Can anyone comment on Dr. Harlan Tarbell's career as a motion picture director and actor? The jpeg I posted here:
http://tinyurl.com/m4ela5e
has Tarbell's name as the director of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."
On top of that, the International Movies Database lists him here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0850326/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1
as not only the director, but also as an actor playing the part of "Dr. Huer."

----- Amado "Sonny" Narvaez

This is very interesting! I had no idea Tarbell directed a short film. I wonder if there is a copy in existence?

I saw a small climb from Buck Rogers. If you search YouTube you might find it.

I believe the Tarbell appearance as Buck Rogers is owned by the UCLA film library. They hand carried it and showed it once at an LA history conference.

Hi,
I think this is also the first ever filmed spaced battle. From what I remembered from my mom, he helped design some of the toys. Again, just rumor, as I was much younger when my mom mentioned that (a couple of times). I am making a facebook page for Harlan Tarbell. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlan-Ta......4?ref=hl (pretty soon, it will be www.facebook.com/tarbellmagic

Bret

Cool Facebook page. Thanks for the reference.

Hi,
Thank you magicwolverine. Did you see the eyeless vision video? Now, that's impressive.

Bret

It was a promo film for the toys, in which Dr Tarbell hammed it up (and narrated the space battle of the toys) and wore a really bad bald cap. Shown in the store displays, it's a wonderful piece of history AND a wonderful piece of camp. Miracle Factory included it on their CD set of "Harlan Tarbell: Art and Words." HUGE collection of photos, PDFs, etc - including the full Buck Rogers film.

http://miraclefactory.net/zenstore/index......ts_id=41

Thanks for the tip about the Tarbell CD from The Miracle Factory! I'll put that on my Christmas wish list!

----- Sonny

A quick search shows it on youTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm4I8B3bFUA

I see Tarbell right at the beginning, after the credits.

Larry

Actually, Larry, that looks more like Dick Calkins, the illustrator of the "Buck Rogers" comic strip that was written by Phil Nowlan. I don't think Tarbell had a mustache.
You can see a photo of Dick here:
http://www.pictureboxinc.com/artists-authors/dick-calkins
that looks like the man drawing Buck Rogers. The blurb on that page says:
"Dick Calkins (1895-1962) was the first artist to work on the comic strip Buck Rogers, which was written by Phil Nowlan and began in 1929."

----- Sonny

No, but the guy playing Dr. Huer looks like Tarbell hiding behind a bald cap and fake mustache.