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Rocky Jones, Space Ranger
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:58 pm    Post subject: Rocky Jones, Space Ranger Reply with quote



I watched this wonderful show when I was a kid back in the 1950s. About the only thing I remember clearly are those cool scenes of the Orbit Jet landing majestically on its fins. Those scenes still look very impressive. The rocket descends smoothly, and the thrust flame emits no smoke which would make the rocket look like an obvious miniature.

This show is available on very low quality DVDs, but even these are extremely enjoyable for fans like me. Our hero and his loyal crew cruise around the solar system in their gorgeous rocket, and visit various planets. They fight to preserve the United Federation of Planets (the same used in Star Trek). They solve problems with brains rather than brawn (whenever possible).

If you're old enough to remember this show, or you've become a fan more recently by watching the less-than-perfect DVDs, please share your views.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Mon Jun 27, 2022 10:36 am; edited 3 times in total
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Bongopete
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This was the only one of the several 50's tv shows that I watched.
Didn't see them for years obviously until MST took aim...and they were wonderful for that as well!!!

Anyone remember an episode in which some ray or well...'thing' caused wood to disintegrate? I remember Vena and Bobby sitting back in the rear of the ship at Vena's console and the panel and controls start coming apart...and I remember thinking that this was a spaceship and had 'wood'?
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Krel
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bongopete wrote:
Anyone remember an episode in which some ray or well...'thing' caused wood to disintegrate? I remember Vena and Bobby sitting back in the rear of the ship at Vena's console and the panel and controls startED coming apart...and I remember thinking that this was a spaceship and had 'wood'?

The Orbit Jet was an upscale rocketship with all of the luxury options, leather seats, wood interior, ect..

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Wood in a high-tech spacecraft. Well, I guess it could have been worse. What if they'd used a bunch of flammable Velcro and faulty wiring, and then pumped it full 100% oxygen?

We all know what that leads to, eh?

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Bongopete
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yeah welllll.....it was like the Orbit Jet had termites.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excuse me, sir, but I think you meant nanites -- microscopic hi-tech mechanisms which can be programmed to repair or destroy.

Boy, Rock Jones was really ahead of it's time, huh?
Shocked
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Orbit Jet was one of my favorite ship designs from the '50s TV space operas. (I judged all the shows on the basis of their ships.) The launch sequence and gantry structure (an electric power station) were also cooler than most others.

The scene of the instruments popping out of their wood frames does ring a bell. I have no recollection of the rest of that episode.

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Krel
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pegasus models has come out with a model of the Luna and the Cosmostrator. So I am hoping that they will continue the trend with other early rocket ships like the Orbit Jet.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Holly Crap, Randy! How did you manage to recover images from the old board? Surely you're joshin', Dude! Shocked

By the way, this isn't Anne Robinson as Queen Juliandra. It's Patsy Parsons as Queen Cleolanta. I've never found a really good picture of Anne like this one of Patsy. But Anne was absolutely luscious in that show.

This is the best I've found of Anne. And that black satin dress is split to just above the knee, even though you can't see it in this picture. Yummy.


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Rocky Jones
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since I have some relation to this thread, I suppose I should blurt out a line or two here. This was my first space show and entirely inspired my childhood ambition to be a space traveler. In fact, as a kid I made a serious effort to nail together my own rocket for a trip to the moon (my aerospace carpentry skills were seriously lacking, however).

The rocket in this one was one of my all time favorites, too. I actually have an unbuilt resin model of it around here someplace I'll (probably) get around to building one day.

About the only down side of Rocky was the fact that his livelihood required pushing Ovaltine on we innocent kids. I couldn't stand that stuff.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rocky Jones wrote:
About the only down side of Rocky was the fact that his livelihood required pushing Ovaltine on we innocent kids. I couldn't stand that stuff.

I wasn't aware that Rocky Jones' sponsor was Ovaltine. Captain Midnight is famous for being sponsored by Ovaltine (and Kix cereal), but I've never seen any Ovaltine commercials with Rocky.

I continue to hope that somebody will finally discover good prints of the episodes and release them on DVD. I own just about every DVD version of the show available, but the picture quality ranges from bad to worse, I'm afraid.

In fact, it took me years to find the second of the two seasons. The second season was unavailable until just a few years ago.

Which DVD versions do you own, Rocky?
Very Happy
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:08 am; edited 1 time in total
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Rocky Jones
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
I wasn't aware that Rocky Jones' sponsor was Ovaltine. Captain Midnight is famous for being sponsored by Ovaltine (and Kix cereal), but I've never seen any Ovaltine commercials with Rocky.

I haven't seen this show since I was a kid in '50s, so I'll concede my information may be flawed. I do remember watching most Rocky Jones ever Saturday AM for as long as it ran, though. I never heard of Captain Midnight until adulthood. My distant memory has Rocky pushing Ovaltine, but I won't swear.

Bud Brewster wrote:
Which DVD versions do you own, Rocky? Very Happy

I've never been one to collect tapes or DVDs and own very few. I guess growing up with TV and movies as event-like mediums rather than as commodities. Once I see something it's pretty much in my memory and time to move on to something else. There's only a few classics I like to watch again now and then. Most of those turn up on TV pretty often.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rocky Jones wrote:
Once I see something it's pretty much in my memory and time to move on to something else. There's only a few classics I like to watch again now and then. Most of those turn up on TV pretty often.

I know what you mean, Rocky.

However, I'm different when it comes to rewatching the things I like. I have a reasonably large collection of DVDs, and picking the one I'm in just the right mood for is a constant pleasure. Very Happy





However, watching Rocky Jones again might not be very rewarding for you because (a) they don't date very well, and (b) the picture quality on the DVDs is pretty bad.

The gray market DVDs of Science Fiction Theater have also been horrible, and for years I've yearned for better copies.

Recently my prayers were answered when Shout Factory released an 8-disc box set of the famous show, and according to the folks who've bought it and compared the quality to their older versions, it's a remarkable improvement.



If it can happen with Science Fiction Theater, it could happen with Rocky Jones. And if that happy day comes, I urge you to grab a set and reacquaint yourself with the noble Space Ranger and his crew.

If your memory of the show includes Ovaltine commercials, you might be in for some pleasant surprises.
Cool
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


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Rocky Jones
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just one thing in all that is hanging in my mind: "Here Comes Tobor?"
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 3:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, a syndicated series staring Tobor and his loyal young friend, fighting the enemies of the free world, seen on your local stations, check listings for time and day. Very Happy
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Sep 26, 2017 8:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
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