| Welcome to In The Balcony. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Plus, you'll be eligible for the monthly $1 million prize. (Not really.) Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Space Soldiers; the Flash Gordon serials on TV | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 23 2008, 09:13 AM (2,236 Views) | |
| John Doe | Apr 5 2008, 10:53 AM Post #16 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Mort - These are Universals which were re-released by Realart or Filmcraft: 1948 The Oregon Trail - Realart/Film Classics - (U) 1939 1949 Gang Busters - Realart/Film Classics - (U) 1942 1951 The Royal Mounted Rides Again - Realart - (U) 1945 1951 The Master Key - Realart - (U) 1945 1951 Lost City Of The Jungle - Realart - (U) 1946 1952 or 53 Don Winslow of the Coast Guard - Filmcraft - (U) 1943 1953 Don Winslow of the Navy - Filmcraft - (U) 1943 ?? Red Barry - Filmcraft - (U) 1938 ?? Ace Drummond - Filmcraft - (U) 1936 The Don Winslows, Red Barry, and Ace Drummond were already mentioned. Any memories of seeing the others listed above as a part of The Comics? |
![]() |
|
| mort bakaprevski | Apr 5 2008, 11:59 AM Post #17 |
|
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
No!! Just the four you mentioned... plus the additional five (TIM TYLER, RADIO PATROL & the three FLASH GORDON's) previously listed. Interestingly, none of those five show any affiliation with Filmcraft over at IMDB. However, if you look up ROCKET SHIP & MARS ATTACKS THE WORLD (the first two Gordon's), you'll see Filmcraft's name as re-release company. Also, I do remember that several of the chapters of RADIO PATROL had the "Universal Presents" banner replaced by "Sherman S. Krellberg & (somebody else) Presents." It's all surmise at this point, but the Krellberg connection looks pretty firm at this juncture (at least to me)!!! |
| "Nov Shmoz Ka Pop." | |
![]() |
|
| John Doe | Apr 5 2008, 03:40 PM Post #18 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
There is lots of missing/wrong info on IMDb. Here is a still from the Realart 1951 re-release of Lost City of the Jungle: http://img.inkfrog.com/click_enlarge1.php?...er&aid=57755004 The main page: http://cgi.ebay.com/Lionel-ATWILL-Lost-CIT...bayphotohosting A Filmcraft Don Winslow of the Coast Guard re-release (1952 or 53) Filmcraft lobby card: http://cgi.ebay.com/DON-WINSLOW-OF-THE-COA...7QQcmdZViewItem My video copy of Don Winslow of the Coast Guard is from a Filmcraft print. Gang Busters 1949 Realart/Film Classics re-release poster (zoom in on the bottom): http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/Gang%20...ter%20large.jpg I didn't always keep tract of everything when I got started on this, so I don't have any documentation on the re-release of The Master Key. Don Winslow of the Navy Filmcraft re-release poster from 1953. Actually the ads for the posters for sale sy 1953, but my newspaper research showed that it was re-released in late 1952: http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/Don%20W...aft%20small.jpg The Alpha DVD of Don Winslow of the Navy is from a Filmcraft print. Red Barry poster from Filmcraft re-release (no date on that one): http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/Red%20B...9xx%20small.jpg My dvd of Red Barry from Trevor is sourced from a Filmcraft print. Ace Drummond lobby cards from the Filmcraft re-release (no date on this either). Zoom in and along the bottomedge of each you can just barely make out where it says "Filmcraft": http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/Ace%20D...et%20of%207.jpg Buck Rogers - the print for the VCI DVD is a Filmcraft print, but I don't seem to have ever taken down any info that Filmcraft did a theatrical re-release. TV only maybe? Radio Patrol - despite the redone titles on the Serial Squadron dvd, it says Filmcraft and/or Krellberg so apparently that was the type of print used. No info on Tim Tyler's Luck - never seen it. Sherman Krellbergs papers are at the LOC. I go there every so often - I should look thru some of this sometime: http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/text/krellbrg.html Hope this helps. |
![]() |
|
| mort bakaprevski | Apr 5 2008, 04:20 PM Post #19 |
|
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Interesting... particularly the release dates. Remember, these serials had "Filmcraft" on them somewhere (title card, end card, etc.) back in 1949. Not sure I understand the Realart connection. Totally different company, run by Jack Broder, that had nothing to do with Krellberg. And, as far as I know, Broder's contract did NOT include TV distribution. My introduction to the Universal classic horror films was thru Realart theatrical re-releases. |
| "Nov Shmoz Ka Pop." | |
![]() |
|
| John Doe | Apr 5 2008, 04:43 PM Post #20 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Ok so Realart was not a Krellberg company then? Interesting. There is a mention on the LOC page of a Realart Pictures of Cincinnati that Krellberg had some dealings with in the 1960's - do you know if that is the same company? As far as the theatrical re-releases go, it seems the Realart re-releases were in the 1948-1951 time frame and Filmcraft re-releases were more like 1952-1953. I noticed in the LOC Krellberg papers listing, there is mention of Flamingo Films 1949-54. The thing to do is to go there and look thru that stuff and see what's there. I did submit some updates to IMDb. Hopefully in less than a couple months they will be online. You always need to go back and check because they sometimes don't get it right when you submit an update. I did submit updates recently which went online in the trivia sections of the Flash Gordon tv show and the serials about Space Soldiers and it looks good enough to me: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140738/trivia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027623/trivia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030138/trivia http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032475/trivia |
![]() |
|
| John Doe | Apr 5 2008, 05:09 PM Post #21 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
If you can't get enough of this - here is a title card screen cap from the Filmcraft release of Rocket Ship:![]() That cuts to a very quick showing of this card: ![]() and then there is a sloppy splice to the main film. The above screen caps are from this dvd which also includes a Lon Chaney Jr. film A Scream in the Night: http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?f...+dvd&category0= Most of the discs for sale on ebay are that one. I also ordered this from Sinister Cinema: http://store.sinistercinema.com/prostores/...Detail?no=16893 and that copy turned out to be a Motion Pictures for Television Inc print. Here is what the title card looks like: ![]() I also got a dvd of Mars Attacks the World from Sinister Cinema: http://store.sinistercinema.com/prostores/...Detail?no=16950 That als turned out to be an MPTV version. Here is what the title card for that looks like: ![]() Does anyone know if its possible to get a copy of the real Flash Gordon feature version where its called "Flash Gordon" and not "Rocket Ship"? I'd just be curious to see that. |
![]() |
|
| mort bakaprevski | Apr 5 2008, 05:23 PM Post #22 |
|
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Ahhhh, Joseph Harris... I knew it was something Harris. At any rate, I don't know anything about the 1952 Filmcraft releases, but I repeat, the Filmcraft label was on the serials previously mentioned back in 1949. I presume, from this, that the serials were theatrically re-released by Filmcraft prior to that year. Or... maybe they were simply applied for the TV release????? The ROCKET SHIP story is unclear. I don't believe the film was ever called FLASH GORDON. riddlerider discusses its release somewhere else on these boards.... but I don't remember where. It seems pretty clear, from the different old background music added to it, that it was originally assembled back in the late 30's, but when it was first released?? Quien sabe??? |
| "Nov Shmoz Ka Pop." | |
![]() |
|
| John Doe | Apr 5 2008, 05:53 PM Post #23 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I've never been able to find a newspaper ad where it is crystal clear that it is for the feature version of Flash Gordon. I did find some ads where it says a theater is playing "Flash Gordon" with no mention of it being the serial or what chapter it is, but that may just be a case of ambiguous advertisement. I have pictures of a one sheet and lobbies for the feature version, but they are undated. The scan of the poster is very small, and the lobbies jst say Universal on them (not Filmcraft or anything like that). I do have a picture of the pressbook of it, which says copyright 1936, but you can interpret that several ways. Zoom in on the lower left: http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/Flash%2...le%20size).jpeg Here is the info on it from an AFI feature films book: http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/AFI%20s...ket%20Ship).pdf I now have nailed down the dates of the first and last episodes of The Comics as well as the 1951-52 run of the Flash Gordon serials as a seperate show on that LA area tv station. I can tell you that when they ran Flash Gordon as a seperate show (which would have been the MPTV showings that RR mentioned) they played each of the three serials twice. 13 chaps + 15 chaps + 12 chaps = 40 chaps. It played for exactly 80 weeks. More info to come, but tomorrow is another day... |
![]() |
|
| mort bakaprevski | Apr 5 2008, 08:05 PM Post #24 |
|
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Once more into the breech. The FLASH GORDONS were originally run in L.A. as part of "The Comics." I'd say the first one (FGCTU) began in mid-1950. Since all three serials ran for about 40 weeks, I'd guess they completed the original run sometime toward the middle of 1951. The beginnings made a distinct impression on me... but not so the endings. However, I don't believe they only ran them a single time. I think their closure coincided with the beginning of the German FG TV series (but I wouldn't put a lot of money on it). However, the TV series was also shown on KTLA... so it would have been appropriate to cease showing the serials at that time. I think you've found something with regards to those posters of the "Feature" version of the serial. Don't know if it ever was released by Universal, but it seems highly likely that it ultimately became the Krellberg version of ROCKET SHIP. The article you included and its reference to BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN music is also very interesting. There is NO Waxman music in the serial version. On the other hand, it is used extensively (almost to the point of boredom) in the feature version. |
| "Nov Shmoz Ka Pop." | |
![]() |
|
| John Doe | Apr 6 2008, 02:34 AM Post #25 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Here is a .zip file with the scans I have for the lobbies and 1 sheet for the feature version: http://users.erols.com/scarletfire/F%20G%2...201%20sheet.zip As that AFI article points out, that second title card of the Krellberg/MPTV Rocket Ship gives writing credit to the guys who were the writers of Trip to Mars. In fact that same writing credit card is also used on Mars Attacks the World. Is that a mistake due to confusion between the two feature versions? Or maybe because the Flash Gordon feature version was put together in '38 at about the same time as the Mars Attacks the World was being assembled? |
![]() |
|
| riddlerider | Apr 6 2008, 06:23 AM Post #26 |
|
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Nobody appreciates dogged film scholarship more than I do, mainly because I've spent countless hours riding my own personal hobby horses and digging through old copyright records and microfilmed trade journals when I could have been doing something more productive. But at some point you have to realize that certain questions just can't be answered -- at least, not unless additional information turns up. The FLASH GORDON / ROCKET SHIP question is one of these. We know that ROCKET SHIP was the original title of the feature version that was eventually copyrighted and released in November 1938 as MARS ATTACKS THE WORLD. I've seen the 1938 Universal pressbook prepared for ROCKET SHIP. The title change was done at the last minute, supposedly to capitalize on media attention generated by the Orson Welles broadcast. It ran in a New York theater during the first week of November and was copyrighted by Universal on November 23rd. Clearly, the feature version had already been prepared and prints already struck when the Welles broadcast took place; it would have been physically impossible for Universal to have whipped it up post-Halloween. The use of Carl Laemmle's name on the poster for the feature version titled FLASH GORDON suggests that it was released concurrently with the serial. But although the serial was copyrighted, the feature wasn't. Moreover, I've never seen it reviewed or even listed in the trades. I still think it's possible that the feature was intended for the U. K. and other English-speaking markets where serials were not as popular as they were here in the U. S. Is the Filmcraft ROCKET SHIP actually the 1936 FLASH GORDON feature? Maybe. That's as far as I'm prepared to go. None of us will ever know for sure unless or until a surviving print of the '36 feature turns up. At this point that's unlikely, but certainly not impossible. Universal is now turning up at a surprising rate films that until recently were believed to be lost. In fact, although I'm currently sworn to secrecy, I can tell you that one of Universal's "lost" serials of the early '30s has just been found. The nitrate material has yet to be inspected, so there's no guarantee that this particular serial can be saved in its entirety (which is one of the reasons I'm supposed to keep mum for the time being). But its discovery is encouraging and gives me reason to be hopeful that things like the '36 FLASH GORDON feature might still survive. |
![]() |
|
| John Doe | Apr 6 2008, 08:31 AM Post #27 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
You summed it up well RR. Of course you have us all curious about that Universal serial! Here is an article from May 18, 1938 from the Syracuse Herald describing Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars being edited down into a feature to be called "Rocket Ship": ![]() Here is an article about releasing with the new name. It was published after the 1938 Orson Wells broadcast. This same article appeared in many newspapers on November 2 and 3, 1938: ![]() I have a nice display ad from that Syracuse NY newspaper from November 4, 1938 which says it "starts tonight". I also have an ad from a newspaper in Jamaca for a theatre which lists their upcoming films and it says they will be showing "Rocket Ship". The paper is dated November 5, 1938 - which goes to show how late the name change occurred. |
![]() |
|
| Pa Stark | Apr 6 2008, 08:49 PM Post #28 |
|
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
|
| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
![]() |
|
| The Batman | Jul 31 2014, 05:42 PM Post #29 |
![]()
Charter Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Hey, RR, any update on that "lost" Universal serial from the 1930s? It's been 6 years, anything you can tell us? |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
![]() |
|
| panzer the great & terrible | Jul 31 2014, 06:17 PM Post #30 |
|
Mouth Breather
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
You go, Bat. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
![]() |
|
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Continued Next Week · Next Topic » |





![]](http://z2.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)







%20crop.jpg)



6:52 AM Jul 11