Ripcord 1961 to 1963

Ripcord is an American syndicated television series that ran for 76 episodes from 1961 to 1963 about the exploits of a skydiving operation by the same name.

Overview

The premise was a variety of adventures surrounding the then-new sport of skydiving. The men and their private aircraft were placed in unusual situations where the team's special skills and abilities were needed. This led them on weekly adventures from chasing criminals to performing daring, if not occasionally absurd, rescues.

The series starred Larry Pennell (who portrayed Dash Riprock on The Beverly Hillbillies) as Ted McKeever and Ken Curtis (who became famous as Festus on Gunsmoke) as Jim Buckley, his older mentor. Pilot Chuck Lambert, as played by Paul Comi, was replaced for the second season by Charlie Kern, portrayed by Shug Fisher (who also appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies as Shorty Kellems).

Guest stars included Harry Carey, Jr., Lee Van Cleef, Pat Conway, Richard Eastham, Lang Jeffries, Dayton Lummis, Tyler McVey and Denver Pyle.

The stuntmen performing the actual skydiving were Bob Fleming (a non-sked airline pilot) and Joe Mangione, who were both from Brooklyn, New York. Fleming also doubled as the pilot at the controls when not involved in the scene.

The show sponsored a popular Ripcord toy consisting of a large plastic parachute with a skydiver figure attached which could be thrown in the air and would float to the ground.

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