Rocket | mechanical toy:Tom Corbett Space Cadet Polaris

This spring-wound tin lithograph spaceship manufactured by Louis Marx & Co., features Tom Corbett, the popular teen character of space adventures. "Tom Corbett: Space Cadet" began life as a children's science-fiction television series that aired from 1950-1955. Inspiration for the series came from Robert A. Heinlein's 1948 novel "Space Cadet." Tom is a young member of the Solar Guards, a police force in 2350 A.D. charged with maintaining a Solar Alliance of Earth, Mars, and Venus. Weekly episodes presented the space cadet's adventures in the solar system and, later, throughout the galaxy. The phrase "Blast off!" first appeared in the Tom Corbett series. The popular TV show spawned comic strips, comic books, hardcover books, toys, and other consumer goods--providing early and convincing evidence of the power of television tie-ins and merchandising.