Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers facts for kids

Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers was an exciting TV show from the 1950s. It was a weekly adventure series about space, broadcast live on CBS every Saturday. The show ran from April 18, 1953, to May 29, 1954. It was set far in the future, in the year 2153.

Rod Brown: Space Adventures

The show was inspired by another popular space series called Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. Rod Brown followed the thrilling adventures of brave heroes known as Rocket Rangers. They worked from a place called Omega Base. Their mission was to fly their powerful, nuclear-powered spaceship, the Beta, all across our solar system. They battled criminals and strange alien creatures.

Meet the Rocket Rangers

The main team of Rocket Rangers included three heroes:

• Rod Brown: Played by Cliff Robertson, he was the fearless leader with curly hair.
• Frank Boyd: Played by Bruce Hall, he was Rod's loyal partner.
• Wilbur "Wormsey" Wormser: Played by Jack Weston, he was the funny, chubby, and bespectacled member who often made people laugh.

Their boss was Commander Swift, played by John Boruff. Each episode told a complete story, which was different from other space shows at the time that often had stories spread out over many episodes.

Behind the Scenes of the Show

The director of Rod Brown was George Gould. He had also directed Tom Corbett before joining CBS. When he came to Rod Brown, he brought some of the writers and ideas from Tom Corbett with him. He even brought a special effect that helped create cool space scenes.

Because the two shows were so similar, there was a legal issue. However, it was settled outside of court and did not stop new Rod Brown episodes from being broadcast. The show aired a total of 58 episodes.

Rocket Ranger Code and Gear

The show was sponsored by Jell-O Instant Pudding. Even though it was popular, there weren't many toys or special items related to Rod Brown compared to other space shows like Captain Video or Space Patrol. Some items that did exist included a Rocket Ranger membership card and a special Rocket Ranger Squadron Charter. Young boys could also get plaid flannel shirts that had the Rocket Ranger title, spaceship, and spaceman printed on them.

Each week, the show started with an exciting introduction: "Surging with the power of the atom, gleaming like great silver bullets, the mighty Rocket Ranger space ships stand by for blast-off. Up, up, rockets blazing with white-hot fury, the man-made meteors ride through the atmosphere, breaking the gravity barrier, pushing up and out, faster and faster, and then...outer space and high adventure for the Rocket Rangers."

The show's theme song, by Robert Allen, included these words: "From the sands of Mars, out to the distant stars, we're the Rocket Ranger Corps..."

The membership card given out as a special item had the "Rocket Ranger code" printed on it. This code was a set of promises for every Rocket Ranger:

ON MY HONOR AS A ROCKET RANGER, I PLEDGE THAT:

• I SHALL always chart my course according to the Constitution of the United States of America.
• I SHALL never cross orbits with the Rights and Beliefs of others.
• I SHALL blast at full space-speed to protect the Weak and Innocent.
• I SHALL stay out of collision orbit with the laws of my State and Community.
• I SHALL cruise in parallel orbit with my Parents and Teachers.
• I SHALL not roar my rockets unwisely, and shall be Courteous at all times.
• I SHALL keep my gyros steady and reactors burning by being Industrious and Thrifty.
• I SHALL keep my scanner tuned to Learning and remain coupled to my Studies.
• I SHALL keep my mind out of free-fall by being mentally alert.
• I SHALL blast the meteors from the paths of other people by being Kind and Considerate.