Monday, March 31, 2014

Chapter Six The Unknown Command, May 16, 1939

Director: Ford Beebe & Saul A. Goodkind
Writer(s): Norman S. Hall, Ray Trampe, Dick Calkins
Guest Star(s):
Saturnian Lieutenant .... David Sharpe
Scott .... Carleton
Captain Roberts .... Reed Howes

Fearing of killing Prince Tallen, Captain Laska turns off the gas as quickly as he turned it on. Their goal was to only knock the three out, then contact their Leader for further direction. The men open the door while breathing an antidote for the gas as to not succumb to its effects. Outer Space Radio Control patches Captain Laska to the Leader, Killer Kane. The Saturnian's wont ratify a treat with Laska and Kane until they hear from Prince Tallen. Kane instructs Laska to never let Tallen reach the council. Instead, he wants Laska to get one of the Robot helmets and pull out a filament that induces their hypnotic condition. To do this, Laska kills one of the Robots. Tallen is awoken with the antidote and instantly recognizes the filament in Laska's hand as one from Kane's Amnesia Helmets. Wow, that is good. Laska puts it in Tallen's helmet and he is now under Laska's control. Laska takes Tallen before the Saturnian council.

One of Kane's soldiers is chaining Buck and Wilma up to a stone when Dr. Huer radio's to Captain Roger's ship. The soldier takes Wilma into her ship so she can answer Dr. Huer. Once that is all cleared up, he takes Wilma back to Buck. Buck sucker punches the soldier in the stomach and he goes down. Wilma grabs the key and unlocks the chains holding Buck captive. Is there a reason their are pronouncing Robots as Robits? Robit...er Robot Martin throws rocks down on Buck and Wilma. Now they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fortunately Kane's soldiers are also fearing for their lives from the falling rocks and shoots Robot Martin. Buck jumps down on top of the remaining soldier, taking him captive and locking him up in the shuttle.

Buck and Wilma take the Tunnel Car to the Saturnian Council inside the Mountain. Lt. __ greets Buck and Wilma and brings them in to see Aldar. Unfortunately the filament inside Tallens helmet is making him say everything that Laska wants him to say, to the detriment of Buck and Wilma of course. Well, Buck is too good to be arrested for something he didn't do, so he confiscates a pistol and takes Tallen hostage in order to escape. This feels like deja Vous. Didn't we see all this before in Tragedy on Saturn? Buck shoots the controls so they cannot turn off the power this time. Laska tries to close the gate to prevent their escape, but the Saturnian's fear that it will also cause the death of their Prince Tallen. Laska manages to get the gate closed anyways and the Tunnel Car crashes right into it and explodes!

To Be Continued ....

Facts learned in this episode:

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Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 2
Miniatures: (1) Tunnel Car (1) Tunnel w/Gate

Friday, March 28, 2014

Chapter Five The Phantom Plane, May 9, 1939

Director: Ford Beebe & Saul A. Goodkind
Writer(s): Norman S. Hall, Ray Trampe, Dick Calkins
Guest Star(s):
Professor Huer's Lab Assistant .... Jack Gardner
Hidden City Air Controll Officer .... John Marmon
Doctor ....
Councilman Krenko .... Karl Hackett

Lt. Deering finally realizes that Buck and Buddy are not following them. She calls the Squadron Commander to turn around to look for Buck. Buddy seems to have been hurt in the many blasts. Despite his protests that he is fine, Buddy passes out. The Hidden City Squadron makes it back to Buck to find a Squadron of Kane's ships some 4,000 feet below them. They get into Attack Formation "B". It worked! Kane's forces retreat while Deering brakes off to land. Rankin stays behind to repair the Kane ship and will follow later. In the mean time, Buck, Buddy, Tallen and Wilma take the Hidden City ship back to base. Somehow, in all that, they moved from 600 miles away from the Hidden City (36 minutes away) to only a couple of minutes. Wilma radios in to Hidden City to inform Dr. Huer that they are coming in with Prince Tallen and to have a medic on hand for Buddy Wade. She then radio's Air Control to be prepared to open the hidden gates for their ships.

Wilma lands the ship inside the Hidden City where Buddy is taken to the medical bay. Buck introduces Tallen to Dr. Huer and Marshal Kregg. Tallen is ready to sign the treaty between the people of Hidden City and Saturn, but Dr. Huer insists on showing Tallen around first before he makes that choice. Well, that didn't take long. The treaty is signed. Huer instructs Wilma to contact Saturn to let them know they too are at war with Killer Kane. Nothing like signing a peace treaty to be instantly at war. Kane seems pretty confident that with Saturn's help, the rebels will be able to wipe Kane and his city off the face of the planet. Councilor Krenko admonishes Kane again. That's the last straw. Kane has Krenko ordered to his Robot Battalion. He's regretting his choice not to help now. Kane orders Captain Laska to Saturn and try once more to get a treaty signed between them. If he succeeds, he will be the new member on Kane's council.

"The Earth, calling Saturn". Wilma cannot get through. It would seem that Saturns receiving sets are not in tune with Earth's projectors. They must try to go back to Saturn by spaceship. Their Outer Air Observatory reports Kane has doubled his air blockade. Dr. Huer thinks that this is a good time to test his transparency ray. The ray reduces all of pig-matter to transparency perfect to the ether itself. It will remain invisible for 10 minutes. Wilma volunteers to go with Buck and Tallen, as they need a navigator. Buck didn't look too pleased with this idea. Air control loads rockets into the spaceship LZ9 so that it may take off. They are retarding rockets that have to be stored on the lower racks with the firing end forward. Oh crap, one of the rockets is going to explode. Everyone bails out of the ship while Buck runs in. He cuts the main circuit to the rocket tubes, putting the rocket out. Why didn't the crew do this instead of running away and putting everyone's life at risk? Buck saves the day.

Buck takes off with Tallen and Wilma and head to Saturn. Once Wilma spots Kane's Blockade, Buck orders Dr. Huer to use his Dissolve Ray to make their ship disappear, but not before they are spotted. The Kane ships man their Ray Guns. Dr. Huer takes aim and fires his own ray gun at Buck's ship. It's a good thing they were still in sight to pull this off. Not to mention that the Ray gun emits a huge beam of light that Kane's ships would be able to see and follow back to its source, Hidden City. They did it! They successfully run the blockade, and now are on their way to Saturn. Looks like Kane's own envoy made it to Saturn first. Could they be too late? Buck and Wilma with Tallen's help, plan to disable the Kane ship. Unknown to our Heroes, Kane's men (Patten, Scott, Laska & Roberts) are waiting in the rocks for them. Once Buck enters Kane's ship, Kane's men lock them in and turn on a poisonous gas. All three go down.

To Be Continued ....

Facts learned in this episode:
Dr. Huer: Hidden Cities scientist General.
Air Marshal Kregg: Operations Cheif
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 Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 0
Miniatures: (1) Hidden City (5) Kane's Air Blockade (1) Spaceship LZ9

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Chapter Four The Sky Patrol, May 2, 1939

Director: Ford Beebe & Saul A. Goodkind
Writer(s): Norman S. Hall, Ray Trampe, Dick Calkins
Guest Star(s):
Dr. Huer's Lab Assistant .... Jack Gardner
Captain Roberts .... Reed Howes
Councilor Krenko .... Karl Hackett



Buddy takes cover and isn't affected by the Paralyzing Ray gun. He shoots both the spot light and the gunman. Buck regains conciseness, but Tallen has to be carried. Kane's soldiers continue their search of the Terrace to find Buck. Buck and Buddy leap from the Terrace with Prince Tallen between them and land on the streets below. Strange that no matter how far down they keep jumping, they still seem to land on the same studio set that they just left. Same windows, doors, and even garden area where they left a bound guard. I guess the architect of the building just copied and pasted each floor in his design to keep things simple and cheap. A patrol is almost on top of our Heroes when Buck gets an idea. He confronts the men in the same manor that he was confronted earlier. Best to take the lead in the interrogations. He asks for the Soldiers Security Card. Buck assures the men that they are wasting their time in this area, as he is patrolling it. The Soldier decides to go to the Leader's Private Air Field in case they try to go there. Phew, it worked. They will hide there till day break, and Prince Tallen should be able to walk by then.

Captain Rankin reports to Dr. Huer about the situation in Kane's city. Huer and Wilma go to Marshal Kregg to discuss matters. Kregg is ordering more ships from the Outer Atmosphere Patrols to Kane's city to give Rogers all the help they can. Kregg orders Deering and her patrol out in the Open Country that is beyond Kane City, just in case Buck made it out. Deering and a squad of ships take off in search for Buck and Buddy. It's good that Deering only has a thousand miles to search for three people walking. Buck Rogers and Buddy make it to the Leader's air field and take out the guard and Captain Roberts. They find a empty ship and are soon in the air. Kane's soldiers aim and fire their ray gun pistols at the escaping ship. The FX shot of the ray guns are behind the miniature building, even though they should technically be coming from the front of the building (since that is where the ship took off from). Despite their best efforts, Buck and friends manage to escape in Kane's private patrol ship.

Kane is a bit upset about how his council and men failed to capture Buck Rogers. He must be captured before he makes it to the Open Country, otherwise they will never find him. Councilor Krenko snaps back at Kane, defending himself. Kane warns Krenko that his words will find him in front of a firing squad if he doesn't watch himself. Buck, Buddy and Prince Tallen are 600 miles from the Hidden city when he intercepts Colonel Deering's Patrol. That would mean they have been flying for 24 minutes, while Wilma and her Patrol have been flying for at least 36 minutes. Buck's ship is about 6,000 feet below the Patrol. Just like last time, flying in the enemy's ship proves to be dangerous because your own team fires on you. Wilma picks up a portable blaster and opens a door in the wall to shoot at Buck's ship. He is hit on the port tubes. Buck lands the ship and to allow Wilma to see that it is them, so they wont be shot down. Wilma and Buck meet on the ground and all is well. Wilma and her Patrol will now escort Buck back to the Hidden City with Prince Tallen. Too bad Wilma bent in the port tube on Buck's confiscated ship, 'cause now they cannot release the rocket to take off. They are spotted by Kane's Patrol. Buck's team take cover east of the ship behind some rocks. Kane's patrol still sees them and dives to 500 feet for bombing. Lt. Patten drops several bombs, all exploding near Rogers. Will he be killed?

To Be Continued ....

Facts learned in this episode:
Lieutenant Deering: Member of the 7th Pursuit
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Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 2
Miniatures: (1) Kane's City (1) Hidden City (5) Hidden City Patrol Ships (1) Kane's Private Ship (5) Kane Patrol Ships (1) Landscape

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Chapter Three The Enemy's Stronghold, April 25, 1939

Director: Ford Beebe & Saul A. Goodkind
Writer(s): Norman S. Hall, Ray Trampe, Dick Calkins
Guest Star(s):
Kane's Council Member .... Theodore Lorch
Kane Soldier .... Frank Ellis



Instead of dropping the wreaked ship to the ground, Dr. Huer requests that the ship be brought down with a crane for examination. Using their gravity belts again, Buck, Wilma and Buddy jump from the ship. The film used looks like the same footage, if not the same background, for when they landed on Saturn. Once they land on the ground they are immediately arrested. The Lt. Officer is under orders to arrest anyone who exits the ship alive. The Lt. must report to the officer of the day, and Buck and pals go to Kragg's office to discuss what happened. Buck reports that their visit to Saturn made things worse then if they had not gone at all. Instead of getting help from the Saturnians, they instead convinced them that they are blood thirsty Revolutionaries and Kane is a Humanitarian. Kragg fears that if Saturn aligns with Kane, it would result in the enslavement of all their people.


Back on Saturn, Aldar has Captain Laska on trial. He instructs Prince Tallen to go to Earth with Laska to verify Laska's claims that Kane is a just man, who rules the world with a kindly hand, and needs Saturn's help to maintain peace and justice against the revolutionaries. Aldar has signed an agreement of peace that Prince Tallen is to take with him for Kane's signature, assuming Tallen is satisfied that Laska's claims are true. If Prince Tallen isn't convinced of Laska's claims, then there will be no treaty. Tallen, Laska and all his men cram into one of the Tunnel Transport cars and head off to Laska's ship. Lt. Patten Greets them at the ship.

Dr. Huer spots a Killer Kane Ship flying overhead. Buck confirms that it was the sister ship that attacked them on Saturn. Buck asks if they have any spy's in Killer Kane's army. Wilma indicates that they have tried, but they all have been discovered, captured, and put into Kane's Robot Battalion. Buck volunteers to sneak into Killer Kane's camp wearing a Killer Kane uniform. His odds are 1 in a thousand, but Kragg agrees to Buck proposition. Buck gets ready in his room and Buddy comes in all moody and depressed that Buck is leaving without him. Buck says that he wishes Buddy could go but...that's all Buddy needed to hear and he is off like a shot to Marshal Kragg's office to ask to go with Colonel Rogers (I  guess Buck got a promotion when joining the people of Hidden City). The Air Marshal agrees that Buddy could help Buck but cannot consent to his going. Buddy however was gone already before Kragg finished his thought. All he needed to hear was that the Marshal feels Buddy could be of help.

Captain Rankin fly's Buck and Buddy to Killer Kane's city. Their flight takes about an hour to get there, covering a little less than a thousand miles, putting the speed of the ship at a thousand miles per hour. Buck requests that once they arrive, Rankin is to cut the speed and circle around the Palace where he and Buddy will bail out. Tallen meets with Leader Kane and is impressed with the grandiose of the city of Earth. It's interesting how Buck and them can fly a ship right up to Kane's building with no resistance and they have never thought about attacking the building to rid of Kane. Rankin says goodbye to Lt. Rogers (wait, did Rankin not get the memo of Buck's promotion to Colonel, or is this a writers error?) Buck and Buddy jump out of the ship and land on Kane's terraces. Unfortunately they are spotted and confronted by a guard. The guard demands to see their Registration Cards. Buck hands him the card he got off his uniform, a John Keaton. The guard instantly knows they are spies but Buck subdues him, takes his pistol and ties him up. No gag is necessary, I am sure he will be quiet.

Kane, Tallen and a table full of other important counselors are ready to sign Aldar's treaty. Without a moment to loose, Buck interrupts the meeting and demands that they hand the treaty over to him, unsigned. Buck shoots down two guards. Buck intends to show Prince Tallen who Kane really is. He orders Kane to the Tele-Vi. Buck tells Kane to turn on the camera to the Dynamo Room. Instead he shows the outside view of the city. No, No, that wont do. Buck said the Dynamo Room! Kane finally complies and turns the screen to show his Robot Battalion of men wearing steel caps, or amnesia helmets, invented by Kane's Scientists. Helmets that rob men of their minds and will. Tallen is convinced of Kane's cruelty and decrees that he will sign a treaty with Buck's leaders instead.

Buddy hands Prince Tallen a gravity belt, which I am sure is the harness for the cable wire that lifts them off the ground. Buddy and Tallen jump from the window all the way to the ground. Buck soon follows. A city wide announcement goes out to all troops, police patrols, and citizens be on the look out for three fugitives, two from the hidden city in Soldiers uniforms, and one is a Saturnian. I'm not sure how the description of the spy's being dresses like Soldiers is going to help, cause they wouldn't know a real soldier from a fake soldier. Their only give away is they are traveling with Prince Tallen. Well it doesn't take long for them to be spotted and shot with a ray gun. The prop that the actor lifts up and tilts because the thing doesn't move and needs to aim down.
To Be Continued ....

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 Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 0
Miniatures: (1) Tunnel Car (1) Kane Patrol Spaceship (1) Hidden City (1) Kane City

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Chapter Two Tragedy On Saturn, April 18, 1939

Director: Ford Beebe & Saul A. Goodkind
Writer(s): Norman S. Hall, Ray Trampe, Dick Calkins
Guest Star(s):
Hidden City Air Controller .... John Harmon


Forced to abandon ship, our heroes activate their gravity belts and leap out of the doomed ship. The ship plummets 50,000 feet and explodes on the rocks below. Or, more over, the rocks explode and the miniature ship lands in the explosion. Buck, Wilma, and Buddy land on Saturn safely. Spaceship Squadron 7-4 radios Earth for the Leader, Killer Kane. He informs Kane that the Hidden City Spaceship has crashed and he suspects there are no survivors. Kane demands that he survey the wreckage to verify that they are in fact dead. Buddy sets up the portable radio that he rescued from the spaceship. Wilma tries to contract Elias General of Earth. Air Control of Hidden City responds and patches her to Dr. Huer. Wilma checks in that they made it to Saturn and will look for Saturnian's in hopes in bringing back a Peace Mission.

Killer Kane's men track our heroes along the surface of Saturn. Unfortunately for them, their stealth skills are lacking and Wilma spots one before he hides behind a nearby rock. Buck sets a plan in motion to get them at their own game. Buck and Buddy jump on top of two of their pursuers from the rocks above. Buddy is much quicker in pining his man, then Buck is in subduing his. Wilma is left alone to guard the two men while Buck and Buddy head off to ambush the others. Oh no! Buddy slips on a rock and falls, alerting Kane's men to their presence. Both Buck and Buddy are quickly taken captive. Wilma, for some reason, escorts her two prisoners straight to the other men who just captured Buck and Buddy. Now Wilma is captured too.

Lieutenant Patten is ordered to check the rockets on the other ship. Wait, what's this turn of events? The Saturnian's have boarded the Patrol ship and has taken everyone captive. The Forum, led by Prince Tallen, is escorted to the hills to a transport terminal. It takes two cars to bring everyone to the inner city, to see Aldar. See, Aldar was curious why they came to Saturn and wants them to explain themselves. Buck speaks first. They came to Saturn as an envoy, seeking an alliance with Saturn to overthrow the Leader of Earth, Killer Kane. Kane's men speak up and call Buck and his people Revolutionaries, or rebels. Aldar sides with Kane's men and imprisons Buck, Wilma and Buddy. Buck has other ideas, however. Instead of going quietly, he assaults one of the guards and steals his pistol, allowing them all to escape to the tunnel cars. Prince Tallen turns off the power to the cars tracks, then orders for his private car, that has an auxiliary motor.

Buck, Wilma and Buddy are now stuck in the car. Buddy mentions that he saw Prince Tallen use the force gun on Captain Laska and thinks that the gun might have enough power to move the car. I'm not sure when this event occurred that Buddy mentioned, but his idea was sound and got the car moving again, back to the original terminal. Next stop, Kane's Patrol ships, which are still surrounded by Zugg men. On Demi-Charge, Buck stuns two Zugg guards. Tallen and Laska have caught up with our heroes and fire on the ship as it takes off. The radio on both ships are tuned sympathetically. Meaning, Laska set the radio to automatically alter the other ships course and force them to crack up. Buck's ship begins to loose altitude. Wilma assures Buck that they are using enough power to reach 100,000 feet. Wilma catches on to the radio being the source of their distress so Buck takes it out with clean shot. That did it! Earth, here we come.

Marshal Kragg and Dr. Huer observe one of Killer Kane's Spaceships coming in at 274.6. They use their private wave lengths to contact the ship. Air Marshal radios to the Spaceship. Too bad Buck just destroyed the radio, now they cannot contact Dr. Huer to let him know they are friendly. Wilma begins using the retarding pressure. Kragg is convinced that Rogers must have betrayed the secrete entrance to the city and now Kane's ship is there to investigate. Wilma sends a signal to open the gates, which Kragg does. But just before the ship makes it through, Kragg has the gates shut and mashes the spaceship.
To Be Continued ....

Facts learned in this episode:
Zuggs: Primitive race on Saturn. Considered to be harmless
Saturians: Avoid contact with outside planets.
Aldar: Director of the "Council of the Wise"
Captain Laska: Emissary for Kane
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 Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 0
Miniatures: (1) Hidden City (1) Hidden City Spaceship (1) Transport Car (2) Killer Kane Patrol Ships

Chapter One Tomorrow's World, April 11, 1939

Director: Ford Beebe & Saul A. Goodkind
Writer(s): Norman S. Hall, Ray Trampe, Dick Calkins
Guest Star(s):
Captain Raiden .... Eddy Chandler
Mitchel ....
Professor Morgan Wade .... Wade Boteler
Radio Operator .... Roy Butler
Army Officer .... Lane Chandler
Reporter ..... Kenneth Harlan

In 1938, the Westmore Observatory is trying to reach dirigible Chandril. They had flown out of New York and making a flight around the world. Captain Raiden takes the controls as Lieutenant Buck Rogers responds to the radio. He informs the Observatory that the Chandril's location is still flying above the blizzard, but because of the cross winds, they cannot determine their exact position, just within a 300 mile radius. They are holding at 40,000 feet elevation. Unfortunately, at this altitude they are finding it difficult to breath. Captain Raiden drops the blimp some thousand feet into the blizzard in a desperate attempt to get air., disregarding the danger he is putting them in by doing so. Buck notices that they have gone down,  and desperately tries to regain the altitude that was lost in the Captains descent. The Blimp is being loaded down with ice. Both the Raiden and Mitchell jump from the dirigible into the blizzard, wearing parachutes. The Professor, back at the Observatory, instructs Buddy to use the Nivarno Gas that he packed on board just before they took off. He packed it just in case the Chandril went down, so the crew would be able to placed in suspended animation until the rescue team found them. if they go down. Buddy will have to turn the valve as far to the right that it will go.

The Professor has tested the gas on a dog there at the Observatory, that has been 'asleep' for the past three months. It is a great way to explain to the audience how Buck and Buddy were able to survive for 500 years in the snow. The valve on the gas is broken off and pours into the cabin. Buck indicates that their Latitude is about 70 North, Longitude is...Buck passes out from the gas just as an avalanche of snow covers the blimp. Unfortunately, when the blimp crashed, it is clear that the rescue team never found them. Years, decades and centuries fly by.

Lieutenant Lacy and Captain Rankin find Buck and Buddy's blimp in the year 2440 (502 years in the future) while patrolling the boarder. With their Disintegrater Pistols, they melt the ice covering the blimps doorway. The two enter the ship and find Buck and Buddy in perfect preservation. They remove the two from the blimp into some fresh air, away from the gas, and they wake up. Lt. Lacy and Captain Rankin take Buck and Buddy back to their ship to see Dr. Huer. Lacy radios in to the Operations Office and informs them that they have two prisoners found in a dirigible on the tip of Bearing glacier. A rock face opens up revealing a hidden city built inside the mountain. Buck and Buddy are taken to Professor Huer. Lt. Deering in ordered to continue following their spaceship through the Tele-Vi. Huer questions Buck and discovers that he and Buddy have been frozen for 500 years. Wilma Deering interrupts and informs Dr. Huer that Killer Kane has captured another one of their pilots.

Killer Kane interrogates the Pilot for the information to the location of the Hidden City. As a tactic to get the Pilot to talk, Kane shows the Pilot a room full of Pilots that have been captured and turned into slaves with the use of a helmet that turns the men into mindless robots. Buck inquires if they need any help with their Kane problem. Huer thinks that only someone from another planet will be able to help them. They tried to get past Kane's Air Blockade, but lost five spaceships in the process. Buck goes and talks with Air Marshal Kragg about his plan. Using a radio controlled ship as a decoy, Buck will slip past the Blockade to Saturn to get help. The plan is approved and the decoy takes flight. Patrol Ship 7-4 calls 60,000 Foot Patrol to intercept. Lt. Deering and crew fly out and past Kane's Patrol ships as they are distracted with the Decoy. They make it to space with no problems, and fly to Saturn. Unknown to our heroes, two Patrol ships are in hot pursuit. The enemy catches up and starting firing upon Bucks ship. The captain of the Patrol Ship orders the pilot to retard his speed by 1/2 to avoid going up in smoke. The co-pilot fears that if they slow down, the ship will get away. Wilma also fears they are going to fast. If they enter Saturn's atmosphere at their current speed, they will burn to a crisp. Their rockets are smashed. Wilma asks for Bucks help to open the release valves on the oxygen tanks so they wont explode. Their only hope is to return to space as to not be destroyed by Saturn's Atmosphere.

To Be Continued ....

Facts learned in this episode:
Nivarno Gas: Professor Wade discovered it. It induces suspended animation
Professor Morgan Wade: Buddy's Father
Transporter: By Radioactivity the atoms of the human body are broken down to their component parts. Reversing polarity they are reassembled where ever desired.
Killer Kane: Is the result of the 20th Century's failure to eliminate crime. Racketeer, now controls the government 
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Favorite quotes
Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 0
Miniatures: (1) Chandril (1) Hidden City Patrol Ship (1) Hidden City (3) Spaceships (5) Kane's Patrol Ships (1) Landscape

1939 Serial Cast and Crew

Filmcraft, Incorporated
Buck Rogers Characters .... John F. Dille Co.

Cast:
Lieutenant William "Buck" Anthony Rogers .... Larry "Buster" Crabbe
Lieutenant Wilma Deering .... Constance Moore
George "Buddy" Wade .... Jackie Morgan
Captain Rankin .... Jack Mulhall
Killer Kane .... Anthony Warde
Prince Tollen .... Philson Ahn
Professor/Dr./General Huer .... C. Montague Shaw
Aldar .... Guy Usher
Air Marshal Kragg .... William Gould
Captain Laska .... Henry Brandon
Leiutenant Patten .... Wheeler Oakman
Leiutenant Lacy .... Kenneth Duncan
Scott .... Carleton Young
Captain Roberts .... Reed Howes
Councillor Krenko .... Karl Hackett
Captain Martin / Zugg Man .... Stanley Price
Kane Pilot / Hidden City Sentry / Saturnian Lieutenant .... David Sharpe

Crew:
Photography .... Jerome Ash
Art Director .... Ralph DeLacy
Musical Director .... Charles Previn
Sound Supervisor .... Bernard B. Brown
Edited By .... Alvin Todd, Louis Sackin, Joseph Glick

Associate Producer .... Barney A. Sarecky
Complete Cast and Crew

Monday, March 24, 2014

Ep 213 The Dorian Secret, April 16, 1981

Director: Jack Arnold
Writer(s): Stephen McPherson
Guest Star(s):
Asteria Elifa .... Devon Ericson
Joham .... Keith Atkinson
Darel .... Lachelle Chamberlain
Demeter .... William Kirby Cullen
Koldar .... Walker Edmiston
Syla .... Brandy Rubin
Cleis .... Michele Marsh
Saurus .... Denny Miller
Rand .... Stuart Nisbet
Chronos .... Eldon Quick
Kally .... Jackie Russell
Lieutenant Parsons (Ensign) .... Dennis Haysbert
Complete list of Cast and Crew:


At the Omega Solaris Space Terminal, Elifa is running away from a group of Dorian Security Men. She gets her mask ripped off and runs into Bucks arms as he is the last one to board the shuttle. Buck kicks (assaults) the Dorian men (couldn't they be police officers?) to allow Elifa onto the shuttle. Buck and Hawk have been transporting survivors of the volcanic eruptions on Avernus to the Searcher. The Space Terminal was acting as a temporary evacuation center. From the Searcher, the survivors will be taken to a colony on the planet Ceneus. The Shuttle docks with the Searcher and everyone disembarks and enters room A6. Wilma goes up to the pregnant couple, Darel and Joham to see if they need anything. It's always nice to have a Colonel acting as a stewardess. Elifa decides to walk about the ship on A Deck, passes door A7, and ends up in a room where she can look out the window. But instead of looking at the stars, she is looking at her own reflection. She seems disgusted by her own appearance.

The Searcher suddenly comes to a complete halt. On the bridges Vid-Screen they see a Dorian ship. It must have a cloaking devise, because the Searcher was unable to detect the ship. Asimov orders the defense shields on, but they are not operating. Koldar, from the Dorian ship contacts the Searcher and demands the return of the Dorian woman, Asteria. Only when she is handed over will he release the Searcher. Asimov informs Koldar that he is violating Interstellar Navigation Law. Buck indicates that the Dorians will have to take their complaints up with the Interplanetary Courts. Undeterred, Koldar begins his torture. First Phase is thermal intervention. The Dorian's are raising the ships temperature to scale plus 7.5. Then, just like that, Koldar drops the temperature in the ship to scale minus 3.8 and dropping. The passengers don't take likely to this new change of captivity. They demand to know who this Dorian woman is that Koldar seeks.

Heat is now at scale plus 9. Unfortunately, Dr. Goodfellow believes that their bodies cannot sustain at temperature 8.2 for very long. Goodfellow instructs Crichton to provide a Vector Analysis of relevant temperature data. If the temperature is maintained, all the people on the ship will reach a metabolic stasis by 1600 hours (4:00pm), less than eight hours from now. This would put the current time somewhere after 8:00am. Temperature switches from heat to freeze. Hawk enters the passengers room and indicates that they have thermal blankets in the Ships Stores if any of them require one to keep warm. This is just a diversion for Hawk to remove Elifa from the group. Least temporarily. While this move seemed smart, it was suspicious all the same. Hawk brings Elifa into Bucks room, so he can figure out why Koldar wants her. Temperature switches from freeze to heat.

Elifa tells her story. Two days ago she went to see Chosan at the escarpment in the hills where they first met. When she arrived, he had already been terribly hurt. As he approached Elifa, he lost his footing and fell off the escarpment. She ran for help at the same time Chosan's body was discovered by others. Elifa became their prime suspect in Chosan's murder. Chronos, back in room A6, plans on weeding out the Dorian woman by her reaction to his reflective fan. Buck intends to get Koldar to listen to him regarding Elifa's innocence. Why are the passengers watching what is going on between Koldar and the bridge? Seems like a private matter, and only upsetting the passengers more. "Prepare for docking amidships" Koldar's ship docks with the Searcher for Buck to board. Demeter greets Buck at the door and takes him to see the evidence that they have against Elifa. A recording was taken by a security ship on a routine patrol showing Chosan falling off the cliff and Elifa standing there, almost as if she pushed him. Or was she trying to keep him from falling? Demeter seems to know more than he is letting on...

The Searcher hits heat scale plus 10. The passengers have identified Elifa as the Dorian woman and take a vote on weather they will hand her over to the Dorian's themselves to save their own lives. Wilma and Hawk run down to the passengers room to save Elifa. Why are they the only ones who can handle these kinds of situations? I mean, doesn't the ship have security? The majority of the passengers vote Elifa off the ship. Saurus is trying to save her but Chronos bashes him over the head with something, knocking him out. Wilma and Hawk are too late. Did the survivors of Avernus make the right choice in turning the suspect over to the authorities, who had taken asylum on the Searcher? Buck finally takes an audience with Koldar, who feels confident that Buck will see his justice as fair. Buck thinks that because Koldar's own son was the victim in this case that he could not be impartial when it comes to Elifa's trial. Koldar sentences Elifa to death. Buck insists that she be executed right now, hoping that Demeter will speak up and not allow her to be killed. All the passengers watching are horrified that they are going to witness her death. Koldar turns off the vid-screen so the men and women on the Searcher wouldn't watch the blood shed. Just when we think that Elifa will be hacked to death, Demeter finally speaks up and admits to fighting with his brother prior to his fall, vindicating Elifa of the murder.
Demeter rips off his mask and vows to never wear a mask again. Koldar orders all his men to remove their masks, revealing the Dorian secrete. When everyone looks alike, it does help to have something that distinguishes yourself from someone else. Buck brings Elifa back onto the Searcher for some reason, and admonishes the passengers for their actions. Rand still feels that they did the right thing. Buck forewarns them about the choices they will make in the future when they arrive on their new planet. He hopes that they learn something from this encounter.

The end
Facts learned in this episode:
Admiral Asimov: First name is Ephraim. 
Asteria Elifa: Accused of murdering her lover, Chosan. 
Darel: Pregnant, Married to Joham
Joham: Married to Darel
Saurus: Flys fighters out of Rigel and Clomax 4
Chronos: Prestidigitation is his newest interest. Gambles.
Rand: Hot headed
Slya: Traveling with Cleis
Cleis: Traveling with Slya. Left their home on Avernus yesterday
Koldar: Supreme Leader of the Dorians. Son's are Chosan and Demeter. Feared by his crew and children.
Dorians: From Cygnius. In centuries past tens of thousands of Dorian's committed suicide because of their mutanticy. They now wear masks to hide their mutations and save their race from extinction. The masts are never to be removed in front of others. There are no mirrors or reflecting surfaces allowed. Thus became the ol' saying "Dark as a Dorian secret". Their secrete is that they all look alike. It has been this way since the neutrino wars with Rigel.

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References to the 20th Century that the 25th does't get
Favorite quotes
Easter Eggs:
Deaths: 0
Searcher's Mission: To find the lost tribes of Earth
Miniatures: (1) Searcher (1) Shuttle (1) Omega Solaris Space Station (1) Dorian Ship