I was a mere lad in single digit years when Tom Corbett Space Cadet was on television. Making a lot of allowances for the fact that this was primitive TV even comparing it to something like Star Trek prime makes it pale by degrees. Not unlike comparing the original Star Trek to any of its successors.
One thing that Tom Corbett borrowed from the big screen was the trio concept that you would see in westerns, most prominently in Hopalong Cassidy and the 3 Mesquiteers. Corbett and his two sidekicks are on a training ship, the Polaris and they were training to join the Solar Patrol. Tom was played by 30 year old Frankie Thomas who was an All American teen heartthrob in the Nancy Drew series before World War II. Thomas still looked youthful enough to carry off the part.
The others are Al Markim who went the entire series run with Thomas and Jan Merlin who was replaced halfway through the series by Jack Grimes. Substitute the space dialog for sagebrush talk and this could have been a western.
Tom Corbett like so many other science fiction films seemed not to anticipate the computer. That fact in and of itself fascinates me. As the show was aimed for a kid's audience maybe the producers felt the concept was over the heads of 50s era children.
Shows like Tom Corbett, sincerely made and acted for a variety of reasons have not worn well over the years. It's a museum piece and a lot of indulgence has to be given by a modern audience.
One thing that Tom Corbett borrowed from the big screen was the trio concept that you would see in westerns, most prominently in Hopalong Cassidy and the 3 Mesquiteers. Corbett and his two sidekicks are on a training ship, the Polaris and they were training to join the Solar Patrol. Tom was played by 30 year old Frankie Thomas who was an All American teen heartthrob in the Nancy Drew series before World War II. Thomas still looked youthful enough to carry off the part.
The others are Al Markim who went the entire series run with Thomas and Jan Merlin who was replaced halfway through the series by Jack Grimes. Substitute the space dialog for sagebrush talk and this could have been a western.
Tom Corbett like so many other science fiction films seemed not to anticipate the computer. That fact in and of itself fascinates me. As the show was aimed for a kid's audience maybe the producers felt the concept was over the heads of 50s era children.
Shows like Tom Corbett, sincerely made and acted for a variety of reasons have not worn well over the years. It's a museum piece and a lot of indulgence has to be given by a modern audience.