Manhunt in Space (1956) (TV)

Director:

Hollingsworth Morse

Writer:

Arthur Hoerl

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

Not a feature film, but several episodes of the TV series "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger" (1954) edited together and released as a feature.

Plot Keywords:

Space | Invisibility | Edited From TV Series | Sequel

Cast

Richard Crane	...	Rocky Jones (archive footage)
Sally Mansfield	...	Vena Ray (archive footage)
Robert Lyden	...	Bobby (archive footage)
Maurice Cass	...	Professor Newton (archive footage)
Charles Meredith	...	Secretary of Space Drake (archive footage)
Henry Brandon	...	Rinkman, space pirate leader (archive footage)
Ray Montgomery	...	Reggie, a space ranger (archive footage)
Gábor Curtiz	...	Dr. Vanko (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Scotty Beckett	...	Winky (uncredited) (archive footage)
Tom Brown	...	Paul Ray (uncredited) (archive footage)
James Griffith	...	Ken, Cassa 7 Air Controller (uncredited) (archive footage)
Judd Holdren	...	Ranger Higgins (uncredited) (archive footage)
Harry Lauter	...	Atlasan (uncredited) (archive footage)
Patsy Parsons	...	Cleolanta (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Link, a pirate (uncredited) (archive footage)

Directed by
Hollingsworth Morse

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Arthur Hoerl

Produced by
Arthur Pierson	....	associate producer
Roland D. Reed	....	producer
Guy V. Thayer Jr.	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Walter Strenge

Film Editing by
Fred Maguire

Art Direction by
McClure Capps

Production Management
Richard L'Estrange	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dick Moder	....	assistant director

Visual Effects by
Jack R. Glass	....	photographic effects

Other crew
Hazel W. Hall	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Official Films
• Roland Reed Productions

Distributors

• Official Films Television (1956) (USA) (all media) (TV) (16mm) (original airing via syndication)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Official Films

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The wheel on the airlock door clearly doesn't move when Reggie "turns" it; he just moves his hands in a circle.

Quotes:

[the Orbit Jet has just destroyed the derelict Martian spaceship Double M]
Winky:Well, the Double M just became the scrambled M.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Manhunt in Space (#5.13)" (1992)

I saw Manhunt in Space..........

I saw "Manhunt in Space" on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (ep 413) and even Joel and the Bots could barely cut down on the deep hurting brought on by this clunker. It's really just a few episodes of the 50's kiddie show "Rocky Jones Space Ranger" cut together and there is certainly no shortage of laughable special effects, cheesy sets, even cheesier costumes, not to mention wooden performances and standard bad sci-fi "realism" (oh, apparently the only apparatus you need to walk out into space is an aquarium placed on your head). All this and I'm not even getting into the blatant homoeroticism in the relationship of Rocky and his sidekick Winky, who at one point actually talks about "the gay nightlife". Yikes. When Winky talks about "riding the rocket" you won't be thinking about space travel. It sounds like I'm overselling this thing a little so make no mistake, this is not so much a "so bad it's good" film as much as it is a "so bad it makes you want to claw your own eyes out" film. Don't see "Manhunt in Space" unless you are a rabid sci-fi completeist, or unless of course you are accompanied into the theater by a guy and two puppets. All I learned from it is that in the future people will communicate through Jimmy Dean sausages.