Ignored for many years, this exciting film of the attack of the tiger men from Mars was enormously influential on future science fiction films. Noted director of early 1950's films, Theodore Sheckler (working under aliases due to his communist party membership), credited the film as "inspirational" and "brilliant beyond belief". The directors of special effects for "Star Wars" claimed to seen the film every day during production. Speaking off the record, one of them said "our goal was to somehow improve on the spaceship models used in the film, but a high bar was set." Effects director Dr. Harlan Tarbell, the noted magician, is still remembered today with the Harlan Tarbell award for special effects given out at the Oscars. Reportedly Tarbell's work was a constant reference in designing prosthetic skullcap makeup for the recent worldwide hit "Avatar", and he is particularly known for his novel use of partially hidden strings to suspend spaceships from studio ceilings.The film was produced by the father and son team of John F. Dille and John Dille, Jr., whose budding acting career was stopped short of star potential by a fatal accident involving marmalade and a hat. His bereaved father was not able to work again, and spent his later years in seclusion, dedicating himself to invent safer marmalade in his garage workshop. His work is responsible for several patents that guide the industry today, without which tasty marmalade would probably not be in such abundance.

AS WELL KNOWN as perhaps any fictional character in Film, Radio-TV, in Print (Pulp Literature) or the Visual Printed by means of the syndicated Newspaper Comic Strip and its less prestigious, illegitimate cousin, the Comic Book;even the title of "BUCK ROGERS" always evokes all that is Futuristicly scientific. It is so well ingrained into the American-style English vernacular as to be used not only as a Noun; but occasionally as an Adjective! For example, i.e., e.g.; "That new movie is strictly 'Buck Rogers' stuff." OWING ITS ORIGIN to a 1928 SciFi Novel titled: ARMEGEDDON:2419 A.D.,which was published in two parts in non-consecutive issues of the SciFi Pulp Magazine, AMAZING STORIES. Its author, Phillip Francis Nowlan, had struck literary pay-dirt with the phenomenal success that the public bestows on it. So............ENTER MR. JOHN DILLE, who had his own newspaper syndicate, the National Newspaper Syndicate of America; distributing,among other features, Daily and Sunday Comic Strips. Mr. Dille's enthusiasm was overwhelming; for in short order, a deal was cooked up to syndicate an Adventure Comic Strip based on Mr. Nowlan's characters and stories.THE NEWSPAPER ARRANGEMENT had Phillip Nowlan doing the chores of writing the continuities and Editorial Cartoonist,Dick Calkins, handling the illustration. The only problem left was to give a name to the strip and to lighten up on the hero; making him a little less formal. Hmmmmmmmmm! Perhaps we could give the hero, up to this point known as Anthony Rogers; so, how's about a nickname? Everybody like those. And wah-lah, 'Buck' Rogers was loosed upon our Pop Culture.SO, IT WAS christened as BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY; debuting in multiple papers at the early date of January 7, 1929! It was an astonishingly short length of time for such a rise to National and even World prominence.AS FAR AS what happened during the next decade, well that is pretty well known. Buck Rogers was published in Comic Books (both strip reprint & original material) a Network Radio Show (with Matt Crowley in the title role)and a 12 Chapter Movie Serial BUCK ROGERS (Universal Pictures, 1939)starring Buster Crabbe.* THE FOLLOWING YEARS would find 2 Television series, BUCK ROGERS (ABC TV Network,1950) and the later, campy version in BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY (John Mantley/Glen A. Larson/Universal TV/NBC TV, 1980-82)**. The latter starred Gil Gerard, Erin Gray (Woo,woo,woo,woo!), Tim O'Connor (Dr. Huer)and Pamela Hensley (Woo,woo,woo,woo #2!villainess Princess Ardalda).The role of Killer Kane (just plain 'Kane') was handily undertaken by Henry Silva in the Pilot Motion Picture; with Michael Ansara taking up the standard for the series episodes.BUT TODAY'S MOST honored film is a most unknown relic.This BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY, was a specially made short subject; produced for exhibition at the City of Chicago's CENTURY OF PROGRESS WORLD'S FAIR of 1933-34. According to accounts, it was shown in conjunction with the $ale of any Buck Rogers merchandising; being conveniently available immediately after showings.IN THE LEAD was an obviously non-professional Actor, with the name of John Dille,Jr.; who just happens to be the big wig at the National Newspaper Syndicate. Hey, guess what? He was the son! Also featured are one real life Stage Magician and Illustrator in Dr. Harlan Tarbell as Dr. Huer. Dr. Tarbell also directed. There is a Wilma Deering present in the short, but she, alas, remains anonymous! WHEN ALL THINGS are considered, budget, filming skills and the amateur cast with the wire-suspended toy Rocketships in those "Dogfights in Space"; the whole thing really is kinda fun! It's the same sort of imaginary story viewing that one is used to on the Olde Time Radio series or when kids just do some make-believe time. Kids do still do that, don't they? See it, if you can!*** NOTE * That's right, Schultz, Mr. Crabbe portrayed Buck as well as Flash Gordon(in 3 Serials). He also had a turn with the Loincloth in TARZAN THE FEARLESS (Principal Pictures, 1933)! NOTE ** This was produced much in the same manner of SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN(National Comics,Lippert Pictures,1951). This is a 'Pilot Feature' was a sort of hybrid; as it was first released theatrically, later edited into two weekly episodes; being the first two.NOTE *** This short is available as an extra feature on the new, DVD release of the Universal BUCK ROGERS Serial by VCI Video, and we're told that the prints are very beautiful, crystal clear, even! Truly being 'restored'.

This early film version of the comic strip "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" which was drawn by Dick Calkins (who appears as himself in the beginning at the drawing board) and published by the John F. Dille company, is a very amateurish 10-minute short with stilted writing, monotonous acting, and laughable special effects done on obvious models of spaceships during the battle scenes. Despite that, those models probably made a mint at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair when they were displayed near the screenings. The publisher's son, John Dille, Jr. portrays the title character with his girlfriend playing leading lady Wilma Deering and magician Dr. Harlan Tarbell, who's also the director, playing scientist Dr. Huer. This is the kind of film that cries out for either Joel or Mike and the 'bots from "Mystery Science Theater 3000" to make their own commentary about the shoddiness of this whole enterprise! I discovered this on the Matinée at the Bijou blog which ran an article about this rare piece of film history. Watch this on YouTube at your own risk!

One look at this ten minute feature, and you know it would never win any awards. The acting was horrific, the script confusing and corny, the special effects terrible even by contemporary 30's standards. But we view this with the advantage (or disadvantage?) of time, and thereby measure it against the accomplishments achieved through the intervening years.So why bother? Well, perhaps it will bring back a memory or two of sitting in a theater on a Saturday morning 50 years ago and catching the next episode in the serial of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, followed by an Abbott and Costello short and a cartoon before the main feature, which more often than not was of the same poor production quality. But who cared as we munched on Jujubes and popcorn and, from the balcony, threw our wrappers at our buddies down below.This Buck Rogers episode was the first one made, and was shown to adoring crowds several times a day at the 1935 World's Fair in Chicago. Of course, sales of Buck Rogers paraphernalia accompanied the showing. But you've got to wonder - were the folks of that depressed era more gullible? Did they not realize those little spaceships were just models circling around at the end of a string? Or is it us that have become naive in our own advanced sophistication?