Tom Corbett Rings
It's time for another look at some of my stuff. Fun vintage stuff, that is! I have some items relating to a TV series called "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet", a sci-fi adventure that ran from 1950 through to 1955. The stories followed the adventures of Corbett, Astro, and Roger Manning (originally; later, T.J. Thistle), cadets at the Space Academy as they train to become members of the Solar Guard. The action takes place at the Academy in classrooms and bunkrooms, aboard their training ship the rocket cruiser Polaris, and on alien worlds.
To the left is Frankie Thomas as Tom Corbett, and I believe the man in the center is Jan Merlin as Roger Manning. Looking at photos on IMDB wasn't much help, since they seemed to credit the same actor in different roles. Frank Sutton, who later gained fame as Sergeant Carter on "Gomer Pyle. U.S.M.C." was also on the show. "Tom Corbett" is one of only a few series to run on all four networks - CBS, NBC, ABC, and the Dumont Network.
Anyway, in 1951, Kellogg's PEP cereal issued a series of 12 rings - of course you'd get one ring per box, great incentive to keep buying Pep cereal so that you could get the whole set! The rings are of a simple design, injection-molded plastic in various colors, with a tiny plastic dome picturing an exciting feature of the TV show. Here are the first four. There's brave Tom himself, a "Girl Uniform", a "Dress Uniform", and a "Space Suit".
The next four feature a "Sound Ray Gun", the magnificent "Space Academy" (designed by Mies van der Rohe?), a "Strato Telescope", and an example of a "Space Helmet", complete with doo-dads.
The last four show a "Rocket Scout" vehicle, a "Parallo-Ray Gun", the "Space Cadet Insignia", and a "Space Cruiser".
Here's a better idea of what the rings look like - one size fits all!
Long ago I bought this page removed from a vintage comic book (probably a rare and valuable volume), with a wonderful ad. How could any red-blooded American boy (or girl) resist?
And here's how they look all together - pretty much how I have them displayed.
I hope you have enjoyed these Tom Corbett rings!
15 comments:
Major-
That appears to be Al Markim in the center position. It's definitely not Jan Merlin.
I LOVE all these rings - they're so endearing in their "colored genuine plastic" simplicity of design and construction. Yes - just who could resist the temptation to own ALL 12 rings-?
It's fascinating that PEP cereal was associated with both The Adventures of Superman and Tom Corbett - Space Cadet, considering the cereal's "natural laxative properties", which one would think a better choice directed at adults rather than young tykes-! (But, then I'm no doctor).
Thanks, Major.
Genuine plastic?! Well that’s a whole kettle of fish. I’ll buy 10. Or twelve even. I need every one! Pew. Pew. Pew.
Shouldn’t it be Tom Corbett - Space Ranger?
Tom Corbett was even before my time. Apparently, he was still on the air when I was two years old, but only someone with a positronic brain would remember things from that age (hello, Chuck!). Plus, I don't think we had a TV in 1955.
In the cast photo, the guy on the right looks like a youngish Edward Everett Horton... maybe not.
I like how most of the rings have tell-tale signs of being manufactured like, seams, and little blobs of plastic left over from the injection process.
I like the comic book ad as much as the rings themselves. I think I remember seeing Pep cereal on store shelves when I was just a tiny Jr. Gorilla.
They look much better when arranged as a set. I see that Tom is the only ring with a brown (or is it gold?) color; 'cuz he's special! The Strato Telescope is my favorite, just because I like the color combination.
Thanks for showing us more of your "fun vintage stuff", Major.
I wonder if Tom Corbett's mother was like, a total space cadet and made him do the dishes? Cause that's like, so grody......it's like, somebody else's food, y'know?
Nanook, PEP had natural laxative properties? Did they call it "PEP" because it made you "get up and go"?
Congrats Major, on acquiring the entire set of rings. They are neato cool!
Ah Tom Corbit. I looked at him for years at work! You see, a friend gave me a repop tin sign advertising a Tom Corbit, Space Cadet lunch box that I hung on my office wall and promptly forgot about. Kids (I was an elementary school counselor) would ask about it from time to time, thus reminding me of it's existance. Now that I'm retired, it hangs in my corner bedroom, completely forgotten...until today! Thanks, Major!
I wish I had had some rings to give the kids at school, but they would have just lost them. Oh well!
Did anyone else know Ray Gunn in High School? I think I dated his sister.
I'm fairly certain I had at least one of these back in the day. Major, did you acquire these all at once?
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Zach
“A space helmet complete with doo-dads.”
:o) I learn so much on this blog.
Major, which came first for you? The advertisement page, or the rings?
TM! Grody-to-the-max!
Tom was a little before my time, although I had heard of him. Interesting to see what costume designers think clothes will be like in the future. I wish I could have watched the show. It would probably be excruciating to sit through now.
I love the rings. What is it about rings that have such expressive powers? The Three, the Seven, the Nine, the One, and now, the Twelve! I can imagine an interstellar Gollum going nuts trying to collect all of them, and Major coolly relaxing in his Astro-chair, his space helmet rakishly tilted, with the shapely blonde Space Girl on his knee, showing off the complete set, as Gollum drops futilely into the nuclear reactor exhaust port, howling “My Preciousssss…”
There, I never saw the show, or ate the cereal, but I just wrote an episode.
Wonderful stuff today, Major! Many thanks.
JG
@ TM!-
"Did they call it "PEP" because it made you "get up and go"?"
Nah, I think the ability to give folks 'vim and vigor' contributed to its energetic name.
Nanook, I’m not surprised that I got at least one name wrong, the photos on IMDB were a mess as far as saying who’s who. Knowing my own personality, once I had four five of these rings, it was pretty much a guarantee that I would have to get them all. Luckily they are not that pricey. “Natural laxative properties”?? I’ve read a lot about PEP cereal, but that’s a first for that factoid!
Budblade, I’m just glad that the rings are not made of artificial plastic. I only want the genuine thing! I agree, Tom Corbett appears to be beyond a mere Cadet. But you can’t argue with the cover of that comic book! Go on, try!
JB, I feel like I mostly knew about Tom Corbett from a rare Viewmaster packet, which I think I have, but it’s in a box at my mom’s house. I think that in 1955, Edward Everett Horton was way past “young”! I know what you mean about the slightly rough manufacture of these rings, I used to collect bisque Disney figures from the 1930s, and one of the things I found charming was the crudeness of them! Tom’s ring is a sort of bronze, with some metallic pigment. I assume that it’s just a coincidence that he’s the only one like that in my group. I can’t pick a favorite!
TokyoMagic!, not only was she a total space cadet, she was a spazz AND probably a narc! I wonder if PEP was basically full of bran? We all know what that does to a person.
Stu29573, I’m glad you still have your lunch box, I think I remember seeing those for sale at places like “Aahs” (was that just an LA chain of stores?) and other novelty sellers. Funny that kids would ask you about it, you could have made up all sorts of convoluted stories.
zach, I think Brad Bird is making a movie called “Ray Gunn” for somebody other than Pixar. It’s been something he’s been trying to get off the ground for decades. No, I did not acquire these all at once, it took a while to get them a few at a time!
Lou and Sue, I do love to get technical sometimes! The rings came first, and when I saw that comic page on eBay, I figured that they needed to be together. It’s interesting that the page does not mention Tom Corbett once.
JG, it is pretty impressive to see the sheer variety of giveaway rings that were thought up over the decades; some are super elaborate, with a little Ted Williams swinging at a baseball (I don’t have one of those), or of a teensy “pinball” machine (I have two of those!), glow in the dark stuff, little rockets that could launch, little planes that could “fly”… that’s part of what makes them so much fun to collect. “Interstellar Gollum”, a song by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer? I may have seen a few brief clips of Tom Corbett’s show, but that’s about it.
Nanook, I need more vim, but less vigor!
A quick google reveals there was a lot of merchandise, including a Space Academy playset featured in the Sears Wish Book. I was looking for the life-size rocket offered as a contest prize, but it turns out that was for Rocky Jones, Space RANGER.
And yes, the girl uniforms were for girls. Here's pretty astro-physicist Dr. Joan Dale, in futuristic baggy sleeves, knee-length skirt, and comfortable booties. Perhaps the idea was to keep the cadets from turning into James T. Kirks.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0042156/mediaviewer/rm3824778496/
Tokyo!, Like, touch other peoples' dirty plates?!? Like, gag me with a spoon!
JG, hahahahahahaha!
Major, "but it’s in a box at my mom’s house". Geez, it sounds like you have a gazillion dollars worth of Stuff stashed away at your mom's house!
Yeah, Edward Everett Horton was already pretty ancient when he narrated "Fractured Fairy Tales". I just checked: he was born in 1886!
DBenson, Dr. Dale looks a lot like cowgirl Dale Evans in the get-up.
Some TCSC episodes are on YouTube, here’s a link
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLESDrGLwFOLXa29Vc4GmXKyRQw0xcUoXF&feature=shared
JG (too lazy to sign in)
Kellogg's Pep! Sponsor of Superman, at least the radio program in the early days.
I think the ability to give folks 'vim and vigor' contributed to its energetic name.
Nanook, so basically, it helped prevent people from "pooping out at parties"? ;-)
Post a Comment