Lost Planet Airmen (1951)

Young member of scientific group uses new rocket-powered flying suit to thwart shadowy saboteur known only as "Dr. Vulcan".

Director:

Fred C. Brannon

Writers:

Royal K. Cole, William Lively,

Stars:

Tristram Coffin, Mae Clarke, Don Haggerty

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tristram Coffin	...	Prof. Jeff King (archive footage)
Mae Clarke	...	Glenda Thomas (archive footage)
Don Haggerty	...	Tony Dirken (archive footage)
House Peters Jr.	...	Burt Winslow (archive footage)
James Craven	...	Prof. Millard (archive footage)
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Prof. Bryant (archive footage)
Ted Adams	...	Martin Conway (archive footage)
Stanley Price	...	Gunther von Sturm (archive footage)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Martin, a thug (archive footage)
Marshall Bradford	...	Dr. Graffner (archive footage)
Douglas Evans	...	Chairman (archive footage)
Tom Steele	...	Knox, a thug (archive footage)
Eddie Parker	...	Rowan (scenes deleted)
David Sharpe	...	Blears, a thug (archive footage)
Michael Ferro	...	Turk, A Thug (scenes deleted)

Storyline

This 1951 film is a feature re-issue of the 1949 12-chapter Republic serial "King of the Rocket Men" edited down to 65 minutes, which basically means that players such as Tom Steele, David Sharpe and Eddie Parker who had as many as four-to-five different roles (in addition to stunt doubling) in the 12-chapter serial only pop up here in two-three different roles but spaced closer together. Both versions find the diabolical Dr. Vulcan (I. Stanford Jolley) causing the deaths of Professors Drake (Dale Van Sickle in one of his five roles in the serial version)and Millard (James Craven, chewing less scenery than usual for him) of Science Associates, a privately-operated desert research project. The "accidents" attract the attention of Glenda Thomas (Mae Clarke), photographer for Miracle Science magazine. She visits the project and is placated by publicity director Burt Winslow (House Peters, Jr.) and project member Jeff King (Tristram Coffin.) Later, Jeff visits a cave where he has been ...

---

Plot Keywords:

new york city | tidal wave | earthquake | scientific group | lucky escape | 

---

Genres:

Sci-Fi

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le roi des hommes fusee

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although listed in the screen cast, the following actors did not appear in the final release: Eddie Parker, Michael Ferro, Buddy Roosevelt.'

---

Connections

Edited from King of the Rocket Men (1949)

User Reviews

The Band & the Movie

It's right up there with Plan 9 on the all-time list of 'bad' movies.

Yes this movie did lend its name to the great rock/swing band. I asked Commander Cody about the connection to the movie, noting that it was absolutely so bad it was great. A DJ with us cringed, expecting CC to be shocked that I'd dissed a movie he revered. Cody burst out laughing that the night he saw the movie in some dump hotel his band was so bad that he named it after the equally 'bad' movie then & there. "This was before I had Buffalo Bruce and Andy Stein and Bill Kirchen...we were TERRIBLE!"

And true, there is no lost planet.