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| Revisiting the Copperhead and others | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 24 2017, 03:24 PM (482 Views) | |
| HAWKEYE | Oct 24 2017, 03:24 PM Post #1 |
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Balcony Gang
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My first exposure, to the Republic Golden-Age serials, came, in the early 1950's, when they were released, to television, as a half-hour series, with two episodes edited together, to form each show. I can remember, that they played, on Saturday mornings, at 11 AM, but strangely, I can only remember three, of the serials, that were shown, on the series. My strongest recollection is, of the Copperhead, and for many years, I thought, that was the name, of that particular serial. The other two, that I recall, were "King of the Texas Rangers", and "Zorro's Fighting Legion". Even though I watched the others, in this series, the titles draw a complete blank. In the ensuing years, I have seen all the Republic serials, some several times, but none has stirred my memories, of them being, on that half-hour show. Does anyone know the titles, of all the serials, that were edited, into that half-hour series? My memories, of this show, were stirred, by this week's re-watching, of "Mysterious Dr. Satan", and my enjoyment, of the Copperhead's exploits, as much as I did, for the first time, sixty years ago. |
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| CliffClaven | Oct 24 2017, 06:06 PM Post #2 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I'd like to know more about that series. In the 60s there was a syndicated "Adventure Theater" that served up two-hour (including commercials) movie versions of various Republics. It was on in the Bay Area for one summer or so and never came back. Before and after, there were some local shows that would incorporate a weekly serial. Sometimes ironically -- San Francisco had an arts-focused talk show called "Pow" that showed Flash Gordon, The Lost City, and others, with host Rolfe Peterson making deadpan quips before and after. |
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| Pa Stark | Oct 24 2017, 10:09 PM Post #3 |
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Charter Member
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Cliff, the Adventure Theater showed the 26 Republic serials that were edited into 100 minute feature versions. Not one western was included in the bunch. I was a big fan of POW! It had a real cult following, and was a very intelligent show, and host Rolfe Peterson was very witty, with a deadpan style. There was a big blurb for one show that Rolfe was going to interview dancer Carol Doda topless, except he was the one who was topless. Those were the days of things being "camp," and the serials they showed were ones that would be considered corny. I attended tapings several times, and watched Peterson watching the monitor in disbelief during a chapter of THE LOST CITY. I asked him if their next serial would be as bad, and he said that he believed they reached rock bottom with this one. |
| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
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| CliffClaven | Oct 24 2017, 11:22 PM Post #4 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Two Rolfe Peterson annotations to Flash Gordon I'm sure I mentioned somewhere else around here: Early on, he reflected that Flash Gordon's parents probably didn't give him that name; it must have been his own choice to replace something like "Melvin". "And so, here's today's episode of 'Melvin Gordon' ..." When Prince Vulcan appears in all his hammy glory, Peterson suggested he wasn't cast for his acting ability so much as his willingness to slap a full-sized live bear. He also riffed the silent version of "Tarzan of the Apes", not in the far-in-the-future MST style but just making his typically dry observations. He had a bunch of guys taking turns doing the Tarzan yell throughout the film, not always at the appropriate moments. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Oct 25 2017, 05:43 AM Post #5 |
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Where was this show on? I worked with a guy in New York who remembered the serial as being called The Copperhead, too. |
| "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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| schaumburgstew | Oct 25 2017, 06:28 AM Post #6 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Those edited serials, at least in Chicago, were shown on Sunday mornings and it was called The Captain Midnight Theater. I can distinctly remember that the first serial they showed on that program was Daredevils of the Red Circle. Since the first chapter of that serial was longer than the other ones, they showed it in it's complete form for the first episode. After that, it was the edited two chapter format. |
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| JazzGuyy | Oct 25 2017, 07:00 AM Post #7 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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We may have had a different mix of these in my town. I remember seeing Hawk of the Wilderness, Fighting Devil Dogs (the favorite for my friends and me), and Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island. There may have been a couple of others but they didn't stick in my memory. This would have been around 1954-55 and, like for you, they were shown on Saturday mornings. |
| TANSTAAFL! | |
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| HAWKEYE | Oct 25 2017, 08:41 AM Post #8 |
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Balcony Gang
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I watched this show, on Boston TV, at 11 AM, Saturdays. Earlier, on Saturday mornings, Channel 7 had "The Big Serial", at around 7:30- 7:45 AM, where they showed all the Mascot serials. The starting time varied, because the episodes were interspersed, on a series, which also contained cartoons, and comedy shorts. I always made sure, that I was planted, in front, of the TV, by 7 AM, so that I never missed them. In Boston, we also had Channel 4, which had "Boston Movietime", with Alan Dary, at 4:45 PM, every weekday afternoon, which showed episodes, of the Universal serials, followed by a Warner Bros. feature. We also had the Flash Gordons, Dick Tracys, etc., at various times, so serials were well represented, in the Boston TV market, in the 1950's, as were "B" westerns, with Hoss Opry Playhouse, Cactus Theater, Western Playhouse, and numerous others, including Saturdays, at noon, the Renfrew TV series, which were half-hour shows edited, from the feature films, and tied together, with new inserts, of the still handsome James Newill.. |
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| riddlerider | Oct 25 2017, 03:29 PM Post #9 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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In 1951 fourteen Republic serials were cut down to six-chapter versions running 26 1/2 minutes per installment. Originally they were intended for an Ovaltine-sponsored half-hour weekly syndicated program titled Captain Midnight's Adventure Theater, but stations also had the option of running the chapters as part of local kiddie shows or in other half-hour time slots. The serials thus condensed, in order of theatrical release, were The Vigilantes Are Coming, Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island, The Painted Stallion, Zorro Rides Again, The Fighting Devil Dogs, Hawk of the Wilderness, Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion, King of the Texas Rangers, King of the Forest Rangers, The Crimson Ghost, Son of Zorro, and The Black Widow. Since it ran 15 episodes, Mysterious Doctor Satan was cut to seven chapters rather than six. In 1953 the Commando Cody featurettes were also released to TV in 26 1/2-minute installments. |
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| Colorist | Oct 27 2017, 01:44 PM Post #10 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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When WOR Channel 9 in NYC started showing the "Century 66" package, under the title of THE MAD, MAD MOVIE on TV, the first one they showed, (and advertised in in the Daily News, no less!) was RETIK,THE MOON MENACE, a feature version of RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON. I thought it was okay, nothing too special, The next week, however, was DOCTOR SATAN'S ROBOT…when Dave Sharpe made that flying leap over the desk in Ch. 1, I knew my life had changed forever! Even in MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR SATAN'S edited form, I knew this one was a classic, and I've been hooked on Republic serials ever since, so THANKS, Bill Witney, Jack English and Davey Sharpe for setting me on the right path! By the way, does anybody have the weekly intro to THE MAD,MAD MOVIE? I'd really like to see it again, and I couldn't find it on YouTube. |
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| riddlerider | Oct 27 2017, 07:54 PM Post #11 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Colorist, I've known you probably 45 years, during which time we've traveled in the same serial-fan circles. And we're pretty much the same age, give or take a year. But unless I'm misreading your post, it sounds as though your first exposure to Republic serials came via Mad Mad Movie. Is that true? Did you not see the '50s Republics (Zombies, Radar Men, Flying Disc Men, Invisible Monster, Canadian Mounties, Trader Tom, et al) when they ran on WPIX's Officer Joe weekday kiddie program circa 1962-63? Or some of the older classics (Nyoka, Masked Marvel, Manhunt on Mystery Island) when they ran in other time slots circa 1963-65? All these years I assumed we shared that experience. At this late date I'd be surprised to learn otherwise. |
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| HAWKEYE | Oct 29 2017, 09:35 AM Post #12 |
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Balcony Gang
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Many thanks, RR, for the complete list, of series titles. I figured, that if anyone knew, you would. Your list actually jogged my old brain, into remembering another serial, that I saw, on that early '50's show: "Vigilantes Are Coming". I now remember, that I was totally crazy, about it, as a little kid. It's funny how some memories can lay buried, for decades, and then a brief statement can bring them flooding back. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Oct 29 2017, 05:40 PM Post #13 |
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As a very young child, I saw Flash Gordon on the Ghoulardi Shock Theatre TV show outta Cleveland. I remember being scared witless by the Clay People.
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| "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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