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(written from a production point of view)

Gerd Oswald (9 June 191922 May 1989; age 69) was a German-born film and television director who directed the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episodes "The Conscience of the King" and "The Alternative Factor".

Oswald was the son of film director Richard Oswald and actress Käte Oswald, and started out as a child actor in his native Germany before immigrating to France and then in 1938 the United States with his family, fleeing from the Nazi discrimination policies against Jews. In Hollywood, he found employment as an assistant director at the B-movie studio Monogram Pictures. From the early-1940s to the late-1950s, he worked as second and first assistant director on a large number of films, including some directed by his father.

Oswald directed Jeffrey Hunter in the 1956 film A Kiss Before Dying, which also featured Al Cavens and Edwin Rochelle. He also served as second unit director on the epic 1962 war film The Longest Day, which also featured Hunter as well as Richard Beymer and Walter Gotell. He also directed the 1958 feature film Screaming Mimi based on the novel by Fredric Brown. The film featured Harry Townes and Oliver McGowan. In addition, Oswald directed the 1966 spy film Agent for H.A.R.M., which starred Peter Mark Richman and Barbara Bouchet.

Oswald was the most prominent director on the classic The Outer Limits (1963-65), helming fourteen episodes of the series. These include "O.B.I.T." (with Jeff Corey and Harry Townes), "Don't Open Till Doomsday" (with John Hoyt, David Frankham, and Anthony Jochim), "Specimen: Unknown" (with Arthur Batanides), "Fun and Games" (with Nancy Malone and Theo Marcuse), "Soldier" (with Michael Ansara and Tim O'Connor, written by Harlan Ellison), and "Expanding Human" (with Skip Homeier, Keith Andes, James Doohan, Peter Duryea, Jason Wingreen, and Troy Melton). Joseph Stefano served as producer and head writer on the first season, while Robert H. Justman worked on the series as production manager and first assistant director. Fred Phillips designed the makeups for the show. Vic Perrin provided the "Control Voice", while Robert C. Johnson was featured in several other voice roles.

He has also directed episodes of such TV series as Perry Mason, Rawhide, Bonanza, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. His last directorial credits were two episodes of the 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone, including "The Star", which starred Fritz Weaver.

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