Film and television adaptations Buck Rogers

1 film , television adaptations

1.1 world s fair
1.2 movie serial
1.3 1950–1951 abc television series
1.4 motion picture , 1979–1981 nbc television series
1.5 future films

film , television adaptations
world s fair

a ten-minute buck rogers film premiered @ 1933–1934 world s fair in chicago. john dille jr. (son of strip baron john f. dille) starred in film, called buck rogers in 25th century: interplanetary battle tiger men of mars. 35mm print of film discovered filmmaker s granddaughter, donated ucla s film , television archive, restruck , subsequently posted web. available on vci entertainment dvd 70th anniversary release. later shown in department stores promote buck rogers merchandise. shot in action film company studio in chicago, illinois, directed dr. harlan tarbell. characters included buck rogers, wilma deering, dr. huer, killer kane, ardala, king grallo of martian tiger men, , robots.

movie serial

a 12-part buck rogers serial film produced in 1939 universal pictures company. buck rogers (buster crabbe) , young friend buddy wade caught in blizzard , forced crash airship in arctic wastes. in order survive until can rescued, inhale supply of nirvano gas puts them in state of suspended animation. when rescued scientists, learn 500 years have passed. 2440. tyrannical dictator named killer kane , henchmen run world. buck , buddy must save world, , of lieutenant wilma deering , prince tallen of saturn.

the serial had small budget , saved money on special effects reusing material other stories: background shots futuristic musical imagine (1930), city of future, garishly stenciled walls azura palace set in flash gordon s trip mars, kane s penthouse suite, , studded leather belt crabbe wore in flash gordon s trip mars turned part of buck s uniform. between 1953 , mid-1970s, film serial edited 3 distinct feature film versions.

1950–1951 abc television series

the first version of buck rogers appear on television debuted on abc on april 15, 1950 , ran until january 30, 1951. there total of 36 black , white episodes in (allowing 2-month summer hiatus). unfortunately, no episodes of show survive today.

its time slot on saturdays @ 6 p.m., , each episode 30 minutes. program later rescheduled tuesday @ 7 p.m., ran against popular texaco star theatre hosted milton berle. show sponsored peter paul candy bars.

the producers trying emulate success of dumont s captain video, series failed result of minuscule budget. decision put show on summer hiatus 2 months undercut efforts build audience.

the storyline faithful philip francis nowlan s original novel armageddon 2419 ad, although in 1950 tv series, buck rogers finds himself in year 2430. based in secret lab in cave behind niagara falls (the city of niagara capital of world), buck battles intergalactic troublemakers. due minuscule budget, of episodes took place in secret lab.

there number of changes cast during series short duration. 3 actors played buck rogers in series: earl hammond (who starred buck briefly), kem dibbs (whose last appearance in role aired on june 3), , robert pastene (whose first appearance in role aired on june 10). show apparently went on summer hiatus around july 7 until end of august, reappearing on air again around labor day robert pastene still in lead role. (kem dibbs went on have long acting career in film , television.)

two actresses portrayed wilma deering: eva marie saint , lou prentis. 2 actors play dr. huer: harry southern , sanford bickart. black barney wade played harry kingston.

the series directed babette henry, written gene wyckoff , produced joe cates , babette henry. series broadcast live station wenr-tv, abc affiliate in chicago. there no known surviving kinescopes of first buck rogers television series.

motion picture , 1979–1981 nbc television series

in 1979, buck rogers revived , updated prime-time television series nbc television. pilot film released cinemas on march 30, 1979. box office returns led nbc commission full series, started in september 1979. glen a. larson produced film , first season of eventual series.

the series starred gil gerard captain william buck rogers, united states air force , nasa pilot commands ranger iii, space shuttle-like ship launched in 1987. when ship flies through space phenomenon containing combination of gases, ship s life support systems malfunction , frozen , left drifting in space 504 years. time revived, finds himself in 25th century. there, learns earth united following devastating global nuclear war occurred in late 20th century, , under protection of earth defense directorate, headquartered in new chicago. latest threat earth comes spaceborne armies of planet draconia, planning invasion.

co-starring in series erin gray crack starfighter pilot colonel wilma deering, , tim o connor dr. elias huer, head of earth defense directorate, , former starpilot himself. ardala appeared (played pamela hensley), draconian princess supervising father s armies, kane (played henry silva in film; michael ansara in series) enforcer, gender reversal of original characters ardala killer kane s sidekick. although black barney did not appear character in series, there character named barney smith (played james sloyan) appeared in two-part episode, plot kill city . new characters added series included comical robot named twiki (played felix silla , voiced mel blanc), becomes buck s personal assistant, , dr. theopolis (voiced eric server), sentient computer twiki carries around.

the series ran 2 seasons on nbc. production , broadcast of second season delayed several months due 1980 actors strike. when series returned in 1981, core format had been revised. rather defending earth, buck , wilma aboard deep-space exploration vessel searcher on mission track down lost colonies of humanity. tim o connor s dr. huer written out of series , replaced wilfrid hyde-white quirky scientist dr. goodfellow , broadway character actor jay garner vice admiral efram asimov of earth force. onboard thom christopher playing role of hawk, stoic birdman in search of other members of ancient race. revamp unsuccessful , series canceled @ end of 1980–1981 season.

two novels based on series addison e. steele published, novelization of 1979 feature film, , man on beta, adaptation of unproduced teleplay.

future films

frank miller slated write , direct new motion picture odd lot entertainment, production company worked miller on spirit. however, after spirit became box office , critical failure, miller s involvement project ended.