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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,269 Views)
Barcroft
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The one thing that always struck me about Bruce Gentry is that Spencer Bennett directed this serial as if he were still at Republic, and as far as I know its the only Columbia serial that features Tom Steele, Dale Van Sickel. The fights are well choreographed and doesn't have that Katzman sameness about it. One of my favorite Columbias.
Barcroft
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Pa Stark
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I just finished KING OF THE CONGO with Buster Crabbe. It is easy to see why he was the king of the sound serials, he does have a tremendous presence and makes a great hero. My main memories of watching this is the endless scenes of Crabbe running through the (backlot) jungle. Sometimes you can tell who the director was of a serial, for example you can always tell that it was directed by James Horne, but here anyone can tell it was produced by Sam Katzman. Cheap jungle sets, few interior sets, etc. Acting honors here go to the chimpanzee that befriends Crabbe.
The plot is that an unnamed country sends agents to central Africa to take control and divide the continent. Seeing the agents have names like Boris, Ivan, Andreov, and Alexis, it isn't hard to figure which country they represent. Seeing this is a Katzman serial, the army consists of about six men.
Pa gives it 3 1/2 stars out of 10.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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Sgt Saturn
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Pa Stark
Oct 28 2013, 12:15 PM
I just finished KING OF THE CONGO with Buster Crabbe.
I can remember seeing one chapter one this back when I was a little kid and thinking it was a Tarzan serial.

Seeing all of it as an adult, I see that it is a Tarzan knock-off serial. Still, you would have to go back to the silent eras to find a better 'Tarzan' serial. It's miles better than Crabbe's 'real' Tarzan serial. (And the protagonist is more like Burroughs' hero that the clown in Tarzan the Fearless.)
The Ol' Sarge
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Pa Stark
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I guess my next serial will be CONGO BILL. I have only seen a couple of chapters, and felt it wasn't nearly as bad as I have heard.
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panzer the great & terrible
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You're a brave man, Pa.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Don Diego
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Pa - do you have good copies of these 'gems' - if so ...source?
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Chandu
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Pa Stark
Oct 28 2013, 07:54 PM
I guess my next serial will be CONGO BILL. I have only seen a couple of chapters, and felt it wasn't nearly as bad as I have heard.
My exact thought when i started it, but it goes downhill from there, more steeply the further you get. Nevertheless, it's not the worst serial you'll ever encounter, so persevere and good viewing!
Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...
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JazzGuyy
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Chandu
Oct 29 2013, 10:35 AM
Pa Stark
Oct 28 2013, 07:54 PM
I guess my next serial will be CONGO BILL. I have only seen a couple of chapters, and felt it wasn't nearly as bad as I have heard.
My exact thought when i started it, but it goes downhill from there, more steeply the further you get. Nevertheless, it's not the worst serial you'll ever encounter, so persevere and good viewing!
It may not be the worst but it's close to it. ^o) ^o)
TANSTAAFL!
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panzer the great & terrible
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Nothing will ever be worse than Queen of the Jungle. Despite incorporating some great silent footage, it still always manages to step on its own toes by sheer clumsiness of expression. I have also heard such terrible things about Young Eagles that I never intend to watch it. Life is too short.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Pa Stark
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Don Diego
Oct 29 2013, 05:53 AM
Pa - do you have good copies of these 'gems' - if so ...source?
I haven't started CONGO BILL yet, so I don't know what the quality is like. Both serials are gray market. KING OF THE CONGO is acceptable quality.
Edited by Pa Stark, Oct 30 2013, 06:15 PM.
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Don Diego
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Thanks Pa

I believe that viewing a good print of a serial helps improve your opinion of it
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John Doe
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No I'm not watching any good serials. I'm watching Blake of Scotland Yard....
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panzer the great & terrible
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I'm watching Perils of Nyoka, one of the greatest.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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riddlerider
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John Doe
Nov 16 2013, 11:46 AM
No I'm not watching any good serials. I'm watching Blake of Scotland Yard....

If that were a Facebook post, J. D., I'd give it a "like."

I sure wish that, if we could pick only one, we had access to the 1927 BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD instead of the 1937 version.
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riddlerider
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panzer the great & terrible
Nov 16 2013, 01:13 PM
I'm watching Perils of Nyoka, one of the greatest.

Can't go wrong with that one. I saw it for the first time exactly 50 years ago and it still satisfies.
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