The first of four Republic productions with Rocket Man (the other three being Commander Cody, Radar Men From The Moon and Zombies Of The Stratosphere).
To me, Rocket Man is a vital part of Republic serials, even more vital than 1941's Captain Marvel. In the above mentioned later three serials Rocket Man has a spaceship as well - then things are on an even better level!
But this spaceship-less serial is still a knockout, and that mighty music played over every fight scene is still playing in my head as I type this review.
In this same year, 1949, Columbia's Batman And Robin serial also had a remote control machine that could control cars from a distance. Not sure exactly how many old time B&W serials used this device? I personally like Batman And Robin more than King Of The Rocket Men as I thought the Columbia serial had better casting all round, better music cues all round, and hey, Batman is Batman, he is always better (note, I was born decades after "King" was released, so I might look at it differently to older viewers?).
But "King" is still mighty entertaining and years later one of the effects team - Howard Lydecker - would work for Irwin Allen in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) and Lost In Space (1965) - that alone is reason enough to see "King".
To me, Rocket Man is a vital part of Republic serials, even more vital than 1941's Captain Marvel. In the above mentioned later three serials Rocket Man has a spaceship as well - then things are on an even better level!
But this spaceship-less serial is still a knockout, and that mighty music played over every fight scene is still playing in my head as I type this review.
In this same year, 1949, Columbia's Batman And Robin serial also had a remote control machine that could control cars from a distance. Not sure exactly how many old time B&W serials used this device? I personally like Batman And Robin more than King Of The Rocket Men as I thought the Columbia serial had better casting all round, better music cues all round, and hey, Batman is Batman, he is always better (note, I was born decades after "King" was released, so I might look at it differently to older viewers?).
But "King" is still mighty entertaining and years later one of the effects team - Howard Lydecker - would work for Irwin Allen in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) and Lost In Space (1965) - that alone is reason enough to see "King".