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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,270 Views)
CliffClaven
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Started NORTHWEST MOUNTED RIDES AGAIN, which proves a potentially good B mystery can be a thuddingly awful serial.

Ruthless mining baron is trying to buy out a rival to get his milling equipment cheap. A henchman discovers the rival had discovered gold and kills him, intending to double-cross the mining baron by grabbing the gold himself. The mountie assigned to the murder is the mining baron's son (serving under an assumed name). Popular opinion points at the mining baron -- with good cause. And of course the heroine is convinced the baron killed her father.

Lots of talk about mining claims, tracing ore samples, making deals, etc. Rondo Hatton sits in a chair outside a saloon owner's office and scowls -- I suspect they just keep cutting in the same shot. Presumably he gets up and threatens somebody eventually. The heroine has a friend who helps out by being a phony palm reader.

Latest episode had heroine and friends going over a waterfall in a forest fire, and even that felt dull (probably recycled from a more lavish serial).

Anybody know this one? Does it pick up after the first few chapters or it is zero-fisted action all the way?
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riddlerider
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CliffClaven
Mar 28 2013, 06:49 PM
Latest episode had heroine and friends going over a waterfall in a forest fire, and even that felt dull (probably recycled from a more lavish serial).

Anybody know this one? Does it pick up after the first few chapters or it is zero-fisted action all the way?
The sequence with the canoe going over the falls came from THE MICHIGAN KID, a 1928 Universal feature starring Conrad Nagel and Renee Adoree. It was used in other Universal serials prior to ROYAL MOUNTED RIDES AGAIN -- which, to answer your second question, is a stiff all the way through.
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CliffClaven
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ROYAL MOUNTED . . . Can't even retain the title.

Maybe it's time to revisit Captain Marvel. Have the DVD, but haven't seen the serial through through since VHS days . . .
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Pa Stark
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I am half way through WHO'S GUILTY. It isn't as bad as I heard, it does have some interesting characters in it. I wonder what the screen writers thought when told to take a 60 minute "who dun it," and have to stretch it out to 15 chapters. Did anyone else notice that Tim Ryan's voice sounds an lot like Milton Berle?
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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Laughing Gravy
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Up to ch. 12 of Cap'n Midnight, which my FNF gang is enjoying very much. Up next will be The Green Hornet.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Grampy
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Just finished Miracle rider and starting on Sign of the Wolf (1st time). Interesting chapter recapsin Wolf. At the beginning of each episode, a swami walks up to a crystal ball... ahh, I think, he's going to gaze and see the previous episode cliffhanger in the ball. Nope, a mysterious figure blows a dart at the crystal shattering it. Attached to the dart is a written message recapping the previous episode.
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El Shaitan
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Finishing mandrake the Magician tommorow not too bad. The print is fairly good and it came with a nice mini poster good deal for $10.00
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Pa Stark
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Grampy
Mar 29 2013, 04:44 PM
Just finished Miracle rider and starting on Sign of the Wolf (1st time). Interesting chapter recapsin Wolf. At the beginning of each episode, a swami walks up to a crystal ball... ahh, I think, he's going to gaze and see the previous episode cliffhanger in the ball. Nope, a mysterious figure blows a dart at the crystal shattering it. Attached to the dart is a written message recapping the previous episode.
Gramps, something similar was done in MYSTERY TROOPER for the forwards. The trooper rides up to the heroine's cabin and throws a rock with a note attached through her window. After about the third time that happened, I would be outside with a shotgun waiting for him.
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Grampy
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Yeah, Pa, it was annoying, but I give them credit for trying something different.
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Laughing Gravy
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Flaming Frontiers, final chapter: A Duel to the Death!

Our story so far: Breed had kidnapped Tom and stuck him in the mine, to extort money from Charles Middleton, who needs Tom for some reason I forget. Chuck pays him, but orders his men to get Tom and kill Breed. They blow their boss's instructions and blow the mine, too, leaving Tom buried alive, although "alive" doesn't seem like a problem he's going to have for very long.


Okay, so, this week, Tex goes looking for Tom, in vain, but with the help of Thundercloud (the Indian chief, not an actual cloud) captures Breed. The posse looking for Tom is tailing Mary, so there's little chance we'll get bored while we wait for Tom and Tex to find each other. The posse loses her, though; she fooled them by sending her horse on without her. "She probably had a fall!" one of the posse proclaims, obviously assuming her big brudder taught her to ride using his technique. She makes quick work of THESE guys and tip-toes up, scatters their horses, and rides back to town. Hey, things are coming along! Not only that, but Tom survived the mine explosion and he's in the clutches of Chuck Middleton. "You and I, we've got to have an understanding!" the past and future Ming the Merciless says. Middleton offers to buy Tom's half interest in the mine for $20,000 so that he's got the cash to escape with his sister Mary (Tom has a murder rap hanging over his head, in case you forgot. I know *I* did).

Tom is about to fall for the ruse (what a moroon), but Breed squeals and Tex rushes over in the nick of time. Middleton tries to pull a hasty retreat, but runs into a hail of gunfire. On his death bed (well, his death barroom floor, actually), he confesses and clears Tom.

Tex and Mary ride off into the sunset together. Well, alright, honestly? They just sort of lean on a tree. The end.

Moving down my ITB list, I can now officially cross off "Cliffhangers". I watched the first episode of the Squadron's Drums of Fu Manchu, too. I thought it too dark in places. I should stay outta those places, eh, boss? Okay, on to the next category! Excedrin! I mean, Excelsior!



"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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panzer the great & terrible
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Ya know, I think we've just about exhausted what little humor there is in serials. Just my opinion.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Grampy
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Watching SOS Drums of Trader Tom of the China Seas. My 1st time out with Trader Tom and I feel like I should just stop and put in SOS Coast Guard.
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Pa Stark
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Grampy
Jun 19 2013, 04:22 PM
Watching SOS Drums of Trader Tom of the China Seas. My 1st time out with Trader Tom and I feel like I should just stop and put in SOS Coast Guard.
Grampy, don't forget stock was also used from HAUNTED HARBOR. Richard Alexander, who played Thorg in SOS COAST GUARD, had his name rearranged into Gorth.
The two stars of TRADER TOM, Harry Lauter and Tom Steele passed away on the same day, Oct 30, 1990.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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CliffClaven
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panzer the great & terrible
Apr 3 2013, 08:27 PM
Ya know, I think we've just about exhausted what little humor there is in serials. Just my opinion.
Then now is the time to start giving serials to young relatives so they can rediscover the joys of groaning, laughing and heckling. There are a couple of generations out there who don't even remember the 60s Batman.

Be sure to start with surefire stuff like Flash Gordon and Captain Marvel, or the first Batman if they're historically literate. Columbias are only for hardened experts.
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LaneCarson
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Currently re-visiting Columbia's Aviation serials (Hop Harrigan, Bruce Gentry & Blackhawk)
Always had a weakness for these and especially HH as he was big on radio here in Aus (radio thrived here until the end of the 1950s as TV arriving here quite late).
I've been quite struck - this time - by Bruce Gentry
All the obvious faults are there (easily glossed over) but Tom Neal has real presence
To my mind, its a cosy late 40s action serial
Trev
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