Memory Lane: ‘Soldiers of Fortune’

Image result for soldiers of fortune tv show

I know I’m gonna get you with this one: Soldiers of Fortune, from back in 1955.

My father watched this show; that’s how I remember it. I remembered the title and the name of one of the characters: “Toubo Smith.” I mean, you can’t forget a name like Toubo.

In each half-hour episode, globe-trotting adventurers Tim Kelly (John Russell, later to star in Lawman) and Toubo Smith (Chick Chandler) take on the crazy jobs that no one else will touch with a ten-foot pole, have wild adventures in every exotic location you can think of, and use up more stunt men per 30-minute series than any other in the 1950s.

I was amazed to discover some of those episodes floating around Youtube. In fact, you can get the whole two seasons, 1955-56, on disc. I watched one last night and enjoyed it a lot–skullduggery and derring-do in the mountains of Tibet. You have to admire the way they packed so much into so little time, and without giving the impression of hurrying through it.

Dad, I can’t remember this show without remembering you.

Nothin’ beats a good story, does it?

4 comments on “Memory Lane: ‘Soldiers of Fortune’

  1. You got me on this one, Lee. I don’t have a glimmer. But because it brings memories of your dad, it’s superb! 🙂

  2. Afraid I don’t remember it either, but then there are a lot of things I don’t remember. The name does sound familiar, though.

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