Despite what some of you younger readers might think, I’m not old enough to have experienced the Golden Age of television’s Space Patrol (1950-1955) in its first run on the airwaves.
In fact – and this may shock some of you – it’s a program I honestly hadn’t much heard about until I began this deep dive into genre history that I call my editorship of SciFiHistory.Net. Oh, it may’ve come up in passing reading here and there, but – for whatever reasons – it was a franchise that just never hooked in the deep, deep crevasses of my fertile brain. It registered more strongly after I’d done a fair bit of research and learned about how impactful it was with audiences of that bygone era; but – for me – it wasn’t something I knew much less understood. What is that saying about the generations? “History begins only with each of our births.”
Still, several years back I made a commitment to growing my awareness of Space Patrol’s vast library. In the process, I promised myself that – as time permitted – I’d even go back and partake of an episode or two or three (or more) of the programs so that I could commit a bit of bandwidth to something that meant so much to so many in fandom. While this might not resonate with everyone who frequents these corners, I hope that those of you who have that affinity as I do for shows of old might be inspired to do the same if and when you, too have an opening on your social schedule.
Today’s adventure?
Why … it’s Space Patrol’s pilot episode: “Treachery On Mars!”
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Commander Buzz Corry and new recruit Cadet Happy of the Space Patrol face villainous ‘Treachery on Mars!’”
There’s always a bit of danger when looking into the past – especially the distant past – in trying to better acquaint oneself with the vastness of the viewing library for all of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
The bitterest pill to swallow is that – ahem – good Special Effects back in those early days were exceedingly hard to come by. Lacking the technological wizardry that wouldn’t even be the germ of an idea back then, storytellers were arguably painted into a small corner with what they could and couldn’t accomplish for screens big and small. Makeup, prosthetics, and costuming could only take viewers so far into such narrative world-building. Whilst a great many craftspeople did the best they could, I dare say that today’s audiences would turn up their noses at what audiences of the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s had to accept as ‘authentic.’
That isn’t an insult, certainly not to this viewer. I’ve long written about my fascination with one of the big screen’s first and best galactic heroes: Flash Gordon soared up in the cinema lights across three wonderful serials – Flash Gordon (1936), Flash Gordon’s Trip To Mars (1938), and Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1940) – and his tales of derring-do stood as the highwater mark for what was possible in originally going where no man had gone before. Yes – for those of you who might be a bit cynical – I even watch and rewatch those things today – fastly approaching a century after their inception – and I still love them. Of course, some of it is my embrace of nostalgia, but the rest of it is that I find them just simple and wholesome fun.
Still, 1950’s premiere of Space Patrol doesn’t look all that different from what Hollywood – with a better budget – had achieved only a dozen or so years earlier with those Gordon features. Its effects sequences – a few shots of a spaceship hurtling across the heavens along with some impressive miniatures of the Martian surface – are admittedly primitive, which is to say that they work but are not worth dissecting further. They convey what they’re intended to convey, especially given what was possible mostly in-camera at the time.
Alas, audiences weren’t treated to any origins story in this first outing, a caper that serves to introduce series’ regulars Commander Buzz Corry (played by Ed Kemmer) and his sidekick Cadet Happy (Lyn Osborn) on their mission to keep the galaxy under observation from ne’er-do-wells. As you might suspect, a significant baddie – Major Gorla (Peter Mamakos) – makes an appearance in the adventure: as he’s apparently fallen from grace with the wider United Planets Space Patrol, he sets his vengeful sights on wiping Buzz and Happy out of existence with a missile leftover from Earth space-warring past, a move that dishes the ‘treachery’ promised in the episode’s title.
Essentially, that’s all she wrote (as they say). Treachery basically serves to set the stage and present a few key faces while only hinting at greater depth. Our dynamic duo manages to tactically outwit the missile using a defensive technology that’s as much ‘magic’ as it is science; and then they descend on the old Mars base where Gorla has holed up for no greater reasons stated. There are some modest fisticuffs when the opposing forces come together, but – as expected – good triumphs evil in the last reel, allowing the two to make their way to the manmade planet Terra where I’m sure all new adventures await. (Just tune in next week!)
If all of this sounds a tad simplistic, then you wouldn’t be wrong. As I said, this is largely what storytelling was in those days; and I’m sure viewers who showed up were reasonably tickled by what they saw. From what I’ve read online (Wikipedia.org and elsewhere), Spaofce Patrol was intended to be a kid’s show, and – lo and behold – the star procedural ended up actually wooing a solid number of adults into the mix. (Methinks that, perhaps, these more learned souls were experiencing maybe a bit of nostalgia for the aforementioned Flash Gordon, as well.) After it built up stream, Patrol patrolled those deadly streets of Outer Space for a fun-filled five seasons, becoming a bit of a cultural phenomenon and fueling a radio-show spin-off to boot.
Now, all of you are free to make of what you will a somewhat forgotten adventure from yesteryear. But for me Space Patrol really serves as yet one more example of just how widespread the fandom for even modestly produced Science Fiction and Fantasy stretches. Such adventures not unlike Flash Gordon before it and Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Quantum Leap after it establish audiences hungry for this type of good-vs-evil tales; and we’re a vastly better society for having built them as opposed to what we are when we forget them.
Never forget your roots, folks. Never.
Space Patrol’s “Treachery On Mars!” (S01E01) was produced by Tower Productions and ABC Network Television. A quick Google.com search shows that the program is available for free streaming on Tubi and elsewhere. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I’m willing to concede that, yes, the available stream is a bit subpar from what I’d like it to be, but that doesn’t diminish the entertainment value in any sizable way. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, I viewed this one entirely via streaming, so there were no special features under consideration.
Recommended.
A little something like Space Patrol isn’t going to be for everyone, but for this old dog who occasionally prefers going back into the barrel for a look into the past then a short spin like “Treachery On Mars!” is just fine. There’s only modest world-building that takes place here, and the character bits are so negligible that you’ll likely do as I did and see them as stock archetypes, nothing more. Still, I kinda/sorta dig this stuff: it’s a harmless confection that passes less than thirty minutes without rustling up a care in the world otherwise.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Space Patrol’s “Treachery On Mars” (S01E01) as I viewed it from a posting on YouTube.com.
-- EZ
In fact – and this may shock some of you – it’s a program I honestly hadn’t much heard about until I began this deep dive into genre history that I call my editorship of SciFiHistory.Net. Oh, it may’ve come up in passing reading here and there, but – for whatever reasons – it was a franchise that just never hooked in the deep, deep crevasses of my fertile brain. It registered more strongly after I’d done a fair bit of research and learned about how impactful it was with audiences of that bygone era; but – for me – it wasn’t something I knew much less understood. What is that saying about the generations? “History begins only with each of our births.”
Still, several years back I made a commitment to growing my awareness of Space Patrol’s vast library. In the process, I promised myself that – as time permitted – I’d even go back and partake of an episode or two or three (or more) of the programs so that I could commit a bit of bandwidth to something that meant so much to so many in fandom. While this might not resonate with everyone who frequents these corners, I hope that those of you who have that affinity as I do for shows of old might be inspired to do the same if and when you, too have an opening on your social schedule.
Today’s adventure?
Why … it’s Space Patrol’s pilot episode: “Treachery On Mars!”
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Commander Buzz Corry and new recruit Cadet Happy of the Space Patrol face villainous ‘Treachery on Mars!’”
There’s always a bit of danger when looking into the past – especially the distant past – in trying to better acquaint oneself with the vastness of the viewing library for all of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
The bitterest pill to swallow is that – ahem – good Special Effects back in those early days were exceedingly hard to come by. Lacking the technological wizardry that wouldn’t even be the germ of an idea back then, storytellers were arguably painted into a small corner with what they could and couldn’t accomplish for screens big and small. Makeup, prosthetics, and costuming could only take viewers so far into such narrative world-building. Whilst a great many craftspeople did the best they could, I dare say that today’s audiences would turn up their noses at what audiences of the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s had to accept as ‘authentic.’
That isn’t an insult, certainly not to this viewer. I’ve long written about my fascination with one of the big screen’s first and best galactic heroes: Flash Gordon soared up in the cinema lights across three wonderful serials – Flash Gordon (1936), Flash Gordon’s Trip To Mars (1938), and Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1940) – and his tales of derring-do stood as the highwater mark for what was possible in originally going where no man had gone before. Yes – for those of you who might be a bit cynical – I even watch and rewatch those things today – fastly approaching a century after their inception – and I still love them. Of course, some of it is my embrace of nostalgia, but the rest of it is that I find them just simple and wholesome fun.
Still, 1950’s premiere of Space Patrol doesn’t look all that different from what Hollywood – with a better budget – had achieved only a dozen or so years earlier with those Gordon features. Its effects sequences – a few shots of a spaceship hurtling across the heavens along with some impressive miniatures of the Martian surface – are admittedly primitive, which is to say that they work but are not worth dissecting further. They convey what they’re intended to convey, especially given what was possible mostly in-camera at the time.
Alas, audiences weren’t treated to any origins story in this first outing, a caper that serves to introduce series’ regulars Commander Buzz Corry (played by Ed Kemmer) and his sidekick Cadet Happy (Lyn Osborn) on their mission to keep the galaxy under observation from ne’er-do-wells. As you might suspect, a significant baddie – Major Gorla (Peter Mamakos) – makes an appearance in the adventure: as he’s apparently fallen from grace with the wider United Planets Space Patrol, he sets his vengeful sights on wiping Buzz and Happy out of existence with a missile leftover from Earth space-warring past, a move that dishes the ‘treachery’ promised in the episode’s title.
Essentially, that’s all she wrote (as they say). Treachery basically serves to set the stage and present a few key faces while only hinting at greater depth. Our dynamic duo manages to tactically outwit the missile using a defensive technology that’s as much ‘magic’ as it is science; and then they descend on the old Mars base where Gorla has holed up for no greater reasons stated. There are some modest fisticuffs when the opposing forces come together, but – as expected – good triumphs evil in the last reel, allowing the two to make their way to the manmade planet Terra where I’m sure all new adventures await. (Just tune in next week!)
If all of this sounds a tad simplistic, then you wouldn’t be wrong. As I said, this is largely what storytelling was in those days; and I’m sure viewers who showed up were reasonably tickled by what they saw. From what I’ve read online (Wikipedia.org and elsewhere), Spaofce Patrol was intended to be a kid’s show, and – lo and behold – the star procedural ended up actually wooing a solid number of adults into the mix. (Methinks that, perhaps, these more learned souls were experiencing maybe a bit of nostalgia for the aforementioned Flash Gordon, as well.) After it built up stream, Patrol patrolled those deadly streets of Outer Space for a fun-filled five seasons, becoming a bit of a cultural phenomenon and fueling a radio-show spin-off to boot.
Now, all of you are free to make of what you will a somewhat forgotten adventure from yesteryear. But for me Space Patrol really serves as yet one more example of just how widespread the fandom for even modestly produced Science Fiction and Fantasy stretches. Such adventures not unlike Flash Gordon before it and Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Quantum Leap after it establish audiences hungry for this type of good-vs-evil tales; and we’re a vastly better society for having built them as opposed to what we are when we forget them.
Never forget your roots, folks. Never.
Space Patrol’s “Treachery On Mars!” (S01E01) was produced by Tower Productions and ABC Network Television. A quick Google.com search shows that the program is available for free streaming on Tubi and elsewhere. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I’m willing to concede that, yes, the available stream is a bit subpar from what I’d like it to be, but that doesn’t diminish the entertainment value in any sizable way. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, I viewed this one entirely via streaming, so there were no special features under consideration.
Recommended.
A little something like Space Patrol isn’t going to be for everyone, but for this old dog who occasionally prefers going back into the barrel for a look into the past then a short spin like “Treachery On Mars!” is just fine. There’s only modest world-building that takes place here, and the character bits are so negligible that you’ll likely do as I did and see them as stock archetypes, nothing more. Still, I kinda/sorta dig this stuff: it’s a harmless confection that passes less than thirty minutes without rustling up a care in the world otherwise.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that I’m beholden to no one for this review of Space Patrol’s “Treachery On Mars” (S01E01) as I viewed it from a posting on YouTube.com.
-- EZ
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