- In the book, "The Making of Star Trek," Gene Roddenberry writes, "Can we get Joe Sorokin pulled free to devote some time to STAR TREK now?" Gene was directing this at Lucille Ball who also wanted Joseph Sorokin, with whom she had a close working relationship, to work with her at Desilu Studios on "Here's Lucy" and "The Lucy Show.".
- In 1970, he had to temporarily leave Los Angeles and the studios for Atlanta due to personal considerations. While in Atlanta, he attended Woodrow Wilson College of Law, graduating in 1977 with a J.D. He returned to LA in 1980, and he then started working on the television series, "Dallas" with the producer, David Jacobs. Shortly after, he went to work on the long running, successful series "Knot's Landing," which he supervised for 10 years.
- His most famous achievement in sound editing was for the television series, "Star Trek," for which he created the original, unique sound effects in 1966. When he was first asked by Gene Roddenberry to create the unusual sound effects for the show, Roddenberry gave him a stack of papers with suggestions as to what he wanted but little else to go on. He initially thought the idea was crazy, but said years later that he never realized it would become such a hit.
- In 1991, he was offered the position of President of the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE), but declined the offer because he had retired in 1990.
- Joseph was a highly decorated World War II veteran, an officer, a navigator in the United States Merchant Marine, who has six distinguished service citations, six medals, a medal and a personally signed letter from President Harry Truman thanking him for his honorable service. He also navigated the Merchant Marine ship the Thomas L. Clingman, which made the longest circumnavigational voyage around the world of any United States wartime vessel during World War II.
- He was a distinguished pilot and the recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, the FAA's most prestigious award for pilots for lifetime achievement in flying. Joseph was also a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) who would often teach students to fly without accepting payment. Flying was his passion, and he owned a Ryan PT-22 Recruit and a North American T-6, which he kept at Van Nuys airport. An accomplished pilot, Joseph helped design the Starship Enterprise with Matt Jefferies, a friend and fellow pilot.
- He was the supervising sound editor for the television series, "Mannix," "The Untouchables," and "Mission Impossible," for which he created the original, unique sound effects and won the award for Special Classification of Individual Achievement and an Emmy. The match sound in the opening montage of the series was actually his voice. Peter Graves gave him a radio with a note that said, "Thanks for making me sound!".
- His parents, Rose (Landers) and Jacob Sorokin, were Russian Jewish immigrants.
- He began on the historic television series, "Amos 'N' Andy" at Hal Roach Studios, filmed for CBS. One day, while still working for Hal Roach in the 1950's, Joseph met Laurel and Hardy while walking to the commissary. He wanted to have a photo taken with the two of them, but couldn't find a camera on the studio lot. Oliver Hardy said, "That's alright son, we can do it next time." Shortly after that, Oliver Hardy died. Years later, he said he always regretted not being able to have a photo taken with the legendary pair.
- He was the younger brother of Harry Landers, star of the "Ben Casey" series.
- He was discovered at Columbia Pictures, where he started immediately following the end of the war, by a producer who, learning about Joseph's distinguished service in the United States Merchant Marine in World War II, sought his technical advice about airplanes and ships. In addition to being a navigator, a deck officer, in the Merchant Marine, Joseph was also an accomplished pilot and was able to provide invaluable technical expertise about ships and airplanes. His accomplishments were so extraordinary and impressive that he was soon a member of the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE).
- He was a close friend with the New Zealand born child actor turned film editor, Ronald (Ronnie) Sinclair.
- He was a licensed amateur radio operator who excelled at Morse code due to his background as a navigator in the Merchant Marine during World War II.
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