Posted on 12/01/2004 2:04:23 PM PST by Calpernia
The actor beloved by baby boomers as Commander Buzz Corry of television's "Space Patrol," Ed Kemmer died in New York City following a stroke. He was 83. Kemmer became equally well known as a TV soap opera star, appearing for 20 years in daytime dramas. He also appeared in a pair of cult-horror classics, "Giant From the Unknown" and "Earth vs. the Spider." But it was his portrayal of Buzz Corry that influenced a generation. The show was a smash success and mass merchandising ensued. Kemmer's likeness appeared on cereal boxes, coloring books, trading cards, buttons, comics and more. "I was in a store once and saw my picture on a pair of suspenders," Kemmer once told the B Monster. His starting salary for "Space Patrol" was $8.00 per episode.
The TV space hero was a real-life hero. He flew 47 missions as a fighter pilot in World War II. Shot down on his 47th mission, he was captured, later to escape from the German prisoner of war camp that served as the inspiration for "The Great Escape." He was recaptured and spent the duration as a prisoner. Following the war, Kemmer used the benefits of the G.I. Bill to attend the College of Theater Arts at the Pasadena Playhouse. It was fellow actor and future "Space Patrol" castmate Lyn Osborn who contacted Kemmer about auditioning for the part of Buzz Corry. Kemmer impressed the producers and won the role. He and Osborn were paid $8.00 per show. Other cast members received $5.00. Their salaries were raised when the show began airing nationwide on ABC. Television was in its infancy, before the advent of videotape, and the show was performed live. This was invaluable training for Kemmer who developed an amazing facility for memorizing dialogue. "You would remember everyone else's lines, too," Kemmer recalled. "In live TV, that's a big thing. You might look at someone's face when it was their turn to speak, and you knew they couldn't tell you their own name. So you would take their line, adapt it, and try to get them back into the scene." He remembered many seasoned actors who couldn't handle the pressure. "They would walk off swearing and sweating with blood in their boots saying, 'Never! Never again will I do a live show!' 'Well,' I'd always say, 'the first 500 shows are the toughest.'"
Following "Space Patrol," Ed appeared for two years in the West Coast soap opera "Clear Horizon." He moved east to join the cast of "Edge of Night." Fran Sharon was also in the cast. The two fell in love and were married. "We married on the show shortly before I was 'murdered,'" Ed joked. He delivered their daughter himself in the back seat of a police car that didn't make it to the hospital in time. Kemmer played in various soaps for two decades and claimed he was more often recognized on the street for his soap opera roles than he was as Commander Buzz Corry.
Just prior to the commencement of his daytime drama career, Kemmer appeared in a handful of B pictures, including the aforementioned horrors, and worked extensively in episodic television. In addition to his soap opera work, he appeared in more than 50 television programs, including "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Science Fiction Theater," "Gunsmoke," "Sugarfoot," "77 Sunset Strip," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Men Into Space," "Perry Mason," "The Rebel," "Combat" and many others. He appeared in one of the classic "Twilight Zone" episodes, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," playing a pilot who tries to calm William Shatner after the latter sees a gremlin sabotaging their plane.
Retiring from acting after 20 years of daytime television ("I did 20 solid years of soaps, which were very good. But 20 years is enough!"), Ed maintained a home in New York City and a place in the country with a workshop he enjoyed immensely. He would attend the occasional autograph or movie convention, where fans of Buzz Corry greeted him with adulation.
If you'll indulge the B Monster's personal reflections: I attended several conventions with Ed. It was heartening to see men and women in their fifties, wide-eyed and tongue-tied upon meeting Commander Buzz Corry. Ed steadfastly refused to charge for autographs, sometimes to the consternation of the celebrities at adjacent tables who were asking $10, $15 and $20 a pop. His giving nature was reflected in the way he casually shared so many personal memories. Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about the man, he'd delight you with another anecdote or accomplishment previously suppressed by his inherent modesty. For instance, he was an accomplished singer. He and his brother formed a musical trio, and to the best of Ed's knowledge, they were the first to record the classic song "You Are My Sunshine." When he moved East following "Space Patrol," he took all of the show's miniatures -- rockets and space base -- with him, but they vanished from the train car en route. He had no idea what became of them. Just recently, I mentioned to him that I'd seen the "Combat" episode that featured he and Warren Stevens as suspected Nazi infiltrators. This sparked a long reminiscence: Stevens, like Ed, was a pilot. Stevens had access to a light plane and, after "Combat" filming was concluded, Ed recalled, "we flew north out of L.A. and had a great Sunday breakfast at an airport he was familiar with. He was a good pilot, and we enjoyed a good day's flying." Ed recalled many details of the programs he appeared on, but often had trouble remembering names. Struggling to recall William Shatner during one of our conversations, Ed said, "Oh, you know, the fellow with the wig." He meant nothing derogatory. Ed was without guile, a gentleman in every regard.
When "Space Patrol" was at the zenith of its popularity, Ed, Lyn Osborn and a vocal chorus recorded the show's theme song and the rousing "Up Ship and Away." Ed transferred the 78 rpm disk to cassette and sent it to me. It's an exhilarating piece of nostalgia with Ed, his voice brimming with confidence, belting out the song's infectious, optimistic refrain: "Close ports, fire jets, up ship and away! We'll take it slow and only go a million miles today."
Ping
I remember "Space Patrol" in the later Fifties when it was in syndication. One of their favorite actors for villains was Marvin Miller before he became the very earnest -- and very boring -- Michael Anthony on "The Millionaire". As Mr. Proteus, Miller really chewed the scenery.
We didn't have a TV until I was 13. My buddy's family had a TV that I watched with him. Old radio shows of The Whistler scared me to death. Radio painted vivid pictures in my mind. Miss those days.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.