"Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe" (1953) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

16 July 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Judd Holdren	...	Commando Cody (12 episodes, 1955)
Aline Towne	...	Joan Gilbert (12 episodes, 1955)
Gregory Gaye	...	The Ruler (12 episodes, 1955)
Craig Kelly	...	Mr. Henderson (12 episodes, 1955)
Richard Crane	...	Dick Preston (9 episodes, 1955)
Lyle Talbot	...	Baylor (6 episodes, 1955)
Gloria Pall	...	The Moon Girl (6 episodes, 1955)
John Crawford	...	Alien / ... (5 episodes, 1955)
Eddie Foster	...	Mason (5 episodes, 1955)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Clancy (5 episodes, 1955)

Also Known As:

Commando Cody (USA) (short title)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Company:

Republic Pictures

Trivia:

There is some controversy among scholars of movie serials whether this is a serial or a television series. It was originally intended as a TV series, but contractual obligations forced Republic Pictures to give it a theatrical release before allowing it to be broadcast on TV. While each episode bears a "number" and title, the episodes do not end in "cliffhangers", a hallmark of the classic movie serial. Unlike TV series of that period, though, the episodes are not completely self contained - they follow a definite story arc, and cannot be shown out of order and remain comprehensible to the viewer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Shows its Republic Pictures/Matinée Serial Origins

"Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe", was a half hour TV series that ran as a replacement series on NBC during the 1955 season. If the series looked familiar...it was! "Commando Cody..." shows its Republic Pictures/matinée serial origins as the title character appeared once under the Cody name and twice under different character names in three different Saturday matinée cliffhanger serials from the late '40's thru the early '50's. Although there were 12 TV episodes (as there were nearly always 12 chapters of a serial), none of them ended in the inevitable cliffhanger ending. All episodes were complete in themselves yet there was a definite continuing story arc week-to-week. The 12 episodes were first shown in theatres in 1953 but by this point in time movie serials were fast becoming extinct due to the growing popularity of network television. Republic Pictures, along with Columbia Pictures, were the last two studios to produce theatrical serials. The "Commando Cody..." series was, along with most of the last of Republic's serial output, very cheaply and quickly produced so as to include tons of stock footage at Republic's disposal from nearly 20 years of serial production. Judd Holdren, who had played the Cody character (under a different name) in the second of the "Rocketman/Commando Cody" theatrical serials, starred as Commando Cody. Aline Towne played his assistant Joan, William Shallert played his assistant Ted for the first half of the series and Richard Crane replaced Shallert as assistant Dick during the second half. The Cody group was battling Gregory Gay as the Ruler who was attempting to destroy the Earth from his base on the Moon. The Ruler was assisted on Earth by Baylor (portrayed by veteran actor Lyle Talbot) and assorted other Earth gangsters looking to "clean up" after Earth's overthrow.

Sci-Fi that seems "hokey" by today's standards but entertaining for its' time in the much simpler '50's.