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| Watching Any Good Serials? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,387 Views) | |
| Mantan | Feb 6 2008, 09:51 PM Post #556 |
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Unregistered
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Just finished SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE. I really liked it. I've seen Jackie Cooper a few too many times but I still enjoyed the serial. Especially those "funny" Indians with their backwards masking dialect. After finishing the last chapter of SCOUTS..., I watched the 1st chapter of WINNERS OF THE WEST and fell asleep 11 minutes into it. Ran it back. I'd only missed the most important parts -cliffhanger and lead-in. So far this looks like it won't be one of my favorite Dick Foran films but at least he never had the hankering to belt out a cabaletta in Chapter 1. Screen moments like that, Dick Foran comes off like a sagebrush Nelson Eddy - operatic and over-fed. Anne Nagel is lovely to look at. James Craig's okay in second lead (cool buckskin outfit helps) but the real stars for me are bad guys Charles Stevens and Harry Woods. Also -Roy Barcroft has a bit as one of the henchmen. Hope this one gets better by Chapter 3. So far it's been slow death -especially for a Western. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Feb 7 2008, 06:18 AM Post #557 |
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Years ago, we watched Winners of the West on FNF, and I gave the gang cap guns and instructed them to shoot at the villains during gunfights.. Thank goodness we had something to distract us, 'cause the serial's a real snoozer. By the way, they ended up opening fire at Dick Foran, each other, the family cat, and the neighbors. |
| "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 | Feb 7 2008, 10:26 AM Post #558 |
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Unregistered
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Don't have any cap guns around the house. I'm afraid the tedium of ...WINNERS... might drive me to commit a rash act. Pull an Elvis and blow the tv up or worse. Just placed my order for the Hermitage Hill release of SCARLET HORSEMAN. Can't wait for it to arrive. In the meantime, it's back downstairs for Chapter 2 of WINNERS OF THE WEST. |
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| Grampy | Feb 8 2008, 05:44 AM Post #559 |
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Agent of SHIELD
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Up to Chapter 5 of The Monster and The Ape and I love this Columbia serial. Jack Ingram plays a zookeeper who handles the killer ape Thor. In Chapter 5, he gets a call from evil Dr. Ernst and needs to bring the ape for some dirty work. It's broad daylight, with people at the zoo, what does Ingram do? He opens the cage and just marches Thor out into the public. Yes, folks, killer gorilla coming through! When he's stopped by another keeper, he just explains that he's taking the gorilla to the vet for his asthma. Willie Best does some good comedy relief without being a stereotype. The cliffhanger for chapter 4 was Robert Lowery, unconscious next to a lit cigarette with flammable liquid flowing toward him. The liquid hits the cigarette and kablooey! there goes the building. Now we all know that chapter 5 will show Lowery waking up in time and rushing out of the building. Right, but Lowery is so unhurried that he nonchalantly stops to pick up his hat before diving out the window. Well, hey, he may run into some henchies and need to have the hat so his stunt double can step in. |
| Still Alive and Well | |
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| cquigley | Feb 9 2008, 06:08 AM Post #560 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Just finished Chapter 5 of the 1945 version of Secret Agent X-9. So far this has been a terrific serial. Lloyd Bridges looking much as he did in his Sea Hunt days carries the same devel may care attitude. Great cast, fine production values and, so far, no cheating chapter endings. Serial is nicely scripted and plotted. The cliffhangers seem to be part of flow; not just inserted to end a chapter. I also like the musical score. It is new to me, not sure it is original to the serial. The VCI print, sourced from Fred Shay is superb. You can't go wrong with this one. |
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| rodney | Feb 9 2008, 07:37 AM Post #561 |
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Charter Member
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Two chapters into Battling With Buffalo Bill. It just may be too creaky for me. I did like this chapter better than the first one though. The VCI print is top notch. Much better than the old circulating copy, which I think was a dupey 16mm print being screened on a wall and then filmed with a camcorder. |
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| Zodiac | Feb 9 2008, 01:19 PM Post #562 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I am watching two currently- one I have seen and one I have not I am at chapter 5 of The Shadow- and I forgot how much i enjoyed this one. Better then the feature films , for sure. I am also watching Tailspin Tommy and the Mystery Plane- again pretty good- especially compared to the features. |
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| riddlerider | Feb 9 2008, 05:47 PM Post #563 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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That's exactly what it was. I know the guy who did it. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Feb 9 2008, 06:51 PM Post #564 |
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Through its second chapter, G-Men Never Forget continues to be a weird, disconcerting concoction stitched together from previous Republic serials, although the sight of Clayton Moore setting a doll house on fire to show Ramsey Ames how an arsonist works is pretty much worth the price of admission. |
| "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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| Barcroft | Feb 9 2008, 08:58 PM Post #565 |
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Charter Member
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Just received the new Scarlet Horseman. What a print, it's beautiful. Already have watched 3 chapters. Like I said earlier, once you overlook the whistle it's a really decent serial. Barcroft |
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| Laughing Gravy | Feb 10 2008, 08:05 AM Post #566 |
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Today's million dollar dialog comes to us from the old prospector who brings us up to date at the beginning of each episode of Battling with Buffalo Bill. I love this guy! You have to picture him breathlessly intoning this, seemingly about to pee his pants in excitement. Here's a typical intro, from episode #9... "Y’know folks, I’m plumb alarmed concernin’ the predicament of Dave Archer, and the way that horned toad Rodney is tryin’ his best to lynch that innocent critter for killin’ Hank Carter and stealin’ Hank’s gold, when you all SAW Breed Johns, Rodney’s ornery henchman, down Hank with an arrow and then rob him. Why, John Mill’s daughter, Jane, told Jim Rodney he was a no account marshal and she was goin’ out and get Bill Cody t’see that justice was done by Dave. Right pronto, she high-tailed over to the Cheyenne village t’get Bill. Rodney had his mangy henchman truss up poor Dave and herd him over to Sheppard’s Clearin’ determined ta string him up with poor Jane a-RIDIN’ like FURY ta SAVE her sweetheart!" This has been the serial to which I look forward most each week. Other serials in my weekly bowl include Flash Gordon (finished chapter 5 with the FNF gang), which is of course a masterpiece; Blackhawk (chapter 4), which is pretty much as I remember the comic: workmanlike, with a charm all its own, but nothing spectacular; The Vanishing Shadow (chapter 5), which has a good cast and admirable special effects but a dull story; Radio Patrol (chapter 7), which seems to have been written in one weekend, and not a 3-day weekend either, and the writer probably took Sunday afternoon off (it's a weird amalgram of Egyptian perils and urban Los Angeles policework); The Scarlet Horseman (chapter 1; Toot yer Magic Whistle, Scarlie!); Young Eagles (chapter 4, blogged weekly here In The Balcony, and typical of independent serials of the time, very primitive. I like the dog, who seems disinterested in the most part for anything going on. I know the feeling sometimes); G-Men Never Forget (chapter 2), which could've been created in 2005 totally from stock footage of old Republic serials, a la J-Men Forever! |
| "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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| John Doe | Feb 10 2008, 09:46 AM Post #567 |
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Charter Member
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Battling with Buffalo Bill is one where the only things filmed at sound speed are the scenes which needed to be - those with dialog. Everything else appears to have been filmed with silent cameras and looks sped up. Mr. Foley himself is listed inthe credits. I thought it was interesting that this Universal serial used stock footage from an old silent western and White Eagle, which is a Columbia, used the same footage. I'm refering to the scene filmed from a long distance of the horses riding out of the Indian village and going across a river and a few more. I am pretty sure I've seen the footage of the plains being lit on fire by the guys on horesback dragging fireballs as well as the quick shot of the Indian falling off his horse before. Was this footage also used in Rustlers of Red Dog? |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Feb 10 2008, 12:10 PM Post #568 |
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Sapient Balconeer
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Saturday I watched Phantom Creeps and SOS Coast Guard....I'm on chapter 3 on both. Just because it's BelaBration, Bela better watch out, or Ralph Byrd will not him off of the juice!!!! Sunday is Flash and Crash Sunday.....and no, that's not a man wearing only a trenchcoat, roller skating downhill at a breakneck speed!!!! Today was chapter 5 of Flash Gordon.....where else can you see a rather large man wearing a soprano's outfit, with wings to boot??? He even smacks a black and white bear on the ass.....now that is entertainment of the highest order, and you'll not see it anywhere other than chapter 5!!!! Chapter 3 of The Undersea Kingdom this morning finds Crash all over the place. I noticed Lon Chaney for the 1st time....I've noticed him in the credits, but I saw him today. |
| It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong." | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Feb 10 2008, 07:16 PM Post #569 |
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Mouth Breather
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Man! I wish I was watching Flash and Crash for the first time. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Grampy | Feb 11 2008, 10:37 AM Post #570 |
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Agent of SHIELD
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Current viewing: Just started-Pirates of the High Seas-enjoyable first chapter, everybody skulking, looking furtive and listening at doors. Buster Crabbe is rushing to the island of Tahlua at the request of an old friend. Gene Roth is aboard, Jim Hart just got killed and Symona Boniface is coming according to the credits. Columbia had a nice stable of players. Adventures of Smiling Jack-on chapter 7. Good story and I'm a sucker from Marjorie Lord since her Danny Thomas days. Royal Mounted Rides Again- chapter 6. Mounties-not cowboys and not detectives but a strange combination of both. Daun Kennedy is a cutie. George (Mickey's dad) Dolenz, Milburn Stone, Robert Armstrong, Rondo Hatton (who sits and looks menacing) Nice cast in one of those Universals with multiple factions working against and with each other (See Radio Patrol & Scarlet Horseman). Stock footage abounds. Hurricane Express-Chapter 3. For me, John Wayne's 3 Mascots are like good comfort food. Not the best, but just what you're looking for sometimes. Planes, trains, & automobiles all chasing the mysterious Wrecker. The Monster & The Ape-chapter 9. May end up my favorite Columbia not based on a licensed character. |
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6:53 AM Jul 11