Sky King was an American radio and television series. Its lead character was Arizona rancher and aircraft pilot Schuyler “Sky” King. The series had strong Western elements, with cattle rancher King usually capturing criminals and spies and finding lost hikers, though he did so with the use of his airplane, the Songbird.
Two twin-engine Cessna airplanes were used by King during the TV series. The first was a Cessna T-50, and in later episodes a Cessna 310B was used until the series’ end. King and his niece Penny lived on the Flying Crown Ranch, near the fictitious town of Grover, Arizona. Penny’s brother Clipper also appeared during the first season. Penny and Clipper were also pilots, although they were inexperienced and looked to their uncle for guidance. Penny was an accomplished air racer, rated as a multiengine pilot, whom Sky trusted to fly the Songbird.
The Stars
Kirby Grant starred as Schuyler “Sky” King, the lead character of the series.
Gloria Winters portrayed Penny King, Sky’s niece, while Ron Hagerthy played Clipper King, Penny’s brother.
Other regular characters included Sheriff Mitch Hargrove, played by Ewing Mitchell, and Mickey, portrayed by Gary Hunley in the final season.
Key Dates
- The radio show began in 1946 and was based on a story by Roy Winsor. Several actors played the part of Sky, including Earl Nightingale, John Reed King, and Roy Engel.
- The radio series continued until 1954, broadcasting simultaneously with the first portion of the television version.
Other Information
The television version of Sky King first aired on Sunday afternoons on NBC-TV between September 16, 1951, and October 26, 1952. These episodes were then rebroadcast on ABC’s Saturday morning lineup the following year from November 8, 1952, through September 21, 1953, before the show made its prime-time debut on ABC’s Monday night lineup. New episodes were produced when the show went into syndication in 1955, with the last new episode, “Mickey’s Birthday”, being telecast on March 8, 1959. Thereafter, Sky King surfaced on the CBS Saturday schedule in reruns until September 1966. The show’s budget was $9,000 per episode, and it was set in Arizona, but exteriors were actually filmed in the high desert of California at the Iverson movie ranch in Chatsworth and in the desert outside of Indio, California. Interiors were shot at General Service Studios in Hollywood.
Nabisco included plastic figures of characters from the show and the Songbird in packages of Wheat Honeys and Rice Honeys breakfast cereals. The musical score was largely the work of composer Herschel Burke Gilbert. Nabisco sold the series complete with all rights to Kirby Grant in 1959, but Grant never brought back the series or developed a “Sky King” theme park as he had considered.
The show was primarily for children, although it sometimes broadcast in prime time. Many pilots, including American astronauts, grew up watching Sky King and named him as an influence. The writing was generally above the standard for contemporary half-hour programs, although sometimes critics suggested that the acting was not.
