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Hollingsworth morse title card

Hollingsworth Morse Title Card

Hollingsworth Morse was an American director. He directed every episode of the series, Rocky Jones, Space Ranger.

John Hollingsworth Morse (December 16, 1910 in Los Angeles, California, USA - January 23, 1988 in Studio City, California, USA.

Nickname: Holly

Morse was an American film and television director and assistant director. He directed episodes of a wide variety of U.S. television series from the 1950s through the 1980s, including: Lassie (1954), The Lone Ranger (1949), McHale's Navy, Adam-12, The Dukes of Hazzard, H.R. Pufnstuf, and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. Hollingsworth also directed a lesser number of feature films throughout his career, including Daughters of Satan and the 1972 adaptation of the children's novel Justin Morgan Had a Horse.

Morse began his career in the casting department of Paramount Pictures, and eventually began to work closely with director George Stevens. During World War II, Stevens was Morse's commanding officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In that capacity, Morse traveled with Stevens's unit through Europe and helped capture footage of the Battle of Normandy and other significant events of the European war. Morse reflected on these experiences through his participation in the 1994 documentary George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin, (which was directed by George Stevens, Jr..)[]

After a stint in the service, Morse met Roland Reed, who later hired him to direct Rocky Jones Space Ranger.

In an article, Morse stated that the live action for each episode "was shot in two days - three a week! It was difficult."

Doing the math, the first season was 23 half hour episodes, times two days shooting each, equals a 46 day shooting schedule. He stated they shot three episodes a week - which would mean they shot six days a week - Monday through Saturday. Which should mean the entire first season was shot in seven to eight weeks!

When the finished special effects footage of the rockets began to show up, Morse said: "When these things blast off or land, they are too slow! Can you speed them up?" To which the special effects technician replied: "You wait! When they DO have space ships, this is exactly how they will look!" "And he was right! They did - but whenever the footage showed up on the screen, I had to look away..."



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