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The Phantom Rider 1936
Topic Started: Apr 5 2011, 10:11 PM (1,373 Views)
Tony Bolton
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Although when I bought this serial from Tom Mason's Collection and expected the 1945 PR I ended up with an enjoyable serial.

Buck Jones is the Phantom Rider, the masquerade of Buck Grant a ranger on a secret assignment to stop a gang of outlaws trying to do a land grab through terror. The Grayson Ranch the largest in area is the ultimate goal of the sinister gang led by a mystery man.

Phantom Rider has a very familiar plot but it does have a lot of dry humor involving Buck Jones and George Cooper who plays his undercover assistant Spooky. Spooky is as good as assistant anyone would want and the pair's frequent conversations are as much as a highlight as you might see in a serial of this era.


Marla Shelton is the Grayson heir who Buck falls for in a big way although trying to hide it for 15 chapters.

Harry Woods plays the Delaney supposed outstanding citizen but could he be the sinister gang leader? Woods is the gang leader and it is amazingly obvious.

Jim Thorpe appears as an Indian working with Woods.

Diana Gibson is listed third in the cast and has a completely expendable part. Frank LaRue and Eddie Gribbon provide solid support. Gribbon is quite funny as the dumb but honest sherif.

Since singing cowboys were the range there are a few disposable numbers one has to sit through. Warbling tenors should be shot in the first chapter but this tenor survives for the duration.

The Phantom Rider costume is basically a white longcoat, white bandanna and a white hat covering. I don't think it fools anybody even in the serial but the serial needed a gimmick.

There are some dangerous stunts involving horses and falls and speaking of horses Buck has a white horse named Silver who has some important moments late in the serial.

All in all a serial that is very enjoyable and happily has a film score of sorts.
Buck Jones has a great screen presence and I now have an idea why he was so popular. George Cooper however holds his own in every scene.

The print I own is about a C+ with good sound and a a picture that is fairly clear.

7/10 and is is fun to watch more than once.
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mort bakaprevski
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Hey Gravy, why don't you suggest to your friends at VCI that they come out with a pristine print of this one???
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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Barcroft
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I agree with Tony a pretty good Buck Jones serial. I have a fairly decent print I transferred from VHS to DVD but have to agree with Mort that it would be nice if VCI or some other company release this. Trev Scott on his site mentions he has recently upgraded his print so maybe that's the way to go as he has upgraded other Buck Jones titles and his prints are very nice.
Barcroft
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Brick Bradford
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I like this serial but then I like all of Buck Jones Serials and all of his westerns.
Brick Bradford (Handsomest Hero in Serials and Heap Big Jones Fan) :D :D :D :D
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panzer the great & terrible
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If this was Facebook I would click on "Like." Buck Jones is my favorite western star ever, and yes, that includes John Wayne, Randy Scott and even W. S. Hart.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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mort bakaprevski
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mort bakaprevski
Jul 15 2012, 10:40 AM
Hey Gravy, why don't you suggest to your friends at VCI that they come out with a pristine print of this one???
That was 2 years ago.

Didya do it??? If not, please do.

If ya did, do it again!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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rodney
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Started this last night, and I think it's going to be pretty fun.

Not sure where my copy came from, but it's a good transfer of a worn 16mm print. Although for some reason it has a 1940's Universal globe and a generic 'next chapter' card. Don't ask me why.
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riddlerider
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rodney
Feb 4 2015, 05:15 AM
Not sure where my copy came from, but it's a good transfer of a worn 16mm print. Although for some reason it has a 1940's Universal globe and a generic 'next chapter' card. Don't ask me why.

I knew many 16mm collectors who were absolutely nutty about logos and insisted on splicing them to the heads of movies whether they were appropriate or not. There were a couple of film dealers who used to sell entire reels of dupe logos just for that purpose.

The generic end title suggests that the transfer was made from an old TV print. Phantom Rider was one of the Universals syndicated by Serials Incorporated, whose TV prints cut off the end titles so as not to confuse the kids watching them at home. I had one of those Phantom Rider prints myself, and the chapters end abruptly with no card of any kind. I'm guessing that whoever spliced on those Universal logos also added those end titles.

Rental libraries made up generic end titles reading "Don't Miss the Next Thrilling Chapter" or some such because the ends of chapters inevitably got chewed up by amateur projectionists.
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rodney
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I went from enjoying this to kind of struggling with it. Normally, I only watch one chapter a week, but my wife is out of town next week, and I'm bumping up my frequency to a chapter a day. Hopefully, I'll get more out of it, and even if I don't, it'll be over faster.

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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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Over faster is the bar to aim at. Good first chapter but then it keeps on doing the same stuff.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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