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| Space Heroes on Film--- | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The early 50s also gave us two well-remembered filmed space adventure series. The first, ROCKY JONES, SPACE RANGER, from 1953, was a fairly close syndicated copy of SPACE PATROL. The second, COMMANDO CODY, from 1955, was actually a set of 12 short features made for television but originally released in 1953 to theaters. Made by Republic, it reused their Rocketman character from KING OF THE ROCKETMEN (1949), who had been repackaged as Commando Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe, in two later serials, RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON and ZOMBIES OF THE STRATOSPHERE (1951-2). Rocky Jones still has many fans today, and most episodes are readily available on VHS or even DVD, but the final COMMANDO CODY episodes are difficult to find or see. |
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| Rocky Jones and his sidekick Winky (Richard Crane and Scotty Beckett) prepare for another outer space adventure among moons completely unknown to astronomy. (Click on the photo for more ROCKY JONES information.) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rocky's more photogenic sidekick is the lovely but somewhat flatchested (by 1950s standards) Vena Ray (Sally Mansfield). For more on SPACE RANGER, click on the photograph. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Since ROCKY JONES, SPACE RANGER was a syndicated program, there are surprisingly few premiums associated with the program--- in contrast with the vast range of items tied in with SPACE PATROL and TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET. The few Rocky Jones items I have seen are from Silvercup Bread, as for example this pinback badge. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| As Commando Cody, Sky Marshal of the Universe, poor Judd Holdren wore what is perhaps the strangest costume ever worn by a space hero. He looks like The Lone Bellhop! (Click on the photo for more CODY information.) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| In action, Cody wore a rocket-powered flying suit and carried a raygun... the same suit and gun carried by Rocketmen since 1949, so that all the stock serial footage could be used. (For still more on Cody, click the photo.) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| From its 1953 incarnation as 12 theatrical short subjects there are 12 CODY lobby cards, but unfortunately they all look pretty much alike. (Click on this photo to jump to three pages on the last and least of all the 1950s space heroes... and leaster than Commando Cody is as least as you can get!) |
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| A shot we never saw on film was Cody with twin rockets firing. Indeed, how he managed to avoid setting his dress slacks, socks and shoes on fire would have been even more mysterious than it was, had we actually seen flaming exhaust! | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nothing could have been simpler than the controls on Cody's chest... the switch positions were clearly labelled: ON, OFF, UP, DOWN, RIGHT and LEFT. That "down" setting puzzled me as a kid since Cody always flew head-first, did not have reverse, and... well, for obvious reasons, was never shown landing! |
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