Watching YouTube: Tales of Tomorrow: Test Flight

Here's the television adaptation of Nelson Bond's "Vital Factor" that I mentioned the other day: "Test Flight," the tenth episode of ABC's Tales of Tomorrow, broadcast live on October 26, 1951.

All in all, the characterization of Crowder is softer here than on Dimension X.  Granted, he breaks the law, but still, I almost feel sorry for him when, after all his obsession with space has driven him to, he gets his dream hijacked out from under him.  Although it's a little melodramatic, I like the scene (original to this script) where Davis tries to stop Crowder, and Crowder hands him a gun and invites him to try.

Turn your volume down before starting the video.  It's real loud, the sound is kind of blown out, and it's missing a piece (see notes), but it's the best version I could find on YouTube.



Part One:

1:01 "Break out of the--the--this!" I wonder if that was the scripted line (which I guess would be a joke that Crowder, despite his research, can't pronounce "troposphere"), or if Lee J. Cobb stumbled over a different scripted line (or couldn't pronounce "troposphere").

1:08 Wait, they're planning on getting light years away from Earth?! Makes you wonder what the units are for "velocity per second."

8:20 "Electromagnetism. Utilization of the force of gravity. Or its opposite: counter-gravity." This is directly out of the story, but still makes no sense. Electromagnetism has nothing to do with gravity. Even if it did, "I'll do it with electromagnetism" isn't an answer in itself. What are you going to generate the electromagnetism with?



Part Two:

0:31 For some reason, this file is missing a piece that's on the DVD version I have. It's the act break and a scene where Davis confronts Marty about the cost in time and money of the project so far. Crowder enters, and after a few lines, we're back to this version.

1:14 Beats me what this added fade out/fade in is about. As far as I can see from the DVD, nothing is actually cut out here.

2:26 "a ton of mercurium-37." This one originates with the scriptwriter. There's no such thing.