Atom Squad
Encyclopedia
Atom Squad was a live science-fiction 15-minute TV series broadcast by the NBC
network, July 6, 1953 to January 22, 1954, Monday-Friday, 5:00 to 5:15 PM EST.
The Atom Squad was a secret government agency which dealt with Cold War
threats to US security involving radiation
and nuclear weapons. The Atom Squad scientists, Steve Elliot and Dave Fielding, were played by Robert Courtleigh
and Bob Hastings
, their chief by Bram Nossem. Bob Hastings played "Hal, the Ranger's brother" on Captain Video
and was the actual brother of The Video Ranger, Don Hastings
, while Bram Nossem had played the first incarnation of Captain Video's arch-nemesis, Dr. Pauli. The last actor to play Dr. Pauli was named Stephen Elliott
, not to be confused with "Steve Elliot," the leading Atom Squad agent. Bob Hastings also appeared on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
.
The Atom Squad's secret New York City headquarters lab also looked very much like Captain Video's secret mountain headquarters control room, except that the Atom Squad, with an NBC rather than DuMont Television Network
budget (DuMont having been the network that aired Captain Video), had many more controls and flashing lights on their panels. The program's opening sequence showed a man in a "radiation suit" lumbering very slowly toward the camera.
Storylines were usually completed in five, or sometimes 10 broadcasts. Paul Monash
was the chief writer for the series and possibly its creator. The foes of the Atom Squad were usually mad scientists and evil Communist
spies and saboteurs. However, the Squad ran into aliens from outer space in at least three different storylines.
Atom Squad originated from the studios of WPTZ
in Philadelphia. The director was Joe Behar, and producers were Larry White
and later Adrian Samish.
While Atom Squad kinescopes were probably made for West Coast rebroadcast, none are known to survive today. The series did not appear to have a sponsor and no tie-in toys or premiums are known to exist.
The theme music for the series was "Tumult and Commotion", an excerpt from Miklos Rozsa
's orchestral work "Theme, Variations and Finale, Op. 13". The opening theme music (man in "radiation suit") was taken from original music by Serge Prokofieff for the Sergei Eisenstein
film Alexander Nevsky
.
In later years Bob Hastings has told many stories about the mishaps that occurred during the live Atom Squad broadcasts. In rehearsals of a tense sequence in which Cortleigh, Hastings and another player escaped from a prison camp, Cortleigh (having neither barbed wire nor cutters) mimed the cutting of the barbed wire by saying "snip, snip, snip." Inevitably, on the live broadcast, as Cortleigh cut the wire, he loudly said, "snip, snip, snip..." causing Hastings and the other player to dissolve into helpless laughter.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network, July 6, 1953 to January 22, 1954, Monday-Friday, 5:00 to 5:15 PM EST.
The Atom Squad was a secret government agency which dealt with Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
threats to US security involving radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
and nuclear weapons. The Atom Squad scientists, Steve Elliot and Dave Fielding, were played by Robert Courtleigh
Robert Courtleigh
Robert Courtleigh was an American television and film actor.- Biography :Robert Courtleigh was born to mother Edna, an ex-Gibson Girl, and father William Courtleigh, an acclaimed Broadway actor, member of the Lamb's Club, and co-creator of the Actors' Equity...
and Bob Hastings
Bob Hastings
Robert "Bob" Hastings is an American film, radio, and television character actor. He has also provided voices for animated cartoons....
, their chief by Bram Nossem. Bob Hastings played "Hal, the Ranger's brother" on Captain Video
Captain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
and was the actual brother of The Video Ranger, Don Hastings
Don Hastings
Donald Francis Hastings is a longtime American actor, singer, and writer best known for his 50-year role as Dr. Robert "Bob" Hughes" on the soap opera As the World Turns...
, while Bram Nossem had played the first incarnation of Captain Video's arch-nemesis, Dr. Pauli. The last actor to play Dr. Pauli was named Stephen Elliott
Stephen Elliott (actor)
Stephen Elliott was an American actor. His best known role was that of crime boss, Burt Johnson, in the hit 1981 film Arthur.-Theatre:Elliott's first acting engagement was at the New York Neighborhood Playhouse in 1946...
, not to be confused with "Steve Elliot," the leading Atom Squad agent. Bob Hastings also appeared on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Tom Corbett is the main character in a series of Tom Corbett — Space Cadet stories that were depicted in television, radio, books, comic books, comic strips, coloring books, punch-out books and View-Master reels in the 1950s....
.
The Atom Squad's secret New York City headquarters lab also looked very much like Captain Video's secret mountain headquarters control room, except that the Atom Squad, with an NBC rather than DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
budget (DuMont having been the network that aired Captain Video), had many more controls and flashing lights on their panels. The program's opening sequence showed a man in a "radiation suit" lumbering very slowly toward the camera.
Storylines were usually completed in five, or sometimes 10 broadcasts. Paul Monash
Paul Monash
-Life and career:Paul Monash was born in Harlem, New York, in 1917, and grew up in The Bronx. His mother, Rhoda Melrose, acted in silent films. Monash earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master's degree in education from Columbia University...
was the chief writer for the series and possibly its creator. The foes of the Atom Squad were usually mad scientists and evil Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
spies and saboteurs. However, the Squad ran into aliens from outer space in at least three different storylines.
Atom Squad originated from the studios of WPTZ
KYW-TV
KYW-TV, virtual channel 3, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW-TV shares a studio facility with its sister station, CW flagship WPSG just north of Center City Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia. The director was Joe Behar, and producers were Larry White
Larry White
Larry David White was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1983 & 1984 seasons.-External links:...
and later Adrian Samish.
While Atom Squad kinescopes were probably made for West Coast rebroadcast, none are known to survive today. The series did not appear to have a sponsor and no tie-in toys or premiums are known to exist.
The theme music for the series was "Tumult and Commotion", an excerpt from Miklos Rozsa
Miklós Rózsa
Miklós Rózsa was a Hungarian-born composer trained in Germany , and active in France , England , and the United States , with extensive sojourns in Italy from 1953...
's orchestral work "Theme, Variations and Finale, Op. 13". The opening theme music (man in "radiation suit") was taken from original music by Serge Prokofieff for the Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
film Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
.
In later years Bob Hastings has told many stories about the mishaps that occurred during the live Atom Squad broadcasts. In rehearsals of a tense sequence in which Cortleigh, Hastings and another player escaped from a prison camp, Cortleigh (having neither barbed wire nor cutters) mimed the cutting of the barbed wire by saying "snip, snip, snip." Inevitably, on the live broadcast, as Cortleigh cut the wire, he loudly said, "snip, snip, snip..." causing Hastings and the other player to dissolve into helpless laughter.