Serials and Cliffhangers in Color and Sepia

Flaming Frontiers (1938) is a Universal movie serial starring Johnny Mack Brown. It was a remake of Heroes of the West (1932). It was re-edited into a TV series in 1966. Much of the material was reused in Lon Chaney Jr.'s 1942 serial Overland Mail. Synopsis Prospector Tom Grant discovers a rich gold vein up South. His findings however, soon attract landowner Bart Eaton. Tom's sister Mary heads for the gold fields with Eaton and his men following. Eaton teams up with Ace Daggett who plans to doublecross him and get the gold for himself. They then frame Tom for murder and then try to get him to sign over his claim. The scout Tex Houston is on hand, escaping the attempts on his life, saving Mary from various perils, and trying to bring in the real killer and clear Tom… Cast Johnny Mack Brown as Tex Houston Eleanor Hansen as Mary Grant James Blaine as Bart Eaton Charles Stevens as Henchman Breed William Royle as Henchman Crosby Edward Cassidy as Henchman Joe Jack Rutherford as Buffalo Bill Cody / Daggett Henchman Rand Charles Middleton as Ace Daggett Ralph Bowman as Tom Grant Chief Thundercloud as Thundercloud Horace Murphy as The Sheriff Karl Hackett as Daggett Henchman Jake Charles King as Daggett Henchman Blackie Jack Roper as Wolf Moran Bill Hazlett as Chief Spotted Elk James Farley as Wagonmaster Hawkins Eddy Waller as Andy Grant Production Along with Heroes of the West (1932) this serial was based on "The Tie That Binds" by Peter B. Kyne.[1] Chapter titles The River Runs Red Death Rides the Wind Treachery at Eagle Pass A Night of Terror Blood and Gold Trapped by Fire The Human Target The Savage Horde Toll of the Torrent In the Claws of the Cougar The Half Breed's Revenge The Indians Are Coming The Fatal Plunge Dynamite A Duel to the Death

Rustlers of Red Dog is a 1935 American Western film serial from Universal Pictures based on the book The Great West That Was by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. It was a remake of the earlier, 1930 serial The Indians are Coming. Plot Jack Wood and his pals make a journey across the West and come up against rustlers, Indian attacks and outlaw gangs. They make a journey across the West and come up against rustlers, Indian attacks and outlaw gangs. Cast Johnny Mack Brown as Jack Wood Joyce Compton as Mary Lee Raymond Hatton as Laramie Walter Miller as "Deacon" Harry Woods as "Rocky" Fred MacKaye as Snakey William Desmond as Ira Dale, the Wagonmaster Charles K. French as Tom Lee J.P. McGowan as Capt. Trent Lafe McKee as Bob Lee Edmund Cobb as Henchman Buck Chief Thundercloud as Chief Grey Wolf Chief Many Treaties as Indian Jim Thorpe as Chief Scarface Production Stunts Cliff Lyons George Magrill Frank McCarroll Wally West Chapter titles Hostile Redskins Flaming Arrows Thundering Hoofs [sic] Attack at Dawn Buried Alive Flames of Vengeance Into the Depths Paths of Peril The Snake Strikes Riding Wild The Rustlers Clash Law and Order

Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is an American adventure horror science fiction film 15-chapter serial released by Columbia Pictures in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the only film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers. In this film, an extraterrestrial dictator plans to conquer the planet Earth by orchestrating climate change on a planetary scale. Plot Judd Holdren, in what was only his second starring screen role, plays Captain Video, the leader of a group of crime-fighters known as the Video Rangers. He faces an interplanetary menace, as the evil dictator of the planet Atoma, Vultura (Gene Roth) and his lackey, the traitorous earth scientist Dr. Tobor (George Eldredge) are planning to conquer the planet Earth, by controlling the weather. Climate change is the aliens' weapon. Cast Judd Holdren as Captain Video Larry Stewart as Ranger George Eldredge as Dr. Tobor Gene Roth as Vultura Don C. Harvey as Gallagher (as Don Harvey) William Fawcett as Alpha [Chs. 1–3,7,15] Jack Ingram as Henchman Aker [Chs. 1,7,10–14] I. Stanford Jolley as Zorol [Chs. 8–9] Skelton Knaggs as Retner Jimmy Stark as Ranger Rogers Rusty Wescoatt as Henchman Beal [Chs. 1,7,11] Zon Murray as Henchman Elko [Chs. 1,7,10–14] Production Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere was the only serial adapted from television. It was one of Katzman's first forays into science fiction and was soon followed by The Lost Planet. As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial had a production budget much larger than the famously small budget of the DuMont Television Network's live daily television series. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros. Both Atoma and Theros are filmed at Bronson Canyon, and Vasquez Rocks, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage is tinted pink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints. These colored scenes were processed by Cinecolor. This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third, The Lost Planet (1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names. Release Theatrical Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere was very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963). Chapter titles Journey into Space Menace of Atoma Captain Video's Peril Entombed in Ice Flames of Atoma Astray in the Stratosphere Blasted by the Atomic Eye Invisible Menace Video Springs a Trap Menace of the Mystery Metal Weapon of Destruction Robot Rocket Mystery of Station X Vengeance of Vultura Video vs. Vultura

Dusty Bates is a 1947 British, Technicolor, children's serial, directed by Darrell Catling and starring Ronald Shiner as 'Squeaky' Watts and Anthony Newley in the title role. It was produced by Gaumont-British Instructional and Children's Entertainment Films. The film was also presented by the J. Arthur Rank Organisation. The story was filmed in five untitled parts. The film score was created by Jack Beaver. This extremely rare, well-produced, 1947 cliffhanger for "children of all ages" features the film debut of future superstar Anthony Newley. The following year he would gain fame for his role as the Artful Dodger in David Lean's classic Oliver Twist. As an adult, he achieved success as a composer, winning the 1963 Grammy for "What Kind of Fool Am I," and composing hit songs including "Goldfinger" and "Candyman." The Adventures Of Dusty Bates also features Bernard Lee, best remembered as "M" in numerous James Bond features. Runaway orphan "Dusty Bates" is taken in by Captain Ford and his wife. He joins the Ford children, Gill and David, in forming a secret society, "the Silent Three," dedicated to solving mysteries and fighting crime. The kids find themselves deep in intrigue when Dusty observes jewel smugglers aboard Captain Fords' ship blackmailing his own uncle Hank into helping them. The children must find a way to help Dusty's uncle, without getting themselves killed by the desperate outlaw gang. CAST: Billie Brooks Gill Ford Anthony Newley Dusty Bates (as Tony Newley) Michael McKeag David Ford Grace Arnold Mrs. Ford Bernard Lee Captain Ford Dennis Harkin Stark Ralph Truman Merryvale John Longden Tod Jenkins Tony Arpino Walrus Ronald Shiner 'Squeaky' Watts Wally Patch Uncle Hank Miller Frank Atkinson Worker at Gas Works (uncredited) Andreas Malandrinos Captain (uncredited) John Newland Insp. White (uncredited) Desmond Roberts Ginger Green (uncredited)

Zombies of the Stratosphere is a 1952 colorless Republic Studios serial directed by Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by Republic's Lydecker brothers. It was intended to be Republic's second serial featuring "new hero" Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying jacket and helmet introduced in King of the Rocket Men (1949). Instead, for reasons unknown, the hero was renamed "Larry Martin", who must prevent Martian invaders from using a hydrogen bomb to blow Earth out of its orbit, so that the Martians can move a dying Mars into a much closer orbital position to the Sun. As in Radar Men from the Moon (also released in 1952), much of the screen time for each of the dozen chapters is spent on fistfights and car chases between the heroes and a gang of earthly crooks hired by renegade scientist Dr. Harding and his extraterrestrial colleague Marex to steal and stockpile the Atomic supplies needed for construction of the H-bomb. The serial is notable as one of the first screen appearances of a young Leonard Nimoy, who plays Narab, one of the three Martian invaders. In 1958, a feature film titled Satan's Satellites, was made by editing down the serial's footage from 167 minutes to a 70 minute runtime. Plot Larry Martin, a leader in the Inter-Planetary Patrol, detects a rocketship coming to Earth. He takes to the air in his jet-powered flying suit and helmet to investigate and discovers Martian invaders, led by Marex. With Mars now orbiting too far away from the Sun, its ecology has been dying. The Martian invaders want to swap the orbital positions of Earth and Mars so that Mars will be closer to the Sun. They plan on achieving this by using hydrogen bomb plans stolen from Earth scientists to cause the two planets' orbits to swap positions. They will do so using specifically placed atomic explosions on both worlds. Martin also learns the Martians have Earth accomplices, the traitorous Dr. Harding and two gangsters, Roth and Shane, who bedevil him and his associates, Sue Davis and Bob Wilson. The Martians set up a base in a cave that can only be reached from underwater, where they begin constructing their H bomb. They make a remotely-controlled robot to supplement their human operatives in acquiring the necessary supplies and funds to complete the project. Eventually, Larry and his comrades gain the upper hand: Marex kills Harding when he attempts to surrender. Roth and Shane are killed when Larry turns the robot against them, while the Martians are brought down in flames in their rocketship after a furious stratosphere raygun battle with Larry in his spaceship. Marex's Martian aide, Narab, survives the crash and tells Larry where to find the underwater cave with the activated H-bomb. Larry arrives just in time to defuse the bomb, seconds before it would have exploded. Cast Judd Holdren as Larry Martin Aline Towne as Sue Davis Wilson Wood as Bob Wilson Lane Bradford as Marex Stanley Waxman as Dr Harding John Crawford as Roth Ray Boyle as Shane Craig Kelly as Mr Steele Leonard Nimoy as Narab Robert Garabedian as Elah Production Zombies of the Stratosphere was scripted as a sequel to the successful Radar Men from the Moon serial (1952), which introduced an original flying superhero, Commando Cody, played by George Wallace. Republic interrupted production on a planned TV series, also built around that character, titled Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, with Judd Holdren now starring as Cody. Just as filming began on the Zombies serial, the name of the hero was changed from "Commando Cody" to "Larry Martin", but he retains the same sidekicks (also renamed), high-tech props, and laboratory facilities that Cody had in the previous Radar Men from the Moon serial. An addition to the "rocket man" back-pack and helmet, and used for the first time in this serial, is a two-way radio about the size of a lunchbox; Larry Martin wears it hanging heavily from his belt when dressed for flying. This bulky radio is also seen in some stills of Cody in Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. As most flying sequences are reused stock footage from earlier "rocket man" serials, the radio usually disappears when Commando Cody is in flight. Martin also uses an ordinary police revolver instead of the ray gun favored by Cody in earlier and later serials. Zombies of the Stratosphere was budgeted at $172,838, although the final negative cost was $176,357 (a $3,519, or 2%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1952[1] and was filmed between April 14, and May 1, 1952. At seventeen days, this is tied with King of the Carnival (1955) for the shortest filming period of all Republic serials. The serial's production number was 1933. Zombies of the Stratosphere reuses the "Republic robot" (somewhat resembling a walking silvery hot-water heater with two ribbed arms that terminate in pincers), along with stock footage of it in action (such as the "bank robbery by robot" scene from Mysterious Doctor Satan) and black-and-white footage from a Republic full color Roy Rogers film. The serial is also heavily padded with footage from their King of the Rocket Men (1949) serial, to which this is a pseudo-sequel. Although the Zombies serial has Martians as the villains, they are not the same Martians as shown in the Republic's earlier, The Purple Monster Strikes (1945) serial. The robot was first seen in Republic's Undersea Kingdom (1936) and prominently featured in their Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940) serials. Stunts Dale Van Sickel as Larry Martin (doubling Judd Holdren) Tom Steele Special effects All the special effects in Zombies of the Stratosphere were produced by the Lydecker brothers, Republic's in-house physical and model effects team. Their flying effects, using a slightly oversized dummy running along an angled wire, were first used in Republic's serials: Darkest Africa (1936) and with even greater impact in Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941). Releases Zombies of the Stratosphere's official release date was July 16, 1952, although this was actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to theatrical film exchanges. This was followed by the theatrical release of Commando Cody, which had been filmed around the time as Zombies, but as a twelve-episode TV miniseries. (Because of Republic's theatrical contract requirements, Commando Cody was released as twelve weekly movie serial chapters. Judd Holdren played the now masked Cody and Aline Towne appeared again as Joan Gilbert.) A 70-minute feature film version of Zombies, created by heavily editing down the serial footage, was released on March 28, 1958 under the title Satan's Satellites as a double feature with Missile Monsters. Television Zombies of the Stratosphere was one of two Republic serials later colorized for 1990s television broadcast.[1] The original will be colorized in the future.

Superman is a 1948 15-part Columbia Pictures film serial based on the comic book character Superman. It stars an uncredited Kirk Alyn (billed on-screen only by his character's name, Superman; but credited as Kirk Alyn on the promotional posters) and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. Like Batman (1943), it is notable as the first live-action appearance of Superman on film, and for the longevity of its distribution. The serial was directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Adventures of Superman television series, and Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Sam Katzman, and shot in and around Los Angeles, California. It was originally screened at movie matinées, and after the first three scene-setting chapters, every episode ends in a cliffhanger. The Superman-in-flight scenes are animations, in part due to the small production budget. A "tremendous" financial success,[1] the serial was a popular success that made Kirk Alyn famous and launched Noel Neill's career. A sequel serial, Atom Man vs. Superman, also directed by Bennet, was released in 1950. Plot Superman is sent to Earth by his parents just as the planet Krypton blows up and is later raised as Clark Kent by a farm couple. They discover that he has great powers so they send him off to use his powers to help those in need. After his foster parents die, the Man of Steel heads to Metropolis under the bespectacled guise of Kent and joins the staff of the Daily Planet in order to be close to the news. Soon after he is sent out to get the scoop on a new rock that a man has found that he calls Kryptonite, and Clark passes out; then and there Superman discovers that his weakness is Kryptonite. Whenever emergencies happen, he responds in his true identity as Superman. This first serial revolves around the nefarious plot of a villain who calls herself the Spider Lady.[2] Cast Cinema advertising the Superman movie (The Hague, 1950). Kirk Alyn as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman Mason Alan Dinehart as young Clark Kent Noel Neill as Lois Lane Pierre Watkin as Perry White Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen Carol Forman as Spider Lady Herbert Rawlinson as Dr. Graham Forrest Taylor as Professor Arnold Leeds Nelson Leigh as Jor-El Luana Walters as Lara Edward Cassidy as Eben Kent Virginia Carroll as Martha Kent Alyn, Neill, Watkin, and Bond reprised their roles in the 1950 sequel, Atom Man vs. Superman. Production Kirk Alyn as Superman Republic Pictures tried twice to produce a Superman serial. The first attempt was replaced by Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940), when licensing negotiations with Superman publisher National Comics (later called DC Comics) failed. A second attempt was advertised for a 1941 release, but this time, two obstacles doomed production. National Comics insisted on absolute control of the script and production, and the rights to Superman were already committed to the Paramount cartoon series.[1] Sam Katzman acquired the live-action rights in 1947. He tried to sell them to Universal, but they no longer made serials by then. He also tried to sell to Republic, but they claimed that "a superpowerful flying hero would be impossible to adapt"—despite having already successfully done just that with Adventures of Captain Marvel in 1941. Also, Republic was no longer buying properties for adaptation by 1947. Columbia accepted the offer.[1] Sam Katzman found Kirk Alyn after looking through photographs, but had a hard time selling the idea of casting Alyn to Whitney Ellsworth, National Comics' representative on the project. This was made even worse when Alyn came in for a screen test, sporting a goatee and moustache (as he was also shooting another project, a historical film). These initial reservations were eventually overcome, and Alyn got the part. Columbia's advertising claimed that it could not get an actor to fill the role, so it had "hired Superman himself", and Kirk Alyn was merely playing Clark Kent. George Plympton added a joke to script, substituting the Lone Ranger's "Hi-Yo Silver!" for the traditional "Up, up, and away". This did not survive in the script long enough to actually be filmed.[1] The Superman costume was grey and brown, instead of blue and red, because those colors photographed better on black and white film. It was never explained why his costume is shown as red and green on the one-sheet posters' Episode 1, "Superman Comes to Earth", features a line delivered by Edward Cassidy (as Eben Kent) to Kirk Alyn (as foster son Clark Kent): "Because of these great powers - your speed and strength, your x-ray vision and super-sensitive hearing - you have a great responsibility". Fourteen years later, Stan Lee's Amazing Fantasy #15 introduced Spider-Man and popularized the motto, "With great power comes great responsibility". Special effects Superman's flight sequences were animated instead of live-action or model work. Harmon and Glut consider this to be the weakest point of the serial, explaining that the effects created by Republic for Adventures of Captain Marvel were more convincing or more routine ones for the Superman TV series.[1] While there were other effective special effects, in their opinion, they were undermined by the poorness of the flying sequences. The film crew did test an alternative method of filming the flying sequences: Kirk Alyn spent an entire day painfully suspended by visible wires in front of a rear projection of moving clouds. Displeased with the results, Katzman fired the entire flight sequence production staff, and used the animated method instead. A peculiar characteristic of the mix of animated and live-action footage is that Superman's take-offs are almost always visible in the foreground, while his landings almost always occur behind objects, such as parked cars, rocks, and buildings. It was easier to shift from live footage of Kirk Alyn starting to take off, to animated footage, than it was to shift from an animated landing to live footage of the actor. As a consequence of the need to hide Superman's landings, Superman frequently lands at some distance from where he wants to be, and must run to arrive on-scene. Budget limitations also dictated the frequent re-use of film footage, especially scenes of Superman flying. For example, one sequence showing Superman flying over a rocky hill (a shot of Stoney Point in Southern California's San Fernando Valley) was used at least once in almost every episode of the first serial. Stunts Alyn's stunt double was Paul Stader. He had to perform only one stunt in the entire serial, leaping from the back of a truck. He almost broke his leg during this stunt, and had to leave the production. Home media The Superman serial was first made available for purchase on VHS videotape in 1987 as a double tape box set. The serial was also offered available in two separate VHS tapes as "Volume 1" (Chapters 1 to 7) and "Volume 2" (Chapters 8 to 15). It was officially released on DVD by Warner Home Video, along with its sequel Atom Man vs. Superman, on November 28, 2006 as Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection. Warner released the serials rather than Columbia, as Warner's subsidiary DC Comics acquired the rights to the serials several years beforehand. With the previous 2006 DVD release out of print for a few years, the serials were re-released as manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD from Warner Archive Collection on October 9, 2018. Chapter titles Superman Comes To Earth Depths Of The Earth The Reducer Ray Man Of Steel A Job For Superman Superman In Danger Into The Electric Furnace Superman To The Rescue Irresistible Force Between Two Fires Superman's Dilemma Blast In The Depths Hurled To Destruction Superman At Bay The Payoff

The Green Hornet Strikes Again! is a 1941 Universal black-and-white 15 chapter movie serial based on The Green Hornet radio series by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. It is a superhero-themed story about the eponymous superhero, the Green Hornet. It is a sequel to Universal's earlier serial The Green Hornet (1940). This was the 117th serial (the 49th with sound) of the 137 that Universal produced. The plot involves racketeering and is unusual for a movie serial by having mostly stand-alone chapters instead of each running into the next; this was also the case for Universal's first Green Hornet serial Plot Wealthy publisher Britt Reid and his trusted Korean valet and sidekick disguise themselves as the crime fighting vigilantes, The Green Hornet and Kato. Over the course of 15 chapters, they battle the growing power of ruthless crime lord "Boss" Crogan and his varied rackets and henchmen across the city. Unknown to them, Crogan also has strong ties to foreign powers unfriendly to the United States. Cast Warren Hull as Britt Reid and his alter ego The Green Hornet. Hull replaced Gordon Jones in this role and also provided the voice of the Hornet (instead of radio voice Al Hodge in the original serial).[3] Wade Boteler as Michael Axford, Britt Reid's bodyguard Anne Nagel as Lenore "Casey" Case, Britt Reid's secretary Keye Luke as Kato, the Green Hornet's sidekick Eddie Acuff as Ed Lowery, a reporter Pierre Watkin (listed in the credits as "Pierre Watkins") as Boss Crogan, racketeer James Seay as Bordine, one of Boss Crogan's henchmen Arthur Loft as Tauer, Boss Crogan's chief henchman Joe Devlin as Dolan, one of Boss Crogan's henchmen William Hall as DeLuca, one of Boss Crogan's henchmen Dorothy Lovett as Frances Grayson, an aluminum heiress, and Stella Meris, an actress hired to replace her Chapter titles Flaming Havoc The Plunge of Peril The Avenging Heavens A Night of Terror Shattering Doom The Fatal Flash Death in the Clouds Human Targets The Tragic Crash Blazing Fury Thieves of the Night Crashing Barriers The Flaming Inferno Racketeering Vultures Smashing the Crime Ring

The Green Hornet is a 1940 black-and-white 13-chapter movie serial from Universal Pictures, produced by Henry MacRae, directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor, starring Gordon Jones, Wade Boteler, Keye Luke, and Anne Nagel. The serial is based on The Green Hornet radio series by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. Plot Britt Reid, the new publisher of The Sentinel newspaper, secretly becomes the vigilante crime fighter The Green Hornet. Backing him up is his Korean valet and inventor Kato. Together, they investigate and expose several separate underworld rackets. During the course of 13 serial chapters, these high-profile events lead the Hornet and Kato into continued conflict with the henchmen of "The Chief", the hidden mastermind behind a 12-person criminal syndicate controlling those rackets. Cast Gordon Jones as Britt Reid and The Green Hornet Al Hodge as the (uncredited) voice of the Green Hornet Wade Boteler as Michael Axford Keye Luke as Kato. Kato is Korean in the serial rather than being the original Japanese character of the radio series, due to rising anti-Japanese sentiment around the world. This was two years prior to Japan's December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II. The radio show dropped Kato's nationality from the introductory sequence, included passing references in dialogue to his character being Filipino, and years later, after the war, returned to the standard show introduction. Anne Nagel as Leonore Case Phillip Trent as Jasper Jenks Cy Kendall as Curtis Monroe aka 'The Chief' Stanley Andrews as Police Commissioner [Chs.1,5,8,9,13] Selmer Jackson as District Attorney [Chs.4,10] Joseph Crehan as Judge Stanton [Chs.1,9,10,13] Walter McGrail as Dean Gene Rizzi as Corey John Kelly as Pete Hawks Eddie Dunn as D.H. Sligby [Ch.7] Edward Earle as Felix Grant [Ch.1] Ben Taggart as Phil Bartlett [Chs.3-4] Clyde Dilson as Meadows [Ch.5] Jerry Marlowe as Bob Stafford [Chs.7,11] Frederick Vogeding as Max Gregory [Ch.11] (as Fredrik Vogeding) Raymond Bailey as Mr. West Chapter titles The Tunnel of Terror The Thundering Terror Flying Coffins Pillar of Flame The Time Bomb Highways of Peril Bridge of Disaster Dead or alive The Hornet Trapped Bullets and Ballots Disaster Rides the Rails Panic in the Zoo Doom of the Underworld Alternative versions In 1990, under the same title, GoodTimes Home Video released a feature-length version of the serial on VHS tape, re-edited from the footage in the last six chapters. Under the title The Green Hornet: Movie Edition, VCI Entertainment released its version of the serial on DVD, January 11, 2011, which includes the first and last chapter and selected other chapters. Influence The 1960s Batman television series was created because of the popularity of a re-release of Columbia's Batman serial. The success of both led to the production of a Green Hornet TV series, which was played as a straight action crime series, "in the tradition of its former presentations", rather than the campy Batman series. It was cancelled after only one season.

Burn 'Em Up Barnes is a 1934 American Pre-Code movie serial produced and distributed by Mascot Pictures, along with a feature version of the serial bearing the same title. It was a loose remake of the 1921 silent film of the same name. Plot Marjorie Temple, owner of a school bus line and an apparently worthless plot of land, is set upon by rich oil speculators who know her land actually is worth millions. When they try to put her out of business for good, race driver Burn 'em Up Barnes and his young friend come to her rescue. Cast Jack Mulhall as Burn-'em-Up Barnes, racing driver nicknamed the "King of the Dirt Track" and shortly the co-owner of the Temple Barnes Transportation school bus company Frankie Darro as Bobbie Riley, Barnes' kid sidekick and ward following his brother's accidental death Lola Lane as Marjorie Temple, owner of the Temple (later Temple Barnes) Transportation school bus company and land with a hidden wealth of oil Julian Rivero as Tony, Marjorie's bumbling Italian-accented mechanic Edwin Maxwell as Lyman Warren Jason Robards as John Drummond, crooked race promoter who knows that Marjorie's land is really worth millions and will stop at nothing to get it Francis McDonald as Ray Ridpath, villainous driver working for Drummond Chapter titles King of the Dirt Tracks The Newsreel Murder The Phantom Witness The Celluloid Clue The Decoy Driver The Crimson Alibi Roaring Rails The Death Crash The Man Higher Up The Missing Link Surrounded The Fatal Whisper DVD release Burn 'Em Up Barnes was released on Region 0 DVD by Alpha Video on November 27, 2007.[ A feature-length version of the serial was released on Region 0 DVD-R by Alpha Video on October 30, 2012, but this is not the same as the feature version originally prepared by Mascot Pictures; its origins are unknown. The 1921 silent version of the serial was released on Region 0 DVD-R by Alpha Video on July 7, 2015.

Captain Midnight is a 1942 American serial film. It was Columbia Pictures 17th released serial and was based upon the radio adventure serial of the same name, broadcast from 1938 to 1949. Captain Midnight was only one of the many aviation serials released during World War II, whose leading characters were derived from early pulp magazines and radio show favorites. Plot Captain Albright is an extremely skilled aviator, better known by his alter ego as Captain Midnight. He is assigned to neutralize the sinister Ivan Shark, an evil enemy scientist who is aerial bombing major American cities with his unmarked aircraft. Captain Midnight leads the Secret Squadron, whose staff includes Chuck Ramsay, Midnight's ward, and Ichabod 'Icky' Mudd, the Squadron's chief mechanic. Shark has developed a highly efficient mercenary organization. He is aided by his daughter, Fury, his highly intelligent second in command, and Gardo the henchman, and Fang, an Asian ally. Shark is after a new aviation range finder invented by the altruistic scientist, John Edwards, whose beautiful daughter, Joyce, they attempt to capture in order to blackmail the patriotic inventor. Captain Midnight and the Secret Squadron continually battle the henchmen, thwarting Shark's evil plans, while avoiding destruction at every turn by making daring escapes during the serial's 15 weekly chapters. Cast Dave O'Brien as Captain Albright / Captain Midnight Dorothy Short as Joyce Edwards James Craven as Ivan Shark Sam Edwards as Chuck Ramsey Guy Wilkerson as Ichabod 'Icky' Mudd Bryant Washburn as John Edwards Luana Walters as Fury Shark Joe Girard as Major Steel (as Joe Girard) Ray Teal as Borgman - Henchman #8 George Pembroke as Dr. James Jordan Chuck Hamilton as Martel, Henchman #7 (as Charles Hamilton) Al Ferguson as Gardo- Henchman #5 Chapter titles Mysterious Pilot The Stolen Range Finder The Captured Plane Mistaken Identity Ambushed Ambulance Weird Waters Menacing Fates Shells of Evil The Drop to Doom The Hidden Bomb Sky Terror Burning Bomber Death in the Cockpit Scourge of Revenge The Fatal Hour

The Invisible Monster is a 1950 Republic film serial, starring Richard Webb and Aline Towne. Plot A would-be dictator and scientist, known only as The Phantom Ruler, has developed a formula which, when sprayed on some solid object, renders that object and everything it contains invisible when exposed to rays emitted by a special lamp, also his own invention.[2] Covered from head to toe in formula-treated cloth, he thus moves about unseen, presently with the objective of stealing enough money and formula components to render an entire army of willing followers invisible. Two henchmen assist him, along with several illegal aliens smuggled into the US by him and used to infiltrate, as employees, possible sites for him to later rob while invisible. When he successfully robs a bank vault, an investigator from the bank's insurer teams up with a woman police detective to solve the mystery of the money which to all outside appearances has just vanished. Tracking clues and interrupting other attempts by the Phantom Ruler to commit crimes, the protagonists round up enough evidence that they are not merely dealing with an ordinary crime ring. Eventually they discover the invisibility fluid and lamp, and the Phantom Ruler is killed when he trips over an open high-power electric cable he had laid on the floor of his den to do in the forces of law and order closing in upon him. Cast Richard Webb as Lane Carson Aline Towne as Carol Richards Lane Bradford as Burton Stanley Price as The Phantom Ruler. The villain of the serial uses the trappings of the Mystery Villain but his identity is revealed to the audience in the first chapter.[3] John Crawford as Harrison George Meeker as Harry Long Production The Invisible Monster was budgeted at $153,070 although the final negative cost was $152,115 (a $955, or 0.6%, under spend).[1] It was filmed between March 7 and 30, 1950 under the working title The Phantom Ruler.[1] The serial's production number was 1707.[1] Stunts Tom Steele as Lane Carson (doubling Richard Webb) Dale Van Sickel as Harry Long (doubling George Meeker) Special effects Special effects created by the Lydecker brothers. Release Theatrical The Invisible Monster's official release date is May 10, 1950, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1] Television The Invisible Monster was one of twenty-six Republic serials edited to a uniform runtime of 100 minutes and syndicated directly to television as a package of TV Movies in 1966. The title of this new version was Slaves of the Invisible Monster.[1] Critical reception Cline describes this serial as just a "quickie."[4] In Creature Feature, this movie serial was given three out of five stars, stating that the movie villain is incredibly inept and rarely uses his creation intelligently, and that the entire series is naive, but that there was an underlying sense of non-stop fun.[5] Chapters The Invisible Monster has 12 chapters. The first chapter is 20 minutes long, and each one thereafter is 13 minutes, 20 seconds.[1][6] Chapter 10, "High Voltage Danger", is a recap of all previous episodes. Slaves of the Phantom The Acid Clue The Death Car Highway Holocaust Bridge to Eternity Ordeal by Fire Murder Train Window of Peril Trail to Destruction High Voltage Danger (clip show) Death's Highway The Phantom Meets Justice

The Galloping Ghost is a 1931 American pre-Code Mascot serial film co-directed by B. Reeves Eason and Benjamin H. Kline. The title is the nickname of the star, real life American football player Red Grange. Serial historian Raymond William Stedman lists Lon Chaney Jr. as appearing in Ghost in a small uncredited part as a henchman, but this has never been verified. Plot Red Grange is thrown off the Clay College football team in disgrace when his friend, Buddy Courtland, takes a bribe to throw the big game and Red attacks him in anger. Red then proceeds to investigate and hunt down the head of the gambling ring responsible, a criminal enterprise operated out of the Mogul Taxi company offices. Red eventually clears his name, and both he and Buddy are reinstated on the team. Cast Harold 'Red' Grange as Red Grange, Clay College football star Ralph Bushman as Buddy Courtland Dorothy Gulliver as Barbara Courtland (Red's girlfriend) Tom Dugan as Jerry, Red's sidekick Gwen Lee as Irene Courtland, Buddy's wife Theodore Lorch as Dr. Julian Blake, brain surgeon Walter Miller as George Elton Edward Hearn as Coach Harlow Edward Peil, Sr. as Coach of Baxter Team Stepin Fetchit as Snowball Wilfred Lucas as a Sportscaster Frank Brownlee as Tom, garage manager Ernie Adams as Brady, henchman Dick Dickinson as Mogul Taxi Clerk, henchman Tom London as Mullins, henchman Yakima Canutt as a henchman (uncredited) Lon Chaney Jr. as a henchman (uncredited) - unverified Fred Toones as a Football Fan (uncredited) Production Grange received this starring role thanks to his business manager, and theater owner, Frank Zambrino. The serial took three weeks to film and Grange earned $4,500 overall. Director B. Reeves Eason was reportedly fired during filming and replaced by the uncredited Benjamin H. Kline.[citation needed] Stunts This serial was filmed at a time before "stuntmen did mostly everything" which meant that Grange had to do a lot of his own stunts.[3] Chapter titles The Idol of Clay Port of Peril The Master Mind The House of Secrets The Man Without a Face The Torn $500 Bill When the Lights Went Out The Third Degree Sign in the Sky The Vulture's Lair The Radio Patrol The Ghost comes Back

The Last of the Mohicans is a 1932 American pre-Code Mascot movie serial based on the 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. Cast Harry Carey as Natty Bumppo/Hawkeye Hobart Bosworth as Chingachgook, 'the Sagamore' Junior Coghlan as Uncas Edwina Booth as Cora Munro Lucile Browne as Alice Munro Walter Miller as Major Duncan Heyward Bob Kortman as Magua Walter McGrail as Dulac, the French spy Nelson McDowell as David Gamut; McDowell also played the part of David Gamut in the 1920 silent film of the same name Edward Hearn as Colonel Munro Mischa Auer as General Montcalm Yakima Canutt as Black Fox (and other supporting roles) Production The Last of the Mohicans was adapted from the novel by James Fenimore Cooper.[1] Chapter titles Wild Waters Flaming Arrows Rifle or Tomahawk Riding with Death Red Shadows Lure of Gold Crimson Trail Tide of Battle Redskins' Honor The Enemy's Stronghold Paleface Magic End of the Trail

Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphereis an Americanadventurehorrorscience fiction film15-chapterserialreleased byColumbia Picturesin 1951. It was directed bySpencer Gordon Bennetand Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment byGeorge H. Plympton. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the only film serial ever based on a television program,Captain Video and His Video Rangers. In this film, an extraterrestrial dictator plans to conquer the planetEarthby orchestratingclimate changeon a planetary scale. Plot[edit] Judd Holdren, in what was only his second starring screen role, plays Captain Video, the leader of a group of crime-fighters known as the Video Rangers. He faces an interplanetary menace, as the evil dictator of the planet Atoma, Vultura (Gene Roth) and his lackey, the traitorous earth scientist Dr. Tobor (George Eldredge) are planning to conquer the planetEarth, by controlling the weather.Climate changeis the aliens' weapon. Cast[edit] Judd Holdrenas Captain Video Larry Stewart as Ranger George Eldredgeas Dr. Tobor Gene Rothas Vultura Don C. Harveyas Gallagher (as Don Harvey) William Fawcettas Alpha [Chs. 1–3,7,15] Jack Ingramas Henchman Aker [Chs. 1,7,10–14] I. Stanford Jolleyas Zorol [Chs. 8–9] Skelton Knaggsas Retner Jimmy Stark as Ranger Rogers Rusty Wescoattas Henchman Beal [Chs. 1,7,11] Zon Murrayas Henchman Elko [Chs. 1,7,10–14] Production[edit] Captain Video: Master of the Stratospherewas the only serial adapted from television. It was one of Katzman's first forays into science fiction and was soon followed byThe Lost Planet. As produced by Sam Katzman, the serial had a production budget much larger than the famously small budget of theDuMont Television Network's live daily television series. Captain Video and his teenaged sidekick, the otherwise nameless "Video Ranger" (Larry Stewart), must make frequent visits both to Atoma and to another distant planet, Theros. Both Atoma and Theros are filmed atBronson Canyon, andVasquez Rocks, so to distinguish the two, the Atoma footage istintedpink and the Theros footage is tinted green in the original release prints.These colored scenes were processed byCinecolor. This was the second of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. The third,The Lost Planet(1953), is a virtual sequel although with different character names. Release[edit] Theatrical[edit] Captain Video: Master of the Stratospherewas very successful when first released to theaters, and kept playing long after other serials had been retired to the vaults. It is one of only two serials that Columbia reissued three times (in 1958, 1960, and 1963). Critical reception[edit] Harmon and Glut describe this serial as a "rather shoddy, low budget space cliffhanger."[dubious–discuss] Gadgets[edit] The serial includes several science fiction gadgets of the era. The Opticon Scillometer was used for looking through walls. Objects were made to disappear with the Isotropic Radiation Curtain. The Mu-ray Camera could photograph lingering images after the event. Temporary madness could be caused with the Psychosomatic Weapon. A variation on Radar was entitled the Radionic Directional Beam and the Radionic Guide and a Vibrator gun that worked like a Tazer. Chapter titles[edit] 1.Journey into Space 2.Menace of Atoma 3.Captain Video's Peril 4.Entombed in Ice 5.Flames of Atoma 6.Astray in the Stratosphere 7.Blasted by the Atomic Eye 8.Invisible Menace 9.Video Springs a Trap 10.Menace of the Mystery Metal 11.Weapon of Destruction 12.Robot Rocket 13.Mystery of Station X 14.Vengeance of Vultura 15.Video vs. Vultura

Dick Tracy Returns (1938) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty-six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial Dick Tracy, with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the title character. It was successful enough that two further sequels were released in 1939 and 1941, and Byrd become so connected with the character he went on to play him in a subsequent television series. This serial charts Tracy's efforts to capture the gang of Pa Stark (Charles Middleton) and his five criminal sons....Champ, Trigger, Dude, The Kid and Slasher. Plot Tracy and his group must battle saboteurs and spies in his effort to bring down the Stark gang, a major crime family syndicate led by the vicious and brutal Pa Stark. A young promising G-Man named Ron Merton (David Sharpe) is murdered by the Starks while trying to help Tracy bring the gang to justice. With the help of his friends Gwen, Junior and Mike McGurk, Tracy battles the vile criminal gang, and kills off Stark's sons one by one, until the only ones left are Pa Stark and his son Champ. Tracy faces off against Stark in a final battle aboard an out-of-control airplane three miles up in the sky in the final episode. Cast Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy Lynne Roberts as Gwen Andrews Charles Middleton as Pa Stark. Pa Stark was based on the real criminal Ma Barker.[2] Jerry Tucker as Junior David Sharpe as Agent Ron Merton, a newly trained agent. Lee Ford as Mike McGurk Michael Kent as Agent Steve Lockwood John Merton as Champ Stark Raphael Bennett as Trigger Stark Jack Roberts as Dude Stark Ned Glass as Kid Stark Jack Ingram as Slasher Stark Larry Steers as Duke (uncredited) Harry Tenbrook as Thug (uncredited) Production Dick Tracy Returns was budgeted at $156,991 although the final negative cost was $170,940 (a $13,949, or 8.9%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1938 and the most expensive Republic serial until The Lone Ranger Rides Again in 1939. It was the second most expensive of the four Dick Tracy serials (the most expensive was the last, Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. at $175,919. It was filmed between 10 June and 18 July 1938 under the working title Return of Dick Tracy. The serial's production number was 791. Like in the other three serials of the Republic series, Tracy is depicted as a West Coast FBI agent instead of being, as he is in the original comic strip, a local police detective for a large Midwestern city. This serial and all the sequels of the original 1937 Dick Tracy serial were permitted by an interpretation of the original contract, which allowed a "series or serial". Therefore, Chester Gould was not paid again for the right to produce this serial.[3] Special effects The special effects were created by Republic's in-house team, the Lydecker brothers Stunts Earle D. Bunn Yakima Canutt George DeNormand as Dick Tracy (doubling Ralph Byrd) Duke Green George Magrill Eddie Parker Allen Pomeroy Loren Riebe Ted Wells Bud Wolfe Release Dick Tracy Returns' official release date is 20 August 1938, although this is actually the date the seventh chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1] The serial was re-released on 17 July 1948 between the first runs of Dangers of the Canadian Mounted and Adventures of Frank and Jesse James.[1] VCI released the serial on 2 dvd discs in 2008. It was later released together with the other three Dick Tracy serials in a boxed dvd set by VCI in 2013. Critical reception Cline states that the Dick Tracy serials were "unexcelled in the action field," adding that "in any listing of serials released after 1930, the four Dick Tracy adventures from Republic must stand out as classics of the suspense detective thrillers, and the models for many others to follow."[2] Chapter titles The Sky Wreckers (29min 51s) The Runway of Death (16min 34s) Handcuffed to Doom (16min 20s) Four Seconds to Live (15min 39s) Death in the Air (16min 35s) Stolen Secrets (15min 23s) Tower of Death (14min 34s) Cargo of Destruction (16min 12s) The Clock of Doom (16min 4s) - a re-cap chapter High Voltage (16min 15s) The Kidnapped Witness/The Missing Witness (15min 45s)[4] The Runaway Torpedo (15min 33s) Passengers to Doom (16min 19s) - a re-cap chapter In the Hands of the Enemy (16min 30s) G-Men's Drag-Net (16min 24s)

The Lost Planetis a 1953 Americanscience fictionserial film15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed bySpencer Gordon Bennetwith a screenplay byGeorge H. PlymptonandArthur Hoerl(who also wrote forRocky Jones, Space Ranger). It appears to have been planned as a sequel to the earlier chapterplayCaptain Video: Master of the Stratosphereand shares many plot-points, props and sets, as well as some of the same cast. However, the Video Rangers do not appear, and their uniforms are instead worn by "slaves" created electronically by Reckov, the dictator of the Lost Planet (Gene Roth) with the help of mad scientist Dr. Grood (Michael Fox) and enslaved "good" scientist Professor Dorn (Forrest Taylor). Plot[edit] Dr. Ernst Grood has succeeded in winning control over the planet Ergro as the first step in his desired conquest of the Universe.Reporter Rex Barrow, his photographer Tim Johnson, Professor Edmund Dorn and his daughter Ella are all captured by Grood, who plans to make use of the professor's knowledge. With the help of the professor's inventions, Rex is able to free Ergro of Grood's domination, while Grood is sent on an endless voyage into space. Cast[edit] Judd Holdrenas Rex Barrow Vivian Masonas Ella Dorn Ted Thorpe as Tim Johnson Forrest Tayloras Prof. Edmund Dorn Michael Foxas Dr. Ernst Grood Gene Rothas Reckov Karl Davisas Karlo – aka Robot R-4 Leonard Pennas Ken Wopler John Casonas Hopper Nick Stuartas Darl Joseph Mellas Lah Jack Georgeas Jarva Frederic Berest as Alden I. Stanford Jolleyas Robot No. 9 Pierre Watkinas Ned Hilton Unlike theCaptain Videoserial,The Lost Planethas a female character, Professor Dorn's daughter Ella (Vivian Mason) who strides about the Lost Planet (Bronson Canyon) in a fetching female version of the Video Ranger uniform. The hero is not Captain Video, but a newspaper reporter, Rex Barrow, played byJudd Holdren(who had previously playedCaptain VideoandCommando Cody). Production[edit] The Lost Planetwas the last of only three science fiction serials released by Columbia. This serial was, despite the characters' names, essentially a sequel toCaptain Video, from whichstock footagewas taken for this serial. It was originally known asThe Planet Men. Chapter titles[edit] 1.Mystery of the Guided Missile 2.Trapped by the Axial Propeller 3.Blasted by the Thermic Disintegrator 4.The Mind Control Machine 5.The Atomic Plane 6.Disaster in the Stratosphere 7.Snared by the Prysmic Catapult 8.Astray in Space 9.The Hypnotic Ray Machine 10.To Free the Planet People 11.Dr. Grood Defies Gravity 12.Trapped in a Cosmo Jet 13.The Invisible Enemy 14.In the Grip of the De-Thermo Ray 15.Sentenced to Space

The Vanishing Shadow is a 1934 Universal science fiction film serial directed by Lew Landers. It features what is believed to be the first appearance of a hand-held ray gun in film. (apart from The Death Ray). Many science fiction gadgets, including a robot and The Destroying Ray, are also featured in the serial. Plot Stanley Stanfield is the inventor of the Vanishing Ray, a wearable device which, when active, leaves only the user's shadow still visible. After meeting with fellow scientist, Carl Van Dorn, a prototype Ray is built. Stanley intends to sell bonds to finance his invention. He inherited them from his late father, the publisher and editor of the local Tribune newspaper, but the stockbroker he meets is corruptly involved with Wade Barnett, the businessman who hounded Stanley's father to his death. Barnett wants the bonds and will go to any length to acquire them. A conflict ensues between Stanley and Barnett during the 12 chapter serial. However, Stanley's new girlfriend, Gloria Grant, is really Gloria Barnett, his enemy's estranged daughter. Neither hero nor villain wants to see Gloria hurt and must work around this motive in their on-going struggle. Dorgan, Barnett's "spear-point heavy", is unhappy with having to hold back to protect Gloria. Eventually, he captures both Stanley and Gloria, but blackmails his boss to ensure her safety. Barnett turns up with both the ransom money and the police, but he is shot in the ensuing fight. Before dying, he makes his peace with his daughter. Gloria and Stanley finally marry and take over operation of the Tribune. Cast Onslow Stevens as Stanley Stanfield, inventor of the Vanishing Ray and son of the late editor of the Tribune newspaper. Ada Ince as Gloria Grant, Stanfield's girlfriend, who is also the estranged daughter of Wade Barnett, having changed her name from the original Gloria Barnett. James Durkin as Carl Van Dorn, mad scientist ally of Stanfield Walter Miller as Wade Barnett, villainous businessman Richard Cramer as Dorgan, Barnett's spear-point heavy Edmund Cobb as Kent, one of Barnett's henchman Monte Montague as Badger, one of Barnett's henchman Al Ferguson as Stroud, one of Barnett's henchman Sidney Bracey as Denny, Barnett's office clerk J. Frank Glendon as John Cadwell, stockbroker William Desmond as Editor MacDonald Beulah Hutton as Sal, a gun moll Lee J. Cobb as Roadwork Foreman in chapters 3 and 4. This was Cobb's first appearance in films Chapter titles 1.Accused of Murder 2.The Destroying Ray 3.The Avalanche 4.Trapped 5.Hurled from the Sky 6.Chain Lightning 7.The Tragic Crash 8.The Shadow of Death 9.Blazing Bulkheads 10.The Iron Death 11.The Juggernaut 12.Retribution Availability In his 1998 book on science fiction film serials, Roy Kinnard noted that the serial was difficult to assess as no print of it appeared to have survived. A 35mm nitrate preview trailer containing three minutes of the serial was held by the George Eastman House archive in Rochester, New York. It was unavailable in 1998 for screening, due to it never having been transferred to safety film stock. In 2010 all 12 Chapters of the serial were made available for viewing on YouTube. In August 2019, it was released on DVD by VCI 2019.

The Adventures of Red Ryder is a 1940 American 12-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, directed by William Witney and John English and starring Don "Red" Barry and Noah Beery, Sr., based on the Western comic strip Red Ryder by Fred Harmon. This serial is the 18th of the 66 serials produced by Republic. Plot A gang, led by banker Calvin Drake, plans to drive off ranchers from their land to profit from a railroad. However, on one of these ranches, the Circle R, lives the Ryder family who resist the gang. After his father, Tom, is killed by One Eye Chapin, Red Ryder swears revenge and sets out to defeat the gang once and for all. Cast Donald "Red" Barry as Red Ryder. Donald Barry retained the nickname from this serial as Don "Red" Barry.[2] Noah Beery as Ace Hanlon Tommy Cook as Little Beaver Maude Pierce Allen as Duchess Ryder Vivian Coe as Beth Andrews Harry Worth as Calvin Drake Hal Taliaferro as Cherokee Sims William Farnum as Colonel Tom Ryder Bob Kortman as One-Eye Chapin Carleton Young as Sheriff Dade Ray Teal as Shark Gene Alsace as Deputy Lawson Gayne Whitman as Harrison Hooper Atchley as Commissioner Treadway John Dilson as Hale Lloyd Ingraham as Sheriff Luke Andrews Charles Hutchinson as Brown Gardner James as H.S. Barnett Wheaton Chambers as Boswell Lynton Brent as Len Clark Production The Adventures of Red Ryder was based on Fred Harman's comic strip.[2] The serial was budgeted at $144,852 although the final negative cost was $145,961 (a $1,109, or 0.8%, overspend). 1940 was the first year in which Republic's overall spending on serial production was less than in the previous year.[1] It was filmed between 27 March and 25 April 1940.[1] The serial's production number was 997.[1] The special effects were created by the Lydecker brothers, Republic's in-house effects team. Stunts David Sharpe as Red Ryder (doubling Don "Red" Barry) Duke Green Ted Mapes Post Park Ken Terrell Bill Yrigoyen Joe Yrigoyen Release Theatrical The Adventures of Red Ryder's official release date is 28 June 1940, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1] Chapter titles Murder on the Santa Fe Trail (27min 48s) Horsemen of Death (16min 42s) Trail's End (16min 41s) Water Rustlers (16min 39s) Avalanche (16min 44s) Hangman's Noose (16min 44s) Framed (16min 42s) Blazing Walls (16min 42s) Records of Doom (16min 42s) One Second to Live (16min 43s) The Devil's Marksman (16min 41s) Frontier Justice (16min 44s) Source:[1][3] This was one of two 12-chapter serials produced by Republic in 1940. The other is the following King of the Royal Mounted, also based on a comic strip. Republic's standard pattern was two 12-chapter serials and two 15-chapter serials in each year.

The Perils of Pauline is a 1933 American Pre-Code film serial, and sound film remake, of the Pathé original. The 12-chapter "cliffhanger" was produced by Universal Studios. Evalyn Knapp, herself a graduate of Pathé silent short subjects, starred as the heroine, Pauline Hargraves. Historic newsreel footage of the 1930 flight of the Dornier Do X seaplane is featured in chapter eight. Each episode in the serial is approximately 20 minutes long. The first one to two minutes of each episode are taken up with a title sequence and an intertitle describing the action from the previous serial. This is followed by about three minutes of the previous serial's closing moments. Plot Pauline Hargraves (Evalyn Knapp) is the intrepid daughter of Professor Hargraves (James Durkin), a noted doctor of chemistry and archeology. She and Willie Dodge (Sonny Ray), her father's cowardly secretary, have accompanied Prof. Hargraves to Asia in search of a legendary ivory disk that may contain the chemical recipe for a deadly gas created by an ancient Egyptian named Confu. Unfortunately, the villainous Asian warlord, Dr. Bashan (John Davidson), is also after the disk, along with his right-hand man and assassin, Fang (Frank Lackteen). In "The Guns of Doom," the Hargraves party arrives in China, where the disk is in the Tsai Tsin temple. Civil war has broken out, and the city is under attack. Dr. Hargraves and Dodge go to the temple, followed by Fang and his gang of thugs. Pauline goes to warn her father he's being followed, but is attacked by Fang. She's rescued by Robert Warde (Robert "Tex" Allen), an American railroad engineer. As shells fall all around, Pauline and Warde go to the temple, where Pauline finds the disk. But only half the disk exists; a map shows where the other half may be found. Dr. Bashan kidnaps Pauline while Warde takes her wounded father to a hotel. Bashan takes the disk, but Pauline escapes. Bashan takes a ship to Sarawak, where the map shows the rest of the disk is located. The Hargraves party follows Bashan in "The Typhoon of Terror," narrowly escaping a government gunboat that fires on them. Bashan's ship is caught in a hurricane, allowing the Hargraves' ship to catch up. The disk is retrieved, although Pauline is nearly washed overboard. Dr. Bashan is locked in a cabin. In "The Leopard Leaps," the Hargraves team arrives in Sarawak and travel upriver toward an ancient Egyptian temple. The ship's captain frees Dr. Bashan (having no reason to imprison him), and Bashan pursues the Hargaves in a faster ship. Bashan catches up to the Hargraves party at night, and Fang attempts to kill Pauline. But a prowling leopard attacks him and he is captured. Fang escapes into alligator-infested waters and is presumed dead—but again escapes to safety. Pauline andtravels discover the Egyptian temple and retrieve the other half of the disk in "Trapped By the Enemy." On their way back to the professor in "The Flaming Tomb," they run into Tim Sullivan (Pat O'Malley), an old friend of Warde's who was building a railroad nearby some years ago but stayed behind to live with the natives. Dr. Bashan, accompanied by a band of evil natives, captures everyone but Warde (who is in the jungle with Sullivan, helping a wounded native) and seizes both halves of the disk. Pauline escapes, finds Warde, and rouses a tribe of good natives to help attack the village. Dr. Bashan flees. Pauline saves her father and Dodge from a burning native hut. The Hargraves group tries to fly out of the jungle in Sullivan's plane in "Pursued by Savages". The plane has engine trouble and lands. Pauline goes exploring and discovers Dr. Bashan (who has been traveling on foot) in the nearby jungle. Pauline steals the disk and tries to take it back to her father. But Prof. Hargraves and Dodge are seized by natives, who also pursue Pauline through the jungle. Warde and Sullivan save Pauline from a tiger, and Pauline, Dr. Hargraves, and Goode from savages in "Tracked by the Enemy." They fly out in the repaired plane but learn that the second half of the disk doesn't reveal the formula. Instead, it shows the way to the temple of Imu-Anh, where the remaining half of the disk can be found. The Hargraves party takes a steamship to Singapore, but Bashan takes a plane and catches up to them. One of Bashan's female accomplices searches Pauline's room for the disk but is discovered. A fight breaks out between Bashan's men and Warde, during which Warde and Pauline tumble into a shark-filled lagoon. Pauline and Warde are rescued by courageous hotel staff in "Dangerous Depths," but Bashan has the second half of the disk. The Hargraves party (followed closely by Bashan) heads for Benares, and travels to the temple by horseback. Another plaque is found directing them to the sarcophagus of Menka-Ra in Egypt. But since that tomb was excavated years ago, the team must head to New York City where the sarcophagus is on display in a museum. Pauline hears a moaning sound, and investigates. She and Warde are seized by Bashan, but escape into a side room and lock the door. Bashan decides to take a plane to New York City to avoid being imprisoned by the local people. Unable to open the door again, Pauline and Warde try another way out—only to have the floor collapse beneath them. They fall into an underground river. In "The Mummy Walks," they are rescued by the temple guards. The two groups unwittingly take the same seaplane to New York City. Professor Thompson (William Desmond) meets the Hargrave group, and that night Hargraves, Thompson, Pauline and Warde go to the museum. Bashan has gotten there first, and one of his accomplices masquerades as a guard. Pauline is almost kidnapped. But when Willie Dodge appears (having fallen into a vat of wet plaster), everyone believes he's a mummy. Bashan flees. Prof. Hargraves discovers a vase with the next inscription on it (although he wonders why it was a vase and not the sarcophagus). He gives the vase to Pauline for safekeeping. While Warde struggles with the guard, she attempts to flee the museum with Fang close behind her. But she trips on the stairs, and a powerful ancient explosive in the vase goes off when she drops it. The audience learns in "The Night Attacks" that Pauline was not injured in the blast, and that another half-disk was in the vase. Everyone flees the museum before the police arrive. Prof. Hargraves writes down the entire formula the next day, and Thompson and Hargraves discuss the formula as Fang listens from outside the house. That night, as Hargraves and Thompson work on recreating the formula in a laboratory, Bashan and Fang sneak into the Thompson home and kidnap Pauline (who has the formula on her person). Hargraves, Warde, and Thompson arrive just in time to save her in "Into the Flames." The next day, Hargraves compounds a large amount of the formula. While Hargraves, Thompson, and Goode are out, Bashan and Fang break into the lab and try to seize the formula. A fire breaks out in the lab, and the secret formula goes off—exploding and spreading more fire. Bashan and Fang flee, leaving Pauline and Warde trapped in the labor (which is on the top floor of a skyscraper). The serial ends with "Confu's Sacred Secret." Pauline and Warde leap into the river adjacent to the building to escape the flames. Hargraves tries to recreate the formula at the laboratory in Prof. Thompson's home. Bashan, learning Pauline is alive and the disks safe, breaks into the home with a band of thugs in broad daylight. While Warde, Hargraves, Thompson, and Thompson's guards hold off the men, Bashan and Fang enter the lab. When they are discovered, Bashan tells Fang to shoot anyone who comes through the door. He tosses his pistol to Fang, who drops it. It falls on the floor and goes off—breaking the container holding the secret gas. The gas disintegrates both Bashan and Fang. Later, Warde tells Pauline he wants to stay with her. But Pauline announces she wants to return with him to China to finish the railroad and have more adventures. They embrace as the film fades out. Chapter titles The Perils of Pauline contained 12 chapters. Their titles are: 1.The Guns of Doom 2.The Typhoon of Terror 3.The Leopard Leaps 4.Trapped by the Enemy 5.The Flaming Tomb 6.Pursued by Savages 7.Tracked by the Enemy 8.Dangerous Depths 9.The Mummy Walks 10.The Night Attacks 11.Into the Flames 12.Confu's Sacred Secret Cast Evalyn Knapp as Pauline Hargraves Robert Allen as Robert Warde William Desmond as Professor Thompson (chapters 9 through 12) James Durkin as Professor Hargraves John Davidson as Doctor Bashan Sonny Ray as Willie Dodge Frank Lackteen as Fang Patrick H. O'Malley, Jr. as Tim Sullivan (chapters 5 through 7) Adolph Muller as Captain Drake (chapters 2 through 3) Production The storyline of the 1914 The Perils of Pauline involved a young woman who inherited a million dollars from a distant relative. Her relative's personal secretary was named guardian of the funds, and would inherit if she died before she remarried. Determined to enjoy some adventures before marrying, Pauline sets off around the world—only to have her guardian, Mr. Koerner, attempt to murder her several times. The 1914 serial was so successful that Pathé followed it up with a very similar serial, The Exploits of Elaine. In September 1930, Pathé said it would remake The Perils of Pauline. But no action was taken. Universal announced it would remake the serial in July 1932. It purchased the talking picture rights from Pathé, and the media speculated that Lucile Browne would take the title role. In March 1933, the studio said production would begin in July. The studio was actively searching for a female lead in May to develop into a star who could appear in a large number of serials. Filming began on the serial in the middle of August 1933. Universal announced that Ray Taylor was directing, and Evalyn Knapp was starring. The original screenplay had each episode set in a different country, although this clearly changed by the time the film was finished. The young actor Hugh Enfield was originally cast in the role of Robert Warde. Production costs for the film are not known. However, The New York Times said in 1936 that Universal usually paid $3,000 to $17,000 for a good character, gave its stars $1,000 to $5,000 per week, spent six to eight weeks shooting each serial, and spent $165,000 to $250,000 per serial. The first episode of the serial was released on November 6, 1933.

The Phantom Empire is a 1935 American Western serial film directed by Otto Brower and B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, and Betsy King Ross. This 12-chapter Mascot Pictures serial combined the Western, musical and science-fiction genres. The first episode is 30 minutes, the rest about 20 minutes. The serial film is about a singing cowboy who stumbles upon an ancient subterranean civilization living beneath his own ranch that becomes corrupted by unscrupulous greedy speculators from the surface. In 1940, a 70-minute feature film edited from the serial was released under the titles Radio Ranch or Men with Steel Faces. This was Gene Autry's first starring role, playing himself as a singing cowboy. It is considered to be the first science-fiction Western. Plot Gene Autry (Gene Autry) is a singing cowboy who runs Radio Ranch, a dude ranch from which he makes a daily live radio broadcast at 2:00 pm. Gene has two kid sidekicks, Frankie Baxter (Frankie Darro) and Betsy Baxter (Betsy King Ross), who lead a club, the Junior Thunder Riders, in which the kids play at being armored knights of an unknown civilization, the mysterious Thunder Riders who make a sound like thunder when they ride. The kids, dressing up in capes and water-bucket helmets, play at riding "To the rescue!" (their motto). A chance to become real heroes occurs when Betsy, Frankie, and Gene are kidnapped by the real Thunder Riders from the super-scientific underground empire of Murania, complete with towering buildings, robots, ray-guns, advanced television, elevator tubes that extend miles from the surface, and the icy, blonde, evil Queen Tika. On the surface, criminals led by Professor Beetson plan to invade Murania and seize its radium wealth, while in Murania, a group of revolutionaries plots to overthrow Queen Tika. The inhabitants of Murania are the lost tribe of Mu, who went underground in the last glacial period 100,000 years ago, and now live in a fantastically advanced city 25,000 feet below the surface. They cannot now breathe the air at ground level and must wear oxygen masks. (Surface dwellers have no trouble breathing Muranian air.) The Thunder Guard emerges to the surface world from a cave with a huge rock door that swings up like a garage door. Both Muranians and Professor Beetson want to get rid of Autry, so he loses his radio contract and Radio Ranch is vacated. Cast Gene Autry as Gene Autry, singing cowboy at the Radio Ranch Frankie Darro as Frankie Baxter, one of Gene's sidekicks Betsy King Ross as Betsy Baxter, one of Gene's sidekicks Dorothy Christy as Queen Tika, the evil queen of Murania Wheeler Oakman as Lord Argo, the Muranian High Chancellor and leader of the rebels Charles K. French as Mal Warner Richmond as Rab J. Frank Glendon as Professor Beetson, the villainous scientist after the land's radium deposits Smiley Burnette as Oscar, comic relief[Note 2] Peter Potter as Pete, comic relief Edward Peil Sr. as Cooper Jack Carlyle as Saunders

Gang Busters is a 1942 Universal movie serial based on the radio series Gang Busters. Plot The city is terrorized by a crime wave masterminded by the elusive, soft-spoken Professor Mortis (Ralph Morgan) from his base in a forgotten cavern beneath the rails of the city's subway line. He declares over the radio that The League of Murdered Men will exact revenge upon the city unless all the city officials, especially the mayor and Chief of Police, are turned out of office. Mortis's gang members were officially pronounced dead in prison after having supposedly committed suicide (in reality taking a drug that suspended animation) but later revived by medical genius Mortis,[1] who recruited them to do his bidding. Police detective Bill Bannister (Kent Taylor), in charge of investigating the crime wave, is visited by his brother, a reformed criminal who will inform on Mortis. Mortis's men kill Bannister's brother before he talks, and Bannister vows to get Mortis. Together with his partner Tim Nolan (Robert Armstrong) and police chief Martin O'Brien (Joseph Crehan), Bannister uses the latest police methods to track down Mortis. Following the story are newspaper reporter Vicki Logan (Irene Hervey) and her photographer Happy Haskins (Richard Davies). Cast Starring: Kent Taylor as Det. Lt. Bill Bannister Irene Hervey as Vicki Logan, reporter Ralph Morgan as Professor Mortis Robert Armstrong as Det. Tim Nolan Featuring: Richard Davies as Happy Haskins, news photographer Joseph Crehan as Police Chief Martin O'Brien George Watts as Mayor Hansen Ralf Harolde as Chief Henchman Halliger William Haade as Henchman Mike Taboni John Gallaudet as Henchman Wilkerson George J. Lewis as Henchman Mason Victor Zimmerman as Henchman Bernard Johnnie Berkes as Newsboy–Henchman Grubb Edward Emerson as "Frenchy" Ludoc With: Pat O'Malley as the Police Scientist Beatrice Roberts as the Chief's Secretary Riley Hill as Jim Bannister (Ch. 1) Grace Cunard as landlady (Ch. 1) Eddie Dean as Blair, ballistics expert (Chs. 1, 6) Eddie Foster as Henchman Jerry Rogan (Chs. 3–4) Stanley Price as Henchman Corky Watts (Chs. 4–5) Ethan Laidlaw as Ludoc's bartender (Chs. 5, 7–8) Mickey Simpson as Bruiser, Ludoc's bouncer (Ch. 7) Karl Hackett as Henry, crooked watchman (Chs. 7–8) Phil Warren as Henchman McKay (Chs. 8–9) Jack Mulhall as Chemist Richards (Chs. 9, 11) Jerry Jerome as Henchman Soupy Collins (Chs. 10–11) Paul McVey as Attorney J.B. "Harry" Malloy (Ch. 12) Dick Hogan as announcer during opening titles Production Gang Busters is one of Universal's most elaborate serials, with many chase and thrill scenes expertly staged in outdoor locations. The directors were Ray Taylor, veteran director responsible for many hit serials, and Noel M. Smith, former silent-screen director who specialized in fast action (Smith directed many of Larry Semon's stunt-filled comedies of the 1920s). Some of the footage in Gang Busters was so good that Universal often reused it in its later cliffhangers. Universal had been making adventure serials since the 1910s, and achieved major success with its Flash Gordon serials of the late 1930s. By the early 1940s, serials were usually shown to juvenile audiences at weekend matinees. Universal intended Gang Busters for adult audiences and possible weeknight showings, and staged the action as a straight crime drama. The studio introduced a new "Streamlined Serials" format to distinguish it from its previous chapter plays. Instead of beginning each chapter with a printed synopsis of the storyline, the new format had the action in each chapter starting immediately. The story characters were shown discussing the latest developments and recapping the story themselves. As a publicity gimmick, Universal hired its "serial queen" of the 1910s, former action star Grace Cunard, to work in Gang Busters. She appears only in the first chapter, as the landlady of a boarding house, but she received prominent billing in the promotional posters and advertising

The Last Frontier is an American Pre-Code 12-chapter serial, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures in 1932. The story was based on the novel of the same name by Courtney Ryley Cooper.[1] The serial starred Lon Chaney Jr. as the Zorro-esque hero The Black Ghost. Dorothy Gulliver was the leading female star. The total running time of the serial is 213 minutes. This serial was also released theatrically in 1932 as a 70-minute feature version called The Black Ghost.[2] Plot The outlaw "Tiger" Morris attempts to drive settlers off their land in order to acquire the local gold deposits. A crusading newspaper editor, Tom Kirby, becomes the masked vigilante The Black Ghost to stop him. Cast Lon Chaney Jr. as Tom Kirby, the editor of the local newspaper and the masked vigilante The Black Ghost Dorothy Gulliver as Betty Halliday Ralph Bushman as Jeff Maitland William Desmond as General George Custer Joe Bonomo as Joe, one of Morris' henchman. Listed as "Kit Gordon" in the credits. Pete Morrison as Hank, one of Morris' henchman LeRoy Mason as Buck, Morris' spearpoint heavy (chief henchman) Yakima Canutt as Wild Bill Hickok Mary Jo Desmond as Aggie Kirby Slim Cole as Uncle Happy Richard Neill as Leige "Tiger" Morris, outlaw Judith Barrie as Rose Maitland Claude Payton as Colonel Halliday Ben Corbett as Bad Ben, one of Morris' henchman Frank Lackteen as Chief Pawnee Blood Fritzi Fern as Mariah Production The Last Frontier was RKO's only serial.[3] Chapter titles The Black Ghost Rides The Thundering Herd The Black Ghost Strikes The Fatal Shot Clutching Sands The Terror Trail Doomed Facing Death Thundering Doom The Life Line Driving Danger The Black Ghost's Last Ride

Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (or, informally, Commando Cody) is a 1953 twelve-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, which began life as a proposed syndicated television series. It consists of twelve 25-minute sequential episodes directed by Harry Keller, Franklin Adreon, and Fred C. Brannon. It stars Judd Holdren, Aline Towne, Gregory Gaye, William Schallert, Richard Crane, and Craig Kelly. Originally intended to be broadcast on television as a 12-episode weekly series, Sky Marshall was first released theatrically in 1953 as a 12-chapter weekly serial; it was syndicated to television on NBC in 1955.[1] The Commando Cody character was first introduced in Republic's earlier serial Radar Men from the Moon (1952), with actor George Wallace in the title role. Judd Holdren first played the Commando Cody character in Zombies of the Stratosphere (also 1952), but was renamed Larry Martin for this follow-up serial. Plot Dangerous weather and climate changes are ravaging the Earth. Masked super-scientist Commando Cody is approached by the U.S. government to investigate. Among the tools at his disposal are a sonic-powered one-man flying suit with an aerodynamic helmet and a new Cody-designed and built rocket ship. With his colleagues Joan and Ted (later replaced by Dick), he ascertains the disasters are being caused by space-alien forces led by a mysterious "Ruler" of unknown planetary origins, with occasional help from hired, Earth-born criminals. Warding off various dangers, Cody and his associates are able to methodically close in on the culprits and reveal that The Ruler is from our sister world, Venus. In the final episode, Cody is able to capture The Ruler and his soldiers on Mercury with the help of the persecuted Mercurians and their queen. This brings a quick end to the Ruler's influence on Venus and a peace treaty soon follows, ending the Venus-Earth conflict. Cast Judd Holdren as Commando Cody Aline Towne as Joan Gilbert William Schallert as Ted Richards (Chs. 1–3) Richard Crane as Dick Preston (Chs. 4–12) Gregory Gaye as The Ruler Craig Kelly as Commissioner Henderson Peter Brocco as Dr. Varney (Chs. 1–2) Lyle Talbot as Henchman Baylor (Chs. 4,5,6,7,9,10) Mauritz Hugo as Henchman Mason (Chs. 4,5,6,9,10) Joanne Jordan as The Queen of Mercury (Ch. 12) Gloria Pall as The Moon Girl John Crawford Zon Murray Stanley Waxman I. Stanford Jolley Bill Henry Kenneth MacDonald William Fawcett Lane Bradford Denver Pyle Sidney Mason Release and chapters The serial was first released theatrically in 1953 with twelve weekly approximately 30-minute chapters: "Enemies of the Universe" "Atomic Peril" "Cosmic Vengeance" "Nightmare Typhoon" "War of the Space Giants" "Destroyers of the Sun" "Robot Monster from Mars" "The Hydrogen Hurricane" "Solar Sky Raiders" "S.O.S. Ice Age" "Lost in Outer Space" "Captives of the Zero Hour" The serial was later syndicated to television in 1955 by Republic's TV arm Hollywood Television Service, airing on NBC stations. The original chapters were filmed with a running-time of 25 minutes each, before commercials, requiring no further editing for a half-hour television slot of that era. Production While Commando Cody was originally filmed as a twelve-part TV series,[2][3] union contract issues forced Republic to first exhibit them in theaters as a 12-part weekly movie serial. The TV episodes actually built on each other in chronological order, lacking the traditional cliffhanger endings that characterized theatrical serials, which has resulted in its being omitted altogether from many reference works on film serials. Sky Marshal was meant as a prequel to Republic's Radar Men from the Moon movie serial. The first chapter has characters Joan and Ted, Commando Cody's established sidekicks in Radar Men, applying for their jobs and meeting Cody for the first time. There was a substantial break between filming the first three TV episodes and the last nine, during which time Republic set about filming another Cody movie serial called Zombies of the Stratosphere. It starred Judd Holdren as Cody, Aline Towne as Joan, and Wilson Wood as Ted. For reasons unknown, however, the Republic revised the principal characters' names, and "Commando Cody" became "Larry Martin". The third TV episode ends with the apparent death of The Ruler, suggesting that Republic may have reconsidered filming the remaining nine and just edit the three it had already completed into a 75-minute science fiction feature film. By the time filming finally resumed on the Sky Marshal TV series, Republic had lost actor William Schallert as Cody's male colleague "Ted Richards" (played by William Bakewell in Radar Men). A replacement was found in Richard Crane, a year before his best-remembered role starring as the title character on the science fiction TV series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. The Ruler also gained a female sidekick, played by Gloria Pall, though she had almost no dialog or action scenes. Flying jacket and helmet Commando Cody reuses the "rocket man" flying jacket and helmet costume, first seen in Republic's serial King of the Rocket Men (1949), to which the other Cody serials are not related.[3] Stock footage was also reused from their other serials, including The Purple Monster Strikes.[4] The Sky Marshal series also recycles characters, sets, props, and concepts from the Radar Men serial. Two streamlined, bullet-shaped prop helmets were reused again with the "rocket man" costume. The first was made of lighter weight materials and worn only during the various stunt action scenes; during filming, the single-hinged visors on both frequently warped and would stick open or closed. When not in his flying jacket and helmet, Cody wears a black military tunic with many insignia and a cap, instead of the regular business suit seen in Radar Men. Cody also wears a black domino mask to hide his real identity. Holdren always suspected this was due to the producers not wanting to take a chance that he might walk out if any future demands for a higher salary were not met, as Clayton Moore had done on the popular The Lone Ranger TV series. The mask presumably served to conceal any change of actor, should the part ever need recasting, although disguising the change of lead with a domino mask had not worked well in the case of the Lone Ranger series.[2] Setting As the story opens, it is the near future as seen from the perspective of the early 1950s. Earth is in radio contact with civilizations on planets in our solar system, as well as planets in other, distant solar systems, and Commando Cody has just built the world's first spaceship. The rest of the world appears unchanged by these galactic developments. (The exterior of Cody's headquarters building is actually a Republic Pictures office building.)[2] A mysterious despot, known only as "The Ruler", his base planet even being unknown, is trying to take over the Earth with various disastrous devices. Cody is enlisted by the American government to put an end to the trouble, which takes him into the stratosphere, into outer space, and even to other worlds. The Ruler is finally brought down on Mercury, with the aid of the Mercurian Queen and her soldiers. For the series, a number of new outer space scenes were filmed that had not been seen before in the Republic serials, including "space walks" for several exterior spaceship repairs; aerial raygun duels between "hero" and "enemy" spaceships and black star fields (rather than daylight and cloud-spotted skies) for backgrounds, when Cody's or the Ruler's spaceships were shown outside the Earth's atmosphere. Cody and his associates use special badges that conceal radios to communicate with one another, prefiguring similar communication badges used more than 30 years later in Star Trek: The Next Generation. There were futuristic props and sets, as well as shots of the intricate model-rocket special effects work of Republic's Howard and Theodore Lydecker; the spaceships of Cody and The Ruler were the same basic shooting miniature with different attachments and markings added to make them appear different.[2] "Rocket man" themed theatrical movie serials in release order King of the Rocket Men Radar Men from the Moon Commando Cody Zombies of the Stratosphere Television series or film serial? The release of Commando Cody as a weekly theatrical serial, because it had been originally filmed as a TV series, led to controversy among serial purists: Should it be included in Republic's canon of film serials, or should it be considered as a different animal, a TV series? The resolution to this question was historically resolved on the basis that the episodes did not end with traditional film-serial cliffhanger endings, but rather found all the protagonists together and safe from whatever menace they had faced during the episode. This resolution, however, ignored the facts that a single conflict existed throughout all the episodes between the protagonists and the chief antagonist, the Ruler; that his overall motivations and ability to menace were never abated until the final episode; that most episodes included a reference to the preceding episode's adventure and would not make sense if seen in anything other but sequential order and in the totality of the 12 chapters; and that, in its origins in literature, a serial's episodes did not usually have, much less require, a protagonist-in-mortal-peril cliffhanger ending to justify being categorized as serials, and this was also true of the earliest film serials, such as The Hazards of Helen. Reference works on movie serials, however, generally exclude the serial version of Sky Marshal, or simply mention it in passing as a later Republic TV series.[5]

Federal Operator 99 is a 1945 American movie serial from Republic Pictures. It was later edited down into a feature version titled F.B.I. 99 for television. The serial is about an FBI agent named Jerry Blake who battles gentleman thief Jim Belmont, who escapes custody with help of his gang and begins a wave of crimes, beginning with plotting to steal the crown jewels of the Princess Cornelia. Plot Crime lord James 'Jim' Belmont (George J. Lewis) escapes FBI custody and resumes his criminal empire, only to be thwarted at every turning point by British-accented Jerry Blake, the FBI's Operator 99 (Marten Lamont). Belmont plots to steal the crown jewels of the Princess Cornelia, with the aid of his cohorts Matt Farrell, Rita Parker and his crafty secretary Morton. The criminals succeed in stealing the jewels, then offer to ransom them back, using Jerry Blake (Operator 99) as the go-between. Blake foils their plot and also acts against different criminal engagements by Belmont such as trying to steal a car once owned by Belmont’s partner, a car into which valuable gold has been melted and whose location is known by a former lawyer who worked for Belmont. Blake's secretary Joyce Kingston gets involved in directly helping Blake thwart Belmont, at one point battling Rita Parker for control of a truck carrying stolen payroll money. Blake eventually captures Matt Farrell but Belmont and Parker kidnap Joyce and they offer to trade her for Farrell. Blake is able to trace Belmont to his hidden lair beneath a theatre and winds up battling him high up on a catwalk overlooking a precipitous drop. Cast Marten Lamont as Jerry Blake, Federal Operator 99 Helen Talbot as Joyce Kingston George J. Lewis as Jim Belmont, a sophisticated villain Lorna Gray as Rita Parker, Belmont's partner in crime Hal Taliaferro as Matt Farrell LeRoy Mason as Morton, henchman Bill Stevens as Agent Fred Martin Maurice Cass as Signor Giuseppe Morello Kernan Cripps as Agent Thomas Jeffries Elaine Lange as Countess Delremy Frank Jaquet as Warren Hunter Forrest Taylor as Otto Wolfe Jay Novello as Heinrick Tom London as Prof. Crawford Jack Ingram as Riggs Cast Notes Cline writes that this was a "somewhat uncharacteristic" serial for Republic due to its sophisticated villains, Lewis the frustrated pianist and his "confidant" (Cline's quotes) played by Gray, and an "obviously cultured, polished hero."[2] Production Federal Operator 99 was budgeted at $143,620 although the final negative cost was $153,737 (a $10,117, or 7%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1945.[1] It was filmed between 18 January and 14 February 1945.[1] The serial's production number was 1497.[1] Stunts Dale Van Sickel as Jerry Blake (doubling Marten Lamont) Duke Green as Jim Belmont (doubling George J. Lewis) Tom Steele as Matt Farrell (doubling Hal Taliaferro) Fred Graham Ken Terrell Special effects Special effects by the Lydecker brothers. Release Theatrical Federal Operator 99's official release date is 7 July 1945, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1] The serial was re-released on 8 October 1956 between the similar re-releases of King of the Rocket Men and Dangers of the Canadian Mounted. The last original Republic serial release was King of the Carnival in 1955.[1] Television Federal Operator 99 was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to FBI-99. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.[1] Chapter titles The Case of the Crown Jewels (22min 8s) The Case of the Stolen Ransom (13min 20s) The Case of the Lawful Counterfeit (13min 20s) The Case of the Telephone Code (13min 20s) The Case of the Missing Expert (13min 20s) The Case of the Double Trap (13min 20s) The Case of the Golden Car (13min 20s) The Case of the Invulnerable Criminal (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter The Case of the Torn Blueprint (13min 20s) The Case of the Hidden Witness (13min 20s) The Case of the Stradivarius (13min 20s) The Case of the Musical Clue (13min 20s)