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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,388 Views)
Laughing Gravy
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Grampy
Jan 31 2008, 06:03 AM
a mystery villain who has invented pocket sized radios-"Impossible" according to the sheriff.

Why didn't he just invent a coat with HUGE pockets?

Dialog of the day, from chapter six of Radio Patrol, after the fat cop has let a guy who crashed into his police car get clean away, explaining to his partner: ‘Look, have I gotta pinch every guy that crunches up a fender?”

This serial, by the way, could've used some editing back in the day. This chapter packs 17 minutes of thrills into 22 minutes.
"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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riddlerider
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Grampy
Jan 31 2008, 05:03 AM
Finishing Vanishing Legion today, then will start Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc..

Legion is an excellent early Mascot with Harry Carey drilling for oil, helping a boy clear his father's name and unmasking a mystery villain who has invented pocket sized radios-"Impossible" according to the sheriff.

I recently picked up a Serial Squadron copy of VANISHING LEGION on eBay, and while I haven't looked at the whole thing, I've sampled enough of it to see that, in terms of pictorial quality, it's a huge improvement over VCI's old VHS version, which was barely watchable.

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Barcroft
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LG:
When watching Radio Patrol keep an eye out for the Police Decal on the Passenger side of Grant Withers car It's wrinkled.
barcroft
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Laughing Gravy
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Watched the first episode of G-Men Never Forget today. Gotta enjoy a serial with Barcroft, Cobb, Moore, and good ol' Stanley Price. It's weird that Barcroft -- who plays a crook who has plastic surgery that turns him into the spitting image of the Police Commissioner -- already looks exactly like the Police Commissioner BEFORE the surgery; why bother? Also, the cliffhanger for chapter one is entirely lifted from Daredevils of the Red Circle... I hate it the first chapter of a serial has so much stock footage...
"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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Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer
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Today I watched 2 chapter 2s. The Phantom Creeps has Bela's henchman/chauffeur getting shot about 5 times from 10 feet away yet when he runs away and gets shot from about 50 feet, down he goes! Seems as if he'll be okay.

SOS Coast Guard has a lab on the waterfront where Bela has been doodling and the foodles are spotted by Ralph Byrd. Speaking of whom, tries to fight 2 guys with his hands bound behind his back. Not a smart move Ralph. He does manage to send a rather elaborate message using 2 frayed telephone wires while his hands are bound that way.

I forgot to put my viewing of chapter 1 of Ace Drummond the other day. This chapter has one of my favorite things to look for in cinema: the camera and/or crew being reflected in a vehicle's windows or paint job. The professor's daughter? Drives away toward the end of the chapter and the camera and crew are easily seen in the right side rear window.
It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong."
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Laughing Gravy
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Memorable dialog, from chapter 8 of Battling with Buffalo Bill: Lucile Browne berates the townspeople who are planning on lynching poor ol' Rex Bell: "And you call yourselves WHITE MEN!"

"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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rodney
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I actually started this one yesterday. I dunno. I had a hard time understanding what was being said in between all of the war whooping.
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John Doe
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Laughing Gravy
Feb 3 2008, 04:53 PM
Memorable dialog, from chapter 8 of Battling with Buffalo Bill: Lucile Browne berates the townspeople who are planning on lynching poor ol' Rex Bell: "And you call yourselves WHITE MEN!"

I just started watching this too. I believe that "Tarzan the Tiger" and "The Indians are Coming" are the only two Universal talkies you can get which are older than this.

I'm up to chapter 6 so far and I am very surprised at how good it is. Since its from 1931, I was expecting something more like the Mascot serials from '31. This is far better done. I do like the way the cowboy host/narrator talks directly to the audience as part of the recap proceess. This is referred to as "breaking the fourth wall" because the imaginary "wall" between the actors and the camera is being ignored. Anyone know wo plays the host? I don't see that role listed on the IMDb page for this one:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021643/


EDIT - I just saw that the narrator was played by Lew Kelly. Think I must have missed seeing his name on the IMDb page.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446593/



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Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer
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This morning with a cup of coffee, I enjoyed chapter 4 of Flash Gordon-Battling The Sea Beast. Man alive, they keep parading the hot chicks out in this serial. On a serious note, Flash battles an octosac, and I'm guessing it was the inspiration for Ed Wood's Bride Of The Monster. There's a line of dubbed in which I think is supposed to be Ming. He and Dr. Zarkov are in the lab alone.
DZ- "What's happened to my friends?"
EM-"They're being cared for!" the camera then cuts to DZ and a voice which certainly isn't Ming's-"By Kala, King of the Sharkmen!" I haven't heard any narration yet, so I don't think that's it.

I could sit and poke fun at it but I'm enjoying the hell out of it!!!

A second cup o' mud and chapter 2 of Undersea Kingdom-The Undersea City. I'm enjoying this one as much as Flash! I'm glad Crash finally found s decent outfit and got rid of that damn naval uniform *L*

Crash and co are captured by the good guys but hell no, they won't go, so its off to the bad guy's lair instead. Like last night's chapter 2 of SOS Coast Guard, Crash in uniform, has his hands tied behind his back ala Ralph Byrd in naval uniform. Both cats wanna fight like that. You'd think they'd know something about knots, but obviously that's knot so.
It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong."
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Grampy
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Finished The Scarlet Horseman, featuring the funniest looking masked horseman ever.
It wasn't bad-Victoria Horne and Virginia Christine as a pair of villainesses who, among other nefarious plans are trying to get voting privileges for the Comanches (horrors!) and a seperate US state for them where they can live peacefully (oh, the humanity!).
Characters with names like Amigo Manana, Idaho Jones, Zero Quick. A crippled man who isn't, but still makes his Hispanic manservant push him in a wheelchair-even when no one else is around. A henchman with a blunderbuss. A Shakespeare quoting henchman. The League of Lost Women (kidnapped wives, not ladies of the evening) who are traded from villain to villain like baseball cards and comic books.
Stock footage in Universals last western serial that was old when they used it in "The Indians Are Coming" the 1st Universal talking western serial.

And above it all The Scarlet Horseman, clad in his satin sheets, riding across the plains tooting on his bone whistle, flashing his sign of disapproval (a cub scourt salute) at Comanches far and wide. (They actual say "He shows his sign of disapproval, we must stop!") Yeah, there's a figure who strikes fear in the hearts of all those who see him. :lol:

Not great but highly enjoyable

Next up-The Monster & The Ape
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Laughing Gravy
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Government scientist, showing his new invention to Blackhawk in chapter four: "The destructive force of the electronic combustion ray would be a dangerous weapon in the hands of an enemy nation."

Blackhawk, incredulously gesturing towards ridiculous ray device, which looks like somebody has welded a shower curtain rod onto a wheel-less soap box derby racer: "You mean THIS thing WORKS?!?"

"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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Sgt Saturn
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Quote:
 
I believe that "Tarzan the Tiger" and "The Indians are Coming" are the only two Universal talkies you can get which are older than this.


It's a stretch to call Tarzan the Tiger at talkie. It's more like a silent with added sound effects. That doesn't make it a bad serial, just a borderline talkie.
The Ol' Sarge
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Grampy
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Monster & the Ape Chapter 1-some of the most Republic fights I've ever seen in a Columbia serial---glued on fedoras, leaps, & flying furniture.
And Willie Best, a gorilla and a robot!
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Laughing Gravy
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Love that serial!

Dialog of the day, from chapter five of The Vanishing Shadow:

Onslow Stevens: "Well, I'm off to the stockholder's meeting!"

Scientist: "Take my electric torch and death ray. You may need them."

By the way, this is a dull and stupid serial, with some of the most stilted dialog I've ever heard. Wastes a fine cast. And where th' heck is that robot? Haven't seen him in weeks. The serial DOES have Ed Cobb in a doiby goin' for it, though.
"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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Black Tiger
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Finished King of the Wild and enjoyed it. Non-traditional plot includes Walter Miller as the American double of a north African ruler, tribal intrigue, a hidden field of diamonds, Boris Karloff as a sinister arab named Mustafa, an undercover agent, innocents framed, blackmail, murder, an evil animal trainer, a mystery man, travel across Africa, lots of wild animals and one of serialdom's greatest characters - Bimi, the Ape Man. Interesting Mascot serial worth ferreting out.

Just started Jesse James Rides Again. After two chapters, Jesse James, played by Clayton Moore, helps ranchers who are the victims of mysterious attacks by masked and caped riders. Unbeknownst to them, a hidden pool of oil lies underneath their homesteads. Villany provided by Tris Coffin and Roy Barcroft. The flirty byplay between Moore, his youthful sidekick and Linda Stirling add a little extra spice unusual for a Republic serial. Decent fights and cliffhangers given it's a later Republic.
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