Lost Planet Airmen

"Lost Planet Airmen" was the 1951 theatrical feature derived from Republic's classic 1949 12-chapter serial "King of the Rocket Men," Tristram Coffin, the unlikely hero of Bela Lugosi's "The Corpse Vanishes," making for an even less likely serial hero, although the name Jeff King does allow the title to resonate despite its single Rocket Man. Evil mastermind Doctor Vulcan disguises himself as a trusted member of Science Associates, formulating curious accidents for several cohorts to capture their secrets, with only Dr. Millard (James Craven) surviving to carry on with his creation of an atomic powered suit that can turn an ordinary citizen into a jet propelled flying superhero. Coffin's Jeff King is essentially top security man, occasionally assisted by reporter Glenda Thomas (Mae Clarke), keeping the Rocket Man outfit in a nifty hiding place that no one would ever suspect, the trunk of his car! There are only five brief glimpses of Rocket Man in action, only one during the first half of this hour long compilation, which must be regarded as no patch on its source material. Mae Clarke was Queen of Universal for a short time during the early 30s but her star had fallen precipitously even before the 1940s, and this can safely be described as her last real meaty role, followed by dozens of unbilled bits until her 1970 retirement. Long forgotten today with the full serial easily available, this title now conjures up memories of a nostalgic group of musicians going by the lengthy moniker Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, who scored a huge hit with their 1972 cover of "Hot Rod Lincoln."