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Mystery Trooper (1931)
Topic Started: May 15 2017, 05:59 AM (1,046 Views)
The Batman
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Geez, I'm not new to the party, I understand the parameters of the situation.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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turan38
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I just watched chapter one of the blu-ray. I've never seen the serial before so I can't compare it to any previous release, but I would advise anyone to just buy the DVD. The extra cost of the blu-ray, though nominal, isn't justified because the image is soft and doesn't benefit by being transferred to HD media.

As to the serial itself - I found the welter of henchmen confusing. Some of the acting is poverty row awful, although bad acting is no stranger to serials. Still, I always find a certain charm to these early talkie serials.
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Laughing Gravy
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Let me just clarify again - it is 100 percent better than the original Grapevine DVD presentation of the serial, which I had (I threw it away when I looked at chapter 1 of the Blu-ray) and if you have that, the BD upgrade is only $10, so absolutely you should order it.
"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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riddlerider
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Laughing Gravy
May 22 2017, 05:23 PM
Let me just clarify again - it is 100 percent better than the original Grapevine DVD presentation of the serial, which I had (I threw it away when I looked at chapter 1 of the Blu-ray) and if you have that, the BD upgrade is only $10, so absolutely you should order it.

Okay, you sold me. Hard to argue with a 100-percent upgrade.
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turan38
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Laughing Gravy
May 22 2017, 05:23 PM
Let me just clarify again - it is 100 percent better than the original Grapevine DVD presentation of the serial, which I had (I threw it away when I looked at chapter 1 of the Blu-ray) and if you have that, the BD upgrade is only $10, so absolutely you should order it.
Grapevine's blurb on the film implies that the DVD has also been upgraded from the same source that the Blu-ray was mastered from. If that's the case I still recommend buying the DVD.
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The Batman
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Jazzy, care to weigh in on this? I'm already on board with the Blu upgrade, but am curious: Will the upgraded DVD be compatible to the Blu, or will the latter still make it all a little "better"?


Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Bert Greene
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riddlerider
May 16 2017, 11:17 AM
I'd rather revisit Mystery Trooper than most of the Columbias and, for that matter, post-1945 Republics.

Having said that, I'm skeptical about Grapevine's Blu-rays and the underlying transfers. I read several glowing reviews of their Wild Horse Mesa and bought the Blu-ray only to find that it used a slightly better transfer of the same 16mm print I rented to them years ago.
Um, I guess I'm one of the guilty parties over-praising the "Wild Horse Mesa" upgrade, Ed. The transfer did look better and brighter to me. Although in retrospect, I think I've been somewhat swayed by the new, larger-screen, hi-def television and blu-ray set-up I acquired late last year, replacing my old CRT. I've alternately been both more wowed by various new discs while also been more observant of the weaknesses of some older ones that I never noticed before.

Anyway, I'm all in for an upgrade to "Mystery Trooper.". Always had a certain fondness for this one, and my current copy (picked up at a show many years back) is only fair.
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Barcroft
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Gravy,
Trail of the Royal Mounted was the re-issue title of The Mystery Trooper in 1935 by Guaranteed Pictures.
Barcroft
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Bert Greene
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Got the new Grapevine print (blu) today, and it's hardly perfect, but it is a huge improvement over the old tape-sourced print I previously had. Never had the preceding Grapevine copy. Anyway, I'm glad I got it. Leading lady Blanche Mehaffey has always intrigued me a bit. Especially the path of her career, which just seemed to plod along at the absolute lowest rung of poverty-row cheapies for years and years. She was just mired in those depths for such an unusually long time (when talking of this type of fare).

I guess it all started out okay for her around 1923-24 with Hal Roach comedies, and then for a while as heroine of some mid-20s Universal western fare and whatnot. After that, she seemed to become a real poverty-row staple, into the early-talkie era. And then back to leading-lady in things like rock-bottom (budget-wise) Jack Perrin type westerns in the mid-30s, and that notoriously schlocky sea-monster/devil-monster flick. Then of all things, right towards the end of her career, she starred in a little indie that Grand National released, "Held For Ransom" (1938), which I've always rather liked. She played the lead FBI-agent heroine. No lost classic, but it had some flavorful atmosphere and location work. A slight but nifty relic of the Dick Tracy / Red Barry school.

Oh well. I'd like to get started on "Mystery Trooper" (been a long time since I last saw it), but I'm going to put it off for a little while. Got the Memphis Film Festival coming up next week, and I'll save it for when I get back.
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The Batman
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Thanks, Bert, sounds like the upgrade was worth it. Mine arrived this week and has been added to the pile (!) of Blu-Ray serials I have put into rotation.

Enjoy the MFF!

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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turan38
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I haven't seen any further comment on this title, so having seen all 10 chapters I guess I'll stick my neck out.

A threadbare plot with very little actually happening. One interesting cliffhanger showed the white horse (one of the smarter characters in the serial) being attacked by a pack of dogs. I wondered how that was filmed. A nice surprise - and totally unexpected in the serial realm - was the hero kicking a bad guy in the face! Not a very satisfying serial, but nonetheless it's gratifying that it's available.
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