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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,337 Views)
Black Tiger
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7 chapters into Manhunt in the African Jungles (aka Secret Service In Darkest Africa). Enjoying it all over again. There is plenty of action (some complain too much!) and set-destoying fight scenes by ace director Spencer Bennett.

Rod Cameron makes a dashing hero in his MacArthur-esque uniform fighting Nazi spies in wartime Casablanca. Lionel Royce as both the evil and good sheiks gives standout performances. Frederic Brunn as Wolfe is one of serialdom's nastiest henchmen. Whether it's wanting to wake up a tortured Duncan Renaldo with a lit cigarette butt or burning off a length of lead pipe with a blowtorch telling Cameron "that might have been your arm, Mr. Bennett!", Wolfe was pure evil and relished it.

Innovative cliffhangers, like the scene where munitions buried in a graveyard explodes one by one towards the hero fighting a Nazi agent are memorable. The music is perfect and moves the action along.

The plot moved along well from scheme to scheme.

An enjoyable Republic serial.
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cinemalover
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Hello to all,
I'm a long time reader but first time poster and enjoy the vast array of knowledge on these boards.

I just finished watching the Shadow seial (a really good print courtesy of Rodney), which I had never seen before. It's a pretty decent serial in my mind, even though the cliff-hangers are fairly repetitive (lots of collapsable ceiling sets). Victor Jory as the Shadow is very well cast and his laugh (I'm assuming it's his and not someone else dubbed in) is perfect for the atmosphere. The Black Tiger is an entertaining villain though the light that keeps him invisible to his henchmen is laughably implausable. But that's what makes these serials so fun. It has a nice sense of advanture to it and the pace never lags. Definitely a thumbs up and worthwhile watch.
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Laughing Gravy
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Welcome! I agree - I have long said that The Shadow is the best of the Columbia serials, in fact.
"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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Mouth Breather
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The best? What about Deadwood Dick?
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Laughing Gravy
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Top five.
"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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The Batman
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And what about BATMAN's place in the Columbia serial pantheon?

I had to ask...

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Ming the Merciless
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Columbia's best....

The Secret Code.

To bad Columbia never made a sequel with the Black Mask...
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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I don't know about best, or even good, but my favorite Columbia has to be Mysterious Island. Not only does it have everything, it has too much of most things. And both of the Spider serials are wonderful in their very different ways.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Chandu
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I agree that Secret Code is probably Columbia's best and I've thoroughly enjoyed all the rest of the Columbias so far mentioned, with the exception of Deadwood Dick, which I haven't watched yet because I found my VHS copy to be faulty. In the meantime I've ordered another one from Rodney, but what I started say, is that I've found equal enjoyment in Flying G-Men, Captain Midnight, The Phantom and Sea Hound.
Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...
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rodney
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Ming the Merciless
Apr 2 2009, 10:26 AM
Columbia's best....

The Secret Code.

Based on what I've seen, I concur.
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Pa Stark
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Gee, no one mentioned THE SPIDER'S WEB? Not only is it Columbia's best, it is in my top 10. Has the studio's best hero, credits and musical score.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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Chandu
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panzer the great & terrible
Apr 2 2009, 10:35 AM
And both of the Spider serials are wonderful in their very different ways.
'Twas mentioned here.
Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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I bet there are more cool Columbias we've overlooked. I love their bizarre scripts with various different kinds of bad guys, sometimes working together and sometimes working with the good guys. It's a nice change from the Republic formula.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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The Batman
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panzer the great & terrible
Apr 2 2009, 11:41 PM
I bet there are more cool Columbias we've overlooked. I love their bizarre scripts with various different kinds of bad guys, sometimes working together and sometimes working with the good guys. It's a nice change from the Republic formula.


I agree, Mr P. Reading this thread, I realize how many Columbia's I really love, and how much fun they are. As much as I enjoy BATMAN, serials like THE SECRET CODE, THE SPIDER'S WEB and THE PHANTOM can really give it a run for its money.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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cinemalover
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I have never seen the Secret Code. What is it that really makes it stand out? It sounds like I should put it on my "must acquire" list.
Thanks.
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