Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere
Encyclopedia
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is a 15-chapter serial
released by Columbia Pictures
in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton
. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.
As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial has a production budget seemingly not much larger than the famously tiny budget of the DuMont Television Network
's live daily teleseries.
Republic Pictures
used and reused the same basic plot in Radar Men from the Moon
, Zombies of the Stratosphere
and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
in 1951 - 1953, and borrowed Holdren himself for the latter two serials. The Captain Video chapterplay is a bit more satisfying to science-fiction fans, because it does make an effort to keep the action interplanetary, instead of earthbound. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros.
Both Atoma and Theros are impersonated by Bronson Canyon
, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted
pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor
.
In the Captain Video
teleseries, "Tobor" is the name of a large robot, who was one of the series' most popular characters. Calling a villain "Dr. Tobor" may have been intended to fool young theater-goers into thinking they would see the robot in the serial. In fact, the only robots on view are the ludicrous cardboard, fedora-wearing robots seen in the 1935 Gene Autry serial The Phantom Empire
. (These were originally built as dancing robots, for the 1933 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
musical Dancing Lady
).
This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet
(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names, The slaves of The Lost Planets evil extraterrestrial dictator Reckov (also Gene Roth) inexplicably all wear uniforms that look like those of the Video Rangers of 1951. In any case, the hero in The Lost Planet is a newspaper reporter named Rex Barrow, also played by Judd Holdren. As in the Captain Video serial, there is also an evil earth scientist, Dr. Grood (Michael Fox), in cahoots with Reckov of the Lost Planet.
was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963).
Source:
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is a 15-chapter serial
released by Columbia Pictures
in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton
. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.
As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial has a production budget seemingly not much larger than the famously tiny budget of the DuMont Television Network
's live daily teleseries.
Republic Pictures
used and reused the same basic plot in Radar Men from the Moon
, Zombies of the Stratosphere
and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
in 1951 - 1953, and borrowed Holdren himself for the latter two serials. The Captain Video chapterplay is a bit more satisfying to science-fiction fans, because it does make an effort to keep the action interplanetary, instead of earthbound. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros.
Both Atoma and Theros are impersonated by Bronson Canyon
, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted
pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor
.
In the Captain Video
teleseries, "Tobor" is the name of a large robot, who was one of the series' most popular characters. Calling a villain "Dr. Tobor" may have been intended to fool young theater-goers into thinking they would see the robot in the serial. In fact, the only robots on view are the ludicrous cardboard, fedora-wearing robots seen in the 1935 Gene Autry serial The Phantom Empire
. (These were originally built as dancing robots, for the 1933 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
musical Dancing Lady
).
This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet
(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names, The slaves of The Lost Planets evil extraterrestrial dictator Reckov (also Gene Roth) inexplicably all wear uniforms that look like those of the Video Rangers of 1951. In any case, the hero in The Lost Planet is a newspaper reporter named Rex Barrow, also played by Judd Holdren. As in the Captain Video serial, there is also an evil earth scientist, Dr. Grood (Michael Fox), in cahoots with Reckov of the Lost Planet.
was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963).
Source:
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is a 15-chapter serial
released by Columbia Pictures
in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton
. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.
As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial has a production budget seemingly not much larger than the famously tiny budget of the DuMont Television Network
's live daily teleseries.
Republic Pictures
used and reused the same basic plot in Radar Men from the Moon
, Zombies of the Stratosphere
and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
in 1951 - 1953, and borrowed Holdren himself for the latter two serials. The Captain Video chapterplay is a bit more satisfying to science-fiction fans, because it does make an effort to keep the action interplanetary, instead of earthbound. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros.
Both Atoma and Theros are impersonated by Bronson Canyon
, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted
pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor
.
In the Captain Video
teleseries, "Tobor" is the name of a large robot, who was one of the series' most popular characters. Calling a villain "Dr. Tobor" may have been intended to fool young theater-goers into thinking they would see the robot in the serial. In fact, the only robots on view are the ludicrous cardboard, fedora-wearing robots seen in the 1935 Gene Autry serial The Phantom Empire
. (These were originally built as dancing robots, for the 1933 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
musical Dancing Lady
).
This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet
(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names, The slaves of The Lost Planets evil extraterrestrial dictator Reckov (also Gene Roth) inexplicably all wear uniforms that look like those of the Video Rangers of 1951. In any case, the hero in The Lost Planet is a newspaper reporter named Rex Barrow, also played by Judd Holdren. As in the Captain Video serial, there is also an evil earth scientist, Dr. Grood (Michael Fox), in cahoots with Reckov of the Lost Planet.
was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963).
Source:
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Spencer Gordon Bennet
Spencer Gordon Bennet was an American film producer and director. Known as the "King of Serial Directors", he directed more film serials than any other director.-Biography:...
and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton was an American screenwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.A prolific screenwriter, Plympton collaborated in almost 300 films. His earliest known credits date back to 1912 as he concentrated almost exclusively on westerns...
. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.
Plot
Judd Holdren, in what was only his second starring screen role, plays Captain Video, the leader of a group of crime-fighters known as the Video Rangers. He faces an interplanetary menace, as the evil dictator of the planet Atoma, Vultura (Gene Roth) and his lackey, the traitorous earth scientist Dr. Tobor (George Eldredge) are planning to conquer the earth.Cast
- Judd HoldrenJudd HoldrenJudd Holdren was an American film actor best known for his starring roles in the serials Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere, Zombies of the Stratosphere, The Lost Planet and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe during 1951 - 1953.- Early life :He was born near...
as Captain Video - Larry StewartLarry StewartLarry Stewart may refer to:*Larry Stewart *Larry Stewart *Larry Stewart , lead singer of the band Restless Heart...
as Ranger - George EldredgeGeorge EldredgeGeorge Eldredge was an American character actor. Although he never became a major performer, Eldredge played in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the '50's...
as Dr. Tobor - Gene RothGene RothGene Roth was an American film actor. Born in Redfield, South Dakota, Roth was born Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth...
as Vultura - Don C. HarveyDon C. HarveyDon C. Harvey was an American television and film actor. Harvey was born in Kansas, United States.-Career:Harvey appeared in 180 films and television programs between 1945 and 1963....
as Gallagher - Skelton Knaggs as Retner
- William FawcettWilliam Fawcett (actor)William "Bill" Fawcett was a character actor in Hollywood B-films and in television. His career extended from 1946 until the early 1970s. He is probably best remembered for his role as the cantankerous, rusty-voiced Pete Wilkey of the Broken Wheel Ranch on the NBC series Fury, co-starring Peter...
as Alpha - Jack IngramJack Ingram (actor)Jack Ingram was an American film actor. He appeared in over 300 films between 1935 and 1966, according to the Internet Movie Data Base.He was born in Illinois, and died in Canoga Park, California of a heart attack...
as Aker, a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household... - I. Stanford JolleyI. Stanford JolleyIsaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
as Zarol - Jimmy Stark as Ranger Rogers
- Rusty WescoattRusty WescoattRusty Wescoatt was an American supporting actor who appeared in over 80 films between 1947 and 1965, according to the Internet Movie Database. He was born in Hawaii....
as Beal, a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household... - Zon Murray as Elko', a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
Production
Captain Video was the only serial adapted from television.As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial has a production budget seemingly not much larger than the famously tiny budget of the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
's live daily teleseries.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
used and reused the same basic plot in Radar Men from the Moon
Radar Men from the Moon
Radar Men from the Moon is the first Commando Cody serial, in 12 chapters, starring newcomer George Wallace as Cody and Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, with serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. The director was Fred C...
, Zombies of the Stratosphere
Zombies of the Stratosphere
Zombies of the Stratosphere was intended as the second serial featuring "new hero" Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying suit introduced in King of the Rocket Men...
and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is a science fiction television series or serial. It consists of twelve 25-minute episodes. The series was filmed and intended to be broadcast as a television limited series but, due to contract restrictions, it was originally released in theaters as a...
in 1951 - 1953, and borrowed Holdren himself for the latter two serials. The Captain Video chapterplay is a bit more satisfying to science-fiction fans, because it does make an effort to keep the action interplanetary, instead of earthbound. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros.
Both Atoma and Theros are impersonated by Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon, or Bronson Caves, is a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California that has become famous as a filming location for a very large number of movies and TV shows, especially westerns and science fiction, from the early days of motion pictures to the present...
, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted
Film tinting
Film tinting is the process of adding color to black-and-white film, usually by means of soaking the film in dye and staining the film emulsion...
pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two color film process, based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M...
.
In the Captain Video
Captain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
teleseries, "Tobor" is the name of a large robot, who was one of the series' most popular characters. Calling a villain "Dr. Tobor" may have been intended to fool young theater-goers into thinking they would see the robot in the serial. In fact, the only robots on view are the ludicrous cardboard, fedora-wearing robots seen in the 1935 Gene Autry serial The Phantom Empire
The Phantom Empire
The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy, was a 12-chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western, musical, and science fiction genres. The first episode is 30 mins, the rest about 20 minutes...
. (These were originally built as dancing robots, for the 1933 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
musical Dancing Lady
Dancing Lady
Dancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
).
This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet
The Lost Planet
The Lost Planet is a 1953 Columbia Pictures 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay by George H. Plympton and Arthur Hoerl...
(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names, The slaves of The Lost Planets evil extraterrestrial dictator Reckov (also Gene Roth) inexplicably all wear uniforms that look like those of the Video Rangers of 1951. In any case, the hero in The Lost Planet is a newspaper reporter named Rex Barrow, also played by Judd Holdren. As in the Captain Video serial, there is also an evil earth scientist, Dr. Grood (Michael Fox), in cahoots with Reckov of the Lost Planet.
Theatrical
Captain VideoCaptain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963).
Critical reception
Harmon and Glut describe this serial as a "rather shoddy, low budget space cliffhanger."Gadgets
The serial includes several science fiction gadgets of the era. The Opticon Scillometer was used for looking through walls. Objects were made to disappear with the Isotropic Radiation Curtain. The Mu-ray Camera could photograph lingering images after the event. Temporary madness could be caused with the Psychosomatic Weapon. A variation on Radar was entitled the Radionic Directional Beam and the Radionic Guide.Chapter titles
- Journey into Space
- Menace of Atoma
- Captain Video's Peril
- Entombed in Ice
- Flames of Atoma
- Astray in the Stratosphere
- Blasted by the Atomic Eye
- Invisible Menace
- Video Springs a Trap
- Menace of the Mystery Metal
- Weapon of Destruction
- Robot Rocket
- Mystery of Station X
- Vengeance of Vultura
- Video vs. Vultura
Source:
External links
- Roaring Rockets: The Captain Video Serial
- Roaring Rockets: The Serial Page
- Review by Dave Sindelar
- Review by Brian Thomas
- Gary Johnson, "The Serials"
- Captain Video article at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is a 15-chapter serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Spencer Gordon Bennet
Spencer Gordon Bennet was an American film producer and director. Known as the "King of Serial Directors", he directed more film serials than any other director.-Biography:...
and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton was an American screenwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.A prolific screenwriter, Plympton collaborated in almost 300 films. His earliest known credits date back to 1912 as he concentrated almost exclusively on westerns...
. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.
Plot
Judd Holdren, in what was only his second starring screen role, plays Captain Video, the leader of a group of crime-fighters known as the Video Rangers. He faces an interplanetary menace, as the evil dictator of the planet Atoma, Vultura (Gene Roth) and his lackey, the traitorous earth scientist Dr. Tobor (George Eldredge) are planning to conquer the earth.Cast
- Judd HoldrenJudd HoldrenJudd Holdren was an American film actor best known for his starring roles in the serials Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere, Zombies of the Stratosphere, The Lost Planet and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe during 1951 - 1953.- Early life :He was born near...
as Captain Video - Larry StewartLarry StewartLarry Stewart may refer to:*Larry Stewart *Larry Stewart *Larry Stewart , lead singer of the band Restless Heart...
as Ranger - George EldredgeGeorge EldredgeGeorge Eldredge was an American character actor. Although he never became a major performer, Eldredge played in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the '50's...
as Dr. Tobor - Gene RothGene RothGene Roth was an American film actor. Born in Redfield, South Dakota, Roth was born Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth...
as Vultura - Don C. HarveyDon C. HarveyDon C. Harvey was an American television and film actor. Harvey was born in Kansas, United States.-Career:Harvey appeared in 180 films and television programs between 1945 and 1963....
as Gallagher - Skelton Knaggs as Retner
- William FawcettWilliam Fawcett (actor)William "Bill" Fawcett was a character actor in Hollywood B-films and in television. His career extended from 1946 until the early 1970s. He is probably best remembered for his role as the cantankerous, rusty-voiced Pete Wilkey of the Broken Wheel Ranch on the NBC series Fury, co-starring Peter...
as Alpha - Jack IngramJack Ingram (actor)Jack Ingram was an American film actor. He appeared in over 300 films between 1935 and 1966, according to the Internet Movie Data Base.He was born in Illinois, and died in Canoga Park, California of a heart attack...
as Aker, a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household... - I. Stanford JolleyI. Stanford JolleyIsaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
as Zarol - Jimmy Stark as Ranger Rogers
- Rusty WescoattRusty WescoattRusty Wescoatt was an American supporting actor who appeared in over 80 films between 1947 and 1965, according to the Internet Movie Database. He was born in Hawaii....
as Beal, a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household... - Zon Murray as Elko', a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
Production
Captain Video was the only serial adapted from television.As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial has a production budget seemingly not much larger than the famously tiny budget of the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
's live daily teleseries.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
used and reused the same basic plot in Radar Men from the Moon
Radar Men from the Moon
Radar Men from the Moon is the first Commando Cody serial, in 12 chapters, starring newcomer George Wallace as Cody and Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, with serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. The director was Fred C...
, Zombies of the Stratosphere
Zombies of the Stratosphere
Zombies of the Stratosphere was intended as the second serial featuring "new hero" Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying suit introduced in King of the Rocket Men...
and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is a science fiction television series or serial. It consists of twelve 25-minute episodes. The series was filmed and intended to be broadcast as a television limited series but, due to contract restrictions, it was originally released in theaters as a...
in 1951 - 1953, and borrowed Holdren himself for the latter two serials. The Captain Video chapterplay is a bit more satisfying to science-fiction fans, because it does make an effort to keep the action interplanetary, instead of earthbound. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros.
Both Atoma and Theros are impersonated by Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon, or Bronson Caves, is a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California that has become famous as a filming location for a very large number of movies and TV shows, especially westerns and science fiction, from the early days of motion pictures to the present...
, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted
Film tinting
Film tinting is the process of adding color to black-and-white film, usually by means of soaking the film in dye and staining the film emulsion...
pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two color film process, based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M...
.
In the Captain Video
Captain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
teleseries, "Tobor" is the name of a large robot, who was one of the series' most popular characters. Calling a villain "Dr. Tobor" may have been intended to fool young theater-goers into thinking they would see the robot in the serial. In fact, the only robots on view are the ludicrous cardboard, fedora-wearing robots seen in the 1935 Gene Autry serial The Phantom Empire
The Phantom Empire
The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy, was a 12-chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western, musical, and science fiction genres. The first episode is 30 mins, the rest about 20 minutes...
. (These were originally built as dancing robots, for the 1933 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
musical Dancing Lady
Dancing Lady
Dancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
).
This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet
The Lost Planet
The Lost Planet is a 1953 Columbia Pictures 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay by George H. Plympton and Arthur Hoerl...
(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names, The slaves of The Lost Planets evil extraterrestrial dictator Reckov (also Gene Roth) inexplicably all wear uniforms that look like those of the Video Rangers of 1951. In any case, the hero in The Lost Planet is a newspaper reporter named Rex Barrow, also played by Judd Holdren. As in the Captain Video serial, there is also an evil earth scientist, Dr. Grood (Michael Fox), in cahoots with Reckov of the Lost Planet.
Theatrical
Captain VideoCaptain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963).
Critical reception
Harmon and Glut describe this serial as a "rather shoddy, low budget space cliffhanger."Gadgets
The serial includes several science fiction gadgets of the era. The Opticon Scillometer was used for looking through walls. Objects were made to disappear with the Isotropic Radiation Curtain. The Mu-ray Camera could photograph lingering images after the event. Temporary madness could be caused with the Psychosomatic Weapon. A variation on Radar was entitled the Radionic Directional Beam and the Radionic Guide.Chapter titles
- Journey into Space
- Menace of Atoma
- Captain Video's Peril
- Entombed in Ice
- Flames of Atoma
- Astray in the Stratosphere
- Blasted by the Atomic Eye
- Invisible Menace
- Video Springs a Trap
- Menace of the Mystery Metal
- Weapon of Destruction
- Robot Rocket
- Mystery of Station X
- Vengeance of Vultura
- Video vs. Vultura
Source:
External links
- Roaring Rockets: The Captain Video Serial
- Roaring Rockets: The Serial Page
- Review by Dave Sindelar
- Review by Brian Thomas
- Gary Johnson, "The Serials"
- Captain Video article at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience
Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is a 15-chapter serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Spencer Gordon Bennet
Spencer Gordon Bennet was an American film producer and director. Known as the "King of Serial Directors", he directed more film serials than any other director.-Biography:...
and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton
George H. Plympton was an American screenwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.A prolific screenwriter, Plympton collaborated in almost 300 films. His earliest known credits date back to 1912 as he concentrated almost exclusively on westerns...
. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.
Plot
Judd Holdren, in what was only his second starring screen role, plays Captain Video, the leader of a group of crime-fighters known as the Video Rangers. He faces an interplanetary menace, as the evil dictator of the planet Atoma, Vultura (Gene Roth) and his lackey, the traitorous earth scientist Dr. Tobor (George Eldredge) are planning to conquer the earth.Cast
- Judd HoldrenJudd HoldrenJudd Holdren was an American film actor best known for his starring roles in the serials Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere, Zombies of the Stratosphere, The Lost Planet and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe during 1951 - 1953.- Early life :He was born near...
as Captain Video - Larry StewartLarry StewartLarry Stewart may refer to:*Larry Stewart *Larry Stewart *Larry Stewart , lead singer of the band Restless Heart...
as Ranger - George EldredgeGeorge EldredgeGeorge Eldredge was an American character actor. Although he never became a major performer, Eldredge played in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the '50's...
as Dr. Tobor - Gene RothGene RothGene Roth was an American film actor. Born in Redfield, South Dakota, Roth was born Eugene Oliver Edgar Stutenroth...
as Vultura - Don C. HarveyDon C. HarveyDon C. Harvey was an American television and film actor. Harvey was born in Kansas, United States.-Career:Harvey appeared in 180 films and television programs between 1945 and 1963....
as Gallagher - Skelton Knaggs as Retner
- William FawcettWilliam Fawcett (actor)William "Bill" Fawcett was a character actor in Hollywood B-films and in television. His career extended from 1946 until the early 1970s. He is probably best remembered for his role as the cantankerous, rusty-voiced Pete Wilkey of the Broken Wheel Ranch on the NBC series Fury, co-starring Peter...
as Alpha - Jack IngramJack Ingram (actor)Jack Ingram was an American film actor. He appeared in over 300 films between 1935 and 1966, according to the Internet Movie Data Base.He was born in Illinois, and died in Canoga Park, California of a heart attack...
as Aker, a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household... - I. Stanford JolleyI. Stanford JolleyIsaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
as Zarol - Jimmy Stark as Ranger Rogers
- Rusty WescoattRusty WescoattRusty Wescoatt was an American supporting actor who appeared in over 80 films between 1947 and 1965, according to the Internet Movie Database. He was born in Hawaii....
as Beal, a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household... - Zon Murray as Elko', a henchmanHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
Production
Captain Video was the only serial adapted from television.As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial has a production budget seemingly not much larger than the famously tiny budget of the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
's live daily teleseries.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
used and reused the same basic plot in Radar Men from the Moon
Radar Men from the Moon
Radar Men from the Moon is the first Commando Cody serial, in 12 chapters, starring newcomer George Wallace as Cody and Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, with serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. The director was Fred C...
, Zombies of the Stratosphere
Zombies of the Stratosphere
Zombies of the Stratosphere was intended as the second serial featuring "new hero" Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying suit introduced in King of the Rocket Men...
and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is a science fiction television series or serial. It consists of twelve 25-minute episodes. The series was filmed and intended to be broadcast as a television limited series but, due to contract restrictions, it was originally released in theaters as a...
in 1951 - 1953, and borrowed Holdren himself for the latter two serials. The Captain Video chapterplay is a bit more satisfying to science-fiction fans, because it does make an effort to keep the action interplanetary, instead of earthbound. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros.
Both Atoma and Theros are impersonated by Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon, or Bronson Caves, is a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California that has become famous as a filming location for a very large number of movies and TV shows, especially westerns and science fiction, from the early days of motion pictures to the present...
, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted
Film tinting
Film tinting is the process of adding color to black-and-white film, usually by means of soaking the film in dye and staining the film emulsion...
pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two color film process, based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M...
.
In the Captain Video
Captain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
teleseries, "Tobor" is the name of a large robot, who was one of the series' most popular characters. Calling a villain "Dr. Tobor" may have been intended to fool young theater-goers into thinking they would see the robot in the serial. In fact, the only robots on view are the ludicrous cardboard, fedora-wearing robots seen in the 1935 Gene Autry serial The Phantom Empire
The Phantom Empire
The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy, was a 12-chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western, musical, and science fiction genres. The first episode is 30 mins, the rest about 20 minutes...
. (These were originally built as dancing robots, for the 1933 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
musical Dancing Lady
Dancing Lady
Dancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
).
This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet
The Lost Planet
The Lost Planet is a 1953 Columbia Pictures 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay by George H. Plympton and Arthur Hoerl...
(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names, The slaves of The Lost Planets evil extraterrestrial dictator Reckov (also Gene Roth) inexplicably all wear uniforms that look like those of the Video Rangers of 1951. In any case, the hero in The Lost Planet is a newspaper reporter named Rex Barrow, also played by Judd Holdren. As in the Captain Video serial, there is also an evil earth scientist, Dr. Grood (Michael Fox), in cahoots with Reckov of the Lost Planet.
Theatrical
Captain VideoCaptain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963).
Critical reception
Harmon and Glut describe this serial as a "rather shoddy, low budget space cliffhanger."Gadgets
The serial includes several science fiction gadgets of the era. The Opticon Scillometer was used for looking through walls. Objects were made to disappear with the Isotropic Radiation Curtain. The Mu-ray Camera could photograph lingering images after the event. Temporary madness could be caused with the Psychosomatic Weapon. A variation on Radar was entitled the Radionic Directional Beam and the Radionic Guide.Chapter titles
- Journey into Space
- Menace of Atoma
- Captain Video's Peril
- Entombed in Ice
- Flames of Atoma
- Astray in the Stratosphere
- Blasted by the Atomic Eye
- Invisible Menace
- Video Springs a Trap
- Menace of the Mystery Metal
- Weapon of Destruction
- Robot Rocket
- Mystery of Station X
- Vengeance of Vultura
- Video vs. Vultura
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