2003 Cosmic Correspondence Archives

December 2003

[From Russ Devlin (12/10/03):]

I'd like to complement everyone on a great site, I think it's the best I've seen on the early space shows. Is there any chance of including something on "Space Angel", the Dik Darley/Alex Toth "Syncro Vox" animated series of 1962? I think that deserves inclusion as it so strongly resembles the 50's SF comic style of "Weird Science" and is the last "Buck Rogers" style space opera, before Star Trek changed things forever (in the US anyway, the tradition lasted in Australia until 1969 with the Interpretaris/Vega 4/Phoenix 5 trilogy).

You may be interested to know that there was an Australian radio version of "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet", which was a remake of the US radio scripts ( a common practice in the 50's here). There was also a series called Space Patrol (no relation) and Rocky Starr, which was something of a cross between Space Patrol & the UK comic strip Dan Dare. Quite a good show, it got a live action retro camp TV treatment in the mid 90's, when actors in basic costumes mimed to an edited radio transcript, breaking into 50's hits half way through. Original eps were later released on CD and are a lot better.

I have also built & photographed a number of 50's related models.

Russell Devlin

Return to Top

[SpacEditor's note: We asked Russell Devlin how a fairly young man in Australia became a fan of TOM CORBETT SPACE CADET and SPACE PATROL. Here's his reply. We'll be posting some of his photos of his mainly scratch-built models of the Polaris and Terra V soon as well.]

[From Russell Devlin (12/17/03):]

I'll send you the Polaris model bridge close up details when I can get to my friend's scanner. As for my 50's TV Sci fi fandom, I watched "Jet Jackson" in the 60's & "Superman," the latter being repeated every year well into the 80's (in fact the most repeated series ever on Australian TV) but Captain Video, Space Patrol & Tom Corbett were unknown to me until James Delson's History of TV SF articles in the1978 issues of "Fantastic Films" magazine. I found more information about them in Gary Gerani's 1976 Fantastic Television book & from various articles in "Starlog."

As a keen SF fan with a strong historical perspective I determined to hunt them down, my first success being the "Tom Corbett at Space Academy" record found in a junk shop in 1983. I also obtained some British 50's SF items around this time, including the Quatermass scripts books & the surviving episodes of these excellent serials, plus Nigel Kneale's adaption of Orwell's "1984," still one of the finest pieces of SF drama ever.

On a trip to the US in '87 I saw an Entertainment Tonight report on Tom Corbett (and even filmed it off the TV with a super 8 camera!) & my first & only Captain Video at the NY Museum of Broadcasting. These however paled when I picked up my first episodes of Space Patrol & Tom Corbett. Volume 2 of SP I picked up in the US but Vol 1 of each series were released under a "Saturday Matinee" heading in Australia. A short while later edited & blue tinted versions of Space Patrol were shown as part of the trendy cult show "Eat Carpet," which would be the same ones as shown in the US Nightline screenings.

I watched these shows partly on a camp level (especially true of "Space Patrol," which I found similar to the 60's Batman series in several ways), partly on a historical level but found that I took them on their own terms the more I saw them. More recently I've obtained the radio versions of these and while the radio SP is much like the TV version I was very impressed with the way the radio Corbett exceeded the limits of the small screen, it's a much better Star Trek prequel than "Enterprise!" (Incidentially, Roddenberry was strongly influenced by Heinlen's original Space Cadet novel, though I don't know if he followed the tv series.)

In the last decade I obtained the British "Journey Into Space" radio series, MST3K versions of Rocky Jones, a dvd of the TV Flash Gordon, clips of the Disneyland "Man in Space" specials & assorted clips from various doco's. I also picked up relevant issues of "Filmfax" magazine and suscribed to Dale Ames' "Galaxy Patrol" newsletter. I attempted to get other fans interested in these series & at the 1999 World SF con in Melbourne had my documentry "Journeys into Space- TV & Radio SF 1949-1959" on the programme. This ran 90 min and featured clips & stills from the major series with linking narration by myself and interviews recycled from other doco's. I did an opening title using my Polaris models and recreated the Space Patrol end title sequence for my closing titles.

Russell Devlin

Return to Top

November 2003

[From James Corum (11/25/03):]

I'd like to request permission to quote (with full attribution) your web page essay on the 1950s in our "informal" high school Class of '61 Christmas Newsletter: The 1950s.

The Newsletter is a 6 page quarterly (more-or-less) that keeps the Wilmington High Class of '61 together. (Wilmington, Massachusetts was a little rural community back in the 1950s, which later became a Boston suburb when the interstate went through.) Our Class has about 135 members still living. We all grew up with Buzz Corry, Tom Corbett, Buster Brown, Big Jon & Sparkie, the Great Foodini, etc.

At any rate, I was so struck by your Roaring Rockets web site that I had to write to you and make this request. So many things that you mentioned in the 1950s essay were part of our lives, too, and I know that the rest of the Class would love to read this--particularly those not "on-line". I will make sure that your web site is appropriately cited and the note will direct the Newsletter readers to visit your web site to see the photos and read all the other material that you have assembled there.

Thanks again for sharing all this information and these thoughts with the rest of us.

Jim Corum
Morgantown, WV

Return to Top

[From Chuck Lassen (11/26/03):]

My first impression, upon receiving my Polaris kit today, was that I think Mr. Deeks is getting lazy. This is the rawest-cast one he has made of all of his that I have purchased. There are huge amounts of rough flashing protruding from the main fuselage longitudinal seam--the rest of the fuselage surface is smooth and clean, and contains little or no pinholes, and is nicely shaped.

The slots for the six fins are sloppy inside, and all have to be cleaned out in order to fit the fin tabs in.

(His Flash Gordon ships and the Terra V were not at all like this!)

All six fins are connected to huge sprues, which run lengthwise along the full length of the insertion tabs. It will be a real chore to clean them all up and make them fit into the slots. A fine jeweler's hacksaw will probably be needed to cut them off cleanly--I think it would be difficult to do it with a hobby knife without breaking the part or slicing off a fingertip. The surfaces of the fins, however, are nice and smooth, and will look fine when finished,requiring little or no air-hole filling.

The plastic porthole and surrounding decal are a nice finishing touch.

The proportions of the model are very accurate, and I know I can make a good looking model out of it. But it will be a chore.

This is not intended to be a complaint, just an evaluation and another warning that this kit should only be attempted by experienced modelers.

Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Chuck

Return to Top

September 2003

[From Tobi Graham (9/11/03):]

I have vivid memories of Captain Video and can still see the opening shot of the fortress and the tall "antenna" on top emitting signals. I can still recite the opening lines-- Caaaaptaaaain Viiiideeeeooo- Master of Space, etc., BECAUSE... My two younger sisters and I were not "allowed" to watch it!!! My mother was so grateful for our first TV because it allowed her to get ready for my Dad to come home, and to prepare dinner in peace and quiet, while we three girls watched Howdy Doody at 5:OO. As I recall, Captain Video followed Howdy Doody (my husband swears that it was an actual part of the Howdy Doody Show and that Buffalo Bob "turned it on"!!) At any rate, as soon as Howdy was over, we would inch across the chalk line drawn in a semi-circle on the living room rug (which we had to sit behind so we didn't ruin our eyes!) and turn down the volume on the TV, because if Mom wasn't too busy in the kitchen, as soon as she heard those radio signals beeping, and "Stand by for Captain Video and his Video Rangers," she'd call to us to "turn it off"!! As long as we kept the sound turned low and she didn't happen to walk into the living room, we got to watch Captain Video!!! We loved it! Mom thought that it was "too fantastic, weird and wild" and would give us three "proper" young ladies, nightmares!! Ah-- Forbidden fruit always tastes sweeter doesn't it?

So glad I found this site.I still feel guilty, but Mom, now 93 years old, says that it's OK-- She's come a long way!

Tobi Graham

Return to Top

May 2003

[From Cary Griffin (5/29/03):]

I just found your Space Heroes Web site yesterday and can't quit exploring it!

I was a big Space Patrol and Space Cadet fan between 1950 and 1953. Needless to say, I had a big crush on Carol of Space Patrol (Virginia Hewett) that lasted probably more than a year (I still think she was gorgeous!).

I particularly enjoyed a series of Space Patrol episodes in which the gang uses a time warp on the Terra V to travel back to the 20th century. There they meet a farm family and try to blend in as much as possible with 20th century culture. (This story idea was used in a Star Trek feature film some 30 years later). At any rate, several members of the Space Patrol crew catch a mysterious disease that a country doctor finally diagnoses as--measles, which is unknown in Space Patrolıs 30th century. I wish I could find this series of episodes on video.

I recall one series of Space Cadet episodes I would also dearly like to find on video. In this particular story, Corbett and his crew end up on Titan, one of Saturnıs moons, where a mysterious epidemic of something called "Titan Fever" is in progress. It's killing people right and left. Roger Manning contracts it, becomes delirious, and tries to sabotage the Polaris. Finally a possible cure is found and itıs tested on Manning, who makes a dramatic recovery.

I watched Rod Brown Rocket Ranger a number of times and recall two plots from that series. In one, Brown and his crew decide to take an alien seed back to earth. But in the oxygen-rich air of Brownıs rocket ship, it grows to humongus size. I forget how they finally dealt with the problem, though. In another story plot, the Rod Brown crew lands on a twin planet to earth--but one that is some 500 years younger. The ship lands in a North America that hasn't yet been discovered by Columbus!

Just thought Iıd pass along these memories for you to share with other Space Cadets and Space Patrollers.

Cary Griffin
Forney, Texas

Return to Top

March 2003

[From Dennis Stockberger (3/29/03):]

I remember getting my Capt. Video space helmet. It was the greatest. Also, we watched Chicago TV stations and while I was enthrolled with Capt. Video, my mother preferred Kukla, Fran and Ollie (by the way we named our new puppy Kukla and our pair of hamsters Fran and Ollie). Both programs were in the same time slot (I remember it as being 15 minutes but may be wrong) so my mother and I alternated watching our favorite show. It was awful but I survived. Also among my favorites was Adventure Theater on Saturday mornings, Elmer the Elephant, and the Buster Brown Show, ("plunk your magic twanger, Froggie!") It doesn't get any better than that.

Dennis Stockberger

Return to Top

To visit the Space Correspondence Archives

• 2005 click here
• 2004 click here
• 2002 click here
• 2001 click here
• 2000 click here
• 1999 click here
• 1998 click here