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AN INTERVIEW WITH SPACE PATROL WRITER/ACTOR NORMAN JOLLEY

Interview by Bruce David

Photo by Jean-Noel Bassior

SPACE PATROL WAS HIS FIRST NATIONAL TV SHOW BUT NOT HIS LAST.  WORKING IN TELEVISION UNTIL 1981, NORMAN JOLLEY WENT ON TO WRITE FOR A NUMBER OF OTHER TOP SHOWS INCLUDING WAGON TRAIN, BARNABY JONES, HIGHWAY PATROL, RIVERBOAT AND I LED THREE LIVES. HE WAS ALSO A WRITER/PRODUCER ON IRONSIDE, THE FBI, RIVERBOAT AND CIMMERRON CITY. AS IF ALL THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, JOLLEY  WROTE SIX MOVIES AND WORKED AS AN ACTOR.  HIS ACTING CREDITS INCLUDE SUCH FILMS AS "PURSUED" AND "TWO-GUN LADY." NOW, IN AN EXCLUSIVE EMAIL INTERVIEW WITH SWAPSALE, HE LOOKS BACK AT THOSE GOLDEN DAYS OF YESTERYEAR.

Q: How did you hook up with Space Patrol?  What were you doing just prior to getting involved with them?

A: It was right after the war (1945) and I had finished my tour in the Marine Corps.   My old comedy partner (yes, I was the straight man) and I had a two-hour comedy/variety show, weekly, on the Don Lee station, KTSL, in L.A., called "The Don Lee Music Hall." Besides comedy, it included four music celebrity acts. Our guest celebrities, by the way, were all making their very first TV appearances. I can't remember all of them, but included were Sarah Vaughn, Helen Forrest, Patricia Morrison, Liberace (wearing a suit and tie, by the way), Helen O'Connell, Artie Wayne, Mickey Katz and his band, Mel Torme, etc., etc. Archie Leonard and I had become a comedy team at Drake University in Des Moines, IA. We worked the Iowa State Fair and a variety of night clubs -- after we left college, we separated -- years passed -- then we reunited in the Marine Corps in 1942.

There, we were an active part of "The Halls Of Montezuma" (the Voice of the Marine Corps on the Mutual Network and OWI (around the world). We also did stage shows from San Diego to San Francisco (11th Naval District) charging civilians a US War Bond for admission. We sold over 3 1/2 million dollars in bonds. Oh! Sorry! I do get carried away! So -- after the war we were doing our comedy/variety show (all of which I wrote -- plus I did a lot of early TV test shows).  It was here -- on the top of Mount Lee in the big KTSL transmitter building, where all of the early TV shows were done -- that Mike Moser and I met. Finally, got it said!

Apparently, he was impressed with my work because he approached me with the idea that we do an audience talk show with my doing a "Steve Allen" kind of thing -- at the Ambassador Hotel. It didn't happen, but, he had heard that I had done quite a bit of writing (from my ex-wife) up to then and offered me a job -- not writing -- but acting -- as Agent X when Space Patrol started in March of l950. It turned out that what he really had in mind was to have me write some Space Patrol scripts. He was writing them all (the 15 minute episodes) and needed a break. So, he asked me if I'd like to write one. I said, "Yes" -- then, another and another -- until I was writing all of them. Then, along came the 1/2 hour SP; Mike wrote the first two -- then, he pulled the same game -- and I wrote all of the rest of them.

Then, along came the SP radio shows. Mike hired Lew Huston to write them -- which he did for quite a long time -- until he left and went south. And, I got all of the rest of them. So, I was doing all eight SP shows every week.

Finally, I hired (and paid them myself, because I, now, had the exclusive writing contract for SP) three other writers (one at a time) to do the 15 minute scripts. One of these writers was being interviewed on a radio talk show which I just happened, accidentally, to hear. When my writer bragged that he was the only writer of all the SP shows, I immediately, called the radio talk show host and straightened him out. My "writer" was cut off the air at once and, needless to say was no longer on my staff.

Oops! I'm afraid I have more than answered your 1st question. I'm sorry (sort of) but I just can't help reliving some of those good old past days.

Q: Am I to understand that Mike Moser had you ghost write for him until he was hit by a car and killed?  I believe he was leaving a restaurant when it happened?

A: I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that he had me write SP scripts without giving me credit. It didn't happen like that at all. I got credit for every line I wrote -- from beginning to end.

It is true, however, that he {Mike Moser} got hit by a car -- but, that was long after I had taken over all of the writing. I believe it happened on La Cienaga. But, the most interesting part of it was (and, it's not a secret). Everybody knew about it, including his wife. What was it? Well, he and a female friend were leaving a motel, stepped out into the street and were hit by a car traveling 35 miles an hour. They were knocked 85 feet. Both killed instantly.

Q: What was your reaction to the people and the show when you first got involved?   Did you look down at the show at all, since it was being produced for kids? And what did you think of Glenn Denning? Is it true, as written by Nina Bara, that he actually fell asleep during a live broadcast? Also, was there an air of excitement about the show, especially as it got a bigger budget and began using some pretty cool special effects?

A: I had no problem with the people involved with the show -- except for, possibly, one: Glenn Denning. Oddly enough, I first encountered him in the Marine Corps. He presented himself as an actor and we used him once on the "Halls Of Montezuma." He was not popular with our radio group, there, nor, later, on Space Patrol. I must admit, I was surprised to see him. It was, of course, in the early days of the show and I was Agent X. Mainly, he couldn't remember his lines -- and that's unacceptable on live TV. So, it was not long before he was replaced by Ed Kemmer.

When I started writing the show, shortly thereafter, I picked up on Mike's serialized story line. First of all, I never thought of SP as a "kid" show. I personally, considered it a "youth" show. I never wrote down to the audience. Actually I don't remember ever really thinking about the audience as being young. I just wrote the scripts. We used to get calls, frequently, from engineers at Douglas Aircraft, who were big fans of the show. And, later, after we got into the half hour network shows, the ABC polls showed that we had a 60% adult audience.

About the technical aspects -- my background in engineering in Wisconsin came in very handy. It gave me an inspiration to research and develop the scientific aspects of the show. In addition, I subscribed to "Scientific American," probably the best magazine of its kind being published and it provided the basis for many shows. It just seemed the natural thing to do. Did I feel the show was beneath me in any way? Absolutely not. Such a thing never occurred to me.

Oh, in answer to one other question about Glenn Denning: did he actually fall asleep during a live broadcast? Not to my knowledge -- but, I wouldn't be surprised. It could have happened before I got on the show.

And, was there an air of excitement about the show? Absolutely! I loved every minute of it -- otherwise, how could I have possibly written eight scripts a week? At this time, when I joined the Writers Guild of America, they interviewed me and couldn't get over the fact that I was writing so many shows. How did I do it, they asked? I don't know, I said. Why do it, they asked. Because I'm getting paid for, it I answered. Actually, I was getting paid every week, for a change. And, I liked it!

I was never aware, in the beginning, that the show would become such a success -- nor that the fans would remain fixated on it to this day. It was nearly fifty years since those days when I was actually shocked to learn from Jean-Noel Brassior {Space Patrol expert and historian} and, shortly thereafter, from the letter I got from Jon Rogers {a member of the Solar Guard -- solarguard.com -- and the artist of The Spaceship Handbook}, that all this "fame" was being expressed. Jon's letter brought tears (actually) to my eyes. I called him on the phone and we talked for two hours!

Shortly, thereafter, he came to San Diego, where Lois & I were parked in our motor home. There, we had two wonderful days together. Bruce, I can't tell you how thrilled I am that all this is taking place ... all this attention from you, Ed Pippin (web master, SolarGuard.com, for all things involving 50s space operas), Jean-Noel, et al. It is so greatly appreciated.