Sprung aus den Wolken

The Ripcord series fit into a cunning and largely appreciated black and white 1960's TV niche. It was situated somewhere between the hybrid "Lassie" genre (which used formula after formula to keep the series going---with middling success, but without a comfortable continuity of characters and situations)...and Whirley Birds which recycled some of the stars and characters from the "Park Ranger Lassies". These Lassies became a real ordeal to watch even for kids.

Ripcord, proffering a welcomed outline--- bereft of non-western and non-private eye predictability--- mixed action, drama, mystery, humor and, well--- swagger to bring a fascinating weekly episode about the infant sport of skydiving to its dedicated viewer-ship of all age groups.

The adventures were of a compelling and happy-ending ilk. The dialog was cleverly written. It pretty much had to be. It was born of the necessity of familiarizing viewers with the intricacies and dangers attendant to a burgeoning sport...and, at the same time, putting forth a fresh plot which could be understood amid the defining of an interesting-if-unfamiliar activity.

The co-main character, Ken Curtis, who went on to play the ubiquitous and well-meaning bumpkin/buffoon on Gunsmoke did well in Ripcord---and, ultimately became an American "Prairie Trash" icon of the small screen---leaving small, grinding parts to follow for his counterpart, Larry Pennell. Pennell subsequently and interminably showed up in just about every type part that had to be auditioned for. See: Dash Riprock's character of The Beverly Hillbillies. A pity, as his talent and visage were quite worthy for their time.

How many within sight or hollering' distance of this piece know that in 1950, Larry "Bud" Pennell was the slick fielding and power hitting first baseman for the Jackson(MS)Senators. Well, he was. And, his exciting play filled-up the rickety green painted board seats of dilapidated League Park...at the fairgrounds...in my hometown. I was then a ten year old bat boy whose crew cut head Pennell rubbed for good luck prior to an at-bat. The Senators folded their tent upon completion of the season of 1950, by the way.

Pennell could hit a baseball farther than you could point. Would that his acting career had been such fodder for excitement. Bud Pennell could play, guys. Buddy Buchanan/Jackson,MS

I watched this show in reruns when I was a kid. Along with Lloyd Bridges "Sea Hunt" and the desert war show "Rat Patrol". These shows seemed to be perfect for young boys to watch to stir up their love of action and adventure. You'd watch them and then go outside and try to emulate them. Back when kids would go outside to play, and their parents didn't know where they were, or what they were doing. You were fine as long as you were back home in time for the next meal. Simpler times? Or just simpler kids? These shows were high quality, if you were 10 years old!

That's the whole point of the show. Every week something happens, these two skydivers take flight and take out the bad guys.

I remember first seeing this show and the 4 year old me and my friends that saw it on syndication would practice jumping off the stairs to "practice" our skydiving for when we were older. 1 stair was for babies. 2 stars were where "big kids" started. 3 stairs were for the really advanced ones. And 4 stairs was the equivalent of a double black diamond run in other words it was too high and we never got enough lift to make it so that was the eventual goal to determine if we graduated. We never did.

But yeah, it's an interesting little bit of forgotten 60's nostalgia that introduced the country to the new found sport of skydiving. It's kinda cheesy in a 60's way. There's elements of adventure, action, drama, comedy and whatever else they felt they could use to fit in some skydiving scenes. Nobody ever said the show was very deep.

So many films and TV shows today are made that make money off the merchandising end. This was an early TV show that did that. Two guys run a parachute center and help out the police, forest rangers and so on fight crime, rescue people etc. But the best part of this show was that it produced a neat toy. For $1.98 you could get your very own toy parachute made of a heavy plastic with a little toy Army man attached who would come floating down to earth after you packed the chute and tucked it into the opening on his back and threw it into the air. For kids of the late 50's early 60's this was great. The show on the other hand was pretty much the same week to week. The sky diving scenes however were authentic. Considering the difficulty in filming something like this during this time period it would have to be considered a little ahead of it's time. The late Ken Curtis who is best remembered as Festus on Gunsmoke starred in this action series.

These guys were the coolest for a seven-year-old kid! My Ripcord parachute man was one of the coolest toys too, until it floated off on an air current. At the time I had no idea the main characters were 'Festus' and 'Dash Riprock'. I've had fun looking back at these old shows and seeing who played in them, and trying to think where MY mind was in 1962.