French movie poster for The Rocketeer, with Timothy Dalton as a Nazi spy
In the summer of 1991, no James Bond movie was in sight. But there was something of a consolation prize for 007 fans: The Rocketeer, based on a comic book, whose cast included Timothy Dalton, the then-reigning Bond actor, as the villain.
The Rocketeer was created in comic books by writer-artist Dave Stevens in 1982. Cliff Secord was “a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jetpack that allows him to fly. His adventures are set in pre-World War II America, and Stevens gave them a retro, nostalgic feel,” according to the character’s Wikipedia entry.
Eventually, the Rocketeer was headed to the silver screen at a time comic book-based films existed but studios didn’t make them by the bushel. Christopher Reeve’s Superman films had run their course. But Warner Bros. had successfully launched a Batman movie with Michael Keaton in 1989 and a second film was being prepared for 1992.
A movie version of The Rocketeer was in the works for years. Finally, there was a script by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo. The duo also had developed and produced a 1990-91 series based on The Flash for CBS. Joe Johnston signed on as director. Years later, he would helm Captain America: The First Avenger, which established Chris Evans as Cap, making the actor a major presence in Marvel movies.
In the summer of 1991, some Bond fans sampled the movie. Dalton played Neville Sinclair, a Hollywood star who was secretly a Nazi spy. Dalton sported a mustache, which gave him a look similar to Errol Flynn.
Years after Flynn’s 1959 death, he was accused of being a Nazi agent. A New York Times article from 1980 noted that friends of Flynn such as David Niven “have ridiculed the assertion.”
Regardless, The Rocketeer (with Billy Campbell as the title character) was an entertaining film. Other cast members included Alan Arkin with Terry O’Quinn as Howard Hughes. The movie wasn’t a hit. Its box office was $46.7 million, against a budget of $35 million, according to Box Office Mojo. There would be no Rocketeer sequels, just as there would be no third Timothy Dalton James Bond movie.
For those who rely on streaming, The Rocketeer is available on Disney +.
Filed under: Comic book movies, James Bond Films | Tagged: Alan Arkin, Billy Campbell, Terry Quinn, The Rocketeer, Timothy Dalton |
The Spy Command 
A solid, fun, family friendly romp. I think it generally works but Billy Campbell isn’t really much of a screen presence. He fits the role of Cliff but he doesn’t have what it takes to carry a feature film. The supporting cast does the heavy lifting, especially Tim Dalton as the delightfully colorful heel Neville Sinclair. I would have liked to have seen a few more with Brendan Frasier as Cliff and Bruce Campbell playing a villain with fSam Riami directing.
I loved the Dave Stevens comics that the movie was based on and they are worth rereading. One change from the comics: Cliff’s love interest was changed from Bettie, where she was curvaceously drawn to evoke cult B movie actress and model Betty Page, to Jenny, luminescently portrayed by Jennifer Connolly in one of her first roles. Connolly of course went on to better prove her acting chops in ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and many other films.
We recently re-watched the film and it was an enjoyable ride from start to finish. I had a smile throughout.
Dalton was excellent, although the scene where he was “chatting” with Paul Sorvino, whipping that sword to and fro, was unnerving. Dalton was pure malice and almost should have been in a darker version of this film!
He was excellent. The film really was a fun and smart little flick. It wasn’t trying to be anything else than Grade A entertainment. It’s a shame it didn’t catch on.