Serials and Cliffhangers in Color and Sepia

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)

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe is a 1940 American black-and-white science-fiction 12-chapter movie serial from Universal Pictures, produced by Henry MacRae and co-directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. The serial stars Buster Crabbe, Carol Hughes, Charles B. Middleton, Frank Shannon, and Roland Drew. It was written by George H. Plympton, Basil Dickey, and Barry Shipman, and was adapted from Alex Raymond's syndicated newspaper comic strip of the same name from King Features Syndicate. Shown theatrically in 12 separate weekly "chapters", it was the last of the three Universal Flash Gordon serials made between 1936 and 1940. During the 1950s, all three Flash Gordon serials were syndicated to television by Motion Pictures for Television, along with many of Universal's other serial output. To avoid confusion with the imported Flash Gordon TV series airing around the same time, they were retitled Space Soldiers, Space Soldiers' Trip to Mars, and Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe. In 1966, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe was edited down by King Features Syndicate into two feature-length films for television syndication: Purple Death from Outer Space and Perils from the Planet Mongo. In the early 1970s, a third feature version was re-edited for the 16 mm home movie market, using story material taken from the entire serial. It bore the title Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe and later appeared on television during the 1980s. Afterward, all three edited feature-length versions became available through various public-domain video sellers, first on VHS videotape and later on DVD. In the mid-1970s, all three complete Universal Flash Gordon serials were shown chapter-by-chapter by PBS stations across the U.S., bringing them to a new generation of science-fiction fans, two years before Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. From the late 1980s onward, all three serials became available on the home video market under their original theatrical release titles, chapters, and running times. Plot A deadly plague is ravaging the Earth, known as the Purple Death because of a purple spot left on victims' foreheads. Flash Gordon learns that Ming the Merciless is behind the plague when he spots one of Ming's spaceships spreading the "Death Dust" in the Earth's atmosphere. Flash Gordon, along with Dr. Alexis Zarkov and Dale Arden, return to the planet Mongo to find a possible cure, first seeking the assistance of their old friend Prince Barin. The trio continues to battle Ming and his allies, led by henchman Captain Torch, who has been charged with stopping the Earthlings by any means. The three eventually find an antidote, called Polarite, in Mongo's remote northern Kingdom of Frigia. They must now get the cure back to Earth in sufficient quantities to stop the ravaging plague. Ming sends in an army of robot bombs, and he succeeds in capturing Zarkov and Dale. After their capture, Flash must return to Earth to distribute the antidote by rocketship, the same way the original Death Dust was first spread. Upon his return to Mongo, Flash is able to free Zarkov and Dale. They continue their struggles against Ming, Captain Torch, and his men through a series of close encounters, deadly escapes, and rescues, all the while continuing to thwart Ming and his allies. Ming and his minions are eventually locked away by one of his men in the high control tower of his castle. Unknown to them, Flash is piloting a rocketship that is speeding directly toward that tower. He parachutes away just in the nick of time, and in a daring aerial maneuver, Flash is successful in boarding Barrin's nearby rocketship, which has Dale and Zarkov aboard. Flash's unmanned spaceship is actually a flying bomb, having been loaded with highly volatile Solarite. Its rapid forward momentum carries it directly into the castle's control tower, where the large explosion that follows ends Ming's tyrannical reign forever. Prince Barin soon takes his rightful place as the peaceful ruler of Mongo. Ming's last words to Flash were, "I am the universe!" Zarkov observes that with Ming's death, "Flash Gordon has conquered the universe". Cast Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon Carol Hughes as Dale Arden Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov Charles B. Middleton as Ming the Merciless Roland Drew as Prince Barin Shirley Deane as Princess Aura Donald Curtis as Captain Ronal (uncredited) Lee Powell as Radio Officer Roka Don Rowan as Captain Torch Victor Zimmerman as Lieutenant Thong Anne Gwynne as Lady Sonja John Hamilton as Professor Gordon Edgar Edwards as Captain Turan William Royle as Captain Sudan Sigurd Nilssen as Count Korro Luli Deste as Queen Fria (uncredited) Michael Mark as Professor Karm Byron Foulger as Professor Druk As-yet unidentified player as Radio Officer Tekla Ray Mala as Prince of the Rock People (uncredited) Chapter titles 1."The Purple Death" 2."Freezing Torture" 3."Walking Bombs" 4."The Destroying Ray" 5."The Palace of Terror" 6."Flaming Death" 7."The Land of the Dead" 8."The Fiery Abyss" 9."The Pool of Peril" 10."The Death Mist" 11."Stark Treachery" 12."Doom of the Dictator" Source: Production Plot points were taken from the preceding serial, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars. The "chamber of the death dust experiments" was previously used in Universal's Buck Rogers serial. One money-saving device also used was inserting in the serial some exciting mountain climbing search and rescue scenes from the German film White Hell of Pitz Palu (1930), as well as using its music score. Ming is portrayed as a semi-uniformed military dictator in this serial, rather than as a Fu Manchu or Devil-like character as in the two previous Flash Gordon serials. Co-star billing was given to Anne Gwynne, a Universal ingenue, whose role does not develop until the middle of the serial. This last-minute change in billing status resulted in the complete elimination of actor Donald Curtis, as Ronal, from both versions of the screen credits, despite the fact that he, unlike Gwynne, is in every episode playing Flash's primary aide, a major character role. Jean Rogers, who had played Dale Arden in the two previous Flash Gordon serials, was under contract to 20th Century Fox at that point, and neither she nor Fox wanted her to repeat the Dale Arden role; it was given instead to a recent Universal contract starlet Carol Hughes. Critical reception According to Jim Harmon and Don Glut, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe "was the most picturesque of the trilogy but surrendered much compelling charm for its cinematic sophistication". Soundtrack Les préludes by Franz Liszt Excerpts from The Bride of Frankenstein soundtrack by Franz Waxman. Award nomination The entire Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe serial was nominated in 2016 for the 1940 Retro Hugo Award, in the category "Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form", sponsored by The World Science Fiction Society. The Retro Hugo Awards that year were presented at MidAmeriCon II, the 74th World Science Fiction Convention held in Kansas City, MO.

Jack Armstrong (1947) is a Columbia film serial, based on the radio adventure series Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy. Plot Vic Hardy, a scientist working for Jim Fairfield's aviation company, is kidnapped by Jason Grood's gang after discovering radiation emitting from their secret island base. Grood intends to conquer the world and forces Hardy to assist him. Fairfield, along with his niece and nephew and, most importantly, the hero of the title, attempt to rescue Hardy and stop Grood's plans. They are assisted by the native tribe living on the island, led by Princess Alura. Cast John Hart as Jack Armstrong Rosemary LaPlanche as Betty Fairfield Claire James as Princess Alura [Chs. 3-6,9-11, 15] Joe Brown, Jr. as Billy Fairfield (as Joe Brown) Pierre Watkin as Uncle Jim Fairfield Wheeler Oakman as Prof. Hobart Zorn Jack Ingram as Henchman Blair Eddie Parker as Henchman Slade Hugh Prosser as Vic Hardy Chapter titles Mystery of the Cosmic Ray The Far World Island of Deception Into the Chasm The Space Ship Tunnels of Treachery Cavern of Chance The Secret Room Human Targets Battle of the Warriors Cosmic Annihilator The Grotto of Greed Wheels of Fate Journey into Space Retribution

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) was the 25th film serial released by Columbia Pictures. It was inspired by Brenda Starr, Reporter, a popular comic strip created by Dale Messick. The title role was played by Joan Woodbury, who had similar roles in feature films for Columbia and Monogram.[1] Plot Daily Flash newspaper journalist Brenda Starr (Joan Woodbury), and her photographer, Chuck Allen (Syd Saylor), are assigned to cover a fire in an old house, where they discover the wounded Joe Heller (Wheeler Oakman), a mobster suspected of stealing a quarter-million-dollar payroll. The dying Heller tells Brenda that someone took his satchel of stolen money and he gives her a coded message. Kruger (Jack Ingram), the gangster who shot Heller, escapes to his gang's hideout with the bag, but discovers it is filled with paper rather than money. The gang, knowing Heller gave Brenda a coded message, makes many attempts on her life to get her to reveal where Heller hid the payroll money, but thanks to Chuck and Police Lieutenant Larry Farrel (Kane Richmond), she evades them, until Pesky (William 'Billy' Benedict), a Daily Flash office boy, succeeds in decoding the Heller message. Cast Joan Woodbury as Brenda Starr Kane Richmond as Lt. Lawrence Farrell Syd Saylor Douglas Fowley Joe Devlin George Meeker Wheeler Oakman Cay Forester Jack Ingram Marion Burns Production In September 1944 Katzman signed a deal to make the film. Joan Woodbury later recalled: It was made during the war and everybody was hungry, including me. My former husband had gone off to war. I was left with a little daughter. So you grabbed anything you could grab and, believe me, you were very grateful for anything that came along. This was a 13 episode thing, in 21 days! The only reason they gave me the role was the fact I could learn dialogue fast enough to do everything in one take. The most memorable thing is, on the last night, the back of the set was one solid bar and there wasn’t an inch of space between one bottle and the next. Everybody was waiting for the wrap-up, so we could have a party! But I had 19 pages of dialogue on a telephone, with nobody talking back to me. It’s great if an actor talks back, you can at least ad lib on his ad libs. When you have nobody talking back, you’ve got nobody to ad lib you. So I’d look at a page and say, ‘Okay, let’s do it,’ pick up the phone and we’d shoot it. I shot all 19 sequences in one take, because they were going to kill me if I didn’t, with all that booze waiting; and I proceeded to get bombed after that. (Laughs) Sam, at least, realized it was cheaper to hire a stuntlady than break my leg. So I didn’t fall out of windows…I didn’t have any fun at all. (Laughs) I didn’t care to do any more serials. Release Theatrical The serial's theatrical release date was 26 January 1945. Home media Brenda Starr, Reporter is one of the last sound serials to be made available commercially. For many years, the serial was considered lost, with only a single known print in the hands of a private collector. The serial was released on DVD by VCI Entertainment in March 2011. Critical reception Cline writes that Woodbury "managed to carry the story from one episode to another in fine style, leaving herself in jeopardy just enough to require [Richmond's] services as a rescuer each week... [she] salvaged by her beauty and charm what might have been Katzman's greatest fiasco except for Who's Guilty?" The website filesofjerryblake.com writes about the film: Brenda Starr, Reporter spent over sixty years as a “lost” serial, not receiving a post-1945 public screening until it was shown at the fan event “Serial Fest” in 2006–and not coming out on commercial DVD until 2011. Because of its long unavailability and the understandable jubilation attendant upon its rediscovery, it hasn’t been as uniformly or as harshly criticized as other early Katzman Columbias like Who’s Guilty, Son of the Guardsman, Hop Harrigan, and Chick Carter, Detective have been. However, it’s fully as listless as those disappointing efforts; though its cast is stronger overall than those of Guilty, Guardsman, or Harrigan, this strength is offset by Brenda’s more complete lack of action. Its closest relative is Chick Carter, with which (as we’ve seen) it shares many plotting similarities; like that chapterplay, it’s ultimately sunk by a thin, talky, uninteresting, and nearly action-free screenplay, despite a solid acting lineup of B-movie and serial veterans. Chapter titles Hot News The Blazing Trap Taken for a Ride A Ghost Walks The Big Boss Speaks Man Hunt Hideout of Terror Killer at Large Dark Magic A Double-cross Backfires On the Spot Murder at Night The Mystery of the Payroll

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

The Hurricane Express is a 1932 American Pre-Code 12-chapter Mascot Pictures film serial. Written by Colbert Clark, Barney Sarecky, Wyndham Gittens, George Morgan, and J.P. McGowan, the serial was directed by Armand Schaeffer and J.P. McGowan and produced by Nat Levine. The Hurricane Express stars John Wayne as aircraft pilot Larry Baker. Wayne goes after a mystery villain named "The Wrecker", who was responsible for a train crash that killed Baker's father. Plot The L & R Railroad is in competition with an airline for lucrative transport contracts. When the "Hurricane Express" is sabotaged and involved in a train wreck, one of his victims is Larry Baker's father, Jim. A mysterious figure known as "the Wrecker" is responsible for the train crashes. Air Transport Company pilot Baker wants to find the Wrecker, but with a host of suspects, it will be difficult, since the murderer can disguise himself to look like almost anyone.[3] One of the main suspects in the train crashes is Walter Gray, the airline manager and Larry's boss, who stands to gain if the L & R Railroad loose contracts. Suspicion is also cast on Tom Jordan, a recently discharged and disgruntled railroad engineer. Another suspect is Frank Stratton, an escaped convict who had wrongfully been convicted. Complicating matters is that Gloria Stratton is Frank Stratton's daughter, and Larry is in love with her. Gloria tries to help Larry find the villains behind the train crashes, and when the "Hurricane Express" is again ready to go back into service, the pair are in air, flying as an escort to the speeding train. With a full load of gold, the train is a tempting target for the Wrecker. The continuing attacks on the L & R Railroad put Gloria and Larry in danger, but they are determined to bring the Wrecker and his gang to justice. Finally, the young pilot is able to capture the murderers and can to look forward to a happy future with Gloria. Chapter titles The Wrecker Flying Pirates The Masked Menace Buried Alive Danger Lights Airport Mystery Sealed Lips Outside the Law The Invisible Enemy The Wrecker's Secret Wings of Death Unmasked Source:[4] Cast Tully Marshall as Howard L. Edwards, Railroad manager Conway Tearle as Stevens, Railroad attorney John Wayne as Larry Baker Shirley Grey as Gloria Stratton, aka Gloria Martin Edmund Breese as Frank Stratton, Gloria's father Lloyd Whitlock as Walter Gray, Airline manager Al Bridge as Carlson, Plainville station agent Matthew Betz as Tom Jordan, a railroad engineer Joseph W. Girard as Detective Matthews James P. Burtis as Detective Hemingway, Matthews' assistant Ernie Adams as Henchman Barney, The Wrecker's machine gunner henchman Charles King as Mike, one of The Wrecker's henchmen J. Farrell MacDonald as Jim Baker, a railroad engineer (Larry Baker's Dad) Al Ferguson as Sandy, The Wrecker's pilot Glenn Strange as Jim, one of The Wrecker's henchmen Fred "Snowflake" Toones as Sam, the Porter (uncredited) Yakima Canutt as Henchman (uncredited)

The Phantom Creeps is a 1939 12-chapter science fiction horror serial starring Bela Lugosi as mad scientist Doctor Zorka, who attempts to rule the world by creating various elaborate inventions. In a dramatic fashion, foreign agents and G-Men try to seize the inventions for themselves. It is the 112th serial released by Universal Pictures and the 44th to have sound. It was adapted in DC's Movie Comics #6, cover date September–October 1939, the final issue of that title. In 1949, to broadcast on television, the 265-minute serial was edited to a 78-minute feature film. PloT Dr. Zorka, a rogue scientist, is the creator of various weapons of warfare, including a devisualizer belt which renders him invisible; an eight-foot tall slave robot (Ed Wolff), robot spiders that can destroy life or paralyse it and he also has a deadly meteorite fragment from which he extracts an element which can induce suspended animation in an entire army. Foreign spies, operating under the guise of a foreign language school, are trying to buy or mostly steal the meteorite element, while his former partner, Dr. Fred Mallory, miffed that Zorka will not turn his inventions over to the U.S. Government, blows the whistle on him to Captain Bob West of the Military Intelligence Department. Tired of answering the door and saying no to the spies and the government, Zorka moves his lab. When his beloved wife is killed, Zorka, puttering around for his own amusement up to this point, is crushed and swears eternal vengeance against anyone trying to use his creations and to make himself world dictator. And would have if not for his assistant Monk, an escaped convict virtually enslaved by Zorka, who is cowardly, treacherous and totally incompetent, and whose accidental or deliberate interference with Zorka's efforts repeatedly frustrates his master's own plans...[4] Cast Bela Lugosi as Dr. Alex Zorka: Lugosi received top billing for this, his final serial appearance.[5] Robert Kent as Capt. Bob West Dorothy Arnold as Jean Drew Edwin Stanley as Dr. Fred Mallory Regis Toomey as Jim Daley Jack C. Smith as Monk Edward Van Sloan as Jarvis [Chs.2-12] Dora Clement as Ann Zorka [Chs.1-2] (as Dora Clemant) Anthony Averill as Rankin - Henchman [Chs.2-12] Hugh Huntley as Perkins, Dr. Mallory's lab assistant [Chs.2-12] Monte Vandergrift as Al - Guard [Ch.5] Frank Mayo as Train Engineer [Ch.6] Jim Farley as Skipper [Ch.9] (as James Farley) Eddie Acuff as Mac - AMI Agent [Chs.2-12] Reed Howes as Signalman [Ch.10] Ed Wolff as The Robot (as Edw. Wolff) Production The serial contains some similarities with the earlier serial The Vanishing Shadow, such as an invisibility belt and a remote-control robot. Stock footage was used from The Invisible Ray, including scenes of Dr. Zorka finding the meteorite in Africa. As with several Universal serials, some of the stock music came from Frankenstein. The Phantom Creeps' car chase was itself used as stock footage in later serials. Newsreel shots of the Hindenburg disaster were used as part of Dr. Zorka's final spree of destruction after his robot, which is supposed to destroy the human race, is stopped due to the sabotage by the Monk after being unleashed. Universal tried to improve their serials by eliminating the written foreword at the start of each chapter. This led to The Phantom Creeps being the first serial in which the studio used vertically scrolling text as the foreword.

Tim Tyler's Luck (1937) is a Universal movie serial based on the comic strip Tim Tyler's Luck. Premise Tim Tyler stows away on a ship bound for Africa to find his father, Professor James Tyler. He meets, and is joined by, Lora Lacey, who is chasing the criminal "Spider" Webb, the man responsible for framing her brother. Cast Frankie Thomas as Tim Tyler Frances Robinson as Lora Lacey, posing as Lora Graham Norman Willis as "Spider" Webb Jack Mulhall as Sargeant Gates Al Shean as Professor James Tyler, Tim's father Anthony Warde as Garry Drake Earl Douglas as Jules Lazarre William 'Billy' Benedict as Spud Frank Mayo as Jim Conway Alan Gregg as Brent, one of Spider's henchman Stanley Blystone as Captain Clark Everett Brown as Mogu, Spider's native henchman Skippy as Ju Ju, the Chimp Critical reception Author Raymond William Stedman considers Tim Tyler's Luck to be perhaps the best of Universal's "Jungle Thrillers." Tim Tyler's Luck has good direction and convincing performances. The serial has quiet moments balancing the action, which was rare for a serial. The characterization is more nuanced than "might have been expected in an action serial".[1] Chapter titles Jungle Pirates Dead Man's Pass Into the Lions' Den The Ivory Trail Trapped in the Quicksands The Jaws of the Jungle The King of the Gorillas The Spider Caught The Gates of Doom A Race for a Fortune No Man's Land The Kimberley Diamonds

Pirate Treasure is a 1934 Universal film serial. It was the twenty-first sound serial released by Universal, of the sixty-nine they released in total (it was the eighty-ninth serial if Universal's silent serials are considered as well, of a total of 137 serials). It was a rare example of the swashbuckling genre in the film serial medium. Ray Taylor directed Richard Talmadge, Lucille Lund and Walter Miller (as the hero, love interest and villain respectively). The serial is especially praised for the stunt work of Talmadge. Plot Aviator Dick Moreland uses his winnings from a recent flight to fund an expedition to recover treasure buried by his pirate ancestor. However, Stanley Brasset, another member of Moreland's club, steals his map and sets out to find the treasure for himself. Dorothy Craig becomes involved when Dick needs her car to chase Brasset's henchmen and recover the map, which results in Dorothy being kidnapped and requiring rescue by Dick. When told of the treasure, Dorothy offers her father's yacht to take them to the island. Unable to retain the map, Brasset joins the expedition (his identity as the villain unknown to the protagonists) with henchmen hidden aboard. The henchmen are discovered and attempt to take over the ship en route to the Caribbean but this fails. Brasset releases them again after arrival to stop Dick from recovering the treasure. The treasure chest itself is empty and the search by the two parties continues on the island. Island natives eventually capture Brasset and his henchmen and plan to sacrifice them. Dick intervenes and they are brought back to America as prisoners. Cast Richard Talmadge as Dick Moreland, aviator and adventurer Lucille Lund as Dorothy Craig Walter Miller as Stanley Brasset, villain Patrick H. O'Malley, Jr. as John Craig, Dorothy's father Ethan Laidlaw as Curt, One of Brasset's henchmen William Desmond as Captain Jim Carson William L. Thorne as Drake Del Lawrence as Robert Moreland Chapter titles Stolen Treasure The Death Plunge The Wheels of Fate The Sea Chase Into the Depths The Death Crash Crashing Doom Mutiny Hidden Gold The Fight for the Treasure The Fatal Plunge Captured

The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd (1953) was the 52nd serial released by Columbia Pictures. It is based in the historical figure of Captain William Kidd. Plot In 1697, agents Richard Dale and Alan Duncan are sent on an undercover mission by the British Fleet to find and gather information on the notorious pirate, Captain William Kidd. Dale and Duncan soon join Kidd's crew and discover, to their surprise, that the Captain is quite different from what they had expected. Cast Richard Crane as Richard Dale David Bruce as Alan Duncan John Crawford as Capt. Kidd (Crawford was equally proficient at playing both good and bad characters. His casting added to ambiguity over Captain Kidd's guilt or innocence.) George Wallace as Buller Lee Roberts as DeVry Paul Newlan as Long Ben Avery Nick Stuart as Dr. Brandt Terry Frost as Moore John Hart as Jenkins Marshall Reed as Capt. Culliford Eduardo Cansino Jr. as Native Production This was the last costume serial and possibly the most faithful of the rare serial entries in the swashbuckling genre since Pirate Treasure. The plot was based on the possibility that the real Captain Kidd was misjudged in an unfair trial. Stock footage from feature films allowed the inclusion of seafaring scenes, which would have been too expensive to film on a serial budget. This resulted in, according to Cline, "a unique flavour for which it is fondly remembered."[2] Chapter titles Pirate vs. Man-of-War The Fatal Shot Attacked by Captain Kidd Captured by Captain Kidd Mutiny on the Adventure's Galley Murder on the Main Deck Prisoners of War Mutiny Unmasked Pirate Against Pirate Shot from the Parapet The Flaming Fortress Before the Firing Squad In the Hands of the Mohawks Pirate Gold Captain Kidd's Last Chance

The Miracle Rider is a 1935 American Western film serial directed by B. Reeves Eason and Armand Schaefer for Mascot. It stars silent movie cowboy star Tom Mix in his last major film role. Plot summary Zaroff (Charles Middleton), a rancher and oil company owner, wants to drive the Ravenhead Indians off their reservation so that he can mine the rare element X-94, a super explosive, found there and sell it to the highest bidder. Texas Ranger Tom Morgan tries to stop him and save the tribe. CAST Tom Mix as Tom Morgan, Texas Ranger Joan Gale as Ruth Charles Middleton as Zaroff, a rancher and oil company owner Robert Frazer as Chief Black Wing Niles Welch as Metzger Jason Robards Sr. as Carlton Bob Kortman as Longboat Edward Earle as Christopher Adams, Indian Agent Edward Hearn as Emil Janss Tom London as Sewell, one of Zaroff's henchmen Edmund Cobb as Vining, one of Zaroff's henchmen Ernie Adams as John Stelter Max Wagner as Morley, one of Zaroff's henchmen Charles King as Hatton, one of Zaroff's henchmen Stanley Price as Chapman, one of Zaroff's henchmen George Chesebro as Crossman, Janss Hand Tex Cooper as Buffalo Bill (uncredited) Bud Geary as Davy Crockett (uncredited) Pat O'Malley as Capt. Sam Morgan (uncredited) Jay Wilsey as Daniel Boone/Henchmen (uncredited)

The Return of Chandu is a 1934 American 12-episode fantasy film serial based on the radio series Chandu the Magician. It was produced by Sol Lesser and directed by Ray Taylor, and starred Béla Lugosi as Frank Chandler (aka Chandu the Magician). The serial was originally released to be booked by theaters in any one of three ways: as a conventional serial of twelve weekly chapters of equal running times; as a 60-minute feature film comprising the first four episodes, to be followed by the remaining 8 episodes in weekly serial format; or as a stand-alone feature comprising the first four chapters (the fourth episode ending not with a cliffhanger, but with an apparent resolution to the story). In 1935, the remaining 8 episodes of the serial were also edited into a second feature film, of 65 minute length, released as Chandu on the Magic Island. This serial marked one of the few times that Lugosi played a protagonist rather than an antagonist: in fact, Lugosi had played Roxor, the main villain, in the 1932 film Chandu the Magician. Plot summary Frank Chandler (Béla Lugosi in a rare heroic role): a powerful but kind man who has spent most of his life in the Orient, where he is renowned under the name of "Chandu the Magician" for his tremendous skill with White Magic. He is in love with the Princess Nadji of Egypt, who has lately escaped to America and is now staying with the Chandler family at their home in Beverly Hills, California. Princess Nadji believes she has left her troubles behind in Egypt, but when the Chandlers hold a party in her honor, she learns that her life is still in jeopardy, as are the lives of her friends. Chandu, presently arriving home from Egypt himself, is pursued by enemies at the airport, and escapes only by using his magic ring. At the party, some shady guests conspire to poison Princess Nadji, and Chandu arrives just in time to snatch the glass of deadly wine out of her hand. Chandu explains to Nadji what has happened, and why she is in danger. A cult of Black Magic sorcerers, the Sect of Ubasti, have recently recovered the perfectly preserved body of their last high priestess, Ossana. Legend tells that Ossana will one day be resurrected and will rule the "lost continent" of Lemuria again; however, in order to resurrect her, the Ubasti must make a human sacrifice, and the sacrifice must be an Egyptian princess of royal blood. Chandu says: "Princess Nadji is the only living Egyptian princess and the Ubasti will stop at nothing". The cult are determined to capture Nadji and sacrifice her to their god. The twelve chapters of The Return of Chandu follow Chandu and his family (his sister, his nephew, and his niece) on various adventures while they struggle, by both magical and not-so-magical means, to rescue and protect Princess Nadji from the Sect of Ubasti. Their journey brings them finally to the land of Lemuria itself, where Chandu must decide whether he can renounce his love for Nadji in order to save her life. Cast Béla Lugosi as Frank Chandler, aka Chandu the Magician Maria Alba as Princess Nadji Clara Kimball Young as Dorothy Regent Dean Benton as Bob Regent Phyllis Ludwig as Betty Regent Lucien Prival as Vindhyan [Chs. 1-4] Cyril Armbrister as Henchman Sutra [Chs.1-4] Murdock MacQuarrie as The "Voice" of Ubasti [Chs. 4-12] Wilfred Lucas as Capt. Wilson [Chs. 4-12] Jack J. Clark as Vitras, High Priest of Ubasti [Chs. 4-12] Josef Swickard as Tyba, the White Magician [Chs. 8-12] Chapter list The Chosen Victim The House in the Hills On the High Seas The Evil Eye The Invisible Circle Chandu's False Step Mysterious Magic The Edge of the Pit The Terror Invisible The Crushing Rock The Uplifted Knife The Knife Descends

The Mystery Squadron (aka Mystery Squadron) is a 1933 American pre-Code 12-chapter Mascot film serial, directed by Colbert Clark and David Howard. The film was produced by Nat Levine, and stars Western star Bob Steele, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Lucile Browne, Purnell Pratt and Jack Mulhall. The Mystery Squadron made an impressive use of a great deal of aerial footage to enliven the action. Plot At an air show, ace flyers Fred Cromwell (Bob Steele) and his partner, Bill "Jelly Bean" Cook (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams) perform aerial feats that prove they are the greatest aviators around. A dam being built by Stephen Gray (Lafe McKee), the owner of a construction firm, comes under attack from the mysterious pilot, the "Black Ace", and his "Mystery Squadron" of pilots.[4] With Gray facing financial ruin, he asks Henry Davis (Jack Mulhall), the dam's foreman and ex-stunt pilot to hire Fred and Bill. The identity of the Black Ace is so secret that it is even concealed from his own men in the Mystery Squadron. Fred and his partner, Bill seek to unmask the Black Ace and stop his attacks on Gray's power dam. The Mystery Squadron is headquartered in a secret cave near the dam. A rich gold mine is threatened by the dam's construction and a number of individuals behave suspiciously, including Lafe Johnson (Purnell Pratt), a rival contractor, Martin (Edward Peil, Sr.), the hotel owner, Collins (J. Carrol Naish), a construction employee for Gray and Dr. Flint (Robert Frazer). When the Mystery Squadron strikes again, Fred finds Davis tied up in his car. Davis explains he has been held captive by the raiders. Fred and Bill finally confront Davis with evidence that he is the Black Ace. Davis panics and takes off in his aircraft only to be shot down by Fred and his partner. Cast Bob Steele as Fred Cromwell, old stunt pilot friend of Henry Davis Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as Bill "Jellybean" Cook, old stunt pilot friend of Henry Davis Lucile Browne as Dorothy Gray Jack Mulhall as Henry Davis, dam foreman and ex-stunt pilot Purnell Pratt as Lafe Johnson Robert Frazer as Dr Flint J. Carrol Naish as Collins Edward Peil, Sr. as Martin Bob Kortman as Bracken Lafe McKee as Stephen Gray

Tarzan the Tiger (1929) is a Universal movie serial based on the novel Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It stars Frank Merrill as Tarzan, Natalie Kingston as Jane, and Al Ferguson. It was directed by Henry MacRae. It was once considered a lost film, but a copy has since been found. Today the serial is available on DVD and, in the public domain, available for download on the internet. Synopsis Lord Greystoke (Tarzan) returns to Africa, with Lady Jane and friend Albert Werper, in order to return to Opar. He needs the treasure of Opar in order to secure his estates in England. Werper, however, is actually interested in the gold itself. He is in league with Arab slave trader Achmet Zek, who wishes revenge on Tarzan and Lady Jane for himself. Cast Frank Merrill as "The Lord of the Manor—known to London as the Earl of Greystoke—and to the Jungle as Tarzan, the Tiger!" Frank Merrill reprised his role as Tarzan from Tarzan the Mighty. His performances in these two serials make him the last silent Tarzan and the first sound Tarzan. Merrill did his own stunts and devised the original Tarzan yell. Natalie Kingston as "Lady Jane, his wife, who has left the gaiety of London Society to share his life on the Jungle plantation" Natalie Kingston was again cast as the love interest but this time played the traditional character of Lady Jane instead of Mary Trevor (from Tarzan the Mighty). The change was not explained in the serial. Al Ferguson as "Albert Werper, Soldier of Fortune—a guest at Greystoke Manor in the guise of a friendly scientist" Al Ferguson was also again cast as the villain of the story, but not as the same character (or even a slightly renamed character, as with Jane. In Tarzan the Mighty he played the pirate Black John). Kithnou as "The High Priestess of the Sun Worshipers—La, who has sworn that she will have no other mate than Tarzan; December9,1929 Mademoiselle Kithnou was a dancer and actress of mixed Indian and European descent from Puducherry, at that time in French India, or possibly from Mauritius. 7\\Sheldon Lewis as "Achmet Zek, a Nomad chief, against whose traffic in slaves Tarzan has waged relentless war" arzan the Tiger was a sequel based on the success of Tarzan the Mighty. Advertising for the serial focused, in addition to the usual jungle serial perils (such as elephants, lions, tigers and gorillas), on the beautiful women (Lady Jane, La, and the women of the slave market scenes). Kingston, as Jane, appeared topless in a swimming sequence in chapter 8. "It is said that fathers sometimes accompanied their sons to the showings." A further sequel, to create a trilogy of Frank Merrill Tarzan serials, was planned. The third entry would have been called Tarzan the Terrible. However, Merrill's voice was deemed unsuitable for sound films, and the sequel was cancelled. Merrill made personal appearances in costume to promote the serial. During these, he realized how much influence he had on children. Combined with the issues over his voice, this led him to retire after this serial and devote his life to children. He became a Recreational Director for the Parks commission of the Los Angeles city administration. Tarzan the Tiger was a transitional film with one version released as a silent and the other with a partial soundtrack. The soundtrack consists mostly of only music and sound effects, but does include the first Tarzan yell, although it does not sound like the now-traditional call that was first used in the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movie Tarzan the Ape Man. Chapter titles 1.Call of the Jungle 2.The Road to Opar 3.The Altar of the Flaming God 4.The Vengeance of La 5.Condemned to Death 6.Tantor the Terror 7.The Deadly Peril 8.Loop of Death 9.Flight of Werper 10.Prisoner of the Apes 11.The Jaws of Death 12.The Jewels of Opar 13.A Human Sacrifice 14.Tarzan's Rage 15.Tarzan's Triumph

The Fighting Marines is a 1935 movie serial. It was the last serial produced by Mascot Pictures before the studio was bought out and merged with others to become Republic Pictures. This new company went on to become the most famous of the serial producing studios, starting with Darkest Africa in 1936. Future Republic producer Franklin Adreon first became involved with serials with this production. The former regular Marine, then a Marine Corps Reserve officer, was a technical consultant and played the small role of Captain Holmes in the later chapters. Plot This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (May 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) When the United States Marine Corps starts building a landing strip on Halfway Island in the Pacific Ocean, they interfere with the secret hideout of the masked mystery villain, The Tiger Shark, who begins to sabotage their efforts. Sergeant Schiller is abducted by the villain after developing a gyrocompass that could pinpoint his location. Corporal Lawrence and Sergeant McGowan attempt to rescue him and stop the Tiger Shark for good. Cast Duration: 28 minutes and 22 seconds.28:22 The Fighting Marines, Chapter 1: Human Targets Grant Withers as Corporal Larry Lawrence, US Marine Adrian Morris as Sergeant Mack McGowan, US Marine Ann Rutherford as Frances Schiller Robert Warwick as Colonel W. R. Bennett, US Marine George J. Lewis as Sergeant William Schiller, US Marine abducted by the Tiger Shark Patrick H. O'Malley, Jr. as Captain Grayson Victor Potel as Fake Native Chief, one of the Tiger Shark's henchmen Jason Robards Sr. as Kota Warner Richmond as Metcalf, one of the Tiger Shark's henchmen Robert Frazer as H. R. Douglas J. Frank Glendon as M. J. Buchanan Donald Reed as Pedro, one of the Tiger Shark's henchmen Max Wagner as Gibson, one of the Tiger Shark's henchmen Richard Alexander as Ivan, one of the Tiger Shark's henchmen Tom London as Miller, one of the Tiger Shark's henchmen

The Master Mystery is a 1918 American mystery silent serial film told in 15 installments. The film was directed by Harry Grossman and Burton L. King and written by Arthur B. Reeve and Charles Logue. The film stars Harry Houdini, Marguerite Marsh, Ruth Stonehouse, Edna Britton, William Pike, and Charles Graham. Episode 1 was released on November 18, 1918, by Octagon Films.[1][2] It is one of the first films to feature a robot and powered exoskeleton. Plot Justice Department agent Quentin Locke is investigating a powerful cartel that is protected by The Automaton, a robot. However, it uses a gas weapon known as The Madagascan Madness. Cast Harry Houdini as Quentin Locke Marguerite Marsh as Eva Brent Ruth Stonehouse as Zita Dane Edna Britton as De Luxe Dora William Pike as Paul Balcom Charles Graham as Herbert Balcom Floyd Buckley as Q the Automaton Jack Burns as Peter Brent Episodes Living Death The Iron Terror The Water Peril The Test The Chemist’s Shop The Mad Genius Barbed Wire The Challenge The Madagascan Madness The Binding Ring The Net The Death Noose The Flash of Death The Tangled Web Bound at Last; or, Unmasking of the Automaton

Lightning Hutch, also known as The Danger Man, is a 1926 American serial, original genre, directed by Charles Hutchison, in 10 chapters, starring Charles Hutchison, Edith Thornton and Sheldon Lewis.[1] The only serial produced by the Hurricane Film Corporation, it was distributed by the Arrow Film Corporation, shown in American cinemas between April 19 and June 21, 1926. It was the last serial distributed by Arrow Films, which closed its activities in 1926. On May 20, 1930, it was re-released in a reduced version, by distributor Cosmos Pictures, as a 72-minute long film, under the title The Danger Man.[2] For increased sound effects, Bud Pollard was responsible for the reorganization of the version, through producer Bud Pollard Productions. The characters are renamed for a sound version. This fast-moving, late-silent serial is a model of the form as former Secret Serviceman "Lightning" Hutch" and his pals attempt baffle a gang of bad guys who are after the super-scientific poison gas -- and Clifford Price, who is after his girl. The cinematography by Leon Shamroy is modeled after the classic serials of Feuillade, particularly LES VAMPIRE and is a thing of beauty. Although stylized, the serial form in LIGHTNING HUTCH is not decadent and it still shows its vigor as a competitor against the feature movie for the longer form of cinema. PLOT A scientist invents a poison gas; the villain and his gang will do anything to get the formula; our hero, "Lightning Hutch", is sent to save the scientist, the scientist's beautiful daughter, and the formula. CAST Charles Hutchison ...Larry Hutchdale / Lightning Hutch Edith Thornton ...Diane Winters Sheldon Lewis ...Boris Kosloff Eddie Phillips ...Clifford Price Violet Schram ...Marie Bruseff Ben Walker ...Henry Virginia Pearson ...Janet Thornwall Gordon Sackville ...Hugh Thornwall LeRoy Mason ...Frank Proctor

LES TROIS MOUSQUETAIRES (The Three Musketeers) is a 1921 French silent adventure film serial directed by Henri Diamant-Berger based on the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. The titles, subtitles, and voice overs of this silent serial are in French. I will try to work on a translation. In addition,I will try to obtain chapters nos. 9 through 14.

Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951) is a Republic Movie serial. It makes heavy use of stock footage from Republic's previous Zorro serials. The character of Don Daredevil (Ken Curtis) was created for this serial as the rights to Zorro belonged to Disney by 1951. Plot A vile political boss named Stratton (Roy Barcroft) hires a gang of night riders to scare off the local landowners so he can claim their lands for himself. Patricia Doyle (Aline Towne) fights back to keep her property from being stolen from her, with the aid of her cousin Lee Hadley (Ken Curtis) and her neighbor Gary Taylor. Lee realizes that help is not forthcoming from the government, so he disguises himself as a masked Zorro-like figure called Don Daredevil, and battles the land grabbers in much the same way his grandfather used to do many years ago, as the original Don Daredevil. Lee decimates the gang over the course of the 12 episodes, and finally fights Stratton one-on-one inside a burning farmhouse in the finale of the film. Cast Ken Curtis as Lee Hadley, otherwise known as "Don Daredevil" Aline Towne as Patricia Doyle Roy Barcroft as Douglas Stratton Lane Bradford as Webber Robert Einer as Gary Taylor John Cason as Hagen I. Stanford Jolley as the sheriff Guy Teague Tom Steele Sandy Sanders Michael Ragan Cactus Mack Lee Phelps Hank Patterson

This is a 15-chapter colorized serial entitled BLACKHAWK. It deals with the Blackhawks, an international team of ace aviators who fought the Axis in World War II, are now battling communist agents and criminals led by the femme fatale, who is using a twin of one of the Blackhawks as a spy. It stars Kirk Alyn, the serials' Superman. Blackhawk is a 1952 American 15-chapter science fiction adventure movie serial from Columbia Pictures, based on the comic book Blackhawk, first published by Quality Comics, but later owned by competitor DC Comics. It was Columbia's forty-ninth serial. The one-sheet poster referred to the serial as The Miraculous Blackhawk: Freedom's Champion.[1] The home video release added the tagline: "Fearless Champion of Freedom". Blackhawk stars Kirk Alyn as Blackhawk and Carol Forman as the foreign spy that must be stopped from stealing the experimental super-fuel "Element-X"; Alyn and Forman were also the hero and villain of Columbia's earlier Superman. Blackhawk was produced by the famously cheap Sam Katzman and directed by the team of Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred F. Sears. It is considered cheap and lackluster, made in the waning years of studio movie serial production. Premise A flying squadron of World War II veterans, The International Brotherhood, is a private flying investigative force led by Blackhawk. They uncover a gang of underworld henchmen, led by the notorious foreign spy Laska, who reports to The Leader, a mystery man. During the serial, Blackhawk and his flying squadron set about bringing these criminals to justice, following a series of cliff-hanger adventures. Cast Kirk Alyn as Blackhawk Michael Fox as Mr. Case Don C. Harvey as Olaf (as Don Harvey) Rick Vallin as Stan/Boris John Crawford as Chuck Frank Ellis as Hendrickson [Chs. 1-2,4,8-9] Larry Stewart as Andre Weaver Levy as Chop-Chop Carol Forman as Laska Zon Murray as Bork Nick Stuart as Cress Marshall Reed as Aller Pierce Lyden as Dyke William Fawcett as Dr. Rolph [Chs.4-7] Rory Mallinson as Hodge [Chs. 11-14] Chapter titles Distress Call from Space Blackhawk Traps a Traitor In the Enemy's Hideout The Iron Monster Human Targets Blackhawk's Leap for Life Mystery Fuel Blasted from the Sky Blackhawk Tempts Fate Chase for Element X Forced Down Drums of Doom Blackhawk's Daring Plan Blackhawk's Wild Ride The Leader Unmasked