Radar Men from the Moon (1952)

Strategic targets on Earth are being destroyed by an unknown weapon. Government security head Henderson suspects it's an "atomic ray" originating from the moon! He assigns Commando Cody, ... See full summary »

Director:

Fred C. Brannon

Writer:

Ronald Davidson

Stars:

George Wallace, Aline Towne, Roy Barcroft

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Wallace	...	Commando Cody
Aline Towne	...	Joan Gilbert
Roy Barcroft	...	Retik
William Bakewell	...	Ted Richards
Clayton Moore	...	Graber
Peter Brocco	...	Krog
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Daly (as Bob Stevenson)
Don Walters	...	Mr. Henderson
Tom Steele	...	Zerg
Dale Van Sickel	...	Alon
Wilson Wood	...	Hank
Noel Cravat	...	Robal
Baynes Barron	...	Nesor, Retik's Lab Aide [Ch.2]
Paul McGuire	...	Bream
Ted Thorpe	...	Al's Cafe Bartender [Ch. 6, 7, 12]

Storyline

Strategic targets on Earth are being destroyed by an unknown weapon. Government security head Henderson suspects it's an "atomic ray" originating from the moon! He assigns Commando Cody, scientist and man of action with a secret flying suit, to investigate. Soon, Cody is battling Earth thugs in the pay of Krog the moon man and making trips in his experimental rocket to the moon itself, in a perilous and all but singlehanded effort to thwart the planned invasion of Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

moon | rocket | commando | invasion of earth | bank robber | 

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Taglines:

MOON-MEN ATTACK THE EARTH! ATOMIC ACTION! (original poster- all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Planet Men from Mars

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$185,702 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

167 min 167 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Made by Republic in the final years of serial production, it recycled the "rocketman suit" from the studio's wildly popular serial King of the Rocket Men.

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Goofs

Ordering the rocket ship to turn around the pilot is told to make a "quick 360" turn. In fact, a 360 turn would simply turn the ship completely around in a circle to resume it's present course.

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Quotes

[Commando Cody, Ted, and Joan are about to board ship for the moon]
Commando Cody: I still think this is no trip for a woman.
Joan Gilbert: Now don't start that again. You'll be very glad to have someone along who can cook your meals.

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Connections

Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Robot Holocaust (1990)

User Reviews

a Man Of Action!

From my review to The Rocketeer (1991): This serial made an easy transition to television, and was played every Saturday - some years every day - on television throughout the early 1960s. I sat glued whenever it was on. Commando Cody actually did look like he was flying!

• But more importantly, being the last of the great serial heroes, his

writers had learned from previous mistakes, not to let Cody or his friends - or his enemies - do any much talking. The serial was just one fist-fight, shoot-em-up-explosion after another; but, what made this important is that Cody thus had no time to doubt, to question, even to pose - he had to take decisive action at every minute - and he did! - this was no typical wimp (which by the mid-'60s were cluttering up comics, books, and films), this was a Man Of Action! And the second I recall ever seeing from popular culture (after Eliot Ness in the Untouchables).

Accept no imitations.