TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
Can you named the 1950s syndicated sci-fi television serial
pictured above? Notice the three characters in white shirts
in the foreground. You get a closer look at them below.
What do those three actors have in common?
(SCROLL DOWN)
ANSWERS TO
TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
Rocky Jones Space Ranger was one of my
favorite TV sci-fi adventure serials of the 50s.
What do the three male stars of Rocky Jones have in common?
Sadly they all died young - by the age of 50.
Richard Crane (left) who starred as Rocky Jones, died at age 50.
Robert Lyden (center) who played Bobby, died at age 43.
Scotty Beckett (right) who played co-pilot Winky and
earlier in his career played Spanky McFarland's best
pal in the Our Gang comedies, died at the age of 38.
On February 23, 1954, when Rocky Jones was released, "Bell Bottom Blues"
was climbing the chart. Of course, I am not referring to the 1971 single
by Eric Clapton's band Derek and the Dominos, but I haven't heard
it in a while and this gives me an excuse to play it for you.
"Bell Bottom Blues" - Derek and the Dominos
(Mar. 1971, highest chart pos. #91 Hot 100)
The song of the same name to which I am referring was recorded by 50s
songstress Teresa Brewer. Teresa's "Bell Bottom Blues" single cracked
the top 20 in late February, 1954, the same week Rocky Jones debuted.
"Bell Bottom Blues" - Teresa Brewer
(Feb. 1954, highest chart pos. #14 Cash Box/#17 Hot 100)
Rocky Jones, Space Ranger didn't last very long. The final episode
of the series aired November 2, 1954. On that day, singing star
Rosemary Clooney, aunt of actor George Clooney, had the
most popular record in the land, topping the chart with
"Hey There," a show tune introduced by John Raitt
in the musical play The Pajama Game.
"Hey There" - Rosemary Clooney
(Sept./Oct./Nov. 1954, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
Have a Shady day!
Hi Shady. I guess we didn't get Rocky Jones, Space Ranger in our viewing area. I'm sure my brother and sister would have watched it faithfully. Oh, I watched space shows some, but was not a Science Fiction fan growing up.
ReplyDeleteI do remember Clapton's "Bell Bottom Blues", and although it was popular and a good song, it just drags on too long for me. But, I love Eric Clapton and all of his accomplishments...a great guitarist!
I didn't guess the trivia question, or know the actors, but I truly enjoyed Rosemary Clooney's "Hey There". I think she was so pretty, and the cameras always made her look so fresh and angelic! This is a great video of her, and her voice just sets the mood for this song.
Thanks for your fun and interesting trivia question and review of "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger" series. Have a great Sunday and week, Shady! Take care, dear friend!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteCongratulations on being the Early Bird this week, dear friend. I'm excited to see you!
I'm sorry that the syndicated fictional space exploration series Rocky Jones was apparently not available in your vicinity. I feel lucky is was aired in my neck of the woods.
I am happy to know that you recall Eric Clapton's "Bell Bottom Blues," a single released in January 1971 from the November 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek And The Dominos. I saw that album everywhere I went in State College, PA, during my senior year at PSU, and I bought my copy at the campus record store. A slow burn, the album grew in popularity through the mid 70s eventually being certified platinum, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, named one of the Greatest Albums of All Time by VH1, and ranked high on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time." You make a good point about "Bell Bottom Blues" going on and on. The whole 4-side album set is indulgent in that regard, with running times of 9 different songs ranging from 5 minutes to almost 10 minutes! As you recall many rock stars of the period released songs with long running times.
Yessum, I was thrilled to find that super cleaned-up video of Rosie Clooney singing her chart-topper "Hey There." I remember the song well from childhood. I was only 4 years old during the original run of Rocky Jones, yet I remember the show well.
Thank you again for swinging over first thing on a Sunday, dear friend Suzanne. I hope you and Scootie are well and having a nice weekend in Texas. Stay tuned for my next post coming up on Friday entitled: Vinyl Gladiators!
Well, I never heard of this tv show but I was impressed with the quality of the filming. They must have done this differently from the regular tv shows of the day. I am also impressed with the special effects which was quite good for this early time in TV. I can't help but think Gene Roddenberry must have watched this show and was impressed with how these space explorers travelled to learn about new aliens and came in peace. Poor Scotty Beckett looks so innocent but he was anything but that. I always had a soft spot for that young actor since booze and drugs got the better of him. The little kid died too young and I tried to find out how but it doesn't say although I was surprised that he is the brother of the dutch girl who sings with Sinter Klaas in Miracle on 34th St.
ReplyDeleteI did have to roll my eyes and groan at how they treated the poor gal who is a secretary, loves fashion and has to weigh herself because the guys wanted a good laugh....jerks. The aliens reminded me of Santa Claus Conquers The Martians...I am not sure why but they do.
I enjoyed both songs and know them well. It was fun to listen to them.
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteThanks for coming early this time, dear friend. I'm happy to see you!
It doesn't surprise me that you didn't catch this short-lived U.S. series. It came and went in 1954 with sporadic reruns thereafter. I probably watched it throughout the 50s. I read that the special FX became too costly and that's why the show got the ax, disappointing many young fans.
Yessum, all three of the main male cast members died too young. Your right. It is difficult to find cause of death info about Robert Lyden, the actor who played the little boy in the series. I finally found one article that simply states he died of a "non-communicable disease." Yessum, I was hoping you'd notice that the Anne Francis - Forbidden Planet lookalike on the series was used primarily as window dressing and as a secretary. Many of the lines she speaks are cringeworthy.
I'm glad you remember the old old oldies "Bell Bottom Blues" and "Hey There."
Thanks again for making time for a visit and for taking my Brain Buster Quiz, dear friend BB. Have a wonderful week!
I assume Rocky Jones, Space Ranger takes place in the future, yet that professor is dressed like it's 1880. I suppose there's no reason why such an outfit can't come back into style, but it's odd that it should exist alongside T-shirts and miniskirts. Just shows you how eclectic the future will be. Actually, that's something I would look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI do have to quibble a bit about the science. If the gravity on the planet is such that a non-overweight human woman would weigh 300 pounds on a scale, she and every other human would have a difficult enough time crawling much less walking. That said, the show was better than I'd expected, with decent acting, dialogue that doesn't insult the intelligence too much, and plotting that genuinely made me wonder what was going to happen next. I like the idea of the leader of the planet wanting to be fair to everyone and not jump to any hasty conclusions. There are Earthbound politicians who could learn a lesson from that.
Of the three songs, I'm afraid I'm only familiar with Rosemary Clooney's, but I liked listening to them all, my tastes in music as eclectic as the clothes of the future.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for hustling right over on your Sunday, good buddy!
I'm glad you enjoyed learning about a sci-fi serial I watched as a young boy. (Some people say I grew up to be a space cadet!) You make some good observations about the show, including the clothing style that seems out of place and the weird science that has gravity more than doubling a person's weight but doesn't seem to affect how they move about. I hear ya, good buddy. I'd like to launch a few Earthbound politicians into space - destination Pluto.
I'm glad you recognized the hit song "Hey There" sung by George Clooney's aunt Rosemary.
In a shameless attempt to get another comment out of you and run up my total, I'd like to ask what you think of the artwork on those DVD covers. I thought for sure they would be your main focus and that you'd contribute tidbits about them.
Thanks again for coming by, good buddy Kirk. Have a terrific week up there in Cleveland!
Shady, I'm afraid I have nothing to say about the DVD covers other than that it's the quasi-pop art artwork often seen on DVD cover of 1950s shows in order to make those older shows seem more hip. Did somebody well-known do the art and you're hoping I'll say they're name? I don't know who that would be. As eye-catching as that art is--not surprisingly since they want you to buy the DVD--it's also by this late date pretty generic. Sorry.
DeleteDo you have a copy of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band lying around? Look at the art on that. Same kind of style as those DVDs, and that album came out in 1967, 54 years ago!
DeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteMy scheme worked and you helped me to artificially inflate my comment total. Thanks, good buddy!
No, I have no idea who did the DVD artwork. That area is your specialty and I just thought you might have something to share. I'm okay with color artwork produced to promote the sale of a TV series or film shot in black & white, but not as eager to embrace colorizing of the series or film itself. Night Of The Living Dead was meant to be viewed in B&W.
Thanks again for expanding the discussion, good buddy!
Oh wait... I see you left another comment. In that case, and to avoid confusion, I should open another reply form. Stand by...
Hi again, Kirk!
Delete(We need to stop meeting like this.) I owned the Sgt. Pepper's vinyl album when I was in college and thorough middle adulthood. I foolishly sold it along with the rest of my album and 45 collection when I switched to CDs in the late 80s. You make a good point about the intricate artwork on the cover. It has stood the test of time.
Have a super week, good buddy Kirk!
I'm guessing Rocky Jones, Space Ranger never made it into syndication? It doesn't ring a bell for me. Nor does the second rendition of Bell Bottom Blues. (the first is familiar, of course)
ReplyDeleteI do know the Rosemary Clooney song, but have to admit she's never been a favorite of mine (I like her nephew even less, but that's neither here nor there)
Pat sends his springtime greetings. Woof, woof!
Hi, Kelly!
DeleteThanks for dropping in to ride the rocket ship, dear friend!
Rocky Jones, Space Ranger was broadcast first run in syndication and rerun sporadically in syndication through the rest of the 50s. As you know, the fabulous Fifties saw an explosion of interest in space travel, outer space and men from Mars, perhaps ignited by the hit 1951 movie The Thing From Another World. Several fantasy sci-fi TV series emerged in the 50s that followed the adventures of crews on rocket ships traveling through space and encountering aliens. Rocky Jones was one that I watched faithfully.
I'm glad you remember Clapton's "Bell Bottom Blues" song, a single that peaked surprisingly low on the chart at the time of its release - #91 - given how popular it remains to this day.
Sorry you're not very Fonda the Clooneys. (See what I did there?)
Hey, please give my good buddy Pat a MilkBone, a Jerky Treat and a great big hug and make him believe they are all from Shady. :)
Thanks again for joining me on your Sunday. Have a wonderful week, dear friend Kelly!
I was a mere babe when this series was on and it sure didn't ring any cosmic bells. I thought the costumes were classic. Mini skirts were in with capes! All future gals wore mini skirts! I did laugh when she was taking notes for Rocky. They can fly to another planet but she still has to take notes by shorthand! The songs didn't ring any bells either. But a fun post that reminded me that we did just land on Mars but I didn't notice any pics with mini skirts or capes on Martians! Have a wonderful week. My #2 son Craig from Oregon, Portland is in your neck of the woods. In Clearwater today and tomorrow will head to Disney for their fun Spring break. The weather hasn't looked too great though. Hopefully some sunshine will hit them so they can go back to the Pacific Northwest with a little tan. Take care Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, Yaya!
DeleteHow are you today, dear friend? Thanks for coming over to join the fun as Rocky & Friends (no, not "moose & squirrel") - the space rangers - blast off for parts unknown. Yessum, me likey the mini skirt and cape look on a woman. :) As I recall, the women were dressed in similar garb in several other TV series and movies depicting futuristic space travel. For example I remember the bevy of beauties in the Zsa Zsa Gabor film Queen of Outer Space wearing mini dresses w/o capes:
https://imgur.com/Nkcydp0
Yessum, in Rocky Jones, space navigator Vena Ray, played by Sally Mansfield, (apparently no relation to Jayne Mansfield), performed womanly duties about the spaceship including shorthand, making the coffee, cooking and doing the dishes. In all fairness, the men took out the trash. :)
I hope you enjoyed learning three new songs today including two different ones entitled "Bell Bottom Blues."
I'm happy to learn that son Craig is down here in the greater Tampa Bay area. Today's weather was not the kind the Chamber of Commerce would boast about. I was cloudy and chilly. The good news is that a warming trend begins tomorrow and the chances of rain will be low all week long. I hope your gang has fun at Disney World.
Thanks again for reporting in and for your great comment. I hope you are well and in good spirits. Have a wonderful week, dear friend YaYa!
I remember Captain Video but not Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, however, those photos seem familiar. The song that I remember Theresa Brewer sing was, Let Me Go, Lover. I had thought that she sang, How Much is That Doggie in the Window, but that was Pattie Page. My mom always had the radio on and we all sang along. She had a nice voice, but my dad was a wonderful tenor. You brought back some nice memories for me tonight, Shady.
ReplyDeleteHi, Arleen!
DeleteI'm very happy to see you, dear friend! Thanks for taking my Mom & Pop quiz and learning a little about the sci-fi space adventure series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. I especially appreciate your comment because you reminded me of Captain Video and His Video Rangers, another old series I watched in early childhood. I read that Captain Video aired from 1949, the year I was born, until 1955. It spawned the spin-off series The Secret Files of Captain Video which alternated with another series, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, from the fall of 1953 to the spring of '54.
Yessum, I remember Teresa Brewer's hit cover of "Let Me Go, Lover." Wiki sez the popular love song was << based on an earlier song called "Let Me Go, Devil" about alcoholism. >> "Let Me Go, Lover" was first recorded and turned into a hit by Joan Weber. Patti Page also waxed a successful cover. All versions raced up the chart near the end of 1954. Teresa Brewer was one of my mother's favorite female vocalists. In addition to "Let Me Go, Lover," Mom bought two Teresa Brewer doublesider singles that I recall playing in the subterranean game room of our home on my tiny tinny turntable. They are "Tweedle Dee," a cover of the LaVern Baker hit b/w "Rock Love," and "A Tear Fell" b/w "Bo Weevil," the latter a cover of Fats Domino. Mom also loved Patti Page and we had a copy of "Doggie In The Window" which I also played often. I got a kick out of the sound effect of the puppy barking.
Thanks again for coming and for sharing memories of your mom and dad singing along to the radio. It makes me very happy to trigger fond memories for friends like you. Please take good care of yourself, keep your spirits high and have a wonderful week, dear friend Arleen!
Two of my favorite chanteuses from the '40's and '50's.
ReplyDeleteHi, John!
DeleteIt's great to see you again, good buddy. Thanks for dropping by!
It's cool that you remember and like Teresa and Rosie. So did my mom. She collected their 45s and played them often. Their combined hit recordings made up the soundtrack of my early childhood.
Thanks again for taking a look and a listen, good buddy John, and have a groovy week!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThat's sad to read about the three actors in your favorite childhood TV series died before the age 50. One of them died really young at 38. WOW! This is a series I'm not familiar with and I don't even think I ever saw it on reruns.
"Bell Bottom Blues" - Derek and the Dominos I think I barely remember. It certainly sounds familiar and I really enjoyed listening to it. I was 10 years old when it released. Usually I only recall the songs that did better in the charts so it really surprised me somewhere in the recess of my mind this song got shelved. I wonder why?
It won't come as any surprise that your 1954 songs are new to me. It seems a bit odd to hear the term bell bottom used in the 50s. It must mean something other than a pair floppy legged jeans. So, please enlighten my brain!
Thanks for sharing some nifty 50s and the song track from the 70s. Stay safe and be well, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks so much for coming over to take the rocket ride with Rocky Jones and his crew, dear friend!
I'm not surprised you never saw this very old series even in reruns. The reruns probably stopped airing before you were born. Yessum, it is a shame the three male leads all died young. It struck me as very odd, and I was inspired to use that piece of trivia in a Brain Buster post. By the way, the title of the post, "Flaps down Winky," is the command Rocky gave his co-pilot Winky every episode whenever the ship was preparing to land on a strange new world. As Wiki points out, it was miraculous that no matter which planet the gang landed on, the air was always perfect for an earthling to breathe, the temperature was fit for a spring breaker and the alien inhabitants they encountered always spoke perfect English. What are the odds? :)
I think the Clapton song "Bell Bottom Blues" was best known in the context of that Layla double album. I saw that album cover everywhere I wet during my senior year at State College. I first got to know the song by hearing the album played in dorms and at off-campus parties.
Teresa Brewer's song was referring to the bell bottom pants her sailor boy lover wore in the Navy.
Thanks again for coming over to check out the Trivia Quiz. Have a wonderful week, dear friend Cathy!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteOf course, sailors wore bell bottom trousers. I totally forgot. Thanks for the clarification. I'm sorry for running behind this morning on my blog. Yesterday was super busy with grocery home deliveries and a number of chores that kept me going from 1-4:30pm. But, even then I wasn't done for the afternoon. Every fiber in me ached after towing groceries up our drive,then putting things away. It's exhausting work. Anyway, I wanted to return to working on my post so that I could include Kat's Writing Workshop but didn't and couldn't finish things up quickly enough this morning. Now, I'm busy in the kitchen making cherry nut cream filled chocolate covered Easter eggs for our kids. I can't believe it's a week from this Sunday. Have a nice weekend, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for taking time to visit and explain why you are running late. It doesn't surprise me. You've got plenty on your plate these days with the A to Z looming. The reason why I always look for your posts beginning at 6 am sharp is because I am at my best early in the morning and better able to compose decent comments. I fade fast later in the day. :)
I'm sure DH appreciates what you're up to in the kitchen today. Yummy! Yessum, Easter will soon be here. I hope Little A can get a taste of your cherry nut cream filled chocolate covered Easter eggs.
Thanks again for making time for a visit, dear friend Cathy!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteThese are all new to me. I've been swamped for the past few days and before I sign out tomorrow for Passover, I'll visit again and take a listen.
Have a great Thankful Thursday!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteMY goodness, I've been wondering what you've been doing all week. Welcome back to Shady's Place, dear friend!
These oldies and this obscure TV series are so old I doubt even your dad remembers them. Perhaps Nan would have. I hope you get time to revisit because a new post will be pubbed first thing tomorrow morning.
Happy TT to you as well, dear friend JM!