"Flash Gordon" (1954) TV series 1954-1955

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Joseph Zigman

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 October 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Space hero Flash Gordon and his crew of the Galaxy Bureau of Investigation patrol space, battling space monsters, power-mad alien dictators and other threats to the stability of the universe.

Plot Keywords:

Flash Gordon | Character Name In Title

Cast

Steve Holland	...	Flash Gordon (30 episodes, 1954-1955)
Irene Champlin	...	Dale Arden (30 episodes, 1954-1955)
Joseph Nash	...	Dr. Hans Zarkov (30 episodes, 1954-1955)

(more)

Series Directed by
Gunther von Fritsch		(8 episodes, 1954-1955)
Wallace Worsley Jr.		(7 episodes, 1954-1955)
Joseph Zigman		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Alex Raymond		(39 episodes, 1954-1955)
Bruce Elliot		(8 episodes, 1954-1955)
Earl Markham		(8 episodes, 1954-1955)
Edward Gruskin		(2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Produced by
Wenzel Lüdecke	....	producer (20 episodes, 1954-1955)
Edward Gruskin	....	producer (3 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Original Music by
Kurt Heuser		(6 episodes, 1954-1955)
Roger-Roger		(3 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Cinematography by
Jean Isnard		(2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Film Editing by
Heinz Haber		(6 episodes, 1954-1955)
Roger Pacaut		(3 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Art Direction by
Raymond Gabutti		(2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Set Decoration by
Helmut Nentwig		(4 episodes, 1954-1955)
Raymond Gabutti		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Igor Keldich	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Production Management
Ernst Liepelt	....	unit manager (6 episodes, 1954-1955)
Jörg Zorer	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1954-1955)
René Noel	....	unit manager (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Fred Surin	....	production manager (3 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eva Ebner	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Alain Jessua	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Art Department
Louis Boussaroque	....	props (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Sound Department
Willy Szdzui	....	sound (5 episodes, 1954-1955)
Jean Bertrand	....	sound engineer / sound (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Paul Durand	....	sound assistant (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Guy Villette	....	sound assistant (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Visual Effects by
F.W. Wintzer	....	miniatures / minatures (6 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Herbert Körner	....	camera operator (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Arndt Rautenfeld	....	camera operator / camera (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Alex Dulac	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Marie-Louise Barberot	....	assistant editor (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Music Department
Kurt Heuser	....	composer: theme music / theme music (2 episodes, 1954)
Roger-Roger	....	composer: incidental music (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Gunther Kortwich	....	driver (4 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Other crew
Joseph Zigman	....	production consultant / director: Intercontinental Television Films Corporation (6 episodes, 1954-1955)
Sipora Van Praag	....	dialogue director (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Ginette Doynel	....	script girl (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Maurice Duault	....	administrative director (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Louis Grospierre	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Eva Ebner	....	production secretary (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Inter-Continental Film Productions
• Interwest
• La Telediffusion
• Luedecker Productions

Distributors

• DuMont Television Network (1954) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV)
• Passport Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• King Features Syndicate  "Flash Gordon" rights

Runtime:

30 min (39 episodes)

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

West Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Inter-Continental Film Productions

Trivia:

At least 13 episodes have fallen into the public domain. The known episodes are: "Flash Gordon and the Planet of Death", "Akim the Terrible", "The Claim Jumpers", "The Breath of Death", "Return of the Androids", "The Lure of Light", "Flash Gordon and the Race Against Time", "Flash Gordon and the Brain Machine", "Struggle to the End", "Saboteurs from Space", "The Forbidden Experiment", "Deadline at Noon", and "The Subworld Revenge".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Angel: Sense and Sensitivity (#1.6)" (1999)

Despite shoestring budget and primitive special effects, this very original series still fascinates...

Despite shoestring budget and primitive special effects this very original series still manages to fascinate viewers even today. It's easy to laugh at the cheesy costumes and makeup but to be perfectly honest the early Star-Trek episodes were little better except for being in color. Watching these today, I think the three lead players are terrific, Steve Holland's Flash is like a young but sandy-haired Rory Calhoun, and Irene Champlin's curvaceous but entirely decorous Dale is remindful of a young Ruth Roman. Dr. Zarkov is still distinguished, even if his science is highly suspect. (After all, these are the days when school children were taught to duck under their desks as shelter in case of a nuclear attack.) These were thrilling shows when I watched them on TV at aged six. They disappeared for years after that, and I've now revisited them with fondness via DVDs, but so far I've only found 8 episodes available. Sci-fi fans who haven't yet seen them are in for a real treat.