In the 1950s Sky King, starring Kirby Grant, Gloria Winters and Ron Hagerthy, was all the rage among the kiddies, roaring from out of the clear blue of the Western sky!

Sky King, an action-packed TV series for the younger set, featured Kirby Grant in the title role, with Gloria Winters and Ron Hagerthy in able support. Produced by Jack Chertok, Sky King generated 72 half-hour episodes, later becoming a Saturday afternoon staple via syndicated reruns from 1959 to 1966.

Sky King Radio Series

Sky King, the story of "America's favorite flying cowboy," began on radio, premiering over ABC as a daily 15-minute serial on October 28, 1946. By 1947, Sky King had moved into a twice-a-week (Tuesday and Thursday), 30-minute format sponsored by Peter Pan Peanut Butter.

The first Sky King was played by Roy Engel, who was succeeded by Earl Nightingale, Jack Lester and Carlton KaDell. Others in the cast included Beryl Vaughn (Penny), Jack Bivens (Clipper) and Cliff Soubier (Jim Bell). Serving as the show's announcer was Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame.

Created by licensed pilots Robert M. Burtt and Willfred G. "Bill" Moore, Sky King featured the adventures of Sky aboard his airplane, the Songbird, which took him and his sidekicks to such exotic locales as Europe and South America, as well as to various venues closer to his Arizona ranch.

The radio series ended in 1954.

Sky King Television Series

Jack Chertok Productions brought Sky King to television in 1951. Tapped to play the title role of Schuyler J. "Sky" King was actor and pilot Kirby Grant (1911-1985), who later died in a car crash on October 30, 1985, near Cape Canaveral, Florida, while on his way to watch a launch of the space shuttle Challenger. Ironically, Grant was to be honored that day for his contributions and generational influence on aviation history.

Joining Grant in the cast were Gloria Winters (born 11/28/32) as Penny King, Sky's niece; Ron Hagerthy (born 3/9/32) as Clipper King, Sky's nephew; Chubby Johnson (1903-1974) as Jim Bell, ranch foreman; Ewing Mitchell (1910-1988) as Sheriff Mitch Hargrove; Monte Blue (1887-1963) as Sheriff Hollister; and Norman Ollestad (1935-1979) as Bob Carey.

Set at the Flying Crown Ranch

Sky King was set at the Flying Crown Ranch near the fictional town of Grover, Arizona. Located near a military base, the Flying Crown was owned by Sky King, a rancher and private pilot. Along with his teenage sidekicks, Penny and Clipper, Sky patrolled the area in his Cessna T-50 Bobcat (and later, a Cessna 310B), named the Songbird.

Although set in Arizona, Sky King was filmed in various locales in southern California, including the Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth, China Lake Naval Air Station, the Ray Corrigan Ranch in Simi Valley, El Mirage Dry Lake, George Air Force Base in Victorville, the San Bernardino Mountains and Apple Valley Airport.

Out of the Clear Blue of the Western Sky Comes...Sky King!

Like the radio series, every Sky King episode opened with the now-famous "Clear Blue of the Western Sky" narration. The original sponsor of the series was Derby Foods, producers of Peter Pan Peanut Butter. Later, Nabisco signed on as the show's sponsor.

Sky King Debuts

Sky King made its television debut over NBC on Saturday afternoon, September 16, 1951, with the episode "Operation Urgent," whereby Sky aids the Air Force in its search for a downed courier plane carrying top-secret documents.

Subsequently reviewing the series was Variety (11/10/52), which stated: "This Saturday ayem tele adventure series aimed at the moppets...is strictly routine in every respect, with little to distinguish it from many other juve series. One gimmick in this one is that the hero chases the heavies in his plane, instead of on a hoss."

Sky King's 72 Episodes

Sky King, which jumped around the television dial during its on-again/off-again run from 1951-59, was telecast on three different networks: NBC, ABC and CBS. In all, the series produced 72 episodes, with Sky and company engaging in a variety of exploits, including tracking down jewel smugglers ("Carrier Pigeon"), breaking up a protection racket ("The Threatening Bomb"), delivering needed medicine to a critically ill man ("Speak No Evil"), rescuing flood victims ("Flood of Fury") and coming to the aid of an old Indian chief ("Ring of Fire").

All 72 episodes of Sky King are available on DVD.

Lost episode: "Sky King Flies Area 51."