KING OF THE ROCKET MEN 1949 SERIAL TRAILER

Re-release theatrical trailer for the 1949 Republic serial, KING OF THE ROCKETMEN, starring Tris Coffin, Mae Clarke and House Peters Jr. The eye-defying flying sequences were accomplished by Republc's ace special effects team of Howard and Theodore Lydecker, who used a a life-sized dummy against natural backgrounds with the camera undercranking at the appropriate speed. Combined with stuntman David Sharpe's spectacular leaps and effective sound effects, the scene of Rocketman in flight still awe today. So popular was the serial, that two additional serials -- RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON (1952) and ZOMBIES OF THE STARTOSPHERE (1952) were built around the Lydecker footage as was the the COMMANDO CODY (1953) series of featurettes, which later sold to television.

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Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• retro
• trailer
• serial
• sci-fi
• science-fiction
• 1940s
• flying
• cliffhanger
• Republic
• captainbijou

[Northside777]

The Lydecker brothers were masters of larger than normal miniatures on wires that were carefully balanced, filmed in natural light and slightly slowed down to create a feeling of weight and believable motion. Dramatic camera angles and just the right sound effects contributed to the overall effect. Marvelous stuff!

[jwhittle91]

HE DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE COCKADOODEY CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Unclezippy1]

King of the Rocket Men. It don't get better than that! I met Tristram Coffin back in the 70's when my brother-in-law bought a Pelican sailboat from him. I didn't recognize him or who he was until we went in his house and all the walls were covered with studio stills from those Republic serials. Wow, what a treat! He lived up in the hills of Mill Valley, California towards Mt. Tamalpais.

[cosmicdingo]

Clayton Moore, (Lone Ranger)as a bad guy.

[fronio89]

Boba Fett late 40s style

[francie18]

Cool!

[kungblao]

@jwhittle91 Wow..nice!

[SonofSivadas]

heavy

[smokingolejerry]

@masseyHHVP Rocketman didn't carry a revolver. It was a Ruger .22 auto dressed up to look like a ray gun.

[smokingolejerry]

My favorite chapter play. I was in the first grade and the buttons on my overalls were my controls to fly around the playground. Looked like an idiot but to me I was rocketman. His flying sequence is simple. Republic strung long thin wires and a dummy rocketman was slid down the wire. His flying up was simply the film reversed after sliding the dummy down the wire backwards.