ONCE AGAIN WE must rely on the deep, murky accesses of our now long in the tooth memory. True, there are some common, plentiful and definitely "in Public Domain" videos that we have seen. We even have a couple; but, as of this writing, we haven't found an available source of an extended continuity of a story. As we recall, a CAPTAIN VIDEO & HIS VIDEO RANGERS adventure was serialized over the length of several weeks or perhaps longer (months?). I this way, it was very much like the ongoing continuities of a newspaper adventure comic strip.
ONE SHOULD NOTE that the creators and production team wisely included the ".....& HIS VIDEO RANGERS" in the title rather than just "CAPTAIN VIDEO". The lengthened title was a subtle way to at least subliminally tell the small fry, who made up the Lion's share of the audience, that they are included. This was in keeping with the tradition of juvenile assistants or "sidekicks" in such features as RADIO PATROL, BATMAN, CAPTAIN America, WONDER WOMAN, THE HARDY BOYS, RED RYDER, DONDI......etc.
WHAT WE DO recall much that was part of our tender-aged viewing seems to be fairly vital in our gray-matter to this day. As a sort of montage of bits and pieces of what we've retained we present:
Space Ships-the X 9 (it crashed ) followed by the Captain's long faithful the Galaxy. The "Space Commissioner", Commissioner Carey. Youthful Assistant & Right-hand-man, 'Ranger' (Bob Hastings). There was a "Space Bum/Hobo" (can't remember name). There was an adventure in which the Galaxy (Cap's ship) was coated with pure gold in order to protect it from the attacking enemies aliens' rays. The aforementioned "Space Hobo" offered to "scrape the gold off of the Galaxy!"
ALTHOUGH IT WAS Richard Coogan who originated the title role, it was former GREEN HORNET on Radio, Al Hodge, who is remembered best in the part. He was at one time, one of the most recognized people in the World; being an ironic fate for an actor whose prominence was on Radio, a non visual medium.
ANOTHER EXTENDED MEMORY of ours is of an adventure featuring the control of powerful robot, Tobor (name is 'Robot' spelled backwards). As a 6 year old, I made an improvised "Tobor" costume of my own; which was painstakingly constructed from a couple of cardboard boxes.
ALTHOUGH WE'VE NEVER had any musical training (other than that provided by Sister Yvonne & Sister Anne Christine at St. Theodore Grade School over a half century past), we do vividly recall the music used in some of the filmed action scenes. These depicted the space ships in flight and especially in battle. We know that one theme was from the overture from "The Flying Dutchman" by Rickard Wagner. The other's name has eluded us, but we'd know it if we would hear it, even today, over 50 years later.*
AS FAR AS any critical commentary, let us just say that the CAPTAIN VIDEO & HIS VIDEO RANGERS Show was a pioneering effort that was blazing a trail in a new medium. Let's us forgive their arrogance in naming their hero, "Video"; being that it was a visual medium.
NOTE: * I do remember having a Captain Video helmet and a set of miniature, spring launched plastic "Rockets". This latter mail order premium. For a paltry sum of about $0.25 or so, a young fan, like little Johnny Ryan, received his own mini-rocket set. And furthermore, to make it even more treasured and valued, the plot of one TV adventure had Captain Video (himself) using the toy to save himself and Ranger from imprisonment by the bad guys!
