Captain Midnight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Captain Midnight |
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Richard Webb as Captain Midnight, 1954.
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| First appearance | 1938 (radio show) |
| Last appearance | December 1949 (radio show) |
| Created by | Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M. Burtt |
| Portrayed by | Dave O'Brien (serial) Richard Webb (TV series) |
| Alter-ego | Captain Jim "Red" Albright |
Captain Midnight was a super-cool adventure hero who started as a radio show in the United States way back in 1938! Later, his adventures were also shown on TV as Jet Jackson, Flying Commando. Captain Midnight was super popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in movies, a TV show, a newspaper comic strip, and even his own comic books!
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How Captain Midnight Started on Radio
The Captain Midnight radio show was created by two writers, Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M. Burtt. They had already made a popular show about a boy pilot called The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen.
Captain Midnight first aired on October 17, 1938, on a few radio stations. In 1940, a company called Ovaltine, which made a popular drink, became the main sponsor. The show then became a national hit on the Mutual Radio Network. It moved to the NBC Blue Network in 1942. After World War II, it moved back to Mutual and stayed on the air until December 1949.
The show was famous for its exciting use of new technology. It made young listeners dream about amazing inventions and future advancements.
Meet Captain Midnight and His Secret Squadron
The main hero, Captain Jim "Red" Albright, was a brave pilot from World War I. He got the name "Captain Midnight" because he once finished a super risky mission exactly at midnight!
When the show began in 1938, Captain Albright was a private pilot who helped people. But in 1940, things changed. Ovaltine, the new sponsor, gave him a new origin story. Captain Albright was chosen to lead the Secret Squadron. This was a special group of aviators who fought against bad guys like spies and saboteurs before the United States joined World War II. The Secret Squadron worked both inside and outside the U.S.
When the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, the show changed. The Secret Squadron started fighting the more unusual parts of the war. Besides the main villain, Ivan Shark, they fought against bad guys from the Axis like Baron von Karp and Admiral Himakito. The Secret Squadron often had adventures outside the U.S., traveling to Europe, South America, and Asia. They dealt with cool war-related things like experimental Flying Wing planes, radar guns, and jet aircraft.
After the war, the Secret Squadron continued to fight criminals and spies around the world. They had adventures in South America, Africa, and the United States.
The show was incredibly popular, with millions of listeners. Many adults also listened, and it was a favorite of United States Army Air Force crews during World War II. The show often gave away cool prizes called premiums. These usually had Captain Midnight's special symbol: a winged clock pointing to midnight. One of the most famous prizes was the decoder ring, also called a Code-O-Graph. Kids used these rings to figure out secret messages that hinted at what would happen in the next day's episode! Other prizes included rings, telescopes, and even World War II-themed items.
The show also showed strong women characters who were treated as equals. Joyce Ryan of the Secret Squadron and Fury Shark, the daughter of villain Ivan Shark, were both very capable. Joyce even went on commando raids and flew in air battles during World War II!
Who Were the Main Characters?
- Captain Midnight – He was a World War I pilot and the leader of the Secret Squadron. He was an amazing pilot who could fly almost any aircraft. He often went on missions with a team of three Secret Squadron members.
- Chuck Ramsay – Captain Midnight's young helper, a Secret Squadron agent in his late teens or early twenties. He was always ready for adventure with Captain Midnight.
- Ichabod "Ikky" Mudd – The Secret Squadron's Chief Mechanic. He was super smart and invented the famous Code-O-Graph decoder ring! He also created some cool weapons during World War II.
- Joyce Ryan – A brave young woman and Secret Squadron agent. She joined the team after some adventures with Captain Midnight and his friends. She was a strong character who took part in commando raids and air battles.
- Ivan Shark – The main bad guy! He was a very smart criminal who led a group of mercenaries. He often sold his services to foreign governments. Even when he was captured or thought to be gone, he always found a way to come back and cause trouble for Captain Midnight.
- Fury Shark – Ivan Shark's loyal and clever daughter. She was just as smart and capable as her father, often taking charge when he couldn't.
Captain Midnight in Movies and TV
Captain Midnight on the Big Screen
A popular actor named Dave O'Brien played Captain Midnight in a 15-episode movie series called Captain Midnight in 1942. This movie series used some characters from the radio show but was a bit different. Captain Midnight was shown as a masked hero with a secret identity. Later, this movie series was shown on TV in 1953 and 1954.
Captain Midnight on Television
The Captain Midnight TV show started on September 9, 1954, on CBS. It ran for 39 episodes until January 21, 1956. Each episode was 30 minutes long. Ovaltine and Kix Cereal were the sponsors.
In the TV show, Captain Midnight (who was now a veteran of the Korean War) led the Secret Squadron as a private group. The only other character from the radio show who appeared regularly was Ichabod "Ikky" Mudd, who often provided funny moments. Another regular character was Dr. Aristotle "Tut" Jones, Captain Midnight's scientist.
The cool aircraft in the series was called the Silver Dart, which was based on a real plane called the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket. Viewers could send away for a special decoder device and a membership kit by mailing in a special seal from an Ovaltine jar.
When the TV series was shown again in 1958, Ovaltine was no longer the sponsor. Since Ovaltine owned the name "Captain Midnight," the show's title had to be changed to Jet Jackson, Flying Commando. In all the episodes, every mention of "Captain Midnight" was changed to "Jet Jackson." The "Jet Jackson" series was popular into the early 1960s.
Captain Midnight in Comic Strips
| Captain Midnight | |
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| Author(s) | France Herron (1942–1944) |
| Illustrator(s) | "Jonwan" (Erwin L. Hess) |
| Current status/schedule | daily & Sunday, concluded |
| Launch date | June 29, 1942 |
| End date | late 1940s |
| Syndicate(s) | Chicago Sun Syndicate |
| Genre(s) | adventure |
A newspaper comic strip based on the radio show started in 1942. The artist, "Jonwan" (Erwin L. Hess), drew it in a style similar to another famous comic artist, Milton Caniff. The main characters from the radio show, like Joyce Ryan, Chuck Ramsay, Ichabod Mudd, and Major Barry Steele, were all in the comic strip. The strip was released by the Chicago Sun Syndicate and ran until the late 1940s.
Captain Midnight in Comic Books
| Captain Midnight | |
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Promotional art for Captain Midnight #0 (2012 Free Comic Book Day). Art by Raymond Swanland.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Dell Comics Fawcett Comics Moonstone Books Dark Horse Comics |
| First appearance | July, 1941 |
| Created by | Dan Gormley |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Captain Jim "Red" Albright |
| Team affiliations | Secret Squadron |
| Abilities | genius-level intelligence, gizmos which release clouds of blinding darkness, infra-red Doom-Beam Torch, Gliderchute |
| Captain Midnight | |
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Cover for Captain Midnight comic book #1 (September, 1942). Art by Jack Binder. |
| Series publication information | |
| Publisher | Fawcett Comics |
| Format | Standard Golden Age |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Publication date | Sept. 1942 – Sept. 1948 |
| Number of issues | 67 |
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| Writer(s) | Otto Binder |
Dell Comics first published Captain Midnight adventures in comics starting in 1941.
Fawcett then published 67 issues of Captain Midnight Comics from 1942 to 1948. The comic book version of Captain Midnight was quite different from the radio character. Only Ichabod Mudd appeared regularly in the comic as his helper, Sgt. Twilight.
In the comic books, Captain Midnight wore a tight red suit. He used cool gadgets like ones that released blinding darkness. He also had an "infra-red Doom-Beam Torch" to burn his symbol into walls. Plus, he had a "Gliderchute" attached to his suit, which was like a flying wingsuit!
As Captain Albright, he was a super smart inventor, like Thomas Edison. He even had a secret lab hidden in the desert.
In 2012, Dark Horse Comics brought Captain Midnight back with a new comic book series that started in June 2013.
Captain Midnight Books
In 1942, a book called Joyce of the Secret Squadron was released.
Later, in 2010, a collection of new Captain Midnight short stories was published called Captain Midnight Chronicles. These stories combined elements from the radio show, TV series, movie serial, and comic books.
Cultural References to Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight has been mentioned in many other stories and shows:
- The short story "Jeffty Is Five" (1977) by Harlan Ellison features characters who love Captain Midnight radio broadcasts and have his Secret Decoder Badges.
- In Stephen King's novel It (1986), a giant turtle mentions the hero believing in Captain Midnight.
- In the TV show "Miami Vice," one character jokes about not having his Captain Midnight decoder ring.
- A hacker who broke into the HBO signal in 1986 used the nickname "Captain Midnight."
- In the 2018 movie The House with a Clock in its Walls, both the young hero and the villain are big fans of Captain Midnight. The Captain Midnight decoder even plays an important part in the story!
