Home

ED KEMMER Continued

Swapsale:  How did you approach the role of Commander Corry?  How much of Corry was actually you?

Kemmer:  When you play a long running 'good guy' the best way, for me, is to adapt the character to my own personality as much as possible. Consequently,  I played an idealized Ed Kemmer.

Swapsale: Sputnik went up in 1957, about two years after Space Patrol went off the air.  Was that a surprise for you or did you see it coming?

Kemmer: I guess everyone thought we'd have men in space in the future but perhaps not as soon as we did.  But I wasn't too surprised when Sputnik went up.

Swapsale:  The Androids of Algol was a stunning show with you playing two roles, that of Commander Corry and also that of an android imposter.  How difficult was it to pull that off on live TV?  Did it involve a lot of running around behind the cameras?

Kemmer:  The Android show with two Corry's did involve a  good deal of running around. But Darley's timing worked out fine.

Swapsale:  You did a fair number of public appearances signing autographs -- even autographing Space Patrol caps -- for the kids who turned out.  What was that like?

Kemmer: Our appearances were enjoyable and satisfying. The kids were great -- so were the adults. We did telethons all over the country and I never ceased to be amazed at the great number of fans who turned out.

Swapsale: You must have been recognized quite a bit when out in public, right?

Kemmer: There was much recognition from the kids and the adults. Quite often leading to some kind words and an autograph or two.

Swapsale:  Who was your first good announcer and how was he settled on?  You had a few real clunkers in the beginning.

Kemmer: I believe Jack Narz was our first announcer. He was  excellent. Dick Tufeld was also excellent.  We had a third but, so help me, I can't remember his name. They all had great voices. I believe the 'test' would have  been how well they did the first two words: "Space Patrol!!!"!

Swapsale:  What can you tell us about the model city of Terra that was used during the show -- not the one that opened the show on film, but the one that was actually shown during the live telecast?  How did those little cars move on Terra's highways?  And how, in one episode, did they get that great shot of Robby looking out the window of one of the model buildings? 

Kemmer:  I don't know how the model city worked and I don't recall  the shot of Robbie through the window of a building in the model city. It was probably done with two cameras super-imposing Robbie.

Swapsale: Are you surprised at how something you may have long since forgotten about -- Space Patrol -- is still vibrantly alive, at least in the mind's of its fans?

Kemmer: I never had a chance to '"forget" Space Patrol. I started receiving fan mail right after I joined the cast. And it continues to this day. It's a marvelous feeling to know you're not forgotten.

Swapsale:  In closing, what can you tell us about the Space Patrol book Jean-Noel Bassior is working on? 

Kemmer: Jean-Noel Bassior is by far the best interviewer/writer I've come across. The name of the book is "Space Patrol: Missions of Daring in the Name of  Early Television." To be published in 2002 by McFarland.  I'm really looking forward to reading it. I know it will be complete, accurate and entertaining.

###

Ed Kemmer in the Paramount film, The Hot Angel

ED KEMMER BIO

West Coast:

1950 to 1955---ABC (live) "Space Patrol"
1955 to 1964---Most all prime time TV dramas (live & filmed)
including series shows from "Lassie" to "Maverick" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" etc.
1960 to 1961---CBS soap) "Clear Horizon"

Leads in plays include:

"John Loves Mary"
"Command Decision"
"Affairs of State"
"Arsenic and Old Lace"
"Rain"
"Light Up the Sky"
"Reclining Figure"

Motion Pictures include:

W/B--"Too Much Too Soon"
Para--"The Hot Angel"
W/B--"The Crowded Sky"
Univ--"Behind the High Wall"
Am/Int--"Sierra Stranger"
Ind Musicals:
"Panama Sal"
"Calypso Joe"

New York City 1964 to retirement:

Soaps:

"Edge of Night"
"As the World Turns"
"Somerset"
"The Doctors"
"All My Children"
"Ryan's Hope"
"Guiding Light" 

TV Mini-Series-- "J F K"

Two pix of Kemmer from The Crowded Sky

Kemmer in Behind The High Wall

ED KEMMER DIED ON NOVEMBER 9, 2004 DUE TO A STOKE.  HE WAS EIGHT-FOUR YEARS OLD.

RETURN TO: Previous Page

FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH SPACE PATROL WRITER/ACTOR NORMAN JOLLEY: CLICK HERE

FOR SPACE PATROL VIDEOS: CLICK HERE!