MovieChat Forums > King of the Rocket Men (1949) Discussion > Referenced in 'Misery'

Referenced in 'Misery'

posted 17 years ago by moviegeek71
3 replies | jump to latest

This movie (serial) is referenced in Steven King's "Misery". I can't believe it wasn't listed in the references (I submitted it to be added). Does anyone know which episode, out of the 12, that this came from?

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0100157/

Annie Wilkes: When I was growing up in Bakersfield, my favorite thing in the whole world was to go to the movies on Saturday afternoons for the Chapter Plays.

Paul Sheldon: [nodding] Cliffhangers.

Annie Wilkes: [shouting] I know that, Mr. Man! They also called them serials. I'm not stupid ya know... Anyway, my favourite was Rocketman, and once it was a no breaks chapter. The bad guy stuck him in a car on a mountain road and knocked him out and welded the door shut and tore out the brakes and started him to his death, and he woke up and tried to steer and tried to get out but the car went off a cliff before he could escape! And it crashed and burned and I was so upset and excited, and the next week, you better believe I was first in line. And they always start with the end of the last week. And there was Rocketman, trying to get out, and here comes the cliff, and just before the car went off the cliff, he jumped free! And all the kids cheered! But I didn't cheer. I stood right up and started shouting. This isn't what happened last week! Have you all got amnesia? They just cheated us! This isn't fair! HE DID'NT GET OUT OF THE COCK - A - DOODIE CAR!

Paul Sheldon: [long pause] They always cheated like that in clif... uh, chapter plays.

[–] moviegeek71 17 years ago

Here are the episodes, my guess would be "Plunging Death".

"Dr. Vilcan Traitor"
"Plunging Death"
"Dangerous Evidence"
"Molten Menace"
"Suicide Fight"
"Ten Seconds to Live"
"High Peril"
"Fatal Dive"
"Of the Rocket Man"
"The Deadly Fog"
"Secrets of Dr. Vulcan"
"Wave of Disaster"

[–] frontrowkid2002 7 years ago

Actually, the incident happened in Chapter 10 "The Deadly Fog" which was also the review chapter another blogger has commented upon. This was the chapter where the audience is brought up to date as to what has happened so far through the use of flashback footage. Republic made a tradition of doing this all the way back to the Thirties. Jeff King is not shown as Rocketman when he gets into a taxi cab, driven by one of Dr. Vulcan's henchman, who jumps out of the car to let Dr. Vulcan control it by remote control. The doors automatically lock and lethal gas comes out of the ventilator to overpower King as the chapter ends. However King is rescued by his two friends who are following close behind. Republic's serial escape chapters didn't always play fair, but the kids enjoyed just the same.

[–] moviegeek71 7 years ago

Republic's serial escape chapters didn't always play fair, but the kids enjoyed just the same.

Annie Wilkes didn't seem to enjoy it much, in fact, she seemed to be quite distraught over it.

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