"Sky King" (1951) TV series 1951-1962

Writers:

Dwight V. Babcock (episode)
Leslie Edgley (story)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

16 September 1951 (USA)

Plot:

"From out of the clear blue of the western sky comes Sky King" was the familiar opening to television's premier aviation program...

Plot Keywords:

Aviation | Arizona | Uncle Niece Relationship | Modern Western | Character Name In Title

Cast

Kirby Grant	...	Sky King / ... (72 episodes, 1952-1959)
Gloria Winters	...	Penny King (72 episodes, 1952-1959)

Series Directed by
Hollingsworth Morse		(15 episodes, 1952)
Jodie Copelan		(12 episodes, 1956-1958)
Stuart E. McGowan		(12 episodes, 1956-1958)
Clark L. Paylow		(11 episodes, 1956-1959)
Paul Landres		(9 episodes, 1952-1959)
William Witney		(4 episodes, 1959)
William J. Hole Jr.		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Oliver Drake		(2 episodes, 1958)
Richard C. Kahn		(2 episodes, 1958)
Herbert L. Strock		(2 episodes, 1958)

Series Writing credits
Burt Sims		(7 episodes, 1956-1959)
William Welch		(7 episodes, 1957-1958)
Adrian Gendot		(5 episodes, 1956)
Tom Seller		(4 episodes, 1952)
Douglas Johnson		(4 episodes, 1958)
C. Ray Stahl		(4 episodes, 1959)
Harry Poppe Jr.		(3 episodes, 1952-1956)
Curtis Kenyon		(3 episodes, 1952)
Charles Larson		(3 episodes, 1952)
David P. Sheppard		(3 episodes, 1952)
John Grey		(3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Fran Harris		(3 episodes, 1958)
Joe Richardson		(2 episodes, 1952)
Orville H. Hampton		(2 episodes, 1956)
Fran Van Hartsveldt		(2 episodes, 1956)
Pat Cherr		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Tom Murray		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Budd Lesser		(2 episodes, 1959)
Sloan Nibley		(2 episodes, 1959)
P.K. Palmer		(2 episodes, 1959)
Dwight V. Babcock		(1 episode, 1958)
Leslie Edgley		(unknown episodes)
Polly James		(unknown episodes)
Marilyn Murphy		(unknown episodes)
Roy Winson		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Dorrell McGowan	....	executive producer (51 episodes, 1956-1959)
Clark L. Paylow	....	producer (47 episodes, 1956-1959)
Stuart E. McGowan	....	executive producer (20 episodes, 1956)
Jack Chertok	....	producer (19 episodes, 1952)
Harry Poppe	....	associate producer / producer (19 episodes, 1952)

Series Original Music by
Eve Newman		(8 episodes, 1956)
Alec Compinsky		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Carl Berger		(20 episodes, 1956)
Robert Pittack		(14 episodes, 1952)
William Bradford		(12 episodes, 1958-1959)
Hal McAlpin		(11 episodes, 1958)
Brydon Baker		(9 episodes, 1957-1958)
Mack Stengler		(2 episodes, 1952)

Series Film Editing by
Ben Marmon		(11 episodes, 1952-1958)
Everett Dodd		(7 episodes, 1952-1959)
Jerry Young		(5 episodes, 1956-1959)
Frank Capacchione		(4 episodes, 1952)
Leon Selditz		(3 episodes, 1956)
Axel Hubert Sr.		(2 episodes, 1952)
Warren Adams		(2 episodes, 1958)
Sherman A. Rose		(2 episodes, 1958)
Jack Wheeler		(2 episodes, 1958)

Series Art Direction by
Alfeo Bocchicchio		(31 episodes, 1957-1959)
Howard Campbell		(3 episodes, 1952)

Series Makeup Department
Ernie Young	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1959)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry M. Slott	....	assistant director (18 episodes, 1956-1959)
Lester D. Guthrie	....	assistant director (16 episodes, 1952)
Herbert E. Mendelson	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1956)
Bob White	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1958)
Clark L. Paylow	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Harrold Weinberger	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1959)
Jack Gertsman	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1958)

Series Art Department
G.W. Berntsen	....	set dresser (32 episodes, 1957-1959)
Leo J. Cornett	....	property master (17 episodes, 1956-1958)
Walter Veady	....	property master (12 episodes, 1958-1959)
Ernest Johnson	....	property master (6 episodes, 1958)
Gene Gossert	....	property master (4 episodes, 1958)

Series Sound Department
Verna Fields	....	sound effects / sound effects editor (42 episodes, 1956-1959)
T.T. Triplett	....	sound (27 episodes, 1956-1958)
Max M. Hutchinson	....	sound recordist / sound (17 episodes, 1952)
Woodruff H. Clarke	....	sound (12 episodes, 1958-1959)
Clarence Peterson	....	sound (10 episodes, 1958)

Series Stunts
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunt double: Kirby Grant (2 episodes, 1952)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Fred Krone	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Boyd Stockman	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Wilbur Kinnett	....	lighting director / lighting / ... (15 episodes, 1956)

Series Editorial Department
Arthur H. Nadel	....	supervising film editor / supervising editor (51 episodes, 1956-1959)
Jack Ruggiero	....	supervising editor (16 episodes, 1952)
Gilbert Mandelik	....	supervising editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Alec Compinsky	....	music supervisor (22 episodes, 1958-1959)
Herbert Taylor	....	composer: theme music (19 episodes, 1952)
Milton Raskin	....	composer: theme music (18 episodes, 1952)
Eve Newman	....	music editor (8 episodes, 1956)
Byron Chudnow	....	music editor (2 episodes, 1956)

Series Other crew
Paul Mantz	....	aerial advisor (16 episodes, 1952)

Production Companies

• Jack Chertok Television Productions
• McGowan Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1951-1952) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1952-1954) (USA) (TV) (season 2)
• Moviecraft (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS) (4 episodes)
• Alpha Video Distributors (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1959) (USA) (TV) (reruns)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)

Runtime:

30 min | USA:30 min (72 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Jack Chertok Television Productions

Trivia:

There were two "Songbirds" used in the series - the first was a Cessna T-50 Bobcat, the second was a Cessna 310B.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Movie Orgy (1968)

A Nostalgic Treasure

"Sky King" is one of the first television shows I remember watching, so it has great nostalgic value for me. I'd love to see it again, since it has been 50 years since I last watched the program!

I do remember the character "Penny," probably more than I remember "Sky King," although the name Kirby Grant (Sky King) was always remembered and I couldn't have told you who played Penny until I read the title page here at IMDb. I do recall Gloria Winters (Penny) has a wholesome, cute blonde. I've read some reviews that say she is annoying in this program, but I can't recall that.

A cowboy who flew airplanes - now that was a different angle for a storyline! This was an adventure program that was a favorite in our family, too, as my father always had interest in flying and eventually was able to buy a small plane - a Cessna, similar to the one Sky King flew!

I'd sure love to see some episodes of this again, although I don't know how they would look today. I am encouraged that some of these are available on DVD. One thing for sure: you can't beat the good messages that television shows brought to us families in the '50s, unlike the garbage you see today.