Summary
A small group of pirates steal supplies from a Ranger base being built and supervised by Vena Ray's brother Paul. They hide out on a little planetoid called Prah. A planet so rough, no one is supposed to be able to land on it!
Rocky, with the help of cold light technology, infiltrates the planet Prah and learns of the pirate's plans.
Everyone is in danger before the show is over, as plots back fire and turn around, until the last man standing is none other than Rocky Jones!
| Pirates of Prah | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ' | ||||
| Season | Season One | |||
| Original Air-Date | May 8, 1954 (Chapter I) May 11, 1954 (Chapter II) May 18, 1954 (Chapter III) | |||
| Written By | Arthur Hoerl | |||
| Directed By | Hollingsworth Morse | |||
| Order in Series | 5th Episode Produced | |||
| Order in Season | 5th Episode Aired | |||
| Previous Episode | "Rocky's Odyssey" | |||
| Next Episode | "The Forbidden Moon" | |||
Chapter I
Ranger Reggie pilots the CM7 ship and her cargo to Casa 7. Vena catches a ride for a vacation to visit her brother Paul who is overseeing construction of the new Space Affairs Base there. Vena has not seen Paul in three years and it will be another five before the Casa 7 base is completed! When suddenly, the CM7 is neutralized and flying blind in space!
Back on Earth, Rocky tries to contact the CM7 from his Space Affairs apartment, but cannot get through. Winky is ever ready with his little black book to seek out new forms of recreation!
Secretary Drake requests Rocky's assistance, and after understanding the situation, Winky is ready to "ride the rocket" - even if it does mean their vacation is cut short! Casa 7 is a jointly controled base. But cargo ships from all groups are disappearing! Ranger Higgins has contacted Mars for Secretary Drake and passes the viseograph to him. Rumors from Mars are that the ship MM has been lost for two moon cycles. It is the third Mars ship lost in a week!
Rocky now worries if that may be the reason he has not heard from Vena, and that her ship is in danger! Ranger Higgins reports the CM7 is lost! Rocky decides to start with the missing CM7 as it is the warmest trail and he has invested interest! Winky gets the Orbit Jet ready to roar, while Rocky goes to see Professor Newton.
Professor Newton and Bobby are busy at the observatory taking a four hour long exposure of Scorpius. Rocky reports that Vena is missing. Bobby wants to help, and Rocky cannot refuse him. Bobby runs off to pack for the trip to Casa 7, and Rocky asks Professor Newton if there is anything that could give him the advantage. Turns out, there is! The power of Cold Light!
On the CM7. Reggie gets the viseograph to work. They can see that they are still moving under their own momentum - and then they see a ship! Without any way to contact the ship they cannnot radio for help! But the ship must have seen them, and it docks magnetically with them. Reggie assists their boarding, believing they have been rescued. But both Reggie and Vena are shocked to learn they are instead being pirated of all their cargo!
Reggie resisits, and is knocked out! Vena plans her defense - and it works. Reggie picks one pirate off, and then together the two trip up the second! Reggie has Vena hold a space gun on the two pirates while he goes over to the other ship with plans to call for help - but he is space wacked by Rinkman!
Rinkman goes over to the CM7 and surprises Vena. As the two freed pirates load the cargo, Rinkman tells his plans. The CM7 will be locked into a flying orbit around Casa 7 FOREVER! Rinkman also informs them that he has laid a trap for Rocky Jones if he comes snooping around! Rinkman leaves them abandoned in space. All seems lost! But Vena tries to keep their spirits up by preparing lunch...
Rocky and Winky and Bobby aboard the Orbit Jet check their position, and then notice a ship at five o'clock. It's the missing MM ship! Rocky prepares to go along side the listing ship - but it fires on them! Rocky prepares to return fire! Winky lets loose the missile that turns the MM into the scrambled M!
There is another object two solar minutes ahead!
Bobby recognizes the Cold Light instrument aboard the Orbit Jet. It puts out potentially fatal gamma rays and should not be used indiscriminately!
After the MM incident, Rocky approaches the CM7 cautiously! With no way to communicate, Vena suggests they push off a missile to draw attention to their ship in distress. As the missile tube door opens, Rocky is prepared to return attack! But when the missile is harmlessly ejected, Rocky decides to go along side. They dock and board. The happy reunion ensues!
Vena returns to her "home" the Orbit Jet, and Reggie will stay aboard the CM7. In a tandum magnetic coupling, Rocky will assist the CM7 in a dangerous landing on Casa 7.
Can Rocky do it? Tune in next week and find out!
Chapter II
The CM7 and the XV1 (Orbit Jet) are magnetically coupled and heading for a tandum landing on Casa 7. When successfully completed, Vena is reunited with her brother Paul Ray, and she introduces everyone. They head for Paul's quarters - which seem quite swanky for a fledgling space port! We learn that Rinkman is a traitor to the United Worlds. And Paul learns that he can locate the missing rockets and bring their crews home safely! But to find Rinkman, Rocky will need use of Paul's Solar System Atlas, and Winky assists by taking a much needed nap on the couch! Paul shows off his base to Vena and Bobby.
About seven hours and ten minutes later, Rocky has narrowed his search down to four or five planetoids, and out of them he selects Prah. No spaceship has ever landed there. It has some defense barrier. This makes it seem the most likely candidate. To protect Vena and Bobby from danger, Rocky decides he and Winky (after a quick snack) will take off early for Prah.
On Prah, Rinkman calls Cleolanta to make a report. Cleolanta is behind the pirating, reselling the stollen cargo to their satellite colonies for a sizable profit since they didn't have to make any of it - or even buy it! Rinkman so infuriatates Cleolanta with his over familiarizing and insubordination, that she calls Atlasand into her office and orders Rrinkman and his crew killed!
Rocky enroute to Prah now informs Winky about the Cold Light device! The lamp produces temperatures so cold, that they affect light waves and as a result blot the ship from view! They switch it on, and they land on Prah! Rinkman hears the Orbit Jet land, but no one can see it! They go to the landing platform to have a look. And as they look, Rocky Jones steps out of mid air and prepares to tell them off with a warning! But Rocky is jumped and captured. Winky is unable to get a clean shot to stop it all, and feels aweful about it!
Rinkman calls Cleolanta to brag about the capture of Rocky Jones! Cleolanta cancels their assassination, and decides to go to Prah herself to gloat over Rocky Jones! Atlasand prepares a ship.
Rocky is in a cell, and radios Winky with a communications device he has hidden on his person. He orders Winky to have the Orbit Jet ready for launch, and keep the Cold Light on and safe from Rinkman. Before Rocky can sign off, Rinkman comes into the cell with a proposal for Rocky Jones to turn his Cold Light technology over to him. Rocky tries to get information out of Rinkman as to who is behind the whole pirate operation. Winky is on cue pretending to be in the room and invisible through the communication device. The distraction is long enough for Rocky to deck Rinkman, and then Armen in the hall!
Rocky heads for the office and confronts Dr. Venko and Stafield. He makes good his escape, and hops aboard the Orbit Jet just in time to blast off to safety!
Rocky even passes Cleolanta's ship on their way back to Casa 7!
Chapter III
Rocky is on his way to Casa 7. Central Station Operator Ken recieves Rocky's approach, and relays instructions. Then he contacts Prah to inform them that Rocky is about to land! Ken is a spy!
Cleolanta rips Rinkman a new on - which he deeply regrets. Cleolanta now orders Rinkman to take Casa 7! Then she leaves as she normally does - in a huff!
Rinkman and Dr Vanko plot the take over of Casa 7. But they plan to take it for themselves and use Rocky as a bargoning chip to compete with Ophecia!
Ken calls Paul Ray to the office as Rocky lands. Ken welcomes Rocky and passes on a message from Secretary Drake. It is code C4R! Code for Ophecia! Cleolanta is definately involved! Paul Ray has checked the records and noticed that each missing ship disappeared shortly after it reported in. Both Ken and Paul Ray make note that Haggar Nu, their Mars assistant, has gone missing. Perhaps he was the spy?
Rocky heads to Paul Ray's quarters where he is just in time to enjoy watching Winky sing Bobby to sleep using an odd musical instriment!
Rocky heads to the launch platform to check the Orbit Jet. But Ken has turned on the Cold Light device, as well as turned off the bases defenses for Rinkman's invasion! Ken knocks out the too inquisitive Rocky Jones, and hauls him up into the Orbit Jet where he is secured next to the "missing" Haggar Nu for safe keeping!
Haggar Nu reports his story, and that Ken is the real traitor. Rocky works on freeing himself.
Rinkman and crew land on Casa 7. Ken lays down the plan to take Casa 7. The key is to take out Paul Ray! Rinkman and crew head for Paul Ray's quarters where Paul, Winky, Vena, and Bobby are soon captured by them!
At this point, Rocky has freed himself and Haggar Nu. Rocky asks haggar Nu to stay with the ship.
Rocky soon sees how Ken has marked the landing platform of the Orbit Jet. He hopes to outwit Ken by changing the markings.
Ken triumpahntly leads Rinkman and Dr. Vanko to the remarked platform, and is surprised that there is no invisible ship there! Rinkman says Ken is in big trouble with Cleolanta if he doesn't locate the ship or Rocky! Ken is not sure what to do next...
Rocky meets and subdues Ken in the control center.
Haggar Nu, not wanting the traitors to get away, booby traps the Prah rocket with Toenite-Alpha explosives! But unknown to him, Winky, Paul Ray, Vena, and Bobby are locked aboard that ship!
Rocky goes to Paul Ray's quaters where he finds Rinkman using the quarters as his base of operations of take over! Rinkman says he has the captives on board. Cleolanta is sending two ships of Opheciuns to assist in the take over of Casa 7. Rocky races to the ship to stop it from taking off! Rinkman warns his crew that Rocky is on his way!
Fight ensues! Winky comes to help, and Paul Ray arrives just in time to pick up the space gun!
Winky had knocked out the fuel pumps so the rocket couldn't take off, and Bobby short circuited the door with his pen knife!
Paul will take care of the two Opheciun ships when they arrive, and Rocky takes the Prah pirates back to Earth for prosicution!
It is yet another successful ending for the United Worlds, thanks to Rocky Jones!
Gallery
Cast
- Richard Crane as Rocky Jones
- Scotty Beckett as Winky
- Sally Mansfield as Vena Ray
- Robert Lyden as Bobby
- Maurice Cass as Professor Newton
- Chas. Meredith as Secretary Drake
- Patsy Parsons as Cleolanta
- Henry Lauter as Atlasand
- Henry Brandon as Rinkman
- Ray Montogomery as Reggie
- Gabor Curtiz as Dr. Vanko
- Tom Brown as Paul Ray
- James Griffith as Ken
- uncredited as Ranger Higgins
- uncredited as Prah henchman Link
- uncredited as Prah henchman Makov
Crew
- Directed by Hollingsworth Morse
- Director of Photography Walter Strenge
- Production Manager Dick L'Estrange
- Supervising Editor Roy Luby
- Edited by Fred Maguire
- Photographic Effects by Jack R. Glass
- Art Director McClure Capps
- Casting Director Bill Tinsman
- Sound by Chas. Althouse
- Sound by Joel Moss
- Script Supervisor Hazel W. Hall
- Technical Advisor Dick Morgan
- Technical Instruments Loren Sackett
- Assistant Director Dick Moder
- Costumes by Berman Costume Co.
- Teleplay by Arthur Hoerl
- Executive Producer Guy V. Thayer, Jr.
- Associate Producer Arthur Pierson
- Producer Roland Reed
- Original Music by Alexander Laszlo (uncredited)
- Produced in 1953 by Roland Reed Productions Inc. and Space Ranger Enterprises
Trivia
- This episode is copywritten 1953.
- This is the first episode where there is an actual air lock door on the ship. (Much faster than constantly cutting a hole in the hull with a welding torch!)
- However, the airlock access wheel does not turn...
- Secretary Drake now has Ranger Higgins as his assistant.
- Ranger costume shift to Fawn Grey t-shirts and dark caps for casual Ranger wear!
- The Rangers seem to roll up the sleave one turn - including Paul!
- Also, Bobby gets a M-E-G-G-A-H-U-G-E belt buckle!
- It appears that Bobby's Space Helmet is slightly smaller than the other two helmets - not child sized - just smaller. In fact, the Space Ranger helmets appear to be three different sizes (large, medium, and small?).
- Vena's casual clothes have the United Worlds symbol on her skirt.
- AGAIN the enemy ship is at two oclock on the scopes! (Why do they always approach from that direction?!)
- When Rocky holds up Rinkman in Paul Ray's quarters near end of part three, Rrinkman puts his hands up; and the shadow of Rinkman's hand covers Rocky Jones' crotch - for a REALLY long time... (funny!)
- In chapter three, Winky sings Bobby to sleep with the song: "The Starfield Ride". (Probably available on mini reel to reel magnetic tape at your local Ranger PX!)
- Winky plays a musical instrument that is made up of the model of the Orbit Jet, and the model of the OW9 space station, with a frett board arched over the length of both! (Where is this prop today?) If you look at it as the camera pulls back, the top end looks remarkably like a Kingon Cruiser from the Classic Star Trek tv show. Did some art director subconsciously remember it from Rocky Jones...?
- Cleolanta says that Armon is Ophiucia's best pilot!
- The movie version of this episode is called: "Manhunt in Space". A subtitle is: Adventures of Tomorrow. The new opening features a new title card and new original opening music. The image is of a futuristic city. The same city graphic for the movie appears for the ending credits, but the closing music is the original Rocky Jones theme. This movie is available on DVD.
- Scotty Beckett's name does not appear in the opening credits of the movie version.
| Previous episode: "Rocky's Odyssey" |
Episodes of Rocky Jones, Space Ranger in Production Order |
Next episode: "The Forbidden Moon" |