Captain Midnight Ovaltine Secret Squadron Rare Premiums1955

When I discovered the Captain Midnight television show it was rebranded on television as Jet Jackson, Flying Commando, and I never noticed that all references in the episodes to Captain Midnight were redubbed "Jet Jackson." The series (as "Jet Jackson") was syndicated well into the early 1960s.

When I was trying to help Richard Webb to locate a print to show at the Smithsonian the night he dedicated his Captain Midnight Jacket.

These commercials transferred during the analog era come from the Sandoz nutrition that owned at the time some of the syndicated 16mm prints and commercials they had left from in a back room in a decaying box.

The Captain Midnight TV series, produced by Screen Gems and starring Richard Webb, began September 9, 1954, on CBS, continuing for 39 episodes until January 21, 1956. The sponsors were Ovaltine and Kix Cereal/General Mills.

In the television program, Captain Midnight (now a veteran of the Korean War) heads the Secret Squadron as a private organization, in contrast to the radio show.

As with the Fawcett comic, the only other character of the radio show held over was Ichabod (Ikky) Mudd (played by Sid Melton), who was used for comic relief.

Another regular character was Dr. Aristotle "Tut" Jones, Midnight's resident scientist, played by character actor Olan Soule. (Soule was the only actor to perform in both the radio program and the television program. In the radio program, he played Agent Kelly, SS-11.

The aircraft featured in the series is the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, named the Silver Dart, and was based on using both models and occasionally stock footage.

The series filmed at the Ray Corrigan Ranch in Simi Valley, California. Unlike other TV action heroes, Captain Midnight never ventured into space, but rather was confined to Earth's atmosphere and orbit.

Viewers could send away for a special decoder device and membership kit by including the inner wax seal from a jar of Ovaltine to "Capt. Midnight, Box P, Chicago 77, Illinois".

The show was produced by George Bilson, with theme music by Don Ferris. Special effects were handled by the Dallons brothers. Some episodes included movie actors such as Frank Lacteen, Sally Fraser, Harry Lauter, I. Stanford Jolley, Mel Welles, Byron Foulger, Shelley Fabares, Buddy Baer and others.

When the TV series went into syndication in 1958 via Telescreen Advertising, Ovaltine was no longer the sponsor. However, The Wander Company owned the rights to the character's name "Captain Midnight," forcing a title change by Screen Gems from Captain Midnight to Jet Jackson, Flying Commando, and all references in the episodes to Captain Midnight were redubbed "Jet Jackson." The series (as "Jet Jackson") was syndicated well into the early 1960s.

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