Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (or, informally, Commando Cody) is a 1953 twelve-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, which began life as a proposed syndicated television series. It consists of twelve 25-minute sequential episodes directed by Harry Keller, Franklin Adreon, and Fred C. Brannon. It stars Judd Holdren, Aline Towne, Gregory Gaye, William Schallert, Richard Crane, and Craig Kelly.
Originally intended to be broadcast on television as a 12-episode weekly series, Sky Marshall was first released theatrically in 1953 as a 12-chapter weekly serial; it was syndicated to television on NBC in 1955. The Commando Cody character was first introduced in Republic's earlier serial Radar Men from the Moon (1952), with actor George Wallace in the title role. Judd Holdren first played the Commando Cody character in Zombies of the Stratosphere (also 1952), but was renamed Larry Martin for this follow-up serial.
Plot
Dangerous weather and climate changes are ravaging the Earth. Masked super-scientist Commando Cody is approached by the U.S. government to investigate. Among the tools at his disposal are a sonic-powered one-man flying suit with an aerodynamic helmet and a new Cody-designed and built rocket ship.
With his colleagues Joan and Ted (later replaced by Dick), he ascertains the disasters are being caused by space-alien forces led by a mysterious "Ruler" of unknown planetary origins, with occasional help from hired, Earth-born criminals. Warding off various dangers, Cody and his associates are able to methodically close in on the culprits and reveal that The Ruler is from our sister world, Venus.
In the final episode, Cody is able to capture The Ruler and his soldiers on Mercury with the help of the persecuted Mercurians and their queen. This brings a quick end to the Ruler's influence on Venus and a peace treaty soon follows, ending the Venus-Earth conflict.
Cast
Judd Holdren as Commando Cody
Aline Towne as Joan Gilbert
William Schallert as Ted Richards (Chs. 1–3) Richard Crane as Dick Preston (Chs. 4–12) Gregory Gaye as The Ruler Craig Kelly as Commissioner Henderson Peter Brocco as Dr. Varney (Chs. 1–2) Lyle Talbot as Henchman Baylor (Chs. 4,5,6,7,9,10) Mauritz Hugo as Henchman Mason (Chs. 4,5,6,9,10) Joanne Jordan as The Queen of Mercury (Ch. 12) Gloria Pall as The Moon Girl John Crawford Zon Murray Stanley Waxman I. Stanford Jolley Bill Henry Kenneth MacDonald William Fawcett Lane Bradford Denver Pyle Sidney Mason
Release and chapters
The serial was first released theatrically in 1953 with twelve weekly approximately 30-minute chapters:
"Enemies of the Universe" "Atomic Peril" "Cosmic Vengeance" "Nightmare Typhoon" "War of the Space Giants" "Destroyers of the Sun" "Robot Monster from Mars" "The Hydrogen Hurricane" "Solar Sky Raiders" "S.O.S. Ice Age" "Lost in Outer Space" "Captives of the Zero Hour"
The serial was later syndicated to television in 1955 by Republic's TV arm Hollywood Television Service, airing on NBC stations. The original chapters were filmed with a running-time of 25 minutes each, before commercials, requiring no further editing for a half-hour television slot of that era.
Production
While Commando Cody was originally filmed as a twelve-part TV series, union contract issues forced Republic to first exhibit them in theaters as a 12-part weekly movie serial. The TV episodes actually built on each other in chronological order, lacking the traditional cliffhanger endings that characterized theatrical serials, which has resulted in its being omitted altogether from many reference works on film serials.
Sky Marshal was meant as a prequel to Republic's Radar Men from the Moon movie serial. The first chapter has characters Joan and Ted, Commando Cody's established sidekicks in Radar Men, applying for their jobs and meeting Cody for the first time.
There was a substantial break between filming the first three TV episodes and the last nine, during which time Republic set about filming another Cody movie serial called Zombies of the Stratosphere. It starred Judd Holdren as Cody, Aline Towne as Joan, and Wilson Wood as Ted. For reasons unknown, however, the Republic revised the principal characters' names, and "Commando Cody" became "Larry Martin".
The third TV episode ends with the apparent death of The Ruler, suggesting that Republic may have reconsidered filming the remaining nine and just edit the three it had already completed into a 75-minute science fiction feature film.