Radar Men from the Moon is a 12-part serial produced by Republic Pictures in 1952. It was directed by Fred C. Brannon and features George Wallace as the hero Commando Cody.
The first nine installments of the serial feature throughout Season 1 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, although the ninth installment appears truncated, apparently cut for time.
Plot Summary[]
Chapter One: "Moon Rocket"[]
- appears in Episode #102 - The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy
Chapter Two: "Molten Terror"[]
- appears in Episode #103 - The Mad Monster
Chapter Three: "Bridge of Death"[]
- appears in Episode #105 - The Corpse Vanishes
Chapter Four: "Flight of Destruction"[]
- appears in Episode #107 - Robot Monster
Chapter Five: "Murder Car"[]
- appears in Episode #107 - Robot Monster
Chapter Six: "Hills of Death"[]
- appears in Episode #108 - The Slime People
Chapters Seven: "Camouflaged Destruction"[]
- appears in Episode #109 - Project Moon Base
Chapter Eight: "The Enemy Planet"[]
- appears in Episode #109 - Project Moon Base
Chapter Nine: "Battle in the Stratosphere"[]
- appears partially in Episode #110 - Robot Holocaust
Cast[]
- George Wallace as Commando Cody
- Aline Towne as Joan Gilbert
- Roy Barcroft as Retik
- Clayton Moore as Graber
- William Bakewell as Ted Richards
- Peter Brocco as Krog
- Bob Stevenson as Daly
Notes[]
- A juggernaut vehicle from Undersea Kingdom was re-used in Radar Men from the Moon as Retik's Lunar Tank.
- The scenes of Cody flying were recycled footage from the prior Republic serial King of the Rocket Men.
- The serial entered the public domain in 1979.
- In 1966, the serial was re-edited by Republic and shown on television as a 100-minute film entitled Retik, the Moon Menace.
MST3K Connections[]
- Roy Barcroft also portrayed Agent Parker in The Phantom Creeps.
- Actor and stuntman Tom Steele (Zerg) was also a stuntman in The Phantom Creeps (in which he also portrayed a train conductor and a radio truck driver), Jungle Goddess, Undersea Kingdom (in which he also portrayed a guardsman), and Day the World Ended.
- Actor and stuntman Dale Van Sickel was also a stuntman in Jungle Goddess and Day the World Ended, as well as portraying Link in Manhunt in Space.
- Actor and stuntman Carey Loftin (motorist) also had an unspecified role and was a stuntman in The Rebel Set.
- Actor and stuntman Kenneth Terrell (henchman) was also Joe Marcella and a stuntman in Indestructible Man.
- Composer Stanley Wilson was also musical director for The Beatniks and music supervisor for San Francisco International.
- Set decorator John McCarthy Jr. was also set decorator for San Francisco International and Kitten with a Whip.
- Makeup supervisor Bob Mark was also makeup artist for The Human Duplicators.
- Sound technician Dick Tyler Sr. was also sound mixer for Beginning of the End.
- Special effects technician Howard Lydecker was also special effects technician for Undersea Kingdom.
- Special effects technician Theodore Lydecker was also special effects technician for Undersea Kingdom.
- Stuntman David Sharpe also portrayed a schooner sailor and was a stuntman in The Phantom Creeps.
- Grip Nels Mathias was also key grip for Beginning of the End.
Video releases[]
In addition to the various chapters' appearances within their MST3K episodes, all "8 ½" were released on a bonus DVD by Shout! Factory alongside Volume XXV. In addition to the segments, the DVD includes a new introduction by "Season One's Tom Servo, J. Elvis Weinstein".
Gallery[]