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Quatermass II is a British science fiction serial, originally broadcast by BBC Television in the autumn of 1955. It is the second in the Quatermass series by writer Nigel Kneale, and the oldest of those serials to survive in its entirety in the BBC archives. The serial sees Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group being asked to examine strange meteorite showers. His investigations lead to his uncovering a conspiracy involving alien infiltration at the highest levels of the British government. As even some of Quatermass's closest colleagues fall victim to the alien influence, he is forced to use his own unsafe rocket prototype, which recently caused a nuclear disaster at an Australian testing range, to prevent the aliens from taking over mankind. Although sometimes compared unfavourably to the first and third Quatermass serials, Quatermass II was praised for its allegorical concerns of the damaging effects of industrialisation and the corruption of governments by big business. It is described on the British Film Institute's Screenonline website as "compulsive viewing". CASTING AND CREW Reginald Tate, who had played the title role in The Quatermass Experiment, collapsed and died on 23 August 1955, aged 58. This was less than a month before the shooting of the location filming for Quatermass II began, and necessitated the casting of a replacement lead actor at short notice; John Robinson was chosen to fill the part. Robinson was an experienced actor from a range of different films and television programmes since the 1930s, but was uncomfortable about taking over from Tate, and had difficulty in learning some of the technical dialogue he was required to deliver. Robinson's delivery of his lines has been criticised by some later reviewers. Appearing as Quatermass's chief assistant Dr Leo Pugh was Welsh actor Hugh Griffith, who had been an actor on stage and screen since the 1930s, but gained his highest profile roles after Quatermass II; he went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as Sheikh Ilderim in Ben-Hur (1959). He also appeared in Lucky Jim (1957) and Oliver! (1968). Monica Grey played Paula Quatermass; she was chosen by BBC management rather than the production team, as she was the wife of the BBC's head of radio drama, Val Gielgud. As Hugh Griffith also had problems with some of his technical dialogue, Grey learned his lines as well as her own, in case she needed to step in and assist him during the live performance. Dillon was played by John Stone; Stone too had a long career as a supporting actor in a range of British television series, and in 1956 had a small role in the film X the Unknown, which Hammer Film Productions had intended as a sequel to their version of The Quatermass Experiment, until Kneale denied them the rights to use the character. Four actors who each became well known for a particular role on British television had supporting parts in Quatermass II. Rupert Davies who played MP Vincent Broadhead would go on to find fame as Sûreté detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, the title character of 1960s TV series Maigret, based on Georges Simenon's novels. Roger Delgado, who found fame in the 1970s as the Master in Doctor Who (1971–73), played a journalist who helps Quatermass before falling victim to "the mark" in episode four. Wilfrid Brambell, later star of the sitcom Steptoe and Son (1962–74), appeared as a tramp. and Melvyn Hayes, who played the small role of Frankie, later worked in several films with Cliff Richard and starred in the BBC sitcom "It Ain't Half Hot, Mum!". Nigel Kneale not only wrote the serial but, previously an actor, had two speaking parts. He played the voice heard over the factory loudspeaker system in episode five, and narrated the recaps at the beginning of episodes two, three, four and six. Kneale went on to write feature film screenplays such as Look Back in Anger (1958) and First Men in the Moon (1964), as well as continuing to write for television, including two further Quatermass serials, until 1997. Kneale credited the director Rudolph Cartier with bringing to the screen in Quatermass II, with its ambitious location filming, an expansive style that had not been seen in British television drama beforehand. Cartier worked with Kneale again on the third Quatermass serial, Quatermass and the Pit, in 1958, and had subsequent successes with plays such as Anna Karenina (1961), Cross of Iron (1961) and Lee Oswald – Assassin (1966). He continued directing for television until the 1970s. EPISODES 1 "The Bolts"-- Meteorites are falling over Northern England, one of which is observed by an Army radar unit. After a farmer finds one of the objects in a field, the soldiers become directly involved, and Captain Johnny Dillon decides to unofficially ask the father of his fiancée, Paula, to investigate. Paula's father is Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group – "the rocket man!", as one of Dillon's troops puts it. Quatermass and the Rocket Group, now including Paula and mathematical genius Dr. Leo Pugh, are recovering from the news that one of the two nuclear Quatermass II rockets has exploded during a ground test in Australia, killing hundreds of staff and ending their project to build permanent bases on the Moon. Quatermass agrees to accompany Dillon on an investigation and the pair visit the farmer, who refuses to talk and sends them away. At a pub, they find out that the nearby village of Winnerden Flats has been leveled to build an enormous industrial plant protected by armed guards, which is identical to Quatermass' moonbase design. Upon investigating a newly fallen meteorite, Dillon is sprayed with ammonia gas from it, and a distinctive mark appears on his face. 2 "The Mark"-- Similarly 'marked' armed guards arrive from the plant and take Dillon away. Whilst being taken Dillon threateningly tells Quatermass not to follow. After the guards' departure Quatermass speaks with a tramp, who explains that there used to be a small government research unit consisting of a few huts by Winnerden Flats, and that a year ago they expanded and bulldozed the village, and built the plant and a prefab town for the construction workers. At the prefab town, Quatermass sees that 'the mark' and strange behaviour are associated with those who find the fallen meteorites, but before he can find out more the community police order him away. Quatermass returns to the Rocket Group, where Leo has reconstructed the meteorite, which can carry ammonia and other gases and travel through the atmosphere to the ground in one piece. In London, the Metropolitan Police claim they have no jurisdiction over the matter, so he goes to his contact Fowler at the ministry, who reveals that the plant is a top secret project to make synthetic food, but Vincent Broadhead MP, who is conducting an inquiry into the project, reveals that there are identical plants in Brazil and Siberia. Upon gaining entry to the inquiry, Quatermass notices that one of the civil servants has 'the mark'. 3 "The Food"-- As he tries to investigate further, Quatermass finds that other figures in high levels of government have gained 'the mark' after coming across meteorites. Quatermass leaves the inquiry, then returns with Fowler to find that Broadhead has been 'marked' and now claims there is no problem with the project. Fowler takes Quatermass to meet with civil servant Rupert Ward, who has the authority to inspect the plant. Back at the Rocket Group, Leo and Paula deduce and discover with a radio telescope that an asteroid is orbiting the Earth invisibly and discharging the meteorites when it reaches the near point, 400 000 miles over Southern England every 14 hours. Ward helps Quatermass and Fowler gain entry to the plant and they find that Dillon has been discharged from the infirmary and has left. They then look around and discover that gases are pumped to the giant pressure domes from the pilot plant: ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen and methane, as opposed to oxygen as in Quatermass' moonbase pressure dome idea. Meanwhile, the guards intimidate and then murder a family who were having a picnic nearby. Back at the plant, Ward slips away to look inside a dome, and Quatermass and Fowler find him stumbling out of it dying and covered in black slime, which before his death Ward reveals was inside the dome instead of food. Fowler and Quatermass escape back to the Rocket Group and analyse Ward's tie with Leo and Paula, finding that the slime is a corrosive, poisonous substance, fatal to all forms of life on Earth. Meanwhile, the asteroid is approaching its near point. 4 "The Coming" -- Quatermass deduces that an alien life-form which comes from one of the moons of Saturn, which lives on ammonia, hydrogen and methane, but to which oxygen is a deadly poison, travels to earth in the meteorites, and in the few seconds they spend out of their shells before dying they possess human minds, and transmit knowledge to each other in a collective consciousness. From this, they assume that it was the population of Winnderden Flats itself who demolished the village and built the plant. Quatermass decides that they can use the remaining Quatermass II rocket like a nuclear bomb and destroy the asteroid, much to Leo's protest at the rocket being unsafe to fly. Fowler tries to steal information about the other plants from the ministry, but is overcome and possessed by a makeshift meteorite hidden inside a filing cabinet. That night Quatermass travels with journalist Hugh Conrad to the prefab town where they meet with construction workers who say that work has been suspended for all except the 'zombies' ('marked' people). They claim that the meteorites are only over-shots from the plant after one of them lands in a pub. These recent meteorites are falling in hundreds and being collected by special guard teams then returned to the plant. Quatermass steals a guard's uniform from a lorry to gain entry to the plant. As he does this Conrad returns to the pub to telephone his newspaper and reveal everything about the secret alien invasion, but he becomes 'marked' before he can finish. The construction workers, however, hear what he says and decide to take action. Meanwhile, Quatermass is inside a pressure dome, where he sees guards putting meteorites into the tanks of poisonous slime that killed Ward, where together, in the recreated atmosphere of a distant world, they combine and grow into the first of the enormous ammonid alien creatures. 5 "The Frenzy"-- Quatermass is narrowly saved from discovery by the rioting construction workers, who storm the plant and along with him are besieged inside the gas distribution centre, where they pump oxygen into the completed pressure dome to poison the ammonids, however some of the workers succumb to propaganda from the plant controllers, who offer them the chance to see inside the dome. The guards kill them by blocking the pipe with their bodies. In anger, the remaining workers fire on the dome with a bazooka, igniting the hydrogen and subsequently destroying the entire plant, killing the ammonids and releasing ammonia gas into the surrounding area. Quatermass escapes the plant in a gas mask and meets up with Leo, whom he finds unconscious in his car nearby. With little time left to prevent more ammonids returning in meteorites, he and Leo are forced to use the Quatermass II to attempt to destroy the asteroid, despite the known flaws in the rocket's design and its liability to explode. They return to the Rocket Group, but British Paratroopers led by Johnny Dillon take control of the firing base. 6 "The Destroyers"-- The team invite Dillon up to the control room, where they see he has written orders from the very top, showing that the ammonids have long been in control of the government. They appeal to his human side to allow them to continue, which he does so after Leo tells him the rocket must launch. Despite both being old and unfit, Quatermass and Leo are the only two who have the scientific knowledge to make such a flight. They fly to the asteroid and land on it, but en route Quatermass finds out that the night the plant exploded Leo was possessed by the ammonids. Leo intends to kill Quatermass to prevent the destruction of the asteroid, and also to allow the ammonids to travel back to Earth en masse in the Quatermass II. He tries to kill Quatermass with a gun, but the recoil sends him floating helplessly off into space. Quatermass returns to the rocket and jettisons the nuclear motor, then flies the rocket back to Earth as the motor blows up the asteroid, killing the remaining ammonids and relinquishing control over Dillon and all the 'marked' humans, returning mankind to its former freedom.

Zombies of the Stratosphere is a 1952 colorless Republic Studios serial directed by Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by Republic's Lydecker brothers. It was intended to be Republic's second serial featuring "new hero" Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying jacket and helmet introduced in King of the Rocket Men (1949). Instead, for reasons unknown, the hero was renamed "Larry Martin", who must prevent Martian invaders from using a hydrogen bomb to blow Earth out of its orbit, so that the Martians can move a dying Mars into a much closer orbital position to the Sun. As in Radar Men from the Moon (also released in 1952), much of the screen time for each of the dozen chapters is spent on fistfights and car chases between the heroes and a gang of earthly crooks hired by renegade scientist Dr. Harding and his extraterrestrial colleague Marex to steal and stockpile the Atomic supplies needed for construction of the H-bomb. The serial is notable as one of the first screen appearances of a young Leonard Nimoy, who plays Narab, one of the three Martian invaders. In 1958, a feature film titled Satan's Satellites, was made by editing down the serial's footage from 167 minutes to a 70 minute runtime. Plot Larry Martin, a leader in the Inter-Planetary Patrol, detects a rocketship coming to Earth. He takes to the air in his jet-powered flying suit and helmet to investigate and discovers Martian invaders, led by Marex. With Mars now orbiting too far away from the Sun, its ecology has been dying. The Martian invaders want to swap the orbital positions of Earth and Mars so that Mars will be closer to the Sun. They plan on achieving this by using hydrogen bomb plans stolen from Earth scientists to cause the two planets' orbits to swap positions. They will do so using specifically placed atomic explosions on both worlds. Martin also learns the Martians have Earth accomplices, the traitorous Dr. Harding and two gangsters, Roth and Shane, who bedevil him and his associates, Sue Davis and Bob Wilson. The Martians set up a base in a cave that can only be reached from underwater, where they begin constructing their H bomb. They make a remotely-controlled robot to supplement their human operatives in acquiring the necessary supplies and funds to complete the project. Eventually, Larry and his comrades gain the upper hand: Marex kills Harding when he attempts to surrender. Roth and Shane are killed when Larry turns the robot against them, while the Martians are brought down in flames in their rocketship after a furious stratosphere raygun battle with Larry in his spaceship. Marex's Martian aide, Narab, survives the crash and tells Larry where to find the underwater cave with the activated H-bomb. Larry arrives just in time to defuse the bomb, seconds before it would have exploded. Cast Judd Holdren as Larry Martin Aline Towne as Sue Davis Wilson Wood as Bob Wilson Lane Bradford as Marex Stanley Waxman as Dr Harding John Crawford as Roth Ray Boyle as Shane Craig Kelly as Mr Steele Leonard Nimoy as Narab Robert Garabedian as Elah Production Zombies of the Stratosphere was scripted as a sequel to the successful Radar Men from the Moon serial (1952), which introduced an original flying superhero, Commando Cody, played by George Wallace. Republic interrupted production on a planned TV series, also built around that character, titled Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, with Judd Holdren now starring as Cody. Just as filming began on the Zombies serial, the name of the hero was changed from "Commando Cody" to "Larry Martin", but he retains the same sidekicks (also renamed), high-tech props, and laboratory facilities that Cody had in the previous Radar Men from the Moon serial. An addition to the "rocket man" back-pack and helmet, and used for the first time in this serial, is a two-way radio about the size of a lunchbox; Larry Martin wears it hanging heavily from his belt when dressed for flying. This bulky radio is also seen in some stills of Cody in Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. As most flying sequences are reused stock footage from earlier "rocket man" serials, the radio usually disappears when Commando Cody is in flight. Martin also uses an ordinary police revolver instead of the ray gun favored by Cody in earlier and later serials. Zombies of the Stratosphere was budgeted at $172,838, although the final negative cost was $176,357 (a $3,519, or 2%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1952[1] and was filmed between April 14, and May 1, 1952. At seventeen days, this is tied with King of the Carnival (1955) for the shortest filming period of all Republic serials. The serial's production number was 1933. Zombies of the Stratosphere reuses the "Republic robot" (somewhat resembling a walking silvery hot-water heater with two ribbed arms that terminate in pincers), along with stock footage of it in action (such as the "bank robbery by robot" scene from Mysterious Doctor Satan) and black-and-white footage from a Republic full color Roy Rogers film. The serial is also heavily padded with footage from their King of the Rocket Men (1949) serial, to which this is a pseudo-sequel. Although the Zombies serial has Martians as the villains, they are not the same Martians as shown in the Republic's earlier, The Purple Monster Strikes (1945) serial. The robot was first seen in Republic's Undersea Kingdom (1936) and prominently featured in their Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940) serials. Stunts Dale Van Sickel as Larry Martin (doubling Judd Holdren) Tom Steele Special effects All the special effects in Zombies of the Stratosphere were produced by the Lydecker brothers, Republic's in-house physical and model effects team. Their flying effects, using a slightly oversized dummy running along an angled wire, were first used in Republic's serials: Darkest Africa (1936) and with even greater impact in Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941). Releases Zombies of the Stratosphere's official release date was July 16, 1952, although this was actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to theatrical film exchanges. This was followed by the theatrical release of Commando Cody, which had been filmed around the time as Zombies, but as a twelve-episode TV miniseries. (Because of Republic's theatrical contract requirements, Commando Cody was released as twelve weekly movie serial chapters. Judd Holdren played the now masked Cody and Aline Towne appeared again as Joan Gilbert.) A 70-minute feature film version of Zombies, created by heavily editing down the serial footage, was released on March 28, 1958 under the title Satan's Satellites as a double feature with Missile Monsters. Television Zombies of the Stratosphere was one of two Republic serials later colorized for 1990s television broadcast.[1] The original will be colorized in the future.

Radar Men from the Moon is a 1952 Republic Pictures' 12-chapter movie serial, the first Commando Cody serial starring newcomer George Wallace as Cody, Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, and serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. The director was Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by the Lydecker brothers. This serial recycles the flying sequences from Republic's earlier 1949 serial King of the Rocket Men. It was later released by Republic in 1966 as the 100-minute television film Retik the Moon Menace. The odd naming choice of the serial's main hero, "Commando Cody," was possibly an attempt by Republic to make young audiences think they were seeing another adventure of Commander Corry, the hero of the popular ABC TV and radio series Space Patrol (1950–1955). However, there is no surviving evidence that this was a consideration by anyone at Republic.[3] PLOT Commando Cody with lunar tank Commando Cody (George Wallace) is a civilian researcher and inventor with a number of employees. He uses a streamlined helmet and an atomic-powered rocket backpack attached to a leather flying jacket. Cody also uses a rocket ship capable of reaching the Moon. When the U.S. finds itself under attack from a mysterious force that can wipe out entire military bases and industrial complexes, Cody surmises (correctly) that the Earth is coming under attack from our own Moon. He then flies his rocket ship there and confronts the Moon's "ruler", Retik (Roy Barcroft), who boldly announces his plans to both conquer Earth and then move the Moon's entire population here using spaceships and atomic weapons. Their weapons use a power superior to uranium which they call lunarium.[4] During the next 11 serial chapters, Cody, now back on Earth, and his associates Joan (Aline Towne), Ted (William Bakewell) and Dick (Gayle Kellogg) battle an elusive lunar agent named Krog (Peter Brocco) and his gang of human henchmen led by Graber (Clayton Moore) and Daly (Bob Stevenson), who use lunarium-powered ray cannons to disrupt defense forces and weaken public morale. After a second trip to the Moon, in which he captures a sample ray cannon for duplication in his lab, Cody tracks Retik's minions to their hideout where Krog is killed by one of his own devices, and Graber and Daly subsequently die in an over-the-cliff car chase. Retik flies to Earth to take personal charge of his collapsing operations but is blasted out of the sky by one of his own ray weapons. CHAPTER TITLES "Moon Rocket" (20 min) "Molten Terror" (13min 20s) "Bridge of Death" (13min 20s) "Flight to Destruction" (13min 20s) "Murder Car" (13min 20s) "Hills of Death" (13min 20s) "Camouflaged Destruction" (13min 20s) "The Enemy Planet" (13min 20s) "Battle in the Stratosphere" (13min 20s) "Mass Execution" (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter "Planned Pursuit" (13min 20s) "Death of the Moon Man" (13min 20s) CAST Duration: 20 minutes and 3 seconds.20:03 Radar Men From the Moon - Chapter 1: Moon Rocket George Wallace as Commando Cody Aline Towne as Joan Gilbert Roy Barcroft as Retik, Ruler of the Moon William Bakewell as Ted Richards Clayton Moore as Graber Peter Brocco as Krog Bob Stevenson as Daly Don Walters as Govt. Agent Henderson

Rustlers of Red Dog is a 1935 American Western film serial from Universal Pictures based on the book The Great West That Was by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. It was a remake of the earlier, 1930 serial The Indians are Coming. Plot Jack Wood and his pals make a journey across the West and come up against rustlers, Indian attacks and outlaw gangs. They make a journey across the West and come up against rustlers, Indian attacks and outlaw gangs. Cast Johnny Mack Brown as Jack Wood Joyce Compton as Mary Lee Raymond Hatton as Laramie Walter Miller as "Deacon" Harry Woods as "Rocky" Fred MacKaye as Snakey William Desmond as Ira Dale, the Wagonmaster Charles K. French as Tom Lee J.P. McGowan as Capt. Trent Lafe McKee as Bob Lee Edmund Cobb as Henchman Buck Chief Thundercloud as Chief Grey Wolf Chief Many Treaties as Indian Jim Thorpe as Chief Scarface Production Stunts Cliff Lyons George Magrill Frank McCarroll Wally West Chapter titles Hostile Redskins Flaming Arrows Thundering Hoofs [sic] Attack at Dawn Buried Alive Flames of Vengeance Into the Depths Paths of Peril The Snake Strikes Riding Wild The Rustlers Clash Law and Order

Flaming Frontiers (1938) is a Universal movie serial starring Johnny Mack Brown. It was a remake of Heroes of the West (1932). It was re-edited into a TV series in 1966. Much of the material was reused in Lon Chaney Jr.'s 1942 serial Overland Mail. Synopsis Prospector Tom Grant discovers a rich gold vein up South. His findings however, soon attract landowner Bart Eaton. Tom's sister Mary heads for the gold fields with Eaton and his men following. Eaton teams up with Ace Daggett who plans to doublecross him and get the gold for himself. They then frame Tom for murder and then try to get him to sign over his claim. The scout Tex Houston is on hand, escaping the attempts on his life, saving Mary from various perils, and trying to bring in the real killer and clear Tom… Cast Johnny Mack Brown as Tex Houston Eleanor Hansen as Mary Grant James Blaine as Bart Eaton Charles Stevens as Henchman Breed William Royle as Henchman Crosby Edward Cassidy as Henchman Joe Jack Rutherford as Buffalo Bill Cody / Daggett Henchman Rand Charles Middleton as Ace Daggett Ralph Bowman as Tom Grant Chief Thundercloud as Thundercloud Horace Murphy as The Sheriff Karl Hackett as Daggett Henchman Jake Charles King as Daggett Henchman Blackie Jack Roper as Wolf Moran Bill Hazlett as Chief Spotted Elk James Farley as Wagonmaster Hawkins Eddy Waller as Andy Grant Production Along with Heroes of the West (1932) this serial was based on "The Tie That Binds" by Peter B. Kyne.[1] Chapter titles The River Runs Red Death Rides the Wind Treachery at Eagle Pass A Night of Terror Blood and Gold Trapped by Fire The Human Target The Savage Horde Toll of the Torrent In the Claws of the Cougar The Half Breed's Revenge The Indians Are Coming The Fatal Plunge Dynamite A Duel to the Death

ighting with Kit Carson is a 1933 American pre-Code Mascot Pictures film serial. It was edited into a feature film by Al Dezel Productions in 1946 and released to theaters as a movie. Johnny Mack Brown starred as Kit Carson, and Betsy King Ross played his love interest, Joan Fargo. The film also starred Tully Marshall and both Noah Beery Sr. and Noah Beery Jr. PLOT: A wagon train led by Kit Carson is attacked by Kraft and his Mystery Riders. They are after a government shipment of gold carried by the wagons. Matt Fargo manages to hide the gold, but Carson must confront the Mystery Riders time after time to prevent them from finding and carrying away the treasure1. The film is filled with action, suspense, and daring escapades as Kit Carson fights to protect the gold and outwit the ruthless band of outlaws. Cast Johnny Mack Brown as Kit Carson Betsy King Ross as Joan Fargo, aka Johnny Fargo Noah Beery, Sr. as Cyrus Kraft Noah Beery, Jr. as Nakomas, son of Dark Eagle Tully Marshall as Jim Bridge Edmund Breese as Matt Fargo Al Bridge as Reynolds, a henchman Edward Hearn as Morgan, a henchman Lafe McKee as Luke Foster Jack Mower as Carter, a henchman posing as Johnny's benefactor Maston Williams as Chuck, knife-throwing henchman Lane Chandler as Army Sergeant Chapter titles The Mystery Riders The White Chief Hidden Gold The Silent Doom Murder Will Out The Secret of Iron Mountain The Law of the Lawless Red Phantoms The Invisible Enemy Midnight Magic Unmasked The Trail to Glory

Wild West Days (1937) is a Universal film serial based on a Western novel by W. R. Burnett. Directed by Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith and starring Johnny Mack Brown, George Shelley, Lynn Gilbert, Frank Yaconelli, Bob Kortman, Russell Simpson, and Walter Miller, it was the 103rd of the studio's 137 serials (and the 35th with sound), and was the first of three serials Brown made for the studio before being promoted to his own B-western series in 1939. Premise Larry and Lucy Munro own a ranch with a rich platinum deposit. Newspaper editor Matt Keeler as the head of a gang called "Secret Seven" wants the ranch for himself and has Larry framed for murder to get it. Frontiersman Kentucky Wade - with his pals Dude Hanford, Mike Morales and Trigger Benton - come to the Munros' aid. Cast Johnny Mack Brown as Kentucky Wade (as John Mack Brown) George Shelley as Dude Hanford Lynn Gilbert as Lucy Munro Frank Yaconelli as Mike Morales Bob Kortman as Trigger Benton (as Robert Kortman) Russell Simpson as Matt Keeler Walter Miller as Doc Hardy Charles Stevens as Buckskin Frank Frank McGlynn Jr. as Larry Munro (as Frank McGlynn) Francis McDonald as Assayer Purvis Al Bridge as Steve Claggett Chief Thunderbird as Chief Red Hatchet Robert McClung as Mouth Organ Kid [Chs. 8-11] Edward LeSaint as Sheriff (as Ed LeSaint) Joseph W. Girard as Judge Lawrence Jack Rube Clifford as Corey (as Jack Clifford) William Royle as Braden Bruce Mitchell as Rancher Tobe Driscoll Miki Morita as Chan, 2nd Cook [Chs. 7, 9, 11-12]

King of the Rocket Men is a 1949 12-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures,[2] produced by Franklin Adreon, directed Fred C. Brannon, that stars Tristram Coffin, Mae Clarke, Don Haggerty, House Peters, Jr., James Craven, and I. Stanford Jolley. This movie serial is notable for featuring the only character actually called "Rocket Man", a misnomer applied by fans to the other Republic rocket-powered heroes that followed in their later serials: Radar Men from the Moon (1952), Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952), and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953). Plot An evil genius of unknown identity, calling himself "Dr. Vulcan" (heard only as a voice and seen as a mysterious shadow on a brightly lit wall), plots to conquer the world. He needs to first eliminate, one by one, the members of the Science Associates, an organization of America's greatest scientists.[3] After narrowly escaping an attempt on his life by Vulcan, one member of Science Associates, Dr. Millard (James Craven) goes into hiding. He soon outfits another member, Jeff King (Tristram Coffin) with an advanced, atomic-powered rocket backpack, attached to a leather jacket with a bullet-shaped, aerodynamic flight helmet, and a raygun that they had been developing together. Using the flying jacket and helmet and other inventions provided by Dr. Millard, and aided by magazine reporter and photographer Glenda Thomas (Mae Clarke), Jeff King, as Rocket Man, battles Vulcan and his henchmen through a dozen action-packed Republic serial chapters. Eventually, Vulcan steals Millard's most dangerous invention, a Sonic Decimator, and uses it to flood, then destroy New York City. The mysterious Dr. Vulcan is eventually unmasked and brought to justice by Jeff King while in his Rocket Man persona. Chapter titles "Dr. Vulcan – Traitor" (20min) "Plunging Death" (13min 20s) "Dangerous Evidence" (13min 20s) "High Peril" (13min 20s) "Fatal Dive" (13min 20s) "Mystery of the Rocket Man" (13min 20s) "Molten Menace" (13min 20s) "Suicide Flight" (13min 20s) "Ten Seconds to Live" (13min 20s) "The Deadly Fog" (13min 20s), a re-cap chapter "Secret of Dr. Vulcan" (13min 20s) "Wave of Disaster" (13min 20s) Source:[1][4] Cast Tristram Coffin as Jeff King aka Rocket Man Mae Clarke as Glenda Thomas Don Haggerty as Tony Dirken House Peters, Jr. as Burt Winslow James Craven as Dr. Millard I. Stanford Jolley as Professor Bryant/Dr. Vulcan Stanley Price as Gunther Von Strum Ted Adams as Martin Conway Marshall Bradford as Dr. Graffner

The Quatermass Xperiment (a.k.a. The Creeping Unknown in the United States) is a 1955 British science fiction horror film from Hammer Film Productions, based on the 1953 BBC Television serial The Quatermass Experiment written by Nigel Kneale. The film was produced by Anthony Hinds, directed by Val Guest, and stars Brian Donlevy as the titular Professor Bernard Quatermass and Richard Wordsworth as the tormented Carroon. Jack Warner, David King-Wood, and Margia Dean appear in co-starring roles. The film concerns three astronauts who have been launched into space aboard a single-stage-to-orbit rocket designed by Professor Quatermass. It crashlands with only one of its original crew, Victor Carroon (Richard Wordsworth), still aboard. He begins mutating into an alien organism, which, if it spawns, will engulf the Earth and destroy humanity. After Carroon escapes from custody Quatermass and Inspector Lomax (Jack Warner) of Scotland Yard have just hours to track him/it down and prevent a catastrophe. Like its source TV serial, the film was a major success in the UK. It also brought public attention to Hammer Film Productions around the world. The film was released in the United States in a double feature with The Black Sleep. PLOT The rocket lands The British-American Rocket Group, headed by Professor Bernard Quatermass, launches its first manned rocket into outer space. Shortly thereafter, all contact is lost with the rocket and its three-man crew: Carroon, Reichenheim and Green. The large rocket later returns to Earth, crashing into an English country field. Quatermass and his assistant Marsh arrive at the scene. With them are the local emergency services, Carroon's wife Judith, Rocket Group physician Dr. Briscoe and Blake, a Ministry official who chides Quatermass repeatedly for launching the rocket without official permission. The rocket's hatch is finally opened, and the space-suited Carroon stumbles out. There is no sign of the other two crew. Carroon is in shock, only able to say the words, "Help me". Inside the rocket, Quatermass and Marsh find only the fastened but completely empty spacesuits of the two missing men. Carroon is taken to Briscoe's laboratory facility on the grounds that conventional hospitals and doctors would have no idea how to evaluate or treat the world's first returned astronaut, now suffering from some sort of adverse outer space event. Even under Briscoe's attentive care, Carroon remains mute, generally immobile, but alert with eyes that now have a feral and cunning quality. Briscoe discovers an oddly disfigured area on his shoulder and notices changes in his face, suggesting some sort of mutation of the underlying bone structure. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard Inspector Lomax has undertaken investigation of the other two men's disappearance and, having surreptitiously fingerprinted Carroon as a suspect, alerts Quatermass that the prints are like nothing human. At Judith's insistence that Briscoe is not helping her husband, Quatermass agrees to have Carroon transferred to a regular hospital, under guard. Marsh, meanwhile, has developed the film from the rocket's interior view camera, and Quatermass, Lomax and Briscoe watch it. The crew are seen for a time at their duties, then suddenly, something seems to buffet the ship heavily. After that, there is a nightmarish wavering distortion of the cabin's atmosphere, and the men react as if something frightening, yet not visible, is there with them. One by one they collapse, Carroon being the last. Quatermass and Briscoe determine from the evidence that something living in outer space has entered the spaceship, dissolved Reichenheim and Green in their sealed spacesuits, and evidently entered Carroon, who is now in the process of being transformed by this unknown entity. Not knowing any of this, Carroon's wife, Judith, hires a private investigator, Christie, to break her husband out of the secured hospital. The escape is successful, but not before Carroon smashes a potted cactus in his hospital room, which fuses to his flesh. In the lift he kills Christie and absorbs the life force in his body, leaving a shrivelled husk. Judith quickly discovers what is happening to her husband. Carroon disappears into the London night, leaving her unharmed, but completely traumatized. Inspector Lomax initiates a manhunt for Carroon, who goes to a nearby chemist's shop and kills the chemist, using his swollen, crusty, cactus-thorn-riddled hand and arm as a cudgel and leaving a twisted, empty man-husk to be found by the police. Quatermass theorizes that Carroon has taken select chemicals to "speed up a change going on inside of him". After hiding on a river barge, Carroon encounters a little girl, leaving her unharmed through sheer force of will. That night he is in the zoo, barely visible amongst some shadowed bushes, now with far less of his human form remaining. In the morning, scattered animal carcasses are found, their life forces having been absorbed, with a slime trail leading away from the zoo. Among the bushes, Quatermass and Briscoe also find a small but living remnant of Carroon, and take it back to their laboratory. Following an examination, Quatermass concludes that some kind of predatory alien life has completely taken over and will eventually release reproduction spores, endangering the entire planet. Carroon's final form in Westminster Abbey The remnant, having now grown much larger, breaks out of its glass cage, but dies of starvation on the floor. On a police tip from a vagrant, Lomax and his men track the Carroon mutation to Westminster Abbey, where it has crawled high up on a metalwork scaffolding. It is now a gigantic shapeless mass of combined animal and plant tissue with eyes, distended nodules, and tentacle-like fronds filled with spores. Quatermass arrives and orders London's electrical power centres be combined and the generated power quickly diverted to the Abbey. Heavy duty electrical cable is run and attached to the bottom of the metal scaffolding. The alien creature is incinerated in the electrocution before it can release its spores. The threat eliminated, Quatermass quickly walks out of the Abbey, preoccupied by his thoughts. He ignores all who ask questions. Marsh, his assistant, approaches and asks "What are you going to do?" Never breaking stride, Quatermass offhandedly replies, "I'm going to start again". He leaves Marsh behind, walking off into the dark, and sometime later a second manned rocketship roars into outer space. Cast Brian Donlevy as Prof. Bernard Quatermass Richard Wordsworth as Victor Carroon Jack Warner as Inspector Lomax David King-Wood as Dr. Gordon Briscoe Margia Dean as Mrs. Judith Carroon Maurice Kaufmann as Marsh Harold Lang as Christie Lionel Jeffries as Mr. Blake