owadays it's pretty hard to imagine a time when science fiction wasn't an integral part of the television landscape, but back in the early 1950s futuristic TV adventures were quite rare. One of the most popular SF programs broadcast during that period was Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, a long-running (1950-1955) children's series loosely based on Robert A. Heinlein's novel Space Cadet. A new videotape from Englewood Entertainment—the latest installment in their "Atomic Television" lineup—spotlights three half-hour episodes from this renowned show.
"The Asteroid of Death" finds Corbett (Thomas) and Captain Strong (Bryce) encountering a young stowaway aboard an isolated rocket, who reveals that the ship's skipper was incapacitated after investigating a weird asteroid. As cadets Corbett and Astro (Markim) help nucleonics expert Joan Dale (Margaret Garland) determine the composition of the planetoid, Strong and Roger Manning (Merlin) jump into a jet boat to examine the object's rocky surface. While they're away, the youngster inadvertently unlocks the asteroid's lethal secret, leaving Corbett with only minutes to save his friends from certain annihilation!
Interplanetary war games serve as the setting for "Target Danger." During a training exercise, Corbett and the Polaris crew are instructed to find a concealed enemy fleet. They locate the armada, but in their excitement accidentally fire upon their own command cruiser and, at the same time, cripple a decrepit destroyer that's being used as a target for lunar-launched missiles. Cadet Manning and his archenemy, Eric Rattison (Frank Sutton), are ordered to repair the damaged vessel. During the mission, Rattison is trapped under debris, leaving Manning with the moral dilemma of whether he should save or abandon his detested comrade.
In the final installment, "Assignment: Mercury," the Polaris—under the temporary command of the hardnosed Major Connel (Ben Stone)—journeys to Mercury to scout potential locations for a science station. However, due to a plotting error, the ship lands in a particularly dangerous zone. When Connel becomes disoriented, it's up to Corbett to return him to the ship and blast off before the entire team is marooned on the scorching planet.
Education, entertainment and ethics
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet has the distinction of being one of the few television series ever to air on four separate networks (CBS, ABC, NBC and DuMont). The reasons for the show's incredible popularity are obvious in the episodes showcased on this video. Selected from different stages of
the program's five-year run, the trio of tales not only demonstrates the production's ongoing evolution (in terms of both characterization and broadcast technology), but also offers compelling entertainment that highlights the show's long-standing commitment to old-fashioned values and, believe it or not, relatively accurate science.
Although in many respects "The Asteroid of Death" is a standard "stowaway saves the day" story, this 1951 tale—cobbled together from three previously aired 15-minute episodes—nicely intermingles outer-space adventure with sensible scientific information. Along with delineating the difference between a planet and a planetoid, the yarn appropriately places the action within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dr. Dale even explains—in a schoolmarmish manner—the concept of matter vs. antimatter (here called "contraterrene matter"). These educational elements help to overcome atrocious special effects, including a jet-boat cockpit that looks as if it's constructed entirely of wood.
"Target Danger," produced in 1953, features more developed relationships between the cadets plus improved sets and astronautic paraphernalia. The plot nicely addresses issues of friendship and peer pressure, together with the requisite high-stakes drama. "Assignment: Mercury," telecast during
the show's final season in 1955, focuses more on the comedic talents of cadet T.J. Thistle (Jack Grimes), who replaced Manning after actor Jan Merlin quit the previous year. Here, a rudimentary electronic matte is used in a couple of scenes. Though admittedly crude, the effect successfully conveys the feel of Mercury's inhospitable terrain.
The vintage advertisements—some of which were performed live—are also fun, spotlighting the sundry premiums viewers could receive by purchasing Red Goose shoes or eating Kellogg's cereals and Kraft caramels. Tom Corbett, Space Cadet may be nearly a half-century old, but the program still provides young-at-heart fans with exciting science-fiction storytelling "in the world beyond tomorrow!"
