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Released by: Olive Films
Released on: September 13, 2016
Directed by: Harry Keller, Franklin Adreon, Fred C. Brannon
Cast: Judd Holdren, Aline Towne, William Schallert, Richard Crane, Gregory Gaye, Craig Kelly, Peter Rocco, Lyle Talbot, Mauritz Hugo, Joanne Jordan, Gloria Pall, Denver Pyle
Year: 1955
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The Movie:
Movie serials date back to the early silent era and were an enticement for theatergoers to return weekly to see the completion of their favorite program. To ensure viewers' return, most ended with a cliffhanger, usually a cheat undone the following week. The form lasted into the 1950s, though it reached its peak in the 1940s thanks to Republic Pictures and Columbia. The subjects were often based on comic books, making them especially appealing to kids with money to spare on Saturday matinees. Among these were serials based on Blackhawk, Congo Bill, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Batman, and—most popular of all—Superman. By the 1950s, the form's popularity had begun to wane, thanks to the advent of widescreen, color, and much bigger film production budgets. With the films themselves being a big enough draw, serials themselves became a drain on studio resources, especially those that no longer needed them to get moviegoers into theaters.
In 1952, Republic Pictures introduced the character of Commando Cody, an American hero with a rocket-powered flying suit, in Rader Men from the Moon. The serial proved popular enough that Republic immediately went into production on a sequel, Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952), but at the last minute, the name Commando Cody was replaced with another name. Both of these serials were directed by Fred C. Brannon. Republic did produce an official sequel, Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, the following year, but it was originally intended as a network television series, with each of its 12 episodes running approximately a half-hour long. No one picked it up, and in the end Republic was forced to release it, too, as a big-screen serial. George Wallace was replaced in the lead role by Judd Holdren, though Aline Towne returned as his sidekick, Joan Gilbert. Cody's other sidekicks included Ted Richards and Dick Preston. Rather than your typical serial, each episode contained its own story and did not end with a cliffhanger, though there were soap operatic elements involving aliens hoping to take over planet Earth. A brief plot synopsis of each episode follows.
Chapter 1: Enemies of the Universe An interplanetary commission has learned that an alien mad scientist known as the Ruler plans on taking over the solar system. They hire Commando Cody, provide him with two assistants, a rocket pack, and a rocket ship, to stop the ruler.
Chapter 2: Atomic Peril The Ruler sends Lenotto to Earth to help the vile Dr. Varney steal Commando Cody's rocket ship, since a cosmic dust cloud placed around the planet by Cody is preventing an alien armada from getting through. Lenotto and Varney use a new element similar to uranium to gain Cody's trust, but their plan backfires.
Chapter 3: Cosmic Vengeance Learning that the Ruler is Venusian, Commando Cody travels in his rocket ship to the distant planet and confronts his nemesis.
Chapter 4: Nightmare Typhoon Earth is beset by a series of natural disasters, which Commando Cody believes might be the work of the evil mastermind the Ruler. In fact, not destroyed in his previous battle with Cody, the Ruler has sent a deadly rocket containing radioactive gas to Earth to upset the planet's natural processes.
Chapter 5: War of the Space Giants After capturing a rocket loaded with germ warfare agents, Commando Cody and his assistants trace it back to one of Saturn's moons—and a sinister plot by the Ruler to destroy life on Earth.
Chapter 6: Destroyers of the Sun The sun's light is blocked out, and Commando Cody finds that his rocket ship cannot penetrate the very dust cloud he placed around Earth to protect it from the Ruler's alien armada.
Chapter 7: Robot Monster from Mars One of Commando Cody's assistants is kidnapped by the Ruler, and only Cody can save him.
Chapter 8: The Hydrogen Hurricane Planet Earth is under assault once again, this time by hurricanes primarily composed of hydrogen. Commando Cody traces them back to his alien nemesis, an evil Venusian known as the Ruler.
Chapter 9: Solar Sky Raiders Planet Earth goes from having one sun to several. The others have been placed there by the Ruler, leaving Commando Cody the sole adversary with the ability to save the planet from their infernal and ever-intensifying threat.
Chapter 10: S.O.S. Ice Age Earth is growing colder, and its ice sheets are advancing. As usual, it's a plot by the Ruler to destroy Earth's inhabitants and prepare the planet for his rule. But Commando Cody stands in the way of his diabolical plan.
Chapter 11: Lost in Outer Space Tired of Commando Cody's constant thwarting of his plots to enslave Earth, the Ruler concocts a plan to separate the interplanetary emissary of all that is good from his powerful rock ship.
Chapter 12: Captives of the Zero Hour Commando Cody and the Ruler meet face to face in their final showdown.
The most surprising thing about Republic's series-cum-serial isn't a predictable structure or wooden, mind-numbing plots. Rather, it's the high-powered, energetic, and often quite effective direction, as well as the superior special effects, which are some of the best television had to offer at the time. Anyone watching the series today will know immediately how they were done, which in no way lessens their effectiveness. In fact, with only slight modification, they could be used today in a manner superior to obvious CGI, lending a practical air of authenticity to any number of films that need it. They are particularly effective when compared to the effects in then-contemporary series such as The Adventures of Superman. The downside is that these very same effects were repeated too often throughout the series to keep it from going over budget.
Performances are what one would expect from the time, which means that they're neither great nor terrible. The series is fun nonetheless and must have seemed a godsend to children when it finally aired on Saturday afternoon NBC in 1955.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Olive Films brings Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe to Blu-ray courtesy of two 50GB discs, each containing six episodes presented in 1080p high-definition in the program's original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. With an MPEG-4 AVC encode, there are no compression issues whatsoever, and the image is gorgeous and clean. The only real dirt and debris appear during the opening credits, closing credits, and stock shots. Regardless, these stock shots still manage to look good. As for the rest of the film, the detail level is extremely high, making this one of the best “classic television on BD†presentations since CBS' fantastic release of the original Twilight Zone. Facial and foliage detail is particularly impressive, and there is absolutely no crush or excessive grain to speak of. Whites are not washed out, though they occasionally appear slightly faint; and blacks are not so inky that detail disappears. The result is a generally pleasing palette of lights, grays, and darks that makes for a visual treat. Coupled with the wonderfully nostalgic special effects and hokey science fiction plots, Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe represents six hours of pleasing entertainment perfect for parent-child bonding!
For the film's soundtrack, Olive has opted for English DTS Master-Audio 2.0 (actually mono funneled through two speakers). It's a serviceable track, with no issues of dropout or hiss, and the rousing score sounds fairly dynamic. Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired are included and appear in yellow, a smart choice given how light the background is at times. White would have been almost impossible to read.
There are no extras.
The Final Word:
Olive's release of Republic's Commando Cody: Sky Marshall of the Universe is a gorgeous presentation, thanks to a superb transfer that brings out the detail in every shot. Some reviews have complained about lack of depth, but this is patently untrue. There are no extras, but given the length of the serial and the amount of disc space Olive devotes to it, there really are no reasons for complaints.
Christopher Workman is a freelance writer, film critic, and co-author (with Troy Howarth) of the Tome of Terror horror film review series. Horror Films of the 1930s is currently available, with Horror Films of the Silent Era: Book One (1895-1915) and Book Two (1916-1929) due out later this year.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
