Captain Video, Master of the Stratosphere (1951)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Directors:

Spencer Gordon Bennet
Wallace Grissell

Writers:

Royal K. Cole (screenplay)
Sherman L. Lowe (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 December 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Adventure

Tagline:

The hottest hero of all, in the greatest of all serials!

Plot:

Space hero Captain Video battles the evil Vultura on the planet Atoma.

Plot Keywords:

Space Hero | Serial | Outer Space | Space Opera | Henchman

Cast

Judd Holdren	...	Captain Video
Larry Stewart	...	Ranger
George Eldredge	...	Dr. Tobor
Gene Roth	...	Vultura
Don C. Harvey	...	Gallagher (as Don Harvey)
William Fawcett	...	Alpha [Chs. 1-3, 7, 15]
Jack Ingram	...	Henchman Aker [Chs. 1, 7, 10-14]
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Zarol [Chs. 8-9]
Skelton Knaggs	...	Retner
Jimmy Stark	...	Ranger Rogers
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Henchman Beal [Chs. 1, 7, 11]
Zon Murray	...	Henchman Elko [Chs. 1, 7, 10-14]

Also Known As:

Captain Video (USA) (short title)
Captain Video, Hero of Outer Space! (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

287 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Cinecolor sequences) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

In the first chapter, one of the shots establishing the headquarters of Captain Video, is stock footage of the Alabama Hills, California.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In chapter 11, Captain Video slightly stumbles over his line "in this area" while being secretly recorded. However, during the playback, the Captain says his line perfectly.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Avalon (1990)

Fun with Gadgets

I've yet to see a really great Columbia serial, they all seem to go on too long, and this didn't break the mould. It took me a long time to track down a copy (thank God for video) and it was black & white, missing the Cinecolor tinted sequences, but beggars can't be choosers. Planet Atoma looks dusty, and is ruled by despot Vultura, everyone is dressed in costumes left over from a "Buck Rogers" serial and he wants to rule the universe, starting with Earth! Captain Video and a young man who every one calls "Ranger" take him on. Between them they have a Gadget for every emergency and some left over, and space flight is as easy as catching the local bus.....but It's fun. By the way in all of the 15 episodes there's not one girl.