Movie Serials*

Plot Commando Cody (George Wallace) is a civilian researcher and inventor with a number of employees. He uses a streamlined helmet and an atomic-powered rocket backpack attached to a leather flying jacket. Cody also uses a rocket ship capable of reaching the Moon. When the U.S. finds itself under attack from a mysterious force that can wipe out entire military bases and industrial complexes, Cody surmises (correctly) that the Earth is coming under attack from our own Moon. He then flies his rocket ship there and confronts the Moon's "ruler", Retik (Roy Barcroft), who boldly announces his plans to both conquer Earth and then move the Moon's entire population here using spaceships and atomic weapons. Radar Men from the Moon is a 1952 colorless Republic Pictures' 12-chapter movie serial, the first Commando Cody serial starring newcomer George Wallace as Cody, Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, and serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. The director was Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by the Lydecker brothers. This serial recycles the flying sequences from Republic's earlier 1949 serial King of the Rocket Men. It was later released by Republic in 1966 as the 100-minute television film Retik the Moon Menace. The odd naming choice of the serial's main hero, "Commando Cody," was possibly an attempt by Republic to make young audiences think they were seeing another adventure of Commander Corry, the hero of the popular ABC TV and radio series Space Patrol (1950–1955). However, there is no surviving evidence that this was a consideration by anyone at Republic. Cast George Wallace as Commando Cody. Aline Towne as Joan Gilbert Roy Barcroft as Retik, Ruler of the Moon. William Bakewell as Ted Richards Clayton Moore as Graber Peter Brocco as Krog Bob Stevenson as Daly Don Walters as Govt. Agent Henderson Production Radar Men from the Moon was budgeted at $172,840, although the final negative cost was $185,702 (a $12,862, or 7.4%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1952 and was filmed between October 17 and November 6, 1951 under the working title Planet Men from Mars;[1] the serial's production number was 1932. The serial's budget was so tight that a stunt double was not always used for lead actor George Wallace. His nose was broken by accident while filming an energetic fight scene with actor Clayton Moore. For the camera's close-up flying sequences, Wallace was suspended in mid-air above a sound stage; he was lying on a horizontal board with the rocket suit's jacket closed around it, with a rear projection screen behind him. Wallace performed his own stunt flying take-offs by jumping onto a springboard that would send him up and over the camera rig set-up. This serial is heavily padded with rocket-suit effects footage first filmed for the earlier King of the Rocket Men, to which some believe this was a pseudo-sequel. Despite reports that a repainted Juggernaut vehicle from Republic's much-earlier Undersea Kingdom serial is reused here as Retik's lunar tank, the tank-like Moon "Scout Car" was not used in the earlier serial. All spaceship footage was filmed new for Radar Men from the Moon. Outer space is shown as brightly lit, and the characters are shown walking on the Moon, in normal Earth gravity and in daylight, without pressure suits. The laboratory building is actually a Republic Pictures office building with a prop "Cody Laboratories" sign added to its exterior. Two different aerodynamic helmets were used with the Commando Cody rocket backpack, with the lighter weight version being used only in the stunt sequences; the single-hinged visors of both helmets were always getting stuck open or closed. Release Theatrical Radar Men from the Moon's official release date is January 9, 1952, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to U. S. film exchanges. Republic's next new serial, Zombies of the Stratosphere, which also used some of the Cody flying suit and spaceship footage seen here, followed in the summer and began as a sequel to "Radar Men": for unspecified reasons, Republic changed the character names of Cody and Joan at the last minute. In between these two serials, Republic had begun filming on its first attempt at a TV series, "Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe", but stopped production of that after the first three episodes were filmed to begin work on "Zombies of the Stratosphere". After that serial was finished, Republic resumed filming 9 more episodes of the Commando Cody TV series, but then, after the series was completed, it was theatrically released for contractual reasons, finally going to TV two years later. Radar Men from the Moon was re-released on September 30, 1957 between Republic's re-releases of the similar Zorro's Black Whip and Son of Zorro. Previously, the final original Republic serial was King of the Carnival released two years earlier in 1955. Television Radar Men from the Moon was one of 26 Republic serials syndicated for television in 1966 as 100 minute TV feature films under their Century 66 package marketing name; the title given the TV-movie was Retik the Moon Menace. In 1979, Firesign Theatre used segments of this and other serials in their made-for-TV parody comedy movie, J-Men Forever. In 1989, the serial regained notoriety as the first shorts shown by the cult series Mystery Science Theater 3000. The first eight-and-a-half chapters of this Commando Cody serial were lampooned before their main feature-of-the-week (only half of the ninth installment was shown, with the in-show excuse being "the film broke").

Captain America is a 1944 Republic black-and-white 15-chapter serial film loosely based on the Timely Comics (now Marvel Comics) character Captain America. It was the last Republic serial made about a superhero. It also has the distinction of being the most expensive serial that Republic ever made. It stands as the first theatrical release connected to a Marvel character; the next theatrical release featuring a Marvel hero would not occur for more than 40 years. It was the last live-action rendition of a Marvel character in any media until Spider-Man appeared in the Spidey Super Stories segment of the children's TV series The Electric Company in 1974. The serial sees Captain America, really District Attorney Grant Gardner, trying to thwart the plans of the Scarab, really museum curator Dr. Cyrus Maldor - especially regarding his attempts to acquire the "Dynamic Vibrator" and "Electronic Firebolt", devices that could be used as super-weapons.[2] In a rare plot element for Republic, the secret identity of the villain is known to the audience from the beginning, if not to the characters in the serial. The studio's usual approach was the use of a mystery villain who was unmasked as one of the other supporting characters only in the final chapter. Plot A rash of suspicious suicides among scientists and businessmen, all found holding a small scarab, gets the attention of Mayor Randolph. He demands that Police Commissioner Dryden and District Attorney Grant Gardner get to the bottom of the case, while openly wishing that Captain America, a masked man who has helped defeat crime in the past, were around to solve the mystery. Gail Richards, Grant Gardner's secretary, investigates and realizes someone knows of the "Purple Death", a hypnotic chemical responsible for the suicides. However, he then pulls out a gun and takes her into another room. He then orders an associate to tie her up. The D.A. realizes she is there and forces the man to take him to her. He finds her tied up and gagged. He frees her but it is threatened that the purple death will be dropped killing them all. The D.A. shoots him then gets out of the room with Gail. Cast • Dick Purcell as Grant Gardner / Captain America: • Lorna Gray as Gail Richards: Grant Gardner's secretary • Lionel Atwill as Dr. Cyrus Maldor / Scarab • Charles Trowbridge as Police Commissioner Dryden • Russell Hicks as Mayor Randolph • George J. Lewis as Bart Matson • John Davidson as Gruber • Frank Reicher as Lyman • Al Ferguson as Detective (uncredited) • Howard C. Hickman as Lyman's Attorney (uncredited) • Tom London as Mack (uncredited) • Edward Van Sloan as Gregory (uncredited) Production Captain America was budgeted at $182,623 although the final negative cost was $222,906 (a $40,283, or 22.1%, overspend). It was the most expensive of all Republic serials (as well as the most over budget). It was filmed between October 12 and November 24, 1943. The serial's production number was 1297. Captain America was written by seven of the top serial screenwriters, including Harry Fraser’s only work at Republic. The Captain America costume was really grey, white and dark blue as these colors photographed better in black and white. The differences between the comic book and film versions of the title character in this serial are more extreme than with other Republic comic adaptations, such as Adventures of Captain Marvel and Spy Smasher. The reason for the differences appears not to be arbitrary, but that the script for the serial originally featured an entirely different licensed lead character and it was only decided later to replace the original character with Captain America. Film historians Jim Harmon and Don Glut speculated that the script was originally written as a sequel to 1940's Mysterious Doctor Satan, which featured the masked hero The Copperhead. This character was himself a substitution for DC's Superman, after Republic's bid for that character's film rights lost to Paramount, who had a series of cartoon shorts made by the Fleischer Studios, and would later on acquire Republic, as well as distribute a feature-length Captain America film. Stunts • Dale Van Sickel as Captain America (doubling Dick Purcell) • Bert LeBaron as Dr Maldor/The Scarab (doubling Lionel Atwill) • Helen Thurston as Gail Richards (doubling Lorna Gray) • Ken Terrell Bart Matson/Dirk (doubling George J. Lewis & Crane Whitley) • John Bagni • Fred Graham • Duke Green • Eddie Parker • Allen Pomeroy • Tom Steele Dale Van Sickel was the "ram rod" of the stunt crew, doubling Dick Purcell as Captain America. Ken Terrell doubled George J. Lewis and Fred Graham doubled Lionel Atwill. Additional stunts were performed by Duke Green and Joe Yrigoyen. Tom Steele only appeared in chapter one as he was busy on The Masked Marvel. Special effects All the special effects in Captain America were created by Republic's in-house team, the Lydecker brothers.

The Great Alaskan Mystery is a 1944 Universal film serial about government agents trying to stop Nazi spies from getting their hands on futuristic weapons. Plot James 'Jim' Hudson, an adventurer and accompanied by allies, goes after Nazi agents who have a new death ray called the Paratron... Cast • Milburn Stone as Jim Hudson • Marjorie Weaver as Ruth Miller • Edgar Kennedy as Bosun Higgins • Samuel S. Hinds as Herman Brock • Martin Kosleck as Dr Hauss • Ralph Morgan as Dr Miller • Joseph Crehan as Bill Hudson • Fuzzy Knight as "Grit" Hartman • Harry Cording as Captain Greeder • Anthony Warde as Brandon Critical reception The author of a book on movie serials, William C. Cline, considers this to be a mediocre serial but possessing a good cast and all the necessary "ingredients" of a good serial. Chapter titles 1. Shipwrecked Among Icebergs (18 min 03s) 2. Thundering Doom (18 min 56s) 3. Battle in the Clouds (17 min 02s) 4. Masked Murder (17 min 32s) 5. The Bridge of Disaster (17 min 46s) 6. Shattering Doom (16 min 34s) 7. Crashing Timbers (15 min 35s) 8. In a Flaming Plane (17 min 24s) 9. Hurtling Through Space (17 min 19s) 10. Tricked by a Booby Trap (17 min 04s) 11. The Tunnel of Terror (16 min 37s) 12. Electrocuted (17 min 42s) 13. The Boomerang (16 min 34s)

Zorro's Black Whip is a 1944 12-chapter film serial by Republic Pictures starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of The Mark of Zorro in order to capitalize on it. Republic was not able to use the character of Zorro himself, however, and despite the title, the hero(ine) is called The Black Whip throughout. The serial is set in pre-statehood Idaho, and involves a fight to prevent and ensure statehood by the villains and heroes respectively. Parts of the serial were reused as stock footage to pad out later serials such as Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951) and Man with the Steel Whip (1954) – despite the fact that both of those serials had male leads. Plot In Zorro's Black Whip the word Zorro never occurs, but a female who behaves like Don Diego in Idaho fights a cabal of corrupt politicians as "The Black Whip" after her brother (the original Black Whip) is killed. Cast Linda Stirling as Barbara Meredith, The Black Whip and newspaper proprietrix George J. Lewis as Vic Gordon, a US government agent allied with the Black Whip. In a related role, Lewis later portrayed Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro's father, Don Alejandro de la Vega in the Walt Disney television series Zorro. Lucien Littlefield as "Tenpoint" Jackson, the comic relief newspaper typesetter working with Barbara Meredith Francis McDonald as Dan Hammond, villainous owner of the town's Stagecoach company Hal Taliaferro as Baxter, one of Hammond's henchmen John Merton as Ed Harris, one of Hammond's henchmen Stanley Price as Hedges, Hammond's Clerk-Henchman The surnames of the two lead characters, Meredith and Gordon, are an in-joke referencing two earlier Republic serials. The character Nyoka the Jungle Girl and her father had the surname Meredith in Jungle Girl, but their last name was Gordon in the semi-sequel Perils of Nyoka. Production This serial was put into production, with Linda Stirling as the main star, following the actress' popular performance in The Tiger Woman. Zorro's Black Whip was budgeted at $134,899 although the final negative cost was $145,251 (a $10,352, or 7.7%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1944. It was filmed between 29 July and 26 August 1944 under the working title The Black Whip.[1] The serial's production number was 1495. Despite physically wrestling with her, the villains never realize that the very obviously female Black Whip is a woman. Footage from this serial was reused in Don Daredevil Rides Again and Man with the Steel Whip. Stunts Babe DeFreest as The Black Whip (doubling Linda Stirling) Dale Van Sickel as Vic Gordon/Rock Heavy Karl/Camp Heavy/Danley (doubling George J. Lewis] Tom Steele as Baxter/Ed (doubling Hal Taliaferro) Helen Thurston Carey Loftin Cliff Lyons Special effects Special effects by Republic's in-house team of the Lydecker brothers. Release Theatrical Zorro's Black Whip's official release date is 16 November 1944, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The serial was re-released on 8 July 1957 between the similar re-releases of The Purple Monster Strikes and Radar Men from the Moon. The last original Republic serial release was King of the Carnival in 1955. Chapter titles 183 minutes = 3h, 2m, 15s The Masked Avenger (23min 23s) Tomb of Terror (14min 27s) Mob Murder (14min 24s) Detour to Death (14min 24s) Take Off That Mask! (14min 28s) Fatal Gold (14min 27s) Wolf Pack (14min 27s) The Invisible Victim (14min 26s) – a re-cap chapter Avalanche (14min 28s) Fangs of Doom (14min 27s) Flaming Juggernaut (14min 27s) Trail of Tyranny (14min 27s) Source:[1][6] This was one of two 12-chapter serials released in 1944, along with Linda Stirling's serial debut, The Tiger Woman. It had been Republic's standard pattern to produce two 12-chapter serials and two 15-chapter serials each year since 1938 but 1944 was the last year that occurred. In fact, Republic would only produce two more 15-chapter serials, Manhunt of Mystery Island and The Purple Monster Strikes, both in 1945 and both starring Linda Stirling.

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 officials. Mortis's gang members were officially pronounced dead in prison but revived by medical genius Mortis, who recruited them to do his bidding. Police detective Bill Bannister (Kent Taylor) is visited by his brother, a reformed criminal who will inform on Mortis. Mortis's men kill the informant before he talks, and detective Bannister vows to get Mortis. Bannister, together with his partner Tim Nolan (Robert Armstrong), and police chief Martin O'Brien (Joseph Crehan) use 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. Critical reception Gang Busters was very successful in its original release, and was re-released in 1949 by Film Classics, Inc. Authors Jim Harmon and Donald F. Glut described Gang Busters as a "well made and interesting serial.", and William C. Cline considered the serial one of Universal's best and that Professor Mortis is one of the best characters ever created for a serial. Chapter titles The League of Murdered Men The Death Plunge Murder Blockade Hangman's Noose Man Undercover Under Crumbling Walls The Water Trap Murder by Proxy Gang Bait Mob Vengeance Wanted at Headquarters The Long Chance Law and Order

Holt of the Secret Service (1941) was the 16th serial released by Columbia Pictures. Plot A murderous gang of counterfeiters has kidnapped John Severn (played by Ray Parsons), the U.S. government's best engraver. He is forced to engrave a set of counterfeit plates, to print phony money that is virtually undetectable from genuine currency. The United States Secret Service sends its toughest agent, Jack Holt (played by himself), and his female partner, Kay Drew (Evelyn Brent), after the gang. Holt poses as escaped tough guy, Nick Farrel. Masquerading as the bickering, tough-talking Mr. and Mrs. Farrel, Holt and Drew manage to infiltrate the ruthless gang of thugs. Holt locates Severn and instructs him to keep working but as slowly as possible, to give Holt time to find the head of the crime ring. Holt takes the set of counterfeit plates in hand, and much of the action has Holt keeping the plates away from the crooks. The scenes shift from the gang's hideout in a lost canyon to a gambling ship on the high seas, to a small island country where the gang hopes to escape U.S. extradition. The head of the ring is gambler Lucky Arnold (John Ward), but he hides behind the facade of one of his loyal henchmen, Quist (Ted Adams), to shield himself from the Secret Service, and lets another one of his men, Ed Valden (Tristram Coffin), do most of his dirty work. The island nation has its own self-appointed dictator (Stanley Blystone), who is also trying to rub out our hero. During the 15 episodes, Holt endures numerous brushes with death, emerging from all of them virtually unscathed. Holt is so tough that, when he faces a firing squad and is asked if he wants a blindfold, he murmurs, "Forget it. This is the only thing in life I haven't seen!" Cast Jack Holt as Jack Holt / Nick Farrel Evelyn Brent as Kay Drew - R49 C. Montague Shaw as Chief John W. Malloy (as Montague Shaw) Tristram Coffin as Ed Valden [Chs. 1-10] John Ward as 'Lucky' Arnold Ted Adams as Quist Joe McGuinn as 'Crimp' Evans Edward Hearn as Agent Jim Layton Ray Parsons as John Severn - Engraver [Chs. 1-4] Jack Cheatham as Agent Frank [Chs. 3-5, 8-9, 15] Chapter titles Jack Holt in scene from the serial Chaotic Creek Ramparts of Revenge Illicit Wealth Menaced by Fate Exits to Terror Deadly Doom Out of the Past Escape to Peril Sealed in Silence Named to Die Ominous Warnings The Stolen Signal Prison of Jeopardy Afire Afloat Yielded Hostage Production Jack Holt, Columbia's star of longest standing, had argued with studio head Harry Cohn. Cohn demoted him from working in feature films to this lowbrow serial adventure. It wasn't so much of a demotion because he was still working with the same feature-film crew, under producer Larry Darmour. Holt had misgivings about working in a serial but was convinced by co-star Evelyn Brent to see it through. She knew that Darmour was making the serial for an adult audience, by making it thrilling and logical but never impossible. Darmour was also careful to cast the film with character actors who were not familiar from Darmour's serials. Reception Holt of the Secret Service turned out to be exceptionally successful in theaters, with the Jack Holt name attracting fans of action and adventure. By the time it was released, Holt had left the studio behind and there were no sequels. After the serial's copyright lapsed in 1969, Holt of the Secret Service became one of the very few Columbia cliffhangers available for modern appraisal. Authors and critics marveled at the film's breakneck pace and hectic, six-against-one fight scenes as staged by former comedy director James W. Horne. Thus, Holt of the Secret Service became the poster child for Columbia serials until the advent of home video, when more of the Columbia serials went into circulation.

At the beginning of the serial, you will see a copyright date of 1934. The roman numeral date is correct, 1940. 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. 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 continue 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 rocket ship, the very 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 rocket ship 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 rocket ship, 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)

The Green Archer is the 12th serial released by Columbia Pictures. It was based on Edgar Wallace's 1923 novel The Green Archer, which had previously been adapted into the silent serial of the same name in 1925 by Pathé Exchange. Plot The struggle over the Bellamy estate ends with Michael Bellamy accused of murder and killed on the way to prison, while his brother, Abel Bellamy, takes control of the estate for his own nefarious plans. Bellamy is using Garr Castle as a base for his jewelry-theft ring, and he kidnaps his brother's wife to keep things quiet. Insurance investigator Spike Holland enters the case, and Bellamy continually dispatches his resident gang to do away with him. Detective Thompson, representing the law, is seldom of any help. Meanwhile, the estate's fabled "Green Archer", a masked, leotard-clad marksman, steals silently through Garr Castle and the estate grounds, confounding the enemy forces. This serial is an example of a fifteen-episode production that could have been rented for a twelve-episode run, as three episodes use an entirely self-contained subplot concerning the theft of a synthetic radium formula. Cast Victor Jory as Spike Holland Iris Meredith as Valerie Howett James Craven as Abel Bellamy Robert Fiske as Savini Dorothy Fay as Elaine Bellamy Forrest Taylor as Parker Howett Jack Ingram as Brad - Henchman Joseph W. Girard as Inspector Ross Fred Kelsey as Capt. Thompson Kit Guard as Dinky Stone - Henchman / Radio Man Production The script was written by Morgan B. Cox, John Cutting, and Jesse A. Duffy. Director James W. Horne also contributed to the script, which often emphasizes tongue-in-cheek comedy. Under Horne's direction, the heroes and villains exaggerate the melodrama — James Craven is enjoyably florid as the villain, and his henchmen also play for laughs, with comedian Fred Kelsey cast as a very dumb detective. In one scene some of the crooks are shown playing tiddlywinks. The serial was released in the US on October 1, 1940, and in Latin America in March 1941 under the title El Arquero Verde (in English with Spanish subtitles). The Green Archer was one of 1940's best remembered serials.

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 paralyze 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.. Cast • Béla Lugosi as Dr. Alex Zorka: Lugosi received top billing for this, his final serial appearance. • 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. Influence The innovation of the scrolling text version of the synopsis at the beginning of each chapter was used for the Star Wars films as the "Star Wars opening crawl". The Rob Zombie song "Meet the Creeper" is based on this movie. Zombie has used robots and props based on the design of The Robot in several music videos and live shows. The character Murray The Robot in Zombie's animated movie The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is also based on The Robot. The Robot also appears on the album cover for the single "Dragula". A comic book adaptation was published by DC Comics in Movie Comics #6. The first three chapters of The Phantom Creeps were riffed in season two of Mystery Science Theater 3000, in the episodes Jungle Goddess, Rocket Attack U.S.A., and Ring of Terror.

Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939 Republic Pictures film serial) It consist of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro. The serial is unusual in featuring a real historical personage, Mexican President Benito Juárez, as a minor character. It is the second in a series of five Zorro serials: Zorro Rides Again (1937), Zorro's Black Whip (1944), Son of Zorro (1947) and Ghost of Zorro (1949). Plot The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui, emerges and attacks the gold trade of the Republic of Mexico, intent on becoming Emperor. A man named Francisco is put in charge of a fighting legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the gold; he is attacked by men working for Don Del Oro. Francisco's partner recognizes Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega. Francisco asks Diego, as Zorro, to take over the fighting legion and defeat Don Del Oro. Cast • Reed Hadley as Don Diego Vega/Zorro Though there were numerous Zorro serials, Hadley was the only actor to play the original Zorro in any of them. • Sheila Darcy as Volita • William Corson as Ramón • Leander De Cordova as Governor Felipe • Edmund Cobb as Manuel González • John Merton as Comandante Manuel • C. Montague Shaw as Chief Justice Pablo/Don Del Oro • Budd Buster as Juan • Carleton Young as Benito Juárez • Bud Geary as Don Del Oro (body and voice) Production Zorro's Fighting Legion was budgeted at $137,826, although the final negative cost was $144,419 (a $6,593, or 4.8%, overspend). It was filmed between 15 September and 14 October 1939 under the working title Return of Zorro. The serial's production number was 898. This film was shot in Simi Hills and Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Stunts • Dale Van Sickel doubling Reed Hadley • Yakima Canutt • James Fawcett • Ted Mapes • Ken Terrell Release Theatrical Zorro's Fighting Legion's official release date is 16 December 1939, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The serial was re-released on 24 March 1958, making it the last serial released by Republic, which re-released serials for several years following the release of their final serial King of the Carnival in 1955. Television In the early 1950s, Zorro's Fighting Legion was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes. Differences from the Zorro canon The story takes a few liberties with Zorro's official timeline: it takes place in Mexico instead of Alta California; Zorro wears a masquerade mask, rather than the traditional bandana; the characters Don Alejandro Vega (Don Diego's father) and Bernardo are absent; and Zorro's horse, Tornado, was changed to white (much like Kaiketsu Zorro). However, this story is presented as a further adventure of Zorro, a sequel to the traditional "Mark of Zorro" origin story originally starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery Sr., which would be remade the year after Zorro's Fighting Legion with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone: Don Diego is said to be visiting from Los Angeles, and the serial intentionally did not remake the Zorro story; instead, it shows Zorro visiting Mexico because his help is needed there. The people of Mexico immediately recognize Zorro when he first appears, strongly suggesting that Zorro is a well-known hero. The date given for the movie is 1824, which in and of itself establishes that it takes place well after Zorro's California adventures: Zorro opposed a corrupt Spanish Colonial government in his canon tales, and California ceased being a Spanish Colony in 1821.