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	...	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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Taglines:

HILLS OF DEATH! SUPER-SCIENCE STRUGGLE!

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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 (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Set builder and prop maker Eugene Hilchey found the miniature model of the space ship used in this film at the CBS Studio Center (formerly the Republic Studio) sometime in the 1960s.

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Goofs

When Cody is flying in his secret flying suit, in the long shots his arms are always stretched straight forward; but in the close-ups his arms are always bent somewhat downward.

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Quotes

Henderson: For some time our astronomers have noticed an unusual amount of atomic activity on the moon. Atomic activity on the moon, atomic blasts on the earth: the two known facts fit together.

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Connections

Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy (1989)

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.