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| Books on Movie Serials; A Complete Listing | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 22 2017, 08:29 AM (3,081 Views) | |
| Frank Hale | Mar 24 2017, 02:43 PM Post #16 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Mr. Bats, you sound aggrieved. However, the fact is, we just didn’t want you wasting a lot of time on the job and having your boss discover what a goof-off you really are. And, hey, just what is it you do, anyway? To make amends, I add my two cents on the few books on the list that I've read, with the caveat that it's been a while: To Be Continued (1972): Mostly just a lot of pictures, but it does provide in the back what apparently has become the definitive list of sound serials (albeit with an error or two, apparently.) Not particularly recommended, and I probably wouldn’t pick up the newer edition mentioned my Pa Stark unless it fell in my lap. Days of Thrills and Adventure (my copy is in the "Saturday Afternoons at the Movies" compilation) & The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury: Both these are just random affectionate memories of favorite serials. The Harmon / Glut book is pretty funny; and a good read; mostly text, just a few photos. Barbour comes across more as a rabid fan, with lots of pictures. Nothing essential about either one, but they're both pleasant. |
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| The Batman | Mar 24 2017, 06:19 PM Post #17 |
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Charter Member
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Vexed, Mr Hale. Just feeling a little vexed. Thank you, for your input on the books. That's what I was looking for: feedback on what titles are worth a look and what ones aren't. Considering the amount of serial fans around here, only RR and yourself have provided any indication of reading worthiness. If I just wanted a list of serial books, I could have used Google. But, silly me, I tried to bring discussion to the boards. It's like dealing with Lucy and the football. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Barcroft | Mar 24 2017, 07:59 PM Post #18 |
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Charter Member
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Bats, Another book you may want to add to your list: Stunt Man - The Autobiography of Yakima Canutt with Oliver Drake Canutt talks about his career and mentions working in serials at Mascot and Republic. A very good book Barcroft |
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| riddlerider | Mar 24 2017, 08:53 PM Post #19 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I just remembered another worthy addition to the list: The Flash Gordon Serials, 1936-1940, by Roy Kinnard and a couple other blokes whose names escape me. I think it's a Scarecrow or McFarland book, published maybe 5-6 years ago. I don't own a copy myself, but I borrowed it from a friend and was impressed. It's got a lot of info — including some that was new to me — and something like 150 stills, a number of them never before published. It's still available on Amazon, so you can get the other authors and publishing info there. As for evaluating the various books...a lot depends on your knowledge base. I saw Lahue's Continued Next Week mentioned in a 1965 or '66 issue of Castle of Frankenstein and bought it based on the editor's recommendation. When it arrived in the mail I was initially disappointed to learn that it covered only silent serials, in which I had no interest, having seen none. But the book fascinated me and I determined to learn more about them. It took several decades for me to learn how many mistakes Lahue made, and how close certain sections came to plagiarism. But for many years that book was the only game in town. Thanks to Screen Thrills and Alan Barbour's self-published books, I knew more about sound serials when his Days of Thrills and Adventure was published by a mainstream New York house in 1970. But it still proved informative and had lots of stills I'd never seen up to that point. And most importantly, it had a complete list of all the sound serials, something that nobody else had at that time. I referred to that book constantly throughout the '70s and '80s, the decades during which I saw most of the talkie serials for the first time. And with each screening I checked off the title in Alan's list. My copy finally fell apart 20 or 25 years ago and I reluctantly threw it away. Stedman's The Serials, the Weiss-Goodgold To Be Continued, and the Glut-Harmon Great Movie Serials all came out within the next year or two. (By the way, Bats, the first edition of Stedman's book was published in 1971; the 1977 is a second edition.) I found them all valuable at the time, to a greater or lesser extent. The Serials devoted only 140 of its 500+ pages to cinematic chapter plays, but Stedman was a witty writer who seemed to have genuine affection for them. To Be Continued was kind of perfunctory, but I liked the introduction. The Glut-Harmon book had the most extensive coverage and very much impressed me. But recent re-readings of all three have left me cold, since I've now seen all the serials, met and/or interviewed many of the principals, and conducted my own research. Of course, I realize most of today's fans haven't been as fortunate as I was, so for them the books will still prove entertaining and illuminating. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Mar 24 2017, 08:54 PM Post #20 |
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I dunno, I've always used the serial books as reference material, not as "good" or "bad" reads. The Barbour books were fun and my first guide to serials when I started watchin' 'em with my kids. The Glut & Harmon book, likewise, is a fun read (not an educational tome). The Republic Chapterplays by R.M. Hayes is a chapter, crew, and cast list, so nothing you can't find online. The Kinnard sci-fi book at least gives reviews of the serials and not just synopses so it's interesting. |
| "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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| Sgt King | Mar 25 2017, 02:42 AM Post #21 |
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Charter Member
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Thank you Batman for this useful information. I have most on the list. Here’s one you may want to add: Title: “Don’t Dare Miss The Next Thrilling Chapter” / Author: Anthony L. Fletcher / Publisher: Mill City Press / Date: 2009 / Notes: **** Covers 88 sound serials with no wasted space on photos we’ve all seen a hundred times. Every serial has at least two pages of very detailed, intelligent, entertaining reviews, critiques and insights. Excellent in every respect. Wish there were more books like this! Your list books I rate 4 stars ****: Valley Of The Cliffhangers (the fabulous detailed bible on Republic serials) / Valley Of The Cliffhangers Supplement (excellent behind the scenes photos with every Republic serial chapter covered with data and serial slug artwork that had to be left out of the original book) / Cliffhanger (Barbour, Citadel – with loads of excellent serial photos and info text) / Days of Thrills and Adventure (Barbour, with additional serial photos and text) / Republic Confidential - Vol. 1, The Studio (solid first class book with excellent serial coverage, original press books, background, special effects, etc) / Serials-ly Speaking (good critiques) / Saturday Afternoon At The Movies (this is 3 re-printed Alan Barbour books: B-Westerns, general movies of the 1930’s and 40’s and serials - the already mentioned Days of Thrills and Adventure). Your list books I rate 3 stars ***: To Be Continued (1972, this delivers on year-by-year titles, info and photos that make up for some mistakes) / Fifty Years of Serial Thrills (good enough info and critiques) / Science Fiction Serials (good interesting coverage and critiques) / The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound & Fury (good generic coverage but little real insight or critiques) / In a Door Into a Fight, Out a Door Into a Chase (good behind the scenes info and thoughts by famed director Witney) / Serial Adventures (pretty darn good insight and critique of 20 or so serials) / Sinister Serials (good research with detailed insights, critiques and thoughts). |
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| John Doe | Mar 25 2017, 05:24 AM Post #22 |
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Charter Member
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I have my own list of serials books, so I cross-checked it against yours. Here are some additions: Backer, Ron Gripping Chapters: The Sound Movie Serial 2010 (paperback), BearManor Media Bifulco, Michael Heroes and Villains: Movie Serial Classics 1989, Bifulco Books Canjels, Rudmer Distributing Silent Film Serials 2010, Routledge Davis, Hank Classic Cliffhangers: Volume 1, 1914-1940 2007 (paperback), Midnight Marquee Press Davis, Hank Classic Cliffhangers: Volume 2, 1941-1955 2008 (paperback), Midnight Marquee Press Fernette, Gene Next Time Drive Off The Cliff! 1968, Cinememories Publishing Company (limited to 1500 copies) Higgins, Scott Matinee Melodrama: Playing with Formula in the Sound Serial 2016 (hardcover, paperback, & ebook fomats), Rutgers University Press. Martin, Len D. The Columbia Checklist: The Feature Films, Serials, Cartoons and Short Subjects of Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1922-1988 1991 (hardcover), 2007 (paperback), McFarland & Company Inc. Moyer, Donn Cowboy Cliffhangers June 1999 - 1st editon, Dryden Pub (paperback) ; 2004 - 2nd edition, Wild West Publishing (paperback) Petty, John E. and Smith, Grey Capes, Crooks & Cliffhangers: Heroic Serial Posters of the Golden Age 2009 - Ivy Press, Inc (paperback) ; 2009 - Ivy Press, Inc (limited hardcover) Rainey, Buck Serial Film Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1912-1956 2005, McFarland & Company, Inc. Rainey, Buck Those Fabulous Serials, 1912-1956 1984, AS Barnes & Co., ASIN #0498025845 Singer, Ben Melodrama and Modernity 2001, Columbia University Press (hardcover and paperback) Tuska, Jon The Vanishing Legion: A History of Mascot Pictures, 1927–1935 1982 (hardcover), 1999 (paperback), McFarland & Company Inc. Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of Batman 1989, Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder 1989, Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of Blackhawk Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of Flash Gordon, Part One Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of Flash Gordon, Part Two 1988, Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of the Green Hornet 1988, Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of the Phantom 1988, Pioneer Books Van Hise, James The Serial Adventures of the Shadow Pioneer Books Van Hise, James Serial Adventures 1990, Pioneer Books Van Hise, James Serial Adventures of Superman Pioneer Books Just published: Mayer, Geoff Encyclopedia of American Film Serials 2017 McFarland https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-American-Serials-Geoff-Mayer/dp/0786477628?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 https://books.google.com/books?id=mCgSDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA303&lpg=PA303&dq=serial+motion+picture+encyclopedia+mcfarland&source=bl&ots=WEyIc2n1Rv&sig=rvd1t6NuZOXMNSpWggK7H4HyZGs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwisgLSC3vHSAhXKNiYKHeJ6AvUQ6AEIITAB#v=onepage&q&f=false Coming soon: Barefoot, Guy The Lost Jungle, The Hollywood Sound Serial of the 1930s and 1940s 2017 University of Chicago Press http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/L/bo22234079.html All of the James Van Hise books were published in the 1988-90 time frame, but I never have had a chance to look up the specific dates. I only have one or two of them. If you could get these all added to the listing, that would be fantastic! Thanks! Edited by John Doe, Mar 25 2017, 05:29 AM.
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| John Doe | Mar 25 2017, 08:35 AM Post #23 |
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Charter Member
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Two more that should be on the listing: Vicki Callahan, Zones of Anxiety - Movement, Musidora, and the Crime Serials of Louis Feuillade 2005 Wayne State University Press Marina Dahlquist (ed.), Exporting Perilous Pauline - Pearl White and Serial Film Craze 2013 University of Illinois Press |
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| John Doe | Mar 25 2017, 09:01 AM Post #24 |
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Charter Member
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"Bound & Gagged: A History of the Silent Serial" by Kalton C. Lahue, Castle Books 1968 I believe the sub-title is "The Story of the Silent Serials", not "A History of..." Don't have my copy handy, but that is what it says everywhere on the internet, so it has to be true - right?
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| John Doe | Mar 25 2017, 10:16 AM Post #25 |
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Charter Member
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There have been at least four books published about serial movie posters. I gave the info on one of them in a pervious post, but these three should go on the listing also: Ashton, Jim Jim Ashton's Serial Poster Price Guide 1989, Jim Ashton Hershenson, Bruce Serial Movie Posters (Illustrated History of Movies Thru Posters #10) 1999, Bruce Hershenson Hershenson, Bruce To Be Continued..., 1930s & 1940s Serial Movie Posters (Illustrated History of Movies Thru Posters #16) 2001, Bruce Hershenson I have never seen a copy of the Jim Ashton book. Bruce Hershenson is the owner of the emovieposter.com auction website. |
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| John Doe | Mar 25 2017, 11:23 AM Post #26 |
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Charter Member
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I forgot about this one: Henderson, Jan Alan The Legendary Lydecker Brothers 2010 |
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| Barcroft | Mar 25 2017, 12:36 PM Post #27 |
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Charter Member
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Bats, Superman - Serial to Cereal - Gary Grossman - Covers both serials as well as the complete TV Series - One of Leonard Maltin's Big Apple Film Series Barcroft |
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| Laughing Gravy | Mar 25 2017, 07:22 PM Post #28 |
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How did I forget the Superman book? That's a great one. In The Nick of Time by Cline - I want to like this book, it's scholarly, but it's all but impossible for me to enjoy. Too technical and not enough fun to read. |
| "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 | Mar 25 2017, 08:10 PM Post #29 |
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Charter Member
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Gravy, In the Nick of Time maybe scholarly, but its still a very good read. You may like his companion book Serials-ly Speaking a lot better as this has some of his best essays on serials that originally appeared in the Big Reel. Barcroft |
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| williejg | Mar 26 2017, 01:53 PM Post #30 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Hi Bats, I found 3 more that haven't been listed. I haven't read the first 2 yet so can't comment on them, other than that I have them. 1., Hollywood's Poverty Row 1930-1950 by: Gene Fernett; Published by: Coral Reef Publications, Inc. 1973 2., Republic Studios: Between Poverty Row and the Majors by: Richard Maurice Hurst; Published by: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. 1979 I have read this 3rd title but, since it was around 30 years ago, my comments are short since my memories of it are vague. 3., Pearl White, the Peerless Fearless Girl by: Manuel Weltman and Raymond Lee; Published by: A.S.Barnes and Co., Inc. 1969 I found this to be a highly enjoyable and entertaining read, while still being very informative. It covers her films, serials, their filming and also her life. This is by no means a scholarly or technical look at her serials, though there is a chronological listing of all of her films included as an appendix. This book's main focus is on Pearl and her career. But it is loaded with many of her own anecdotes during and after the filming of her serials. It's also loaded with quite a few stills from her films as well as promotional shots. A quite enjoyable tribute to the great Pearl White. 'Cat |
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