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The Lost City (1935); Combined thread
Topic Started: Oct 18 2005, 12:37 PM (615 Views)
The Batman
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Well, I have this one, too, and I think I like it. By "think I like it", I mean, "I wish I had a better copy, so I could tell what the heck is going on half the time".

LG, what is the quality of the Alpha version of this serial like? Since this movie is public domain, I don't want to run out and buy another version, if chances are it will be the same lousy print I already have.

As for other sites, political correctness debates aside, the LOST CITY thread on one site had several highly interesting posts from the nephew of one of the main actors in the serial. I whole-heartedly recommend any serial, movie and/or history buff check out the thread, for his fascinating, informative and, yes, touching posts.

If anything, through the nephew, you will get the perspectives of a black and a Jewish actor, both of who had starring roles in this "old dog". (You will have to read the posts, to get the reference.)

In my mind, these gentlemen had the final say on the validity of this serial, read the posts and decide for yourselves.


Hint: They had nothing against it and neither did Martin Luther King, Jr. (That got your attention!)
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Pa Stark
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I first heard about THE LOST CITY back in the early 60's in Screen Thrills Magazine, and when I saw it about five years later, I couldn't believe how outlandish and off the wall it was. After screening it again, it has to rate as a guilty pleasure. In the un-named other site it was rated in the chat room and received a 4.28 out of 10, and beat out ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND and 10 other serials.
One thing that can be said about it is, it certainly isn't dull. In fact it is a real hoot.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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I rarely agree with those guys in their serial ratings.
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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Well, different tokes for different blokes. The only criteria I know of to judge a serial is, how much did it entertain me, how well did it hold up over the course of 12-15 weeks, and how much did I look forward to next week's episode. King of the Royal Mounted, for instance, is technically a much better serial, but I found it to have 1/7th the entertainment value of The Lost City. Some serials that have no reputation whatsoever -- The Monster and the Ape and The Iron Claw come to mind -- are terrific, and reminded me why I watch and love chapterplays. Others with decent or better reps -- Jungle Girl, The Masked Marvel, Captain America, the Superman serials, KOTRM, The New Adventures of Tarzan -- are lousy at worst and mediocre at best. I'm enjoying The Vigilante more than I enjoyed any of those.
"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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greenhornet1
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Don't bet me started! Sam Baker was a noted boxer before drifting to Hollywood and has a fairly long list of credits, even if not all are listed in the IMDb. Billy Bletcher was the voice of the Lone Ranger in Republic's fine serial, sounding for all the world like the radio Ranger Earl Glaser (if I get the spelling wrong, someone will correct me; I don't have Bill Stedman's book at hand.) A great voice actor seldom seen onscreen.

Wonderful futuristic sets, great Ken Strickfaden electronic effects, very sexy women (although Claudia Dell is one-note shrill) and a complex piece of acting by George Hayes. Jerry Frank is one of my favorite unsung character actors; he shows up in a lot of stuff and this is the one film that I know of where he has an extended featured role. Also fun to watch Josef Swickard, another personal favorite. And Kane Richmond!

If you watch this as a racist tract, you are way off the mark. Casual racism reflective of its time, certainly. Should that be acknowledged? Absolutely. But no more so than in Walt Disney's great film Song of the South, which we can only see through bootleg copies, or more subtly and more subversively in my opinion, in Dumbo.

This is a great serial. Make sure to see it in its entirety. Avoid the feature version like the plague, which goes without saying. There are some decent copies around. Try to get to a con and try out some of the DVD versions. I've got a pretty fair version from Sinister Cinema which predates digital, so I think you can do better than that.
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The Batman
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Thanks for the tip, my costumed comrade. I will try to hunt down a superior copy, but I hope to learn of one without buying another inferior version first. I already have one of those. Does anyone recommend the Alpha version?

BTW, say “hi” to Kato and let him know Robin still feels bad for kickin’ his butt the last time we met. :rolleyes:
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Inspector Carr
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You can't beat the Alpha version for the sheer price point, plus the whole serial is on one disc.
"Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate"
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greenhornet1
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Kato is beyond mere grudges.
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The Batman
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Kato is beyond a lot of things these days. :D
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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About the "subversive" racism of DUMBO...

Walt Kelly worked on the crow sequences of the movie. To call them racist is to miss their point. The crows are outsiders as Dumbo is, in the white-bread conformist circus world. Kelly wasn't a racist, he was a genius who used rural archetypes, which, these days, are irrationally called stereotypes, and even worse, racist by urban middle class academics like Donald Bogle who do not care to identify with their rural forebears. Same old business of rewriting history.
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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The Crows are sung by the legendary Hall Johnson Choir and, for my money, it's the high point of the picture. Great song, great puns & great performance!!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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For mine, it's the high point of any and all Disney pictures. Pure happiness captured on celluloid.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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panzer the great & terrible
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Mouth Breather
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To me it's the high point of any and all Disney pictures. Pure happiness captured on celluloid.
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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Quote:
 
Pure happiness captured on celluloid.

Wish I'd said that (twice even)!!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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ilive4mycats
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And I have the complete serial.
With future Spy Smasher Kane Richmond as the hero, Eddie Featherstone , an actor in two reel comedies as his sidekick.
Gabby Hayes, then George Hayes as Butterfield the sinister trader.
The voice of the Big Bad Wolf, Billy Bletcher as a put upon hunchback.
Willima "Stage Boyd ' as the mad scientist , with a gangsters mannerisms.
Kenny Strickfadden machinery, a race of Giant Natives, White Spider Men, and Arab Traders and you have tons of low budget fun.
And Claudia Dell, about 10 years,and 20 pounds too heavy as the ingenue heroine.
This is one you truly have to see to believe.

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