Rocky Jones, Space Ranger: Crash of the Moons (1954)

Crash of the Moons was edited together from episodes of the television series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, a quintessential sci-fi TV adventure of the 1950s. This "rocket ships and ray guns" offering is better than average, thanks in no small part to a fair budget, and for having been recorded on film instead of kinescope.

In this installment, a pair of populated "gypsy moons" threaten to collide with the planet Opheish. The planet's evil queen Cleolantra refuses the help of the United Worlds and plots to destroy both the moons and the Space Rangers. Patsy Parsons is wonderful as the evil queen and is more than a match for Richard Crane's heroic Rocky Jones. Early '50s effects and dated scientific concepts are just part of the charm. Granted, it is difficult to take a show with a character named "Winky" seriously, but plant tongue firmly in cheek and enjoy. --Mark Savary Amazon.com

The apex of 50s space opera for kids

I was a big fan of the "Rocky Jones - Space Ranger" serials as a kid. I watched them religiously on Saturday mornings. They were the epitome of campy sci-fi. They had cheesy special efects, and the "science" was mostly wrong, but who cares. They were and are a lot of fun, and the moral is "Be a good person and one day you'll be a space ranger." August 9, 2005

Can bad girls learn to be good?

1950 TV converted to spectacular... well watchable movie filled with future technology. The advantage in this film is that you do not have to wait until next week to find out what happens.
Two populated moons are about to crash. One governed by good people. The other ruled by a devious, tricky, tyrantita Patsy Parsons as "Queen Cleolanta." Richard Crane as Rocky Jones is in the middle. The action is a gas.

One of my favorite Rocky Jones Characters is Trinka (Nan Leslie) who stared later with Lois Nettleton in "The Bamboo Saucer" (1968)

September 4, 2003

Typical 50's sci-fi adventure for kids...

A compilation of episodes from "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger", "Crash of the Moons" is a wonderful example of the kind of kids sci-fi show from the dawn of television.

Two "gypsy moons" are about to collide with a planet, Opheish. The moons are populated, and the United Worlds sends in Rocky Jones and the Space Rangers to help. But the power-hungry ruler of Opheish, the evil Queen Cleolantra, will stop at nothing to have things her way. In this case, it means destroying the gypsy moons and killing everyone on them!

The science here is not exactly up to date, but quaint nevertheless.

Most of the cast surpasses the sub-par, cliche-ridden material, and offer up convincing characterizations. Richard Crane plays Rocky Jones with movie serial he-man gusto. Scotty Beckett, a former child star from the Our Gang series, plays Winky, the flight officer of the rocket ship Orbit Jet. Beckett is strangely effective as a sort of proto-Sulu, comfortably operating his rocket ship controls as if they actually worked. John Banner, forever famous as the bumbling Sergeant Schultz on "Hogan's Heroes", plays King Bavarro with a sense of fun, while Patsy Parsons' Queen Cleolantra is such a sneaky and conniving diva, she could probably have taken over "Dynasty" AND "Falcon Crest" without breaking a sweat.

This is a fun time for fans of early sci-fi, and despite being edited together from three or four episodes, the story plays smoothly. November 5, 2002

Fun to watch

CRASH OF THE MOONS is a good old Rocky Jones adventure and it's fun to watch it. But be informed that it is recorded in the EP mode. June 21, 2000

More reviews at Amazon.com ...