THE FORBIDDEN MOON (1956)
Article 1889 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 5-17-2006
Posting Date: 10-14-2006
Directed by Hollingsworth Morse
Featuring Richard Crane, Vic Perrin, Dian Fauntelle

When a vague but urgent SOS arrives from a space station, Rocky Jones is sent to investigate. He discovers that the station is loaded with a deadly radiation brought on board by an evil ruler who, having developed an immunity to the radiation, now plans to use his power to conquer the universe.

Yes, it’s another Rocky Jones adventure, and, as always, I find myself more entertained than I though I would be. Maybe there’s something about the earnestness of Richard Crane’s performance that goes a long ways towards selling these stories to me; he manages to avoid campiness so deftly that it almost makes you forget how absurd the plot is this time around. I’m no scientist, but I have a strong suspicion that anyone with a good working knowledge of radiation would have conniption fits from this one, and even I find the last part of the story (in which Rocky and Professor Newton concoct a method of letting people know they’re stranded on a radioactive moon) to be utter balderdash. The usual gang is here; Rocky, Vena, Professor Newton, Bobby and Winky, but the real scene-stealer in this one is Queen Yarra’s huge earrings; you could suffer a concussion if she turned suddenly while you were standing next to her.

Somehow, I have a feeling that I haven’t seen the last of Rocky Jones…