ALL SCI-FI Forum Index ALL SCI-FI
The place to “find your people”.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

King of the Rocket Men (1949)
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies and Serials from 1900 to 1949
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:38 pm    Post subject: King of the Rocket Men (1949) Reply with quote




This is one of the better Republic serials (later released in condensed form as "Lost Planet Airmen"), but it doesn't quite measure up to the thrills provided by The Rocketeer.

Still, it does offer death-defying feats and cliff-hanging dangers galore. Tristram Coffin is the hero with the rocket-powered backpack, battling evil in the name of the Science Association. The villain is Dr. Vulcan, who threatens New York City with destruction if a billion dollar ransom isn't paid.

The mayor refuses and Dr. Vulcan makes good his threat by causing an earthquake and a tidal wave (with scenes borrowed from 1933's "Deluge"). The admirable special effects were recycled for the "Commando Cody" serial a few years later.

_________________
____________
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 Aug 28, 2017 9:40 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
scotpens
Starship Captain


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 871
Location: The Left Coast

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One thing I never understood about the Rocketman/Commando Cody flying jacket: Why are the controls on the front of the thing where the pilot can't see them -- unless he's a contortionist?




Last edited by scotpens on Fri Dec 11, 2020 1:02 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good point!

Let's take a close look at that control panel and see if it makes sense from an engineering point of view.

The two knobs at the top are labeled "up / down" and "on / off". Below them is a knob which controls the speed -- a thrust control. Okay, that's perfectly reasonable. No problem there.





But the up and down control seems a little odd. If the Rocket Man was descending after taking off, what does the "down" setting do to change that? And how does he turn left and right without a knob for it?

More puzzling still are the numbers around the knob, running from 0 to to 10. Are these meant to indicate the degree of up-ness and down-ness the Rocket Man wants?

Seems like an cumbersome way to adjust the angle of flight. Clearly there seems to be some problems with the design concepts here.

Most puzzling of all are the numbers around the On / Off knob. What do they indicate? The degree On-ness and Off-ness? How does 0 in the On setting differ from any number at all in the Off setting?

That's like using a double negative. Zero degrees ON means OFF, right? I used to teach my students that when somebody said, "I ain't got no money," it meant they were NOT broke -- so the DID have money.

And why does ON have settings labeled 0 to 4, while Off has settings labeled 6 to 10?

And finally, what the hell does the 5 right in the middle of On and Off indicate? Halfway ON and halfway Off? What the crap does that mean? Shocked

What is this, some kind of existential control panel? Set it on 5 and the control panel gets to make all the choices because it's "a free and responsible agent determining it's own development through acts of the will."

No doubt about, this piece of hardware needs to go back to the drawing board!

_________________
____________
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 Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:06 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The ON-OFF numbering speaks to me of electric blankets.

"Would you like the blanket ON, honey?"

"Yes, just a little."

Or maybe an old ditty I once heard...

Quote:
He go the hill up,
Turn the corner 'round,
Run the dog over,
Not kill him much.

_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
scotpens
Starship Captain


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 871
Location: The Left Coast

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When Rocket Dude wants to go really, really fast, he turns the knob to 11. Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

_________________________

Right, and if he want's to go really really down he turns that knob to 10.
Very Happy
_________________
____________
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 Aug 28, 2017 9:48 am; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pow
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 3400
Location: New York

PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahh, the inspiration for one of my all time fav films, The Rocketeer. TR should have been a huge hit for Disney & created a franchise for 'em.

Alas, it was not to be.
Sad
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 10:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

__________________________

Yep, The Rocketeer is a prime example of a movie that deserved to succeed — but it didn't, for reasons none of us who loved it could possibly explain.

_________________
____________
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 Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Robert (Butch) Day
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1437
Location: Arlington, WA USA

PostPosted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As per usual the Disney Suits don't know how to treat Sci-Fi.

Witness The Rocketeer, Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), John Carter, Tomorrowland, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (TV 1999), Zenon: The Zequel (2001) Zenon: Z3 (2004), Plymouth (1991)and Earth Star Voyager (1988) among many others.

Disney's 'Sci-Fi' TV shows are even worse catering to the preteen crowd.

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Rocky Jones
Astral Engineer


Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 225
Location: North Texas

PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Rocket Men"/"Airmen" had what I think is some of the best flying man effects ever. They actually stand up pretty well even today. Apparently they actually ran a mannequin along a wire stretched between two hills, I guess high in the LA area mountains.

I was thinking it's too bad the same effects guys didn't work on the '50s TV Superman show, though without the helmet the flying mannequin might need a bit of work.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Robert (Butch) Day
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1437
Location: Arlington, WA USA

PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Who do the members think was the best Rocket Man?

Tristram Coffin as Jeff King in King of the Rocket Men (1949)?

or

George Wallace as Commando Cody in Radar Men From the Moon (January, 1952)?

or

Judd Holdren as Larry Martin in Zombies of the Stratosphere (July, 1952)?

or

Judd Holdren as Commando Cody in Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953)?

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Krel
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rocky Jones wrote:

I was thinking it's too bad the same effects guys didn't work on the '50s TV Superman show, though without the helmet the flying mannequin might need a bit of work.

The Lydeckers used the same flying techniques for the Captain Marvel serial, and it worked very well, and Captain Marvel didn't wear a helmet.

David.
Back to top
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Enjoy all 12 chapters from YouTube! Set your chest-mounted control panel to PLAY! Very Happy
________________________________



__________ King Of The Rocket Men - chapter 1


__________

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back to the discussion on the "dials" on the control panel.

Perhaps the numbers refer to the duration and thrust of the rockets.

For example "up" means the duration and power of the thrust starting at high thrust for take off diminishing to lower thrust for cruising. Likewise "down" means gradualy diminishing the power of the thrust either slowly (6) or quickly (10) depending on how quickly the descent will be.

Speed control would be a auto-pilot setting for the air speed required by the wearer. Since there are no readouts anywhere the regulation must be intuitive based on parameters noted in the testing phase of the rocket packs development.

"On" and "OFF" could be for determining the "richness" of the rocket fuel mixture. There are 2 tanks in the unit. One would be the fuel and the other the oxidizer. On and off would set the amount of fuel fed to the combustion chamber. Cruising might not require the full thrust needed for takeoff and landing.

On all dials the middle position would be to turn the function on and off.

Turning and banking would be controled by body movements alone. Perhaps the outspread hands and arms act as an airfoil to alter attitude of the man/rocket unit.

All of these controls would have to go through a onboard computer acting as an semi-auto-pilot regulating the "fine tuning" these movements would require.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You had me, up until the "onboard computer", Gord. Test pilots of this era took pride in their skill at flying "by the seat of their pants". In the case of Rocketman, this would have been especially true.
_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Movies and Serials from 1900 to 1949 All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group