent on the sets used to show the surface of M-113; while the design of the planet did not match Johnson's vision, he was pleased with it nonetheless. The ruins were constructed out of cardboard boxes covered in gunite (a spray-on, cement-like product) to give them a rocky appearance. Production wrapped on June 30, at 2:55 p.m. Bob Justman later referred to Daniels as the "savior" of the series for delivering "The Man Trap" on schedule, and when the director for "The Naked Time" dropped out, Daniels took over and shot the episode back to back with "The Man Trap" a quarter of a day faster than the schedule. By the end of the original series, Daniels had filmed more episodes than any other director.

During the production of "The Man Trap", Daniels introduced a system in which actors unneeded on a shoot went to a "cast table" area to practice upcoming scenes rather than return to their dressing rooms. Producers felt that this both sped up the filming process and improved the quality of performances. The cast table system continued to be used throughout the production of the original series, even when Daniels was not directing.

In post-production, Justman recommended adding an opening narration. Roddenberry agreed and wrote new lines for a Captain's log. Alexander Courage recorded the music for this episode on August 19, the same day as the "Theme from Star Trek", using a 25-piece orchestra. While Roddenberry liked the theme, he hated the music created specifically for "The Man Trap". The optical effects were created more quickly than usual; Howard A. Anderson, Jr. took two months, three times faster than for some episodes. The overall production costs for "The Man Trap" came in under-budget at \$185,401.

### The creature

The producers spent some time considering the creature's appearance. Justman suggested to Gene Roddenberry that it could be some sort of "terrifying, young lady" with a similar appearance to the green skinned Orion slave girl seen in "The Cage", but blue skinned and with orange hair. While Roddenberry thought that the idea was good, he already had an agreement with NBC that it would be an animal. Johnson envisaged the creature as a refugee with "ashen skin" wearing "gunnysack clothing". Daniels had some apprehension about using a monster-of-the-week format, asking "Do you go for cheap thrills or a more intelligent approach?" He said that the crew decided to "treat everything as if it were real" in order to help the audience buy into it. It was Johnson who suggested the creature should be a shapeshifter, having used the idea in an episode of The Twilight Zone he wrote called "The Four of Us Are Dying".

The creature was designed by Wah Chang. Dancer Sandra Gimpel wore the costume on-screen. Gimpel had previously appeared as a Talosian in "The Cage". The head of the creature costume was sculpted in clay then covered in a plaster cast. Once the cast was removed, liquid latex was applied to create a flexible single-piece mask, which was then painted. Chang added a white wig and attached glass lenses to the mask for eyes. Once Gimpel was wearing the mask, cuts were made into its wrinkles to offer the actress some limited vision while wearing it. Gloves were modified by Chang to give the fingers the appearance of tentacles with suction cups. William Ware Theiss created the rest of the costume out of a fur bodysuit.

Johnson praised both Chang and Gimpel, saying that while the latter embodied the character, the design work meant that, in the final scene, it was as if the crew had to kill a "helpless dog". After filming, the costume was kept in Justman's office, becoming the first in an ever-growing number of alien costumes accumulated there. It reappeared on-screen in "The Squire of Gothos". Although referred to officially as the "M-113 creature", during production it was called the "salt sucker" and fans of the show have taken to referring to the alien as the "salt vampire".

#### Later appearances

Don Lanning was part of the team working on the creature effects for the 2009 film Star Trek. He was the key sculptor for the production, and personally revamped some of the aliens from the original series, including the salt vampire seen in "The Man Trap". He described the original design as "hokey", and said that he tried to change it to "something organic". The new version of the creature was unused in the film, which pleased Lanning. The creature did return in Star Trek Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Rather than a single salt vampire, the 20-player PvE mission "Mine Trap" saw a Romulan colony overrun with them. A salt vampire also makes an appearance in an episode of the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. In December 2019, an animated version of the creature made a brief appearance in the opening scenes of the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Ephraim and Dot".

## Themes

In his book The Influence of Star Trek on Television, Film and Culture, Lincoln Geraghty wrote that episodes such as "The Man Trap" demonstrated a recurring theme within the series: the more barren the planet, the more likely that characters will be in danger. Other episodes which he said supported this view included "The Cage" and "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" Geraghty also pointed out that elsewhere in the original series, the predominant view was that alien predators such as the salt vampire were a lower life form which should be destroyed. He said that in "The Man Trap", the alternative argument is presented: that such creatures should not be killed. However, Geraghty felt that the writers tried to prevent viewers from feeling sympathy for the creature by revealing its true appearance as it died. Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann also discussed the killing of the creature in their book Star Trek: The Original Series 365, saying that it was "the right thing to do", but suggested that the nature of the death would have troubled McCoy for some time after the event although this was not shown in the series.

A vampiric alien is a recurring idea in science fiction television series, such as the Blake's 7 episode "Sand", the Babylon 5 episode "Soul Hunter" and the television film Babylon 5: The River of Souls. The theme had already been used in written form, in Gustave Le Rouge's 1908 French science fiction work Le Prisonnier de la Planète Mars.

Block and Erdmann also discussed another part of the episode where Spock is in charge on the bridge and Uhura begins to flirt with him, calling it a "quintessential scene of the series" due to the characters' sexual interest in each other. They suggested this may have been the inspiration for the Spock/Uhura relationship introduced in the 2009 reboot film Star Trek. Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, later said that she felt there were hints of an Uhura/Spock relationship in other episodes of the original series.

## Reception

### Broadcast

A month prior to the premiere of Star Trek, Desilu held a screening for NBC executives to help decide which episode to broadcast first, and several stories were considered. Executives were concerned that "Mudd's Women", one potential choice, would have reviewers discussing "space hookers"; they felt another possibility, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", contained too much exposition, even though it was filmed as a second pilot. The final choice was between "The Man Trap" and "The Naked Time". Justman felt that "The Naked Time" would make it easier for viewers to understand the characters, but later agreed with NBC's decision to show "The Man Trap" first. In the book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, he suggests that it was "scarier and more exploitable than the others".

"The Man Trap" was the sixth episode produced. Although Roddenberry initially disagreed with NBC's decision, he and production executive Herbert Franklin Solow came to believe it was the correct choice. Shatner also disagreed with the network, feeling that "The Man Trap" was the worst episode out of those available. The episode was the first episode of Star Trek broadcast in the United States, on NBC on September 8, 1966. "The Man Trap" formed part of NBC's "Sneak a Peek Week", in which the network showed the premiere episodes of several new shows in prime time slots, ahead of the rival channels ABC and CBS, who were still showing repeats from the previous season. Leading into Star Trek was the first episode of Tarzan showing Ron Ely, and leading out was Richard Mulligan's The Hero.

"The Man Trap" placed first in its timeslot, with Nielsen ratings of 25.2 during the first half-hour; some 46.7 percent of all American televisions in use at the time were tuned in to the episode. In the same timeslot, The Tammy Grimes Show on ABC and My Three Sons on CBS received ratings of 14.1 and 9.4 respectively. During the second half of the episode, the rating for "The Man Trap" dropped to 24.2, with 42.2 percent of televisions tuned in. Bewitched on ABC increased that network's rating to 15.8, and CBS's Thursday night movie increased their rating to 10.7.

The following episodes saw a drop in ratings after "The Man Trap". "Charlie X" was broadcast the following week; the studio did not want that episode to run second, but "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was the only other completed story. It placed second in the timeslot during the first half hour, with a rating of 19.1 and an overall share of 35.9 percent of viewers. It was beaten by My Three Sons on CBS with a rating of 19.2. During the second half hour, Star Trek was pushed into third with a rating of 12.3 by the Thursday night movie on CBS and the season premiere of Bewitched, which was also the first episode of that series broadcast in color. The following week, with "Where No Man Has Gone Before", the series returned to the top place with a 19.9 rating during the first half hour, and second in the second half hour to Bewitched. The Trendex rating report for the first few weeks of Star Trek saw it ranked in 33rd spot for the period with an average rating of 18.7.

#### Overseas broadcasts and re-releases

The episode was not the first to be broadcast in the United Kingdom, which instead premiered Star Trek on BBC One with "Where No Man Has Gone Before" on July 12, 1969. The episodes continued to be broadcast in a different order than they had appeared in the United States. "The Man Trap" was shown nearly three months later on October 4 as the 13th episode. This was during the period when the channel was still broadcasting only in black and white; it was not until "Arena" on November 15 that the series was shown in color. During subsequent repeats of Star Trek, the channel reverted to NBC's schedule and showed "The Man Trap" as the first episode. Canadian network CTV aired episodes of the first season of Star Trek on Tuesday nights instead of Thursdays and so ran "The Man Trap" on September 6, 1966, two days before NBC. Airing American programs early was a common practice among Canadian broadcasters in order to avoid direct competition for viewers and advertisers with American border stations airing the same program at the same time. The practice became obsolete once simultaneous substitution of commercials was permitted.

A high-definition remastering of "The Man Trap", which introduced new special effects and starship exteriors as well as enhanced music and audio, was shown for the first time in the United States on September 29, 2007, in broadcast syndication. The episode was made available to over 200 local stations across the United States with the rights to broadcast Star Trek.

### Critical reception

In 1966, The Hollywood Reporter said the episode was a "winner", with a lot of suspense and science fiction gadgets.

In an interview published in the 1988 book The Star Trek Interview Book, Johnson claimed that the response of critics to "The Man Trap", and the initial episodes of Star Trek in general, was "complete bewilderment". In previewing the broadcast of "The Man Trap", The Daily Reporter said that Star Trek had the "usual far-fetched suppositions" present in other science fiction works, but praise was given to the acting skills of Shatner and the plots of the initial episodes. The Edwardsville Intelligencer called the reveal of the creature in the episode "the kicker of a great sci-fi plot". Daily Variety columnist Jack Hellman gave the episode an unfavorable review over its "lack of meaningful cast leads", who "move around with directorial precision with only violence to provide the excitement." The weekly edition of the magazine offered a similar opinion, stating that the Enterprise "trudged along for a long hour with hardly any relief from violence, killing, ugly stuff and a distasteful monster".

Among more recent reviews, Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A−" rating, describing it as "done very well" with a plot that is dark and ambiguous. Torrie Atkinson and Eugene Myers reviewed the episode in 2009 for Tor.com, saying that it suitably introduced the characters, although certain elements of the show were not yet in place. These included the lack of the death of a redshirted character, as the crewmen who died in "The Man Trap" did not wear red shirts, along with the lack of red and yellow alerts, instead referred to as general quarters three and four in this episode. The duo added that the episode demonstrated that the series was "something special", and that it remained more culturally diverse than modern television. They gave it a rating of four out of six.

Ryan Britt, also writing for Tor.com, said that "The Man Trap" was not a good introduction to the series, but praised the screen time given to Rand, Uhura and Sulu. He added that the latter two were more interesting in this episode than they would be at any point until the start of the movie franchise. Britt said that "The Man Trap" was different than the rest of the series, and more akin to The Twilight Zone owing to the background of the writer. In Hollywood.com's ranking of all 79 episodes of The Original Series, Christian Blauvelt placed "The Man Trap" as 73rd, calling the creature "incredibly pointless". It was also listed as one of the show's "cheesiest classic creatures" by Wired magazine in 2007; however, Rolling Stone magazine listed it as the tenth best villain in the franchise.

The Guardian noted "The Man Trap" as an episode about a salt-eating shape-shifter, on the 50th anniversary of Star Trek'''s first public broadcast in 2016.

In 2018, PopMatters ranked this the 7th best episode of the original series.

Star Trek news site Trek.Report gave the episode a ranking of 3 of 5, noting that actions of the crew were not affected by the "Prime Directive", a later addition to the franchise's canon.

## Home media release and other adaptations

The first adaptation of "The Man Trap" was as a re-working into a short story by author James Blish as part of the novelization Star Trek. This book contained seven short stories, each based on an episode of The Original Series, and was published in January 1967. The adaptation of "The Man Trap" appeared as the third story in the book, although it was named "The Unreal McCoy". The first home media release of "The Man Trap" was on Compact Cassette from Startone Productions in 1982. A further release on LaserDisc took place in 1985, alongside "Charlie X". Further releases of all episodes of the series were made on VHS and Betamax.

The episode was released on DVD paired with "The Naked Time" as part of the general release of the series in 1999. There were no other extras added to that series of releases, except the DVD containing "Turnabout Intruder". "The Man Trap" was later released within a DVD box set of the first season in 2004; all three seasons of The Original Series'' were released as full-season box sets that year. The episode was included in the remastered season one release on DVD and Blu-ray in 2009.

## Annotations

Star Trek: The Original Series (season 1) episodes

Television episodes directed by Marc Daniels

Television episodes written by George Clayton Johnson


Frank Berryman

Lieutenant General Sir Frank Horton Berryman, KCVO, CB, CBE, DSO (11 April 1894 – 28 May 1981) was an Australian Army officer who served as a general during the Second World War. The son of an engine driver, he entered Duntroon in 1913. His class graduated early after the First World War broke out, and he served on the Western Front with the field artillery. After the war, he spent nearly twenty years as a major.

Berryman joined the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 4 April 1940 with the rank of full colonel, and became General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1) of the 6th Division. He was responsible for the staff work for the attacks on Bardia and Tobruk. In January 1941, Berryman became Commander, Royal Artillery, 7th Division, and was promoted to brigadier. During the Syria-Lebanon campaign, he commanded "Berryforce". He returned to Australia in 1942, becoming Major General, General Staff, of the First Army. Later that year, he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff under the Commander in Chief, General Sir Thomas Blamey, who brought him up to Port Moresby to simultaneously act as chief of staff of New Guinea Force. Berryman was intimately involved with the planning and execution of the Salamaua–Lae campaign and the Huon Peninsula campaign. In November 1943 he became acting commander of II Corps, which he led in the Battle of Sio. In the final part of the war, he was Blamey's representative at General of the Army Douglas MacArthur's headquarters and the Australian Army representative at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.

After the war, Berryman commanded Eastern Command. He directed the military response to the 1949 Australian coal strike. Berryman hoped to become Chief of the General Staff but was passed over as he was seen as a "Blamey man" by Prime Minister Ben Chifley. He retired and became the Director General of the Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. He was chief executive officer of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales from 1954 to 1961.

## Education and early life

Frank Horton Berryman was born in Geelong, Victoria, on 11 April 1894, the fourth of six children and the eldest of three sons of William Lee Berryman, a Victorian Railways engine driver, and his wife, Annie Jane, née Horton. William Berryman joined in the 1903 Victorian Railways strike and, when it failed, was reinstated with a 14 per cent pay cut, only regaining his 1903 pay level in 1916. Frank was educated at Melbourne High School, where he served in the school Cadet Unit, and won the Rix prize for academic excellence. On graduation, he took a job with the Victorian railways as a junior draughtsman.

In 1913, Berryman entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, having ranked first among the 154 candidates on the entrance examination. Of the 33 members in his class, nine died in the First World War, and six later became generals: Leslie Beavis, Berryman, William Bridgeford, John Chapman, Edward Milford and Alan Vasey. Berryman rose to fifth in order of merit before his class graduated early, in June 1915, because of the outbreak of the First World War.

## First World War

Berryman's Duntroon class had not yet completed its military training. Major General William Throsby Bridges decided that regimental duty would rectify that deficiency, so he assigned the Duntroon cadets as regimental officers of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF), rather than as staff officers. Cadets were given the choice of service in the infantry or light horse. One cadet, Lawrence Wackett, protested that he wished to serve in the technical services. When asked if they would prefer the technical services, twelve cadets, including Berryman, Beavis, Clowes, Vasey, and Wackett stepped forward. Berryman was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) on 29 June 1915 and again in the First AIF on 1 July 1915. He was posted to Lieutenant Colonel Harold Grimwade's 4th Field Artillery Brigade of the 2nd Division Artillery, along with Vasey and Milford. Berryman embarked for Egypt with the 4th Field Artillery Brigade on the transport Wiltshire on 17 November 1915. In Egypt, Berryman briefly commanded the 4th Brigade Ammunition Column before it was absorbed into the 2nd Division Ammunition Column.

The 2nd Division moved to France in March 1916. Berryman became a temporary captain on 1 April 1916, a rank which became substantive on 10 June 1916. In January 1917, he was posted to the 7th Infantry Brigade as a trainee staff captain. During the Second Battle of Bullecourt he served with 2nd Division headquarters. He was appointed to command the 18th Field Artillery Battery, and became a temporary major on 1 September 1917, which became substantive on 10 September 1917. This was as far as he could go, for Duntroon graduates could not be promoted above major in the AIF. This policy was aimed at giving them a broad range of experience, which would benefit the Army, while not allowing them to outnumber the available post-war positions.

While commanding the 18th Field Battery, Berryman saw action at the Battle of Passchendaele. For his service as a battery commander in this battle, he received a Mention in Despatches:

> This officer has commanded the Battery during the whole of the period under review and did particularly good and effective work during the operations in September, October and November in the Hooge area [in Belgium]. He showed great initiative in reconnoitring Battery positions often under heavy fire; in keeping touch with the Infantry Companies in the front line area and in observing and reporting on hostile movements rendering many useful reports. In particular he did a very fine piece of work on 14th September in moving his Battery forward behind Clapham Junction in the dusk under very heavy shelling over a very difficult road. He subsequently during the very heavy German counter attacks on 16th September succeeded in registering his Battery and using it in the operation notwithstanding the heavy hostile fire. The Battery suffered many casualties both in personnel and materiel but it fought with splendid determination and the men who had never previously been under the command of this officer in action throughout the operations before Hooge were kept in the most excellent fighting spirit by his determination, lead and strong personality. He has shewn himself to be an officer of remarkable judgement and great technical ability.

In September 1918, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. His citation, signed by Major General Charles Rosenthal, read:

> This officer has commanded the 14th Battery from 8th May 1918 to the present date [September 1918]. During the recent operations on the Somme he has shown conspicuous activity and ability and as Group liaison with Infantry Brigades has earned great praise from Infantry Brigade commanders for his conscientious and untiring work. The work and appearance of his Battery both when in and out of the line, has been excellent, and his sound judgement and technical ability have been of the greatest assistance to his Brigade.

Berryman was later nominated for a bar to his Distinguished Service Order for the September 1918 fighting, but this was subsequently downgraded to a second Mention in Despatches. He was wounded in the right eye in September 1918 while he was commanding the 14th Field Artillery Battery. Although his wound was serious enough to warrant hospitalisation, there was no permanent damage to his vision. It was however the end of his career as a battery commander, as the Army took the opportunity to transfer him to a staff post. From 28 October 1918 to 1 July 1919, he was brigade major of the 7th Infantry Brigade. With the war over, he returned to Australia in October 1919.

## Between the wars

Berryman was appointed to the Staff Corps on 1 October 1920. Although he was entitled to keep his AIF rank of major as an honorary rank, his substantive rank—and pay grade—was still lieutenant. Promotion was painfully slow. He was promoted to captain and brevet major on 1 March 1923, but was not promoted to the substantive rank of major until 1 March 1935.

Berryman attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from 1920 to 1923. On returning to Australia, he became an inspecting ordnance officer at the 2nd Military District. From its headquarters at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, the 2nd Military District administered the Army in most of New South Wales. He enrolled in a Bachelor of Science program at the University of Sydney. On 30 November 1925, he married Muriel Whipp. They eventually had a daughter and a son.

Berryman discontinued his university studies to prepare for the entrance examination for Staff College, Camberley. Eighteen Australian Army officers sat the exam that year, but only Berryman and one other officer passed. Only two Australian officers were accepted into staff college each year, so Berryman's attendance from 1926 to 1928 marked him out as one of the Australian Army's rising talents. It also allowed him to forge useful contacts with the British Army. Berryman later recalled, "The advantage of this was that in war we had the same doctrine of tactics and administration, which was essential if we had to work together. More than that, the officers who had to carry out their duties in cooperation knew each other personally." After graduation he was posted to the High Commission of Australia, London, from 1929 to 1932, where he served under the Military Liaison Officer, Major General Julius Bruche.

After nearly twenty years as a major, Berryman was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel on 12 May 1935. Promotion to substantive rank, which carried the rank's pay as well as status, occurred on 1 July 1938, when he became assistant director of Military Operations at Army Headquarters. From December 1938 to April 1940 he was General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1) of the 3rd Division. The slow rate of promotion of regular officers in the inter-war years fostered a sense of injustice and frustration among officers with good war records who found themselves outranked by Militia officers who had enjoyed faster promotion.

## Second World War

### Libya

The final straw for many regular officers was Prime Minister Robert Menzies' announcement that all commands in the Second AIF would go to Militia officers, which Berryman considered "a damn insult to the professional soldier, calculated to split the Army down the centre. We were to be the hewers of wood and the drawers of water. We, the only people who really knew the job, were to assist these Militia fellows."

Berryman joined the Second AIF on 4 April 1940 with the rank of full colonel, receiving the AIF serial number of VX20308, and became General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1) of Major General Iven Mackay's 6th Division, in succession to Sydney Rowell who stepped up to become chief of staff of I Corps. Berryman soon established a good working relationship with Mackay. Despite the friction between Militia and Staff Corps officers, Berryman chose to assess officers on performance. This meant that while Berryman viewed some Militia officers, like Brigadier Stanley Savige of the 17th Infantry Brigade, with disdain, he maintained good relations with others. There were also personal and professional rivalries with other Staff Corps officers, such as Alan Vasey. Yet even those who disliked Berryman personally for his lack of patience and tact and referred to him as "Berry the Bastard" respected his abilities as a staff officer.

Mackay and Berryman were determined that the Battle of Bardia would not be a repeat of the disastrous landing at Anzac Cove in 1915. Berryman's talent for operational staff work came to the fore. From studies of aerial photographs, he selected a spot for the attack where the terrain was most favourable. His plan provided for the coordination of infantry, armour and artillery. Though at times he proved secretive and hard to deal with, during the battle his forceful personality provided a good foil to the sometimes indecisive Mackay. Later that month Berryman planned the equally successful Battle of Tobruk. For his services in this campaign, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

### Syria

In January 1941, Berryman became Commander, Royal Artillery, in Arthur "Tubby" Allen's 7th Division, and was promoted to brigadier. During the Syria-Lebanon campaign, Berryman demonstrated that he was a thrusting commander who led from the front and repeatedly demonstrated his coolness under fire. When his headquarters came under shell fire for the first time, Berryman sat calmly eating his breakfast "among the flying brick dust and bursting shells", simply telling the men to shut the door, "so they can eat breakfast without being covered in dust".

During the Vichy French counterattack, Berryman was given command of the Australian forces in the centre of the position around Merdjayoun. This scratch force became known as "Berryforce". His mission was to check the enemy advance in the Merdjayoun area. Berryman decided that the best way to do this would be to recapture Merdjayoun. This presented considerable difficulty, for although his force contained two infantry battalions, the 2/25th and 2/33rd, and a pioneer battalion, the 2/2nd, his headquarters was not equipped to control a battle in the manner of an infantry brigade, as it lacked appropriate staff and communications. Moreover, though he was supported by mechanised cavalry and 22 artillery pieces, the opposing French forces had tanks.

For the next two weeks, the outnumbered Berryforce attempted to retake the strategically important town in the Battle of Merdjayoun. His first attempt was a failure. After carrying out a personal reconnaissance on 18 June, Berryman tried again. This time his attack was halted by staunch defence by the French Foreign Legion and tanks. Berryman then tried a different approach. Instead of attempting to capture the town, he seized high ground overlooking the French supply lines. Faced with being cut off, the French withdrew from the town. Berryforce was then dissolved and Berryman returned to his role as commander of the 7th Division artillery.

The 7th Division was now concentrated in the coastal sector. Berryman clashed with Brigadier Jack Stevens of the 21st Infantry Brigade over the siting of Berryman's artillery observation posts, which were forward of the infantry's front lines. Berryman wanted Stevens' positions advanced so as to obtain effective observation of the enemy's lines for Berryman's gunners. Stevens refused, hampering Berryman's efforts to support him in the Battle of Damour. Despite this, Berryman implemented an effective artillery plan. In the final stage of the battle, Berryman, without authority, ordered Lieutenant Colonel Denzil MacArthur-Onslow of the 2/6th Cavalry Regiment to pursue the retreating French forces, but was overruled by Savige and Allen. For his part in the campaign, Berryman received a third Mention in Despatches.

### Papua

On 3 August 1941, Berryman became Brigadier, General Staff (chief of staff) of I Corps under Lieutenant General John Lavarack, again in succession to Rowell, who became Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS). Berryman arrived in Jakarta by air with the advanced party of the I Corps headquarters staff on 26 January 1942 to plan its defence. Berryman reconnoitred Java and prepared an appreciation of the situation. Berryman also attempted to find out as much as possible about Japanese tactics through interviewing Colonel Ian MacAlister Stewart. This information found its way into papers circulated throughout the Army in Australia. It soon became apparent that the situation was hopeless and any troops committed to the defence of Java would be lost.

Berryman returned to Australia, where he was promoted to major general on 6 April 1942, when he became Major General, General Staff (chief of staff) of Lavarack's First Army. On 14 September 1942, Berryman became DCGS under the Commander in Chief, General Sir Sir Thomas Blamey, in succession to Vasey. When New Guinea Force split into a rear headquarters under Blamey and an advanced headquarters under Lieutenant General Edmund Herring, so the latter could go forward to direct the Battle of Buna-Gona, Blamey brought Berryman up from Advanced LHQ in Brisbane to simultaneously act as chief of staff of New Guinea Force from 11 December 1942. Berryman formed a very close professional and personal relationship with Blamey, and henceforth Berryman would be Blamey's chief of staff and head of operational planning, which made him "one of the most important officers in the Australian Army in its struggle against the Japanese."

### New Guinea

Blamey and Berryman remained close for the rest of the war, and Blamey came to rely heavily on Berryman for advice. It was Berryman who was sent to Wau to investigate the difficulties that Savige was having, and it was Berryman who exonerated Savige. "I reported the situation [to Blamey and Herring]," Berryman record in his diary, "and said Savige had done well and we had misjudged him." Berryman was intimately involved with the planning of the Salamaua–Lae campaign, working closely with Brigadier General Stephen J. Chamberlin at General Douglas MacArthur's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Brisbane. Berryman established good working relations with the Americans, even though their staff practices were quite different from those of the Australian Army.

Berryman was also involved in the plan's execution, once more becoming chief of staff at New Guinea Force under Blamey in August 1943. Berryman was frustrated at the failure of Vasey's 7th Division to destroy the Japanese retreating from Lae, and personally annoyed by the way that Vasey forwarded compliments to Major General Ennis Whitehead while leaving any complaints about air support to be taken up by Berryman. Berryman was next involved with the planning for the landing at Finschhafen, brokering a compromise landing plan between Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey and Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Herring. When Berryman discovered that the United States Seventh Fleet did not intend to reinforce the 9th Division he immediately went to Blamey, who took the matter up with MacArthur. In the event it was Berryman who brokered a compromise deal with Vice Admiral Arthur S. Carpender to reinforce Finschhafen with a battalion in APDs.

On 7 November 1943, Berryman became acting commander of II Corps, a post which became permanent on 20 January 1944, superseding Vasey, whose 7th Division was diplomatically placed directly under Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead's New Guinea Force. II Corps was left with the 5th and 9th Divisions. Berryman was promoted to lieutenant general on 20 January 1944. As in Syria, Berryman proved a hard-driving commander. In December 1943, II Corps broke out of the position around Finschhafen and began a pursuit along the coast. Whenever the Japanese Army attempted to make a stand, Berryman attacked with 25-pounder artillery barrages and Matilda tanks. Berryman was aware that seasonal changes were making the surf rougher and making it ever harder to operate the US Army landing craft (LCMs) and Australian Army amphibious trucks (DUKWs) that he depended on for the logistical support of his troops, but he realised that the Japanese Army's supply difficulties were greater than his own, and he gambled that if he pushed hard enough the Japanese would be unable to regroup and organise a successful defence.

In the first phase of the Battle of Sio, the advance from Finschhafen to Sio, 3,099 Japanese dead were counted and 38 prisoners taken, at a cost of 8 Australians killed and 48 wounded. In the 5th Division's subsequent drive from Sio to link up with the US 32nd Infantry Division at Saidor, 734 Japanese were killed and 1,775 found dead, while 48 prisoners were taken. Australian casualties were 4 killed and 6 wounded. MacArthur considered Berryman's performance "quite brilliant". For his part in the campaign, Berryman was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 8 March 1945.

### Borneo

II Corps was renumbered I Corps on 13 April 1944 and returned to Australia, where Blamey gave Berryman his next assignment. In preparation for the Philippines Campaign, General MacArthur moved the advanced element of GHQ to Hollandia in Dutch West Papua, where it opened in late August 1944. To maintain contact with GHQ, Blamey formed a new headquarters, Forward Echelon LHQ, which opened at Hollandia on 7 September under Berryman, who became Blamey's personal representative at GHQ. Forward Echelon LHQ subsequently moved with GHQ to Leyte in February 1945, and Manila in April 1945. Berryman's role was to "safeguard Australian interests" at GHQ, but he also defended GHQ against criticism from the Australian Army. As well as liaising with GHQ, Forward Echelon LHQ became responsible for planning operations involving Australian troops. It worked on plans for operations on Luzon and Mindanao before it was finally decided that Borneo would be the Australian Army's next objective. In all of this Berrymen kept in close contact with Blamey, and the two were Australian Army representatives at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. For his services in the final campaigns, Berryman received a fourth and final Mention in Despatches on 6 March 1947.

## Later life

After the war, Berryman took charge of Eastern Command, an appointment he held from March 1946 to February 1951 and again from March 1952 to December 1953. Berryman became known for his involvement in charitable organisations such as the War Widows Association, and as head of the Remembrance Drive Project. For this and his commitment to beautifying the Army barracks, Berryman became colloquially known in the Army as "Frank the Florist".

In June 1949, the country was rocked by the 1949 Australian coal strike. The strike began when stocks of coal were already low, especially in New South Wales, and rationing was introduced. Prime Minister Ben Chifley turned to the Army to get the troops to mine coal. This became possible when the transport unions agreed to transport coal that was mined. Responsibility for planning and organising the effort fell to Berryman. Soldiers began mining at Muswellbrook and Lithgow on 1 August, and by 15 August, when the strike ended, some 4,000 soldiers and airmen were employed. They continued work until production was fully restored.

Berryman hoped to become Chief of the General Staff in succession to Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee but he was seen as a "Blamey man" by Chifley and his Labor government colleagues, who disliked the former Commander-in-Chief. The job was instead given to Rowell. The United States government awarded Berryman the Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm in 1948. Following the change of government in 1949, Berryman lobbied Sir Eric Harrison, the Liberal Minister for Defence Production, for the job on the retirement of Rowell in 1954, but he was now considered too old for the job. He instead retired from the army, at age 60, in April 1954.

Berryman became the Director General of the Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954, for which he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). He was chief executive officer of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales from 1954 to 1961. He died on 28 May 1981 at Rose Bay, New South Wales, and was cremated with full military honours. At the time of his funeral the Ambassador for Lebanon, Raymond Heneine, wrote in the Canberra Times: "The inhabitants of Jezzine will never forget General Berryman, who liberated their town from the forces of the Vichy French in collaboration with the Italian and German forces. He was for them not only a great general but also a great benefactor who provided them with food supplies and medical care. In fact he was the example of humanitarianism".

Australian Army general

Australian Army personnel of World War II

Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order

Australian Companions of the Order of the Bath

Australian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Australian military personnel of World War I

Australian recipients of the Medal of Freedom

Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich

Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley

Military personnel from Victoria (state)

People educated at Melbourne High School

Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates