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| Watching Any Good Serials? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,423 Views) | |
| Mantan | Apr 18 2006, 09:53 AM Post #16 |
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Unregistered
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Woe is me. I finished GANG BUSTERS today. Best demise of a serial villain I've ever seen. What other serial could possibly follow this? Good writing. Genuine suspense. Great cast. Irene Hervey is gorgeous -looks sort of like Sigourney Weaver. Didn't know until I checked IMDB that Irene Hervey was the mother of lounge singer Jack Jones. I decided on re-watching FEDERAL OPERATOR 99. I just recently obtained a very nice dvd transfer from Rodney that is as close to perfect as possible & I'm rewatching the serial again. My original vhs copy was so many generations removed from the source that I gave up re-watching it mid-chapter 5. Thanks for the help, Rodney! FED OP 99 is a very good Republic serial featuring of course Lorna Gray- overwhelmingly beautiful and as charming a sadist as I've ever seen in a serial. |
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| witneyenglish | May 6 2006, 08:12 PM Post #17 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I'm continuing to watch Republic's in the order they were produced (except Daredevils of the West). Right now I'm at chapter seven of Secret Service in Darkest Africa. The WWII Republic's are good, but I prefer the pre-war ones the best. I think their best eas Drums of Fu Manchu. I have everything up to Purple Monster Strikes. Are there any of the post-war ones that not worth looking for? I think I have about 10 from the 1946-1955 period, three of which were recorded off of AMC. |
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| Laughing Gravy | May 6 2006, 09:49 PM Post #18 |
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From that period, I like Radar Patrol vs. Spy King, The Black Widow, and King of the Rocket Men the best. |
| "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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| witneyenglish | May 6 2006, 10:15 PM Post #19 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I have the Black Widow and King of the Rocket Men. Radar Patrol Vs Spy King is one that I've been wanting to pick up. I'm thinking of just getting all the non-westerns. I'm not a big fan of wetern serials. |
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| rodney | May 7 2006, 05:54 AM Post #20 |
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Charter Member
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While the post 1946 Republics may not actually be fine filmmaking or anything, they are a lot of goofy fun. I'd pick 'em up. |
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| Jerry Blake | May 7 2006, 06:25 AM Post #21 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I highly recommend FEDERAL AGENTS VS. UNDERWORLD INC. (a very twisty plot and a fine cast), G-MEN NEVER FORGET (unusual hard-boiled atmosphere and another fine cast), JESSE JAMES RIDES AGAIN (Linda Stirling fans put this one down because she has little to do in it, but taken on it's own merits it's excellent), and DANGERS OF THE CANADIAN MOUNTED (which contains some good location filming and an unforgettable sequence in an ancient treasure cave). |
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| panzer the great & terrible | May 7 2006, 06:42 AM Post #22 |
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Mouth Breather
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I like DAUGHTER OF DON Q a lot, and I mean that sincerely, as Don Rickles would say. THE INVISIBLE MONSTER is awful in a fun way, and PANTHER GIRL OF THE KONGO is laugh-out-loud terrible. Agent Blake and I seem to disagree about FEDERAL AGENTS VS UNDERWORLD, INC. I never even finished it. If you pass up the westerns among the late Republics, you'll miss some good stuff. I have a soft spot for the James brothers serials. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Jerry Blake | May 7 2006, 07:41 AM Post #23 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I think you're confusing FEDERAL AGENTS VS. UNDERWORLD INC. with GOVERNMENT AGENTS VS. PHANTOM LEGION, Paul--as I recall, the latter was the one you never finished. I like it too, but FEDERAL AGENTS is far superior. The two titles are admittedly, er, similar. FEDERAL AGENTS has Roy Barcroft and Carol Forman as a great villainous "odd couple," Kirk Alyn as the hero, a very un-hammy and effective James Craven, a "fedora" plot married to an exotic "lost treasure" plot and former Miss America Rosemary LaPlanche--it's quite a winner in my book. I agree with you on the James Bros. serials--the second and third are good, and the first goes as far as excellent. |
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| Laughing Gravy | May 7 2006, 07:42 AM Post #24 |
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And speaking of watching good serials, my current roster includes The Master Key (I've watched episodes from both the VCI and Serial Squadron discs; VCI's transfer is slightly darker, but more of the "dings" -- scratches, 'pops' on the soundtrack, etc. -- show on the Squadron version, so I finally decided to stick with VCI's), Jungle Raiders (from Trevor; one episode to go, and I won't miss this one when it's done), Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery (a very fun serial, with terrific aerial photography, and a fine print from the Squadron), Perils of the Royal Mounted (from Rodney, and blogged weekly right here in the Balcony), Flying G-Men (from Trevor, and a pip and a half), and there's 2 episodes to go of Jungle Goil (VCI) with the Friday night gang. Finished Captain Celluloid vs. the Film Pirates this week (from Grapevine); if you love Republic serials, you've got to see this thing. |
| "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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| Jerry Blake | May 7 2006, 07:46 AM Post #25 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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"my current roster includes The Master Key (I've watched episodes from both the VCI and Serial Squadron discs; VCI's transfer is slightly darker, but more of the "dings" -- scratches, 'pops' on the soundtrack, etc. -- show on the Squadron version, so I finally decided to stick with VCI's)" Why, you unprintable, vanilla-colored axe grinder you! LOL |
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| Mantan | May 7 2006, 10:13 AM Post #26 |
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Unregistered
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I finished DEADWOOD DICK yesterday afternoon. Excellent serial. Very nice print from Richard. DEADWOOD DICK has replaced ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER as my favorite western serial of all time. I watched Chapter 12 of HOP HARRIGAN this morning. Only 3 more chapters to go. Despite all the "goofy fun" this serial provides, I'm gonna be happy to see this one end. It's worn out it's welcome. John Merton's charisma extends only so far. William Blakewell is laughably ineffectual as the wavy-haired, cleft-chinned hero. Each time it appears that he's going to have some kind of physical confrontation with the bad guys, he'll turn to Jennifer Holt or Sumner Getchell and give them some indecipherable look apparently meant to register his feelings of inadequacy, helplessness, disgust, failure and/or fatigue. That's quite a range. I'm also up to Chapter 7 of THE SPIDER'S WEB. As most of you know, this serial is one of the greatest ever made. This is another excellent print from Richard. I received PERILS OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED and WHITE EAGLE in the mail from Richard yesterday. I'll probably start WHITE EAGLE this afternoon. Quality on both serials appear to be of the same high standard that I've come to associate with Richard's collection. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jun 11 2006, 10:15 AM Post #27 |
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I've put capsule reviews of two serials I've just finished, The Master Key and Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery, and one I'm not yet finished with, Don Daredevil Rides Again, up at www.inthebalcony.com. |
| "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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| Laughing Gravy | Jun 12 2006, 04:57 PM Post #28 |
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We've been screening a trio of classic chapterplays here In The Balcony over the past several weeks, and here's our report for you serial fans. Two serials were produced based on Hal Forrest’s popular Tailspin Tommy comic strip feature of the 1930s; the second, Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery (Universal, 1935, 12 chapters) is now available from the Serial Squadron (serialsquadron.com), and it’s a pip. “Tailspin Tommy” Tompkins (Clark Williams) is a young aviator who, with his pal and mechanic Skeeter Milligan (Noah Beery, Jr.) and his gal Betty Lou Barnes (Jean Rogers, at her loveliest, skimpy Dale Arden outfits notwithstanding) aids a private airline company that is battling evildoers south of the border. Tommy is helped by a mysterious pilot called The Eagle, who flies just the coolest plane you’ve ever seen: the darn thing practically has feathers. In fact, the whole serial is cool, the stock footage is amazing aeronautic stuff I've never seen before (and I thought I'd seen ALL stock footage) and in the aviation-keen 1930s, kids must’ve been especially thrilled by this chapterplay. I know I was. It’s the best serial I’ve seen in a long time, and the Serial Squadron (which sometimes goes way astray by editing serials, altering the credits, or adding music and color effects) has hit this one out of the park. A beautiful print and a highly recommended buy. The Master Key (Universal, 1945, 13 chapters) is a typical late Universal serial; too many characters and too much talking. Milburn Stone and Dennis Moore are the investigators on the trail of a missing scientist and his Orotron machine, which can turn seawater into gold. Turns out American Nazis have him, and with the help of a gang of “kids” who all appear to be pushing 30, the G-Men will crack the case. Eventually. Skippable serial; in this case, the good stuff is all stock footage from earlier and better serials. The chapterplay is set in 1938, and every chapter begins by telling us that the story "never happened and never could happen." Kind of makes you wonder why you’d bother to watch it, eh? Available from both VCI and the Serial Squadron; I watched chapters from both. VCI’s is slightly darker but the print is better. Don Daredevil Rides Again (Republic, 1951, 12 chapters) puts Ken Curtis into Linda Stirling’s old outfit from Zorro’s Black Whip, and while some folks may prefer “Festus” to “Nyoka”, I’m not one of them. Aline Towne, who seems to be in every Republic serial of the 1950s, is the leading lady, but your attention will go to the great Roy Barcroft, here getting a chance to play the sneaky, oily “brains heavy” part that used to go to Kenneth MacDonald. As usual, AC Comics’ DVD is superlative, and includes bonus episodes of Captain Video, The Painted Stallion, and a third serial not currently available on DVD but much requested by fans. Sorry, I am sworn to secrecy. Can be ordered at accomics.com (see our LINKS page). I hope they do a boxed set of serials, because they’ve done a great job with these things. |
| "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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| Mantan | Jun 12 2006, 09:05 PM Post #29 |
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Unregistered
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Thanks for recommending MIRACLE RIDER a while back. I finished Chapter 3 this afternoon. Cowboys & rockets, mad scientists teamed with evil industrialists out to cheat the Red Man out of his land- all of this, Tom Mix & Tony, too. Great stuff. |
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| Ray Faiola | Jun 13 2006, 10:11 AM Post #30 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Before we packed up in preparation for our move to the Catskills we were running two serials at our monthly Saturday and Tuesday screenings - KING OF THE TEXAS RANGERS and MANHUNT OF MYSTERY ISLAND. Showing both in 16mm. Hope to resume these in September. In the meantime, a friend in Jersey is continuing his regular shows and we've been enjoying (in 35mm) THE CRIMSON GHOST. This is one of my all-time favorites. |
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6:53 AM Jul 11