Captain Rod Stone (Rocket Rat). . Raining Sky
Lord Myu . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carl Jackson
Princess Solara . . . . . . . . . Lucy Hart
Lt. Jack Carr . . . . . . . . . . Miles Eckhardt
Dr. Jane Red Deer . . . . . . . . Michelle Stonebridge
Sgt. Alec Smart . . . . . . . . . Edwin Smith
Kat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila McCann
Nip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Mitchell
Borgas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Striding Buck
General Gilroy . . . . . . . . . .Chang Li-Ssu

Producer:  Clive Schmidt
Director:  Ernest Two Fingers

Production Unit #3:  W.D. Reimer, M.M. Marmel

Technical Adviser:  E.O. Costello

Music:  Musician’s Local #15
 OPENING CREDITS

MUSIC:    Fanfare

CARD:    Full screen card depicting the predatory seabird (petrel) symbol against an idealized background of mountains, forest and sea.  The petrel is backlit by a sunburst.

CAPTION:  PETREL STUDIOS PRESENT

DISSOLVE TO:

MUSIC:    March

CLIP:    Stock film clip of Rocket Rat in full armor in flight

CAPTION:    ADVENTURES OF ROCKET RAT in

DISSOLVE TO:

CARD:    Depiction of Global Police Headquarters, with the prototype spaceship in the foreground.

CAPTION:    THE MINES OF THE MOON

DISSOLVE TO:

CARD:    Stock still of the interior of the spaceship, a utilitarian place with various gauges, blinking lights and controls; the pilot’s and co-pilot’s seats face forward with aircraft-style controls.

CAPTION:     CHAPTER ONE – A CRY FOR HELP

MUSIC:  Incidental

CARD:    Stock still of Rocket Rat, helmet under one brawny arm, looking past the viewer’s right into the far distance.  He wears an aluminized leather rocket suit, with the controls on his gauntlets.  His expression is stern, as befits a hero.

CAPTION (SCROLLING):  It is the far future, where the world has been unified under the principles that all furs are equal and that all should work for the good of their fellow furs.  Principles that honor the working person.  There is no more war, because the world is made safe by the actions of the GLOBAL POLICE.

DISSOLVE TO:

CARD:  Insignia of the Global Police (crossed lightning bolt and hammer, with a globe superimposed over it).

MUSIC:    Global Police theme

CAPTION (SCROLLING):  Wherever the forces of evil, crime or authoritarianism rear their ugly heads the GLOBAL POLICE will be there to strike a blow for peace and freedom!

DISSOLVE TO: 

CARD:  Card showing the three principal characters – Capt. Rod Stone, Dr. Jane Red Deer, and Lt. Jack Carr.

CAPTION (SCROLLING):  One of the leaders of the GLOBAL POLICE is Captain Rod Stone, who will become that terror of the skies, ROCKET RAT!  Supported by the scientific genius of Dr. Jane Red Deer and his loyal co-pilot, Jack Carr, Rod Stone travels the world to keep the peace and enforce the law. 
Even now, Captain Stone and Lt. Carr are heading for the GLOBAL POLICE Headquarters in response to an urgent summons from Dr. Red Deer . . .

CARD FADES TO BLACK

SCENE ONE

FADE IN

Stock footage of a Global Police car (1935 Fjord Otter open roadster with fins and insignia) driving along a forest road.

MUSIC:  Global Police theme

CUT TO:  Two-shot of the occupants of the car shot against a projection of the road being traveled, trees blurring by.  The driver is Captain ROD STONE (Raining Sky), a rodent with an athletic build.  He has one paw on the wheel and his free paw resting on the door.  Seated beside him is his co-pilot and assistant, Lt. JACK CARR (Miles Eckhardt), a young badger with an earnest look about him.  Jack looks concerned.


CLOSE UP:     Rod smiles tolerantly at his friend and sidekick.


CUT TO:  Close up of Jack’s expression as the car swerves around a curve.


CUT TO:  Rod looking a bit sheepish.


Shot widens to take in both.




CUT TO:    Location footage of the car taking a curving path up a forested mountain (Henley); a collection of buildings can be seen in the distance.

CUT TO:    Footage of Rod and Jack pulling to a stop outside a building (Sound Stage 8B, dressed).  The sign beside the door reads “Global Police Headquarters – Authorized Personnel Only,” and there is an armed guard standing sentinel by the door.  Rod and Jack leave the car and present their credentials to the guard, who nods.  They go in.

MUSIC:    Dr. Red Deer’s theme (strings and Theremin)

CUT TO:    Set up shot of a hallway as Rod and Jack head for the lab; they pause beside two double doors and enter.

CUT TO:      Interior of Dr. Jane Red Deer’s lab.  Very large space with lab benches covered in electronic and chemical apparatus.  Lots of blinking lights and a pair of Tesla generators sending small lightning charges back and forth.  One table is covered in a sheet.

Close up shot of Rod looking around for the Doctor.  Where could she be in all this?


CUT TO:    Close shot of one electronics bench; two rabbit’s ears slowly erect behind it, followed by the figure of Dr. Red Deer (Michelle Stonebridge), a very attractive rabbit doe wearing that universal uniform of all scientists, a white lab coat.  The Global Police emblem is on the breast pocket of the coat.

Tight shot on Red Deer’s face.  She is clearly irritated.


Rod and Jack look at each other; Jack shrugs.
   

Tight shot on Red Deer’s face as she comes out from behind the bench, and her expression causes Rod to shut up.




Rod smiles winningly.


Jane’s demeanor softens, just a bit. 




She walks over to the table covered with the sheet.


Revealed on the table is a neatly folded flight suit in what appears to be aluminized leather, along with a helmet designed for a rodent.  In the center of the table is something the size of a backpack consisting of two large cylinders side by side and a harness.  Two gauntlets fitted with dials and knobs rest nearby.



Rod looks at her, then at the rocket pack, as if it were Christmas Day.  Jack looks at it dubiously.



Rod looks up at that.

ROD:
Already been tested?  By whom?

Jane looks a bit uncomfortable.  It’s obvious that Rod wanted to be the first to fly the thing.



Jane looks at him crossly.  It’s obvious that they’ve had this conversation before, and it clearly embarrasses her.

JANE:

Rod smiles at her, and takes her paws in his.  She looks down at their paws, then up at him.


He kisses her.

CUT TO Jack.  He looks away, rolling his eyes and whistling.

CUT TO:  Jane looking a bit bemusedly at Jack.




FADE OUT

SCENE TWO

FADE IN

SCENE:  Exterior, day.  The woods outside the Global Police building (Henley location shot).  Rod, now wearing the flying suit, is adjusting gauntlets while Dr. Red Deer makes final adjustments to the rocket pack.  Jack is holding the helmet, and looking inside.



Stone takes the helmet from Jack and puts it on.  (His voice is dubbed in from this point.)



CLOSE-UP of the right gauntlet.  There are two knobs there and a button, helpfully labeled LAUNCH.  There is also a gauge dial.



Shot of Jane looking up at Rod as they talk.  Since he’s wearing the helmet his expression is unreadable; her expression is one of fond affection.



Camera pulls back as Jane and Jack step away. 

CLOSE UP on Jane, who looks a bit concerned.


CUT TO Rod, shaking his head.


CLOSE UP of his finger pressing the LAUNCH button.

MUSIC:    Dramatic chord

CLOSE UP of the rocket nozzles venting smoke (pressurized smoke generators, maybe some flames as well).

GRAMS:    Roaring whooshing sound

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme, triumphant

WIDE SHOT of the forest, with the three characters in the center of the frame.  Rod (played by stuntman Winnie Bagotinsky) takes off through the air (effects created by yanking her up and out of shot via a cable harness and overcranking the camera for a high-speed effect).  Jane and Jack turn away in reaction, then look back up.

CLOSE UP on Jane, looking very concerned for her man.


CLOSE UP on Jack, shading his eyes as he scans the trees.  He gives a start and points.


WIDE SHOT of the two of them; Jack turns and waves Jane on as they break into a run to pursue the runaway Rod.

MUSIC:    Incidental; appropriate for a chase

Camera closes in on them as they run, dividing their attention between looking for Rod and avoiding running into trees.

CLOSE UP on Jane who pauses, one paw raised to her mouth as her expression turns to one of fear.


Off camera there is a “Thump!” as if something heavy has just hit a tree, followed by a softer thump as if something just fell to the ground.




Standard shot of the forest.  Rod is lying rigidly on his back in front of a tree, his arms and legs pointing straight up and held apart (as if he’d just flown straight into the tree).  Jane and Jack race up to him and kneel down beside him.

MUSIC:    Incidental



CLOSE UP on Jack.  He looks very impressed.


CUT TO Jane, who smiles winningly.  She clearly enjoys having someone recognize her efforts.


Camera pulls back to show Stone, now able to move, starting to move into a sitting position.  Jane and Jack help him up; Jack removes Rod’s helmet.



CLOSE UP on Rod.  He looks a bit disheveled.


CLOSE UP on Jane, who smiles somewhat slyly.


FADE OUT

SCENE THREE

FADE IN

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme

CUT TO:    Stock footage of Rocket Rat flying (possibly a mannequin on a wire).

CLOSE UP:  Rod is flying (moving backdrop or rear projection), with his paws out in front of him so that he can monitor the controls.

CUT TO:    Stock footage of the landscape moving by (footage taken from airplane following along a road).

CUT TO:    Dr. Red Deer and Lt. Carr standing in a clearing, looking up at the sky.  Jack points and starts waving.


GRAMS:    Rocket pack sounds (whooshing sound)

CUT TO:    Rocket Rat coming in for a landing, effect caused by tilting the camera when making the stock footage.

CUT TO:  Rocket Rat landing feet first and either taking a few steps or trotting to take up his momentum (effect created by having a stuntman jump off a ladder).  Music fades out.

CLOSE UP of Rod taking off his helmet.  He shakes his head and looks a bit out of breath, but otherwise quite fine.  Camera pulls back slightly as Jane and Jack get into the shot.  Jack takes the helmet from Rod while Jane checks out the rocket pack.



Rod takes the helmet from Jack and puts it on.



Rod adjusts the controls on his gauntlets.

GRAMS:    Rocket pack sounds

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme

Wide shot showing Jack and Jane standing as Rod starts running toward the camera (camera is at ground level, looking up at him at an angle).  As he nears the camera he leaps out of shot.

Stock footage of Rocket Rat flying.

CLOSE UP of Rod as he looks down.  He gives a start and looks closer.

MUSIC:    More dramatic incidental music

Aerial shot of a small town (Henley), zooming in on a certain intersection.  DISSOLVE to a ground-level shot of two robbers exiting the bank (building in town dressed with fictitious name).  They are shooting guns and each carrying a bag.  Obviously they have just robbed the place.

CLOSE UP of Rod, airborne, looking down.  He reaches for his left-paw gauntlet.

CLOSE UP of the controls on the gauntlet, and a finger pressing a button labeled “Loudspeaker.”  When he speaks his voice is amplified and given an echo chamber effect.


CUT TO the robbers looking around in confusion.  One has been so surprised he has actually dropped his gun, and the other nudges him with a foot to his rear to bring him back to his senses.


One of the robbers, the leader, looks up.  CLOSE UP on him, a wolf with a scar across his muzzle (Ray O’Donnell).  He sneers and raises his pistol.


CUT TO:    Stock footage of Rocket Rat coming in for a landing.

CUT TO:  Rocket Rat lands and stands facing the pair of robbers.  Music takes on a dramatic tone.


CUT TO close-up of Robber #1 as he levels his pistol.

MUSIC:  A bit more dramatic.


CLOSE UP on the gun (.45-caliber M1903) as it fires.

CUT TO the effect on Rod – he jerks backward, but stays on his feet as his armor absorbs the force of the bullet.  He shakes his head and takes a few steps forward.

CUT TO the spent bullet lying in the street, deformed by the impact.

CUT TO the robber as he starts shooting, backing away as Rod comes into the shot from the left.  Finally the gun is empty, the slide locking back.

CLOSE UP of the first robber as he turns to his compatriot.


CUT TO Robber #2 (Mitch Aherne) as he considers his chances; he throws his gun aside and raises his paws.


The first robber rushes at Rod, throwing his pistol at him; Rod ducks the weapon and the two trade punches for a few seconds before Rod lays the bad guy out with a hard roundhouse left to the jaw.

GRAMS:    Sirens

MUSIC:    Dramatic effect fading to incidental

Camera pulls back from the tableau as a police car pulls up, followed by the Global Police car carrying Jack and Dr. Red Deer.  The cops get out of their car and slap the pawcuffs on the two robbers.  The townspeople start to emerge from hiding as Jane runs up to Rod.


Rod takes his helmet off and smiles at her.


CLOSE UP of Jane looking around at the ground, lips moving as she counts the number of bullets she sees.  She looks back up at Rod, her expression one of shock.


Camera pulls back to frame both of them as Rod takes her paws in his.


They look at each other, while in the background we see the cops leading the robbers away.

CUT TO Jack, seated in the Global Police car and looking bored as his friends get all mushy at each other. 

GRAMS:  Buzzing (Morse letter “G”)

Jack gives a start and reaches for the car’s communicator.  This is composed of two pieces, an earphone with a brace for holding it to a person’s head, with a connected mouthpiece.  There is no connection between it and the car.


Jack takes the mouthpiece away from his muzzle and looks up, calling out to Rod and Jane, who are out of shot to the left.


CUT TO Rod and Jane.  Rod looks away from Dr. Red Deer to Jack, out of shot to the right.


Rod walks out of shot.  CUT TO him walking up to the car and taking the communicator away from Jack after placing his helmet on the car’s hood.  Rod leans against the side of the car as he speaks.


Rod takes off the communicator and gives it back to Jack, who stows it away. 


Shot widens and pans slightly left as Jane walks over to the car.  Rod holds the door for her and she sits in the back seat.  He gives her his helmet, climbs in and starts the car.

Shot of the rear of the car as it speeds off, disappearing around the corner of a building.

FADE OUT

SCENE FOUR

FADE IN

Establishing shot showing the front of the Global Police headquarters, with the seal of the GP emblazoned on the doors.  Camera dollies forward to a close up of the seal.

CUT TO:  Close up of a door plaque that reads “General A. G. Gilroy, Commander, Northern Hemisphere.”

CUT TO interior of the General’s office.  It’s a utilitarian affair with a few framed photographs of aircraft and exotic locales – Africa, Europe, etc. on the walls.  The General himself (Chang Li-Ssu) sits behind his desk, writing something which he then signs with a flourish.  He is an imposing golden eagle, wearing a Global Police uniform with three stars on his shoulder boards.

GRAMS:  Door opening, closing

The General looks up at the camera.


CUT TO another camera angle in the office as Jack Carr closes the door and he joins Rod and Jane as they walk up to the desk.


Gilroy glances down at the paper he just signed, and looks back up at Rod.


CLOSE UP on Gilroy.


MUSIC:    Dramatic sting

Camera angle changes to give the trio’s reaction to the general’s news from his point of view.  Their reactions vary from incredulity to skepticism.  Rod looks down at Gilroy.


CLOSE UP on Gilroy.


Gilroy stands and moves to a blank picture frame on the wall with a small control panel.  He hits a few switches.

CLOSE UP on the frame, which shows a small (reverse projected) seal of the Global Police, followed by stock footage of white-coated scientists working with electronic equipment.

GILROY (V.O.):
We’ve been working for a few years now on sharpening the sensitivity of our radio equipment.  Dr. Red Deer’s helped the team out with a few of the technical details.


Projection changes to show a sine wave on an oscilloscope, as we watch the sine wave changes several times in amplitude.


The projection changes to a cartoon of the Earth with radio masts in Canada and the southern tip of South America.  Small animated circles radiate from the tips of the masts.


The cartoon Earth changes position until it’s on the left edge of the screen, with the Moon on the right.  Waves are emanating from it.

Camera angle changes as Gilroy points at the screen.  Over his right shoulder we see Rod, Jack and Jane.


Gilroy lowers his arm.


CLOSE UP of the look of surprise on the rat’s face.  Cut back to Gilroy.


He switches off the screen as the camera pulls back and right, putting all four of them in shot.


CUT TO a close up of Gilroy, who looks to his right with a grin on his face.


CUT TO the trio; Rod and Jack both turn to look at Jane, who is blushing a bit, her ears dipping.


Jane looks uneasy, as if embarrassed about being caught out by the general.


Rod smiles and takes her paw.


Jane looks at his paw, then up at him.


Jane disengages herself from his grasp and turns away.


She whirls to face him, looking angry.


Rod smiles at her.


Before she can say anything, Gilroy raises a paw and everyone looks at him.


FADE OUT (Fan dissolve moving from right to left)

FADE IN

MUSIC:    Incidental dramatic music suitable for a slow reveal

SCENE:  Exterior, day.  The camera tracks right as the music swells to a sting as the space-ship is revealed, bow-on to the viewer. 
After the reveal the camera continues to track right to give the viewer a good look at it.  The vehicle sits in a barren area (Location:  Johnston Quarry). 
The craft itself is about sixty feet long and roughly cylindrical in shape.  The nose is flattened horizontally into a spade (shovel) shape, with windows showing the cockpit’s location.  The rear of the ship is slightly flattened vertically with three rocket nozzles arranged vertically and two smaller ones flanking the center nozzle.  It has two horizontal fins at the tail, angled up; there is a vertical stabilizer on top.
The Global Police emblem is prominent on the tailfins.

The camera pulls back as a door opens in the side of the craft and SGT. ALEC SMART (Edwin Smith) steps out, a short donkey in grease-stained coveralls.  He wipes his paws on a rag and looks up to see something out of shot to the viewer’s left.

CUT TO:  Wider shot as the car carrying Rod, Jack, Jane and Gilroy pulls to a halt a short distance from the ship.  Smart walks over to it as the others get out of the car.

CUT TO:  Closer shot as he walks up and shakes paws with Gilroy and Jane.



Smart shakes paws with Rod and Jack.


Smart smiles.  It’s clear he takes pride in his work.


He holds his paws about a foot apart.



Jane shakes her head.


MUSIC:    Melodramatic


He looks into her eyes.


Jane looks uncertain.  Finally she sighs, shrugging her shoulders.


Rod starts to laugh.


FADE OUT

FADE IN

SCENE:  Exterior, day.  The spaceship is standing with its hatch open as Jack and Smart work on the tail end of it.

CUT TO:    Interior of the spaceship.  This is a bit roomier than an airplane cockpit, with aircraft-like controls and lots of blinking lights, neon tubes, and pipes with plumbing fittings on them.  Rod sits in the pilot’s seat with a clipboard, examining the various gauges on the panel before him.

Jack steps into shot, Smart right behind him.


Smart grins and leaves the shot.

CUT TO exterior view as Smart steps out and closes the hatch behind him before stepping quickly away from the ship and out of shot to the left.

CUT TO interior again as Jack takes his seat and both of them strap in.  They start moving purposefully, flipping switches and manipulating controls.

MUSIC:    Incidental, dramatic and building in tension


Tight shot of Rod as he grins to his co-pilot.


CLOSE UP on Rod’s paw as he flips two switches and advances the throttle.

CUT TO exterior of the tail end of the ship as smoke starts venting from the nozzles, along with flames.

MUSIC:    Dramatic crescendo building

GRAMS:    Roaring sound

CUT TO shot facing both of them as the acceleration shoves them both against their seats.  Rod is barely able to keep his paws on the controls.

CUT TO models of the quarry location and the ship, smoke and flames coming from its tail as it lifts off and starts to climb nearly vertically.

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat Theme with dramatic crescendo

CLOSE UP on the spaceship model rising at a 70-degree angle, with backdrop of clouds moving past it at speed.

CUT TO interior shot of the ship, showing the crew side by side as they fight against the acceleration.  Jack is staring at his gauges.


Tight shot of Rod as he fights with the controls.


CLOSE UP on one gauge, the needle quivering near the red line; it suddenly crosses the line and swings back all the way to zero.

MUSIC:    Dramatic

GRAMS:    Rocket noises die away, followed by wind sounds


CUT TO the interior of a blockhouse where Smart, Jane and Gilroy stand watching the ship’s ascent through binoculars.  Jane gives a start and leans forward.


CUT TO stock footage taken from a plane diving toward the ground in a spin, the landscape coming up fast from a high altitude.

CUT TO tight shot of Jane, Gilroy and Smart behind her.  She raises a paw to her face with a look of horror.


CUT TO stock footage of the landscape rushing up to meet the stricken spaceship.

CAPTION:  Will the spaceship crash? 

CAPTION:  Are Rocket Rat and Jack doomed?  

CUT TO footage of Rocket Rat in flight.

CAPTION:    SEE the next thrilling episode of ROCKET RAT!

MUSIC:    Rocket Rat theme, rising to a crescendo

FADE TO BLACK


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