Many of us were too young to have seen the televised star-saunterers of this nostalgic page, luckily enough. As a general rule of thumb, TV science fiction before STAR TREK (in continuing series, at least), was half-past-rancid and a little south of East Forgettable. Hampered by rotten scripts, stale plots, decaying acting talents, and special effects and sets and props which (if there were any at all) made productions like a kindergarten children’s pageant look top-notch boffo in comparison. Still, these early TV spacemen courageously hobbled with bravado across TV screens in the early and mid-1950’s.
These unwitting clowns of the cosmos mostly drifted from public sight as the seasons wore on, replaced by more thrilling science fiction elements on the tube-like Jackie Gleason, The Army-McCarthy Hearings, Jack Paar and Sputnik. Their passing added scant more vacuum to the vacuum tube, and very few sci-fi fans lamented. They were missed, though, by battalions of youngsters who watched and enjoyed these shows, for they were too young to know any better.
For them, and the rest of us, and for Old Times’ Sake, we set our time-scanners on the view-screens of the average American home of the early 1950’s…
JUD HOLDREN as Commando Cody wore a costume that was, well, you might say picturesque. We might say laughable, but that wouldn’t be nice. Old Commando flew about with rocket packs on his back, which he adjusted with the dials on his chest. Close scrutiny of them there dials shows 1 to 10 power gauging on “UP-DOWN” and same scale for “ON-OFF” One can be 70% on? Or 45% off? How an egg timer possibly could measure SLOW-FAST is a technological development we primitives have yet to fathom… Holdren had to open the visor to air out every five minutes. His heroine was Mae Clark, from the Universa!’s 1931 FRANKENSTEIN. She was the girl who also had a grapefruit pushed in her face by Jimmy Cagney. This is interesting, isn’t it?
Tom Corbett-Space Cadet
FRANKIE THOMAS as TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET is pictured here (he’s the one who’s grinning), resembling unto an astral version of Howdy Doody. If you think Captain Video was low-budget, Hoo Boy! Mr. Thomas stands beside the actual mock-up of The Space Ship in which Corbett allegedly cadeted around space. There was only one – set in the show: “Commissioner’s Office” – all other scenes were shot against a black background and attemptedly superimposed over painted miniature backgrounds. This wasn’t always successful. The show would have often been better called “Tom Corbett, Space-Ghost!”
Superman
George Reeves as Superman found himself horribly typecast, to the detriment of his career. His only job offers were Superman re-options. He ably played Superman in both TV and feature film from 1951 to 1959, bending rubber jail bars, lounging on glass tables in pretense of flying, and fainting periodically in the presence of rocks and cheeses painted green. He was impervious to bullets, cannon shots, and even most of the rotten scripts. Crooks, communist spies, and casting directors shied away from him as the years went by. He committed suicide in 1959.
DON HAYES as VIDEO RANGER made waves with the Bosco set as the (deliberately) comical sidekick to ol’ Cap Video. Rumor has it that to this day Hayes still signs autographs, “Video Ranger” – though he went on to bigger and better roles, like the (deliberately) comical sidekick to Ernest Borgnine in McHALE’S NAVY. Just shows when you’re in space, anywhere you go is up.
AL HODGE as CAPTAIN VIDEO in 1951, 52 & 53 reached a star status which has e never been equaled by any – especially himself. He’s been doing announcing and commercial work ever since. Millions of youngsters watched his exploits amidst cardboard computers, paper mache’ space gear, and flashlight rayguns. A MAD mag spoof on the show is about all that keeps memory of the show alive.