The Flash Gordon Rocky Jones Experiment

There's a new show in town, that began in October of 1954. Flash Gordon, a joint American, German and French series (no subtitles, all in English). 39 episodes were broadcast between 1954 and 1955, but I could only get a hold of 14 of them. For the rest I will just say that my Temporal DVR failed to record. I will fill in the blanks on Flash Gordon by providing the Wikipedia description of the episode. I want companies to know that I am willing to trade actual money for their TV shows. I'm not going to bit-torrent their stuff, even though it is probably Public Domain by this point. There is also more Rocky Jones, Space Ranger as the series is gearing up to end.

Flash Gordon and the Planet of Death- If I were a kid of the '50s I'm sure I would have been versed in all things Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Captain Video, Commando Cody and Rocky Jones. However I am not. This is not an origin story. Maybe I was supposed to have at least seen the theatrical serials. I was a little lost, but here's what I got out of it. The three principle characters are Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov, and their ship is the Sky Flash. They answer to Commander Richards of the Galactic Bureau of Investigation. Zarkov wants to test a new anti-gravity device on the uninhabited planet of Tarset, but a scientific group who investigated it was all killed off except for one person. Flash, Dale and Zarkov interrogate the survivor who tells a tale of a cursed statue that shines a light, killing anyone it sees. They all head to Tarset on the Sky Flash, and find the dead bodies and the statue in some ruins. The light comes on and Flash ends up hiding with the scientist, who he immediately accuses of lying. They escape a wall crushing trap while Dale and Zarkov are captured by the leader of planet Ebon. Flash learns that Ebon wants to use Tarset as a forward base for attacking Earth. Ebon's leader explains the eye is really a paralysis ray, and tries to torture Dale with it. Flash intervenes and the lone-survivor scientist sacrifices his life so they could escape and stop the people of Ebon. Something like that. My DVD copy is really hard to understand some of the dialog. I couldn't figure out anyone's names. The Sky Flash seems to drift sideways in special effects shots because the FX guys don't know how to shoot space scenes yet. Rocky Jones does a much better job. Not much science to butcher, but the leader of Ebon does describe how his Paralysis Ray excruciatingly effects the human body.

Vena and the Darnamo- Wow, this is not a good episode. Rocky, Biff, Vena and Bobby head for the planet Mandora, an insignificant speck of a place that brings fear to those that land on it. Why does Rocky want to go there? Because he met a smuggler on Apollo Minor who found it by accident, and as proof, gave Rocky an umbrella with a dog headed handle, but made in Cincinnati. They go to this lush tropical planet and are immediately set upon by a German Shepherd. It's injured and Vena helps it. Rocky realizes this whole thing was dumb idea, puts the umbrella back in the ship, but changes his mind and decides to explore just to make a full report to Secretary Drake. They find a dog headed totem and get attacked by sling-shot wielding natives, that howl to communicate. They run back to the ship, but the umbrella is missing and there is noise on the bridge. Rocky rushes in and encounters an old lady, Ms. Pilkington, who wants her umbrella back. They go to her house for tea and learn she comes from a long line of explorers who left Earth in a Sky Wagon and landed on Mandora. Something to do with being inspired by Jules Verne. She gave the natives sling shots and they revere her as a god, but fear her dog, which they refer to as Darnamo. Everything suddenly becomes a Pioneer vs. Indian story as the natives attack, kidnap Vena in her sleep and prepare to sacrifice her. Darnamo saves her by attacking the locals and they all escape Mandora, leaving the old lady behind who just wishes to be a god. THE END. The final stand alone episode. They never explain much of how her family built this house on the planet, and she seems to live as if she can go down to the country store and get more laundry detergent or something. Maybe there is more to this planet than meets the eye, but I think the writers were superficially trying to make a western out of a space western.

Escape into Time- I don't have this one so here is what is known: "Flash and Zarkov must rescue Dale from a mad criminal who seeks to kidnap her with his time machine."

Out of This World, part I- The uninhabited planet Hermes has been pulled out if its orbit and flung into deep space by an unknown force (there's even a sparkle trail). It turns out Hermes is from Earth's solar system (don't ask me where). Professor Mayberry uses some star charts and traces the magnetic effect to Rigalio, in the Alpha Centauri system. It has two moons that, when lined up just right, creates an amplified magnetic beam. In 30 days that event will line up with the Earth. To make matters worse, a parachute of unknown material is found on the East Coast. There are enemy troops on Earth. Rocky gets back to Earth and is brought up to speed. The plan: to set up a base of operations on Herculon (just like Inferno in Space), then launch to Rigalio to visit their ruler, Nizam. To make matters even more worserer, Juliandra is tricked by her twin evil sister Noviandra, who she locked in a secret room of the palace. Her father, Barbaro, used to be Herculon's leader and ran the war with the United Worlds. He had two daughters, Juliandra and Noviandra. When Barbaro lost power, Juliandra locked up her sister and took over Herculon with an agenda for good. But now Juliandra is locked up with her sister pretending to be her. On Earth, Rocky catches a Rigalian infiltrator (who wears a turban), and captures him, while two of his compatriots steal YN2, Secretary Drake's personal rocket. They head for station AW3, take it over and wait for further instructions. Rocky, Biff, Vena and Mayberry head to Herculon. They get jumped by a flying saucer, leaving no doubt that a more advanced culture is causing trouble (the same one from Blast Off). Rocky barely gets a chance to respond, before it zips away at high speed. On arrival at Herculon they are arrested by the fake Juliandra and Biff ordered back into Herculon service. After changing uniforms he comes across the hidden room and saves Juliandra. They recapture Noviandra and the real Juliandra releases the crew of the Silver Moon. Rocky is furious that he was invited to help save Earth, then thrown in prison. Juliandra wants to keep everything secret and just tells him she's a woman and that means she does random things. With Mayberry in tow, they head back to Silver Moon, all the treaties with Herculon signed, and blast back into space, leaving behind Biff, Vena and Bobby. In orbit they get a call from Ranger Clark on AW3 that Drake wants to see them there. Rocky sets course. TO BE CONTINUED. All communications between ship and shore have all been by Astrophone, which is essentially a corded handset. Every race does this, just a different style of microphone. Regalians actually use wireless, handheld radios which almost look like late '80s cell phones. These can directly talk to space and even the home world in real time, orbiting a different star. I really like that the writers got back to the race of people that made the saucer. On the bad side, the Regalian infiltrators stand out stupidly with their turbans. When they steal Drake's ship he never alerts the Space Rangers, so Clark on AW3 blindly lets them land (you'd think there was a special IFF for the Secretary of Space Affairs). He then loses the station. Space Ranger security is terrible.

The Electro Man- I don't have this one either: "Flash and company square off against the Electro Man, a mysterious deity who reigns over a planet where all life is made of metal."

Out of This World, part II- More interstellar running around. The message to see Drake at AW3 is a ruse to call the Silver Moon into the perfect ambush spot for the saucer. Rocky comes up with a good strategy and Mayberry makes the kill. Saucer destroyed! They realize AW3 is a trap, but Rocky docks anyway. He lets himself get captured so he'll be taken to Regalio, his plan all along. The Regalians destroy station AW3 after leaving, but Clark gets away in the Silver Moon. On Regalio, Rocky and Mayberry start to negotiate with Nizam. Regalio never cracked the secret of the atom but they have learned a lot about magnetism. Mayberry offers a truce where there share the secrets of each worlds, mastery over magnetism for the mystery of nuclear fission. Nizam likes what they have to offer but warns them about crossing him. Then then get a tour of the Magnetorium, where two rods have been put through the planet to the core, each one positive and negative. This releases an energy which can be fine tuned to send to any location and power a ship or a factory. But, there is an energy leak at the source so a Robot manages the Magnetorium. When they channel energy into their two moons it sends a heavy attractive magnetic beam that can pull a planet out of its orbit. This is what they threaten Earth with, but no explanation why. Juliandra doesn't realize Rocky had a plan to get captured so makes her own rescue mission. Nizam wants to marry her so she uses this to her advantage. She takes, Biff, Vena and Bobby in her ship to Regalio and courts Nizam. While he's distracted Biff sneaks off to locate Rocky and Mayberry. Juliandra is able to drug Nizam so he doesn't realize Rocky and Biff are beating up every guard he has. They finally get to Juliandra's rocket and take off, but Rocky is still thinking about the Magnetorium, the source of all power. TO BE CONTINUED. Magnetic science isn't great here, but I like what the writers have come up with. I wonder if they know Rocky has one of their saucers. I like the politics, again, but I wanted to see if Rocky could actually negotiate a cease fire. Plus, the saucers have a tactical weakness the Space Rangers can exploit. Think of it as a Top Gun maneuver in space.

The Vengeance of Rabeed- Don't got this one neither: "The mad Rabeed returns after 100 years in exile with plans to destroy the galaxy. It is up to Flash, Dale and Zarkov to stop his evil scheme."

Out of This World, part III- Rocky and friends get back to Herculon. For some plot driven reason Juliandra gives Bobby her special "magic" ring and tells him to pace around the palace with it. Noviandra succeeds in another escape attempt, locking Juliandra and Theba (her caretaker) in another chamber. Once again she posses as Suzerain Juliandra and calls Nizem (I never figured out if that is his name or a title). Nizem wants nothing to do with her after the spiking of his drink. She offers a new truce between them and a gift of Rocky and Mayberry. He accepts. She orders the two locked up in her ship and tells Biff to pilot for her. He's a little suspicious. After they leave Drake arrives but no one has seen Rocky or Mayberry. Nobody can find either one, but Bobby happens down the forbidden corridor where the ring opens a secret entrance. In there he saves Juliandra and Theba, allowing the Suzerain to tell the truth about her rule. On arrival at Regalio, Noviandra sweet talks Nizem, but he soon realizes she isn't the real Juliandra. He had tried to make a deal with Barbaro once, so Noviandra is hoping to take him up on it. He orders them locked up, but she and Biff escape. Noviandra even knifes a guard, Tor, in the heart to escape. Wow. She runs to the Magnetorium and lets the Robot out. All power is lost and the Robot goes on a killing spree. He breaks some necks and spines of Nizem, two of his guards and finally Noviandra, herself. When power was lost Rocky and Mayberry escaped (their door needed power) and they found some explosives. At the Magnetorium Rocky puts explosives all around when the Robot returns. He manage to destroy the Robot and blow up the place. Escaping into space, mourning over the loss of such powerful technology, they head for Herculon again. THE END. The actress who played both Juliandra and Noviandra, Ann Robinson, did a good job of separating their personalities. One had a bunch more make-up on and had crazy eyes. They FX guys even did a split screen so the two could meet each other. She is better known as Sylvia Van Buren from both War of the Worlds movies, and the '80s TV show. The knife stabbing was surprisingly violent for this show. The Robot, itself magnetic, could pull people towards it, making the kill easier. It wasn't knocking people out, it either broke their neck or hugged them until their spine cracked. Take your pick. When it came at Rocky he stripped all the metal off his body. I'm not sure why Regalian scientists would have built a killer Robot then make it an engineer. I guess if it wasn't maintaining a power plant it wanted to kill.