Commando Cody:
Sky Marshall of the Universe
July 16, 1955 thru October 8, 1955
13 Episodes

Program of October 1 was a rerun of Chapter 3, originally broadcast on July 30, 1955 This was designed to be a twelve chapter serial play to fill a 13 week commitment.

    "Let's take Commando Cody, and put a mask on him like the Lone Ranger, and give him a uniform like Captain Video!" One can well imagine Franklin Adreon and Fred Brannon discussing their decision to bring the well known Republic Pictures serial hero to television with these words. Commando Cody had first appeared in the 1952 serial RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON with George Wallace as Commando Cody and William Blakewell as Ted Richards, though his roots go back even further to 1949 when Republic released a serial called KING OF THE ROCKET MEN. This latter serial featured Tristram Coffin playing a flying hero named Rocket Man, wearing the familiar helmet and leather jacket that would be associated with Commando Cody. Indeed almost all of the flying footage shot for KING OF THE ROCKET MEN would be used over and over again in two subsequent serials and the COMMANDO CODY television show.
    In 1952 Republic's television arm, Hollywood Television Service, Inc., decided to produce a Commando Cody program using almost the entire production staff from their serials, and filmed three episodes of the new TV series, grinding them out in the fast paced production schedule that was typical for the low budget serials (less than ten days). However for a reason which was never made clear, Republic stopped production of the TV series and went right into filming the serial ZOMBIES FROM THE STRATOSPHERE. Even stranger, however, was the fact that Franklin Adreon decided to change the name of the Judd Holdren role to Larry Martin, and he is never called Commando Cody in the serial. Aline Towne's name was also changed to Sue Davis.
    When the TV series went back into production Republic was not able to continue with the services of William Shallert, so Richard Crane was brought in to play the part of Dick Preston, and it is briefly noted that Ted has been transferred. There are several notable differences that begin with Chapter 4. The Ruler now has a blonde assistant (Gloria Pell). There are some new sets, and the ray guns have been replaced by six guns. Finally, in most of the last nine episodes the show contains a light ending featuring a humorous moment with Dick Preston, not unlike the endings featuring Cadet Happy in Space Patrol.
    Although lots of good fun, with plenty of action typical of the serials of the day, the show did not try to be scientifically accurate. The programs direct link to the serials is especially noticeable in the early episodes with obvious cliffhangers occurring about mid-way through each program. Several inside jokes have been noted by this reporter, the first one occurring in the first chapter when a portrait of famed serial heavy Roy Barcroft is used as a prop.
    To the best of my knowledge, the first airing of the 26 minute, 13 episode series did not occur until July 1955. In the following the story synopsis in quotations marks have been taken from TV press releases. The second is our more detailed logbook.

Chapter One: ENEMIES OF THE UNIVERSE by Ronald Davidson
"The Ruler, a diabolical scientist who wants to enslave the Solar System, learns of Commando Cody's design for a rocketship that can go anywhere in outer space. He's determined to sabotage Cody's work."
CAST: Peter Brocco as Dr. Varney, Zan Murray

Ted Richards and Joan Gilbert are hired by Mr. Henderson to aid Commando Cody in the construction of an Atomic powered rocketship which will be used in their fight against the Ruler, who has been bombarding Earth with guided missals which are able to pierce through Commando Cody's protective Cosmic Dust blanket. It is the Ruler's plan to eventually use earth as a staging area for the conquest of other planets. At one point Joan is taken prisoner and Commando Cody rescues her, evading death and mercilessly blowing up the bad buy with his own hand-grenade.

Chapter Two: ATOMIC PEARL by Ronald Davidson
"Lenotto is sent to Earth by the Ruler to help Dr. Varney in destroying Commando Cody. First they try to gain Cody's confidence by introducing him to a new element. When given the opportunity they try to steal Commando Cody's rocketship and in the ensuing scuffle Lenotto is killed with his own gun.

Chapter Three: COSMIC VENGENCE  by Ronald Davidson
"A strange garbled message convinces Commando Cody that the Ruler is trying to contact his agents on Earth. Cody tries to find the Ruler before he can carry out his newest plot."
CAST: Stanford Jolley as Hardy

Ross and Hardy use their Vocalceptere and learn that Commando Cody has knows the Ruler is on Venus. They sabotage Cody's rocketship, but Commando Cody still manages to land on Venus and meet the Ruler face to face. The Ruler tells Cody of his plans to conquer Earth and the other habitable planets, and introduces him to some of the weapons that will aid in his conquest. Cody successfully buries the Mad Ruler of Outer Space in his cave on Venus.

Chapter Four: NIGHTMARE TYPHOON
"A series of Destructive floods and typhoons strike all parts of the Earth. Commando Cody suspects that this is part of the Ruler's latest plan to conquer the world."
CAST: Introduces Richard Crane as Dick, Lyle Talbot as Baylor and Gloria Pall as the Ruler's Assistant. John Crawford is also featured.

Ted has been transferred. The Ruler's rocket R-6 is using bombs containing a highly concentrated radioactive gas that causes hurricanes, floods and typhoons. The Ruler threatens to destroy the Earth unless the nations of the world accept his rocket transports of occupation forces and unconditional surrender. A light ending featuring Dick and a life-jacket concludes this episode. There's also a very nice special effect of New York being hit by a tidal wave.

Chapter Five: WAR OF THE SPACE GIANTS
  "The Ruler has found an element on the planet Saturn that enables him to drop germ capsules through the Cosmic Dust Blanket onto Earth."
CAST: Lyle Talbot & Bill Henry

More death and destruction as the Rulers Rocket M-7 uses special bombs to cause mysterious explosions that also spread germ warfare. This time the Ruler threatens complete surrender or complete annihilation." Commando Cody captures the M-7 and an analysis of the bombs it was carrying determines that they contain Saturium, an element obtainable only on a moon of Saturn. Cody, Joan and Dick venture to that moon and after countering the affects of a "Magnetic Drag Ray" manage to destroy the mining facility and Duron and Tantor, its operators.

Chapter Six: DESTROYERS OF THE SUN 
"The Ruler uses a device which puts out the sun's light. Panic results all over the world as it is plunged into darkness. Commando Cody must go the Earth's rescue."
CAST: Lyle Talbot & John Crawford
Directed by Harry Keller

The Ruler uses a new force to blot out the sun. Commando Cody is trapped within his own Cosmic Dust Blanket as a foreign element has been added to a dispensing unit at Station #8 on Earth that his Disbursal Ray is not able to penetrated. Cody catches the saboteur, and his ship successfully breaches the barrier to trace the energy source of Planet M-27. However before he reaches the planet, to destroy the tower that contains the Atomic Device that is blocking out the sun, Cody's ship is stopped by an Invisible Block.

Chapter Seven: ROBOT MONSTER FROM MARS 
"The Ruler's robot agents capture Commando Cody's assistant and carry him off to the Ruler's secret outer space headquarters. Cody must rescue him."
CAST: Lyle Talbot & Gloria Pall 

A robot is sent by Baylor to try and seize secret papers from Commando Cody's office, but is neutralized by Cody. A second attempt is made by the robot, and Dick is felled by a paralyzing ray and brought before Baylor who uses a thought control device on him. Dick Preston is ordered to bring Baylor a brief case from Commando Cody's office that contains information that will allow the Ruler's rockets to disburse the Cosmic Dust Blanket. Commando Cody uses the Rulers own robot to run interference for him when he invades the Rulers headquarters on Planet L-35, getting back all the important papers.
Note: Funny thing, it is never established that the robot is from Mars, or anywhere else for that matter.

Chapter Eight: THE HYDROGEN HURRICANE by Barry Shipmen
"Hydrogen hurricanes threaten to destroy Earth. Commando Cody suspects that they are being caused by the Ruler."
CAST: Denver Pyle as Groog
DIRECTED by Harry Keller

An explosion on the moon has caused it to temporarily shift out of its orbit, causing terrific storms on Earth. The effects of the storms cause damage to the Primary Disbursor machinery that creates the protective Cosmic Dust Blanket. Commando Cody repairs the unit then joins Dick and Joan to check out what has caused the moon to shift. Cody is caught in a trap by the Rulers men on the moon, and is given a front row seat to the planned destruction of Earth.

Chapter Nine: SOLAR SKY RAIDERS by Barry Shipmen
"The Ruler puts five suns in the sky. Unless Commando Cody can stop the suns from shining, their intense heat will destroy the Earth."
CAST:   Lyle Talbot, John Crawford & Gloria Pall. 

Kirk and Nodel ambush Joan and Dick, and Joan's Insignia Radio is stolen (a possible premium?). through the use of her Radio the Ruler promises seven catastrophes to doom beginning with the appearance of twin suns in the sky. Commando Cody takes off in his rocket to investigate the phenomena when yet a third sun appears, and then a fourth. Commando Cody concludes that the Ruler is using a refractive force field to reflect the new suns, and after escaping from a refrigeration plant blast that kills Kirk and Nodel, Cody uses his ship to destroy the Rulers rockets responsible for refracting or reflecting the extra suns.

Chapter Ten: S.O.S. ICE AGE  by Barry Shipmen
"In a diabolical plot, the Ruler manages to couple the Earth and Saturn. This throws the Earth off its axis and causes quakes and catastrophic climate changes."
CAST: Lyle Talbot & Gloria Pall

From the Ruler's rocket R-13, Inger drops special agent Tantor to the Earth's south pole to prepare for phase one of Operation Ice Age. Collaborating with Turen on Station X-7 on Saturn, and Baylor and Mason on Earth, an "interlock" (an interesting choice of words here) of the Rulers' Magno-Force-Ray is formed which turns the Earth so that the south pole will face toward the sun causing countless damage to Earth. Commando Cody tries to trace the magnetic force field that is causing the Earth to tilt when his rocket is drawn toward the forces center, crash landing. Cody and Dick locate Tantors' cave and Tantor is killed in a scuffle with Cody who destroys the magnetic force that is causing Earth to tilt. Perils include a landslide and crossing a river of cascading ice.

Chapter Eleven: LOST IN OUTER SPACE  by Ronald Davidson
"In his efforts to add the Earth to his long list of slave planets, the Ruler tries to get Commando Cody and his crew out of the way. His plans include the capture of Cody's rocketship. The method, a trumped up story told by a Mercurian."
CAST: Mauritz Hugo

Dick Preston and Commando Cody are on routine patrol in their rocket and spot one of the Ruler's rockets, identified as R-7, and give chase. On board Narkos fakes a fight with Balin, a phony Mercurian, who is thrown from the ship and picked up by Cody. Balin requests that Cody help the Mercurians in their effort to free themselves from the Rulers clutches. Cody, Dick, Joan and Balin fly to Mercury where Balin leads Cody into a trap. Meanwhile Narkos steals the Mercurian Sacred Jewels from a Temple and also takes Cody's rocket to escape from Mercury with the treasure.

Chapter Twelve: CAPTIVES OF THE ZERO HOUR by Ronald Davidson
"Commando Cody's rocketship is taken to Mercury by the Ruler. There the Ruler hopes to destroy Cody's dispeller ray, but is in for a surprise."
CAST: Joanne Jordan as Queen of the Mercurians; Mauritz Hugo as Narkos

Narkos calls the Ruler stating that he has captured Commando Cody's rocket. The Ruler personally goes to Mercury not realizing that this time it is Commando Cody who is to spring a trap. However Cody, Dick and Joan are attacked by Mercurians and taken to their queen. The Mercurian Queen recognizes Cody as a friend and helps him in an attempt to capture the Ruler. It is discovered that the Ruler and his men are trapped in Cody's rocket because they can't take off as Cody has taken the needle valve that is important to the ships operation. Cody's force attacks the ship, and Zarak is the first of the Ruler's men to fall. The Ruler's rocket R-1 tries to rescue him, but Cody and Dick intervene , then disguised as the Rulers men, capture him. "Tell Henderson" says the bound Ruler, "It isn't over yet. My subjects will tear your world apart to rescue me." But already Henderson has received messages that "all the Planets of Outer Space will send emissaries to negotiate universal peace … an end to the war between the worlds."

Authors note: The reader is referred to THE VALLEY OF THE CLIFF HANGERS by Jack Mathis for additional information on the Commando Cody serials. We'd like to give special thanks to Larry Charet for his help in determining the exact history of the Commando Cody television show.