JET JACKSON, THE FLYING COMMANDO re-recording of show theme and remastered images

Opening narrative: "It's Jet Jackson, the flying commando! On a mountaintop high above a large city stands the headquarters of a man devoted to the cause of freedom and justice, a war hero who has never stopped fighting against his country's enemies, a private citizen who is dedicating his life to the struggle against evil men everywhere --Jet Jackson!"

Captain Midnight, or Jet Jackson as it was known in syndication, was a fifties tv show starring Richard Webb. This is a re-recording of the show's theme, which was composed by Don A Ferris and Irving Friedman, who also wrote the music for the Father Knows Best TV show.

Growing up in Australiia, I only knew this show as Jet Jackson, It was produced by Screen Gems and starring Richard Webb, began September 9, 1954, on CBS, continuing for 39 episodes until January 21, 1956. It was about a World War II veteran who, along with his sidekick, Ichabod Mudd (played by Sid Melton), fought evil-doers all around the world. It was the perfect series for the time as the "cold war" conflict between capitalist, communist and solialist countries provided lots of fodder for the scripts. Also, the "advanced" scientific knowledge that they got from scientist Aristotle "Tut" Jones (Olan Soule) also fit well into the time period which encompassed the beginnings of nuclear, electronic, computer and rocketry research and development. Captain Midnight even had one of those new-fangled airplanes called a "jet".

This jet which featured in the series is the Douglas 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. When the series went into syndication in 1958, 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 (rather poorly) "Jet Jackson"

Richard Webb (9 September 1915 -- 10 June 1993) was a film, television and radio actor. He was born in Bloomington, Illinois. He appeared in more than fifty films, including many westerns and films noir including Out of the Past (1947), Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948), I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951) and Carson City (1952). Captain Midnight or Jet Jackson is probably the role he is best remembered for. In the 1970s, Webb became a writer and published four books on psychic phenomena. Sadly, Webb died by his own hand in Van Nuys, California and left a suicide note explaining that he could no longer go on living with the severe respiratory problems which had caused him much suffering for years. On a much happier note, Richard Webb was awarded a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. It's located at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard.

The above is summarised from Wiki and other sources on the net.

I have put together a widescreen slideshow of screen captures from the show, which I have digitally enhanced. Pity the series has not been restored on DVD. This is dedicated to the memory of Richard Webb and the other actors on the show.

Comments are invited.

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