Cliffhangers - Republic Pictures & Other Saturday Matinee Serials

Montana Smith

Active member
Jungle Girl (1941)

I found this serial hard going after the wonders of Zorro's Fighting Legion, even though both were directed by William Witney, who also did Zorro Rides Again, The Perils of Nyoka and Spy Smasher).

It's set in Africa, yet I don't think there's a black actor in sight - just white guys in bad wigs. It didn't bode well from the start when Nyoka's elephant was clearly of the Indian variety. Yet, in an odd way that's the first of several connections to Temple of Doom.

Spotting the Indy-isms quickly became the main attraction, along with waiting for the moment when Frances Gifford's short skirt would finally betray her modesty!

Shamba, the native witch doctor with his painted face, skulls, and buffalo-horned headress, could well be the model for Mola Ram:

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In the first episode Shamba uses a voodoo doll, an African element which was wrongly transported into India for TOD:

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Shamba, like Mola Ram also uses a secret door in his temple as an escape route.

The next big similarity was the flooding of the tunnels. Nyoka and Stanton are chased by the water, like Indy, Willie and Shorty...

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...until they find a 'back door' in the cliff face, through which the water rushes and they escape...

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I was immediately reminded of this:

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And the similarities don't end there, as there's also an ore crusher:

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And some elements from TOD's Shanghai section. A large artificial animal maw...

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...and a big gong...

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Endnote:

As promised, the moment when Frances Gifford's short skirt finally betrays her modesty, courtesy of Curly!

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___________________


Next up will be The Perils of Nyoka (1942), which from the first episode looks to be of much higher quality, in terms of picture, sets and story.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
The Perils of Nyoka (1942)

As I wrote before, this one is visually much more appealing than Jungle Girl, due mainly to the better picture quality, and some well-stuffed sets.

While this serial has been put forward as one of the influences on Spielberg and Lucas, I was struggling to find many scenes that would substantially connect it to the Indy movies.

Style-wise it was never far from the western, with Arabs as the Indians. Nevertheless the North African setting added the dimension of swordfights. The big hook here is the sexy femme fatale, Vultura, and her ferocious pet gorilla, Satan. The version of Nyoka presented here was less 'jungle girl' and more adventure-girl, swapping the short skirt and dagger for more practical shorts and gun belt.

As for Indy-isms, this is all I could come up with:

There's another cut rope bridge, this time with Nyoka slamming into a rock face.

Nyoka is threatened with torture by a red hot branding iron, and the ensuing scuffle results in burning down the tent in which she's tied. Compare Toht's poker burning down The Raven.

A tablet carved in hieroglyphs is taken to an Arab translator, which reminded me of Imam translating the Headpiece of Ra in ROTLA.

A car is forced off a cliff by an explosion, which might have a very thin connection to Gobler's car in ROTLA.

There's another Gong, but gongs look like they might be a staple ingredient in this genre of serial.

Nyoka has an affinity with animals. Her dog, Fang, while not an Alaskan Malamute, is a German Shepherd with the intelligence of Lassie. But more relevant is Jitters the monkey, who acts as spy, messenger and comic relief. While there was also a similar monkey in Jungle Girl, they may both be precedents for the monkey spy in Raiders.
 
Montana Smith said:
Jungle Girl (1941)
Great post! Those pictures are amazing, (her modesty aside). It's not just a bunch of bullsh!t...The Beards are proficient recyclers after all!:hat:

Fantastic research/post(s)...
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Rocket Surgeon said:
Great post! Those pictures are amazing, (her modesty aside). It's not just a bunch of bullsh!t...The Beards are proficient recyclers after all!:hat:

Fantastic research/post(s)...

Thanks, Rocket. It's fun to discover possible sources, which Stoo has already done for himself, but it's taken me a long while to get around to doing it, despite his prompts!

Jungle Girl looks very much like a model for Indy, and might have been the original source for the monkey in Raiders. The voodoo doll in the hands of the witch doctor was an eye-opener, which could explain why Mola Ram is engaging in a practice that originated in Africa.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Stephen Jared said:
Since there's a lot of talk of Zorro, let me encourage anyone who hasn't seen them to check out Douglas Fairbanks' two Zorro silent films. They're amazing. Also, Isabelle Allende wrote a really good novel on Zorro's early life. Might check that out.
I have Fairbanks' 1st one, "Mark of Zorro", but have never watched it. When I eventually do, a review will be posted in his dedicated thread: Zorro.
Stephen Jared said:
Thanks for the compliments on the article!

Stoo, I am having a hard time recalling whether or not I read of the rolling boulder bit in Perils of Pauline or actually watched it. I did a lot of research on that article and watched a lot of serials.
'Tis a very good article, Stephen.:hat: Too bad you can't recall about Pauline's rolling boulder. I'm sure that I've seen some stills or a brief clip of the sequence but never the full chapter. One interesting note about the 1914 version of "Perils of Pauline" is that even though it's one of the earliest serials, technically, it's not a cliffhanger. She was always saved from danger within each installment so the endings didn't leave the audience hanging.

@Montana Smiffy: Still no reply from the UK seller about his/their claim of having all 20 chapters of "Pauline"?
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
@Montana Smiffy: Still no reply from the UK seller about his/their claim of having all 20 chapters of "Pauline"?

No response from them yet. :(

His email address rejected my message on 1st November, so I immediately sent it via Ebay's system. I just tried sending again direct, and it was also rejected. So I've tried via Ebay again.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Montana Smith said:
Would that be the mirror in Fighting Legion? That was pretty nifty!
Yes, indeed, that was the scene. I thought it was a creative, brilliant and refreshing change from the standard fare. (Wait until you get to the other, unexpected resolution in "Spy Smasher"!:gun:)
Montana Smith re: "Jungle Girl" said:
I found this serial hard going after the wonders of Zorro's Fighting Legion, even though both were directed by William Witney, who also did Zorro Rides Again, The Perils of Nyoka and Spy Smasher).
Re: "Jungle Girl"
1) I was going to recommend that you watch "Zorro's Fighting Legion" and "Spy Smasher" as the last, since they are the universal favourites and deemed the best. (Save your dessert for the end of the meal!):whip:

2) "Jungle Girl" can't really be faulted for the use of non-black actors and an Indian elephant because it was a low-budget serial. Those types of mistakes are par for the course (and were still present c.45 years later).

3) Shamba could very well be an influence for Mola Ram but I'd hesitate to call him a 'model'. Mola Ram's character seems to be a combination of various other villains.

4) The water rush through & exit of the tunnel was also featured in another serial. Hang on for a photo comparison!:D
Montana Smith re: "Perils of Nyoka" said:
While this serial has been put forward as one of the influences on Spielberg and Lucas, I was struggling to find many scenes that would substantially connect it to the Indy movies.
Re: "The Perils of Nyoka"
1) Don't look for DIRECT, literal influences in this serial. Apart from the rope bridge, they aren't there. It's the overall THEME, the pseudo-archaeological search for the lost Golden Tablets of Hippocrates that shares the similarity.

2) Cars driving over cliffs are a dime a dozen in the Republic serials so the "Raiders" influence here is spread over a very, wide source. Not just Nyoka.

3) Same goes for the red-hot branding iron...

4) There is more, Smiffy, but you're not seeing it!:whip:

---
For reviews about your Zorro reviews...Tune in tomorrow!:D
 
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Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Re: "Jungle Girl"
1) I was going to recommend that you watch "Zorro's Fighting Legion" and "Spy Smasher" as the last, since they are the universal favourites and deemed the best. (Save your dessert for the end of the meal!):whip:

I've watched all but Spy Smasher - that was the one I was most looking forward to, so left for last.

Stoo said:
Re: "The Perils of Nyoka"
1) Don't look for DIRECT, literal influences in this serial. Apart from the rope bridge, they aren't there. It's the overall THEME, the pseudo-archaeological search for the lost Golden Tablets of Hippocrates that shares the similarity.

Yes, that influence was clearest for me in that simplest of scenes: the translator reading the Tablet.

Stoo said:
2) Cars driving over cliffs are a dime a dozen in the Republic serials so the "Raiders" influence here is spread over a very, wide source. Not just Nyoka.

I thought they would be, and The Tiger Woman has two cars and a truck (and they all look like the same car from Nyoka!)

Stoo said:
3) Same goes for the red-hot branding iron...

Four out of the five I've watched so far has that one, so it's no surprise that it was Toht's top choice as well!

Stoo said:
4) There is more, Smiffy, but you're not seeing it!:whip:


Okay, Stewie, spill the beans. I want to know everything... ;)


Photobucket isn't allowing me to upload any pictures at the moment - something to do with preventing "cross-site scripting" so I'll hold off on The Tiger Woman.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
I cleared out my browsing history and it seems to have cured the Photobucket block.

The Tiger Woman (1944)

This is a strange one. It was later renamed Perils of the Darkest Jungle, yet there is no jungle, and neither are there any native tigers in Central or South America. It's not made certain exactly where this serial takes place, but it has been said that it looks suspiciously like California. ;) The only real taste we get of the exotic is the matte painting of the jungle clad mountains behind the town of Belleville, and the secnes within 'The Temple of the White Goddess'.

Nevertheless the serial does have a lot of interest, with a quite a few very detailed interiors, a temple with a killing trap beneath, a steamboat, speedboats, a car chase along a cliff edge, and two sets of bad guys with different motives.

The Tiger Woman, unbeknownst to her, is actually the heiress to her dead father?s fortune - she's taken over his role as the revered ruler of a native tribe of warriors.

In the first chapter, entitled "Temple of Terror", she appears as a cold white queen presiding over the ceremonial killing of a trespasser, by means of dropping him into the flaming lava pit beneath her throne room. These are the first suggestions reminiscent of The Temple of Doom.

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Later on there?s a mine cart chase through the tunnels, albeit a motorized one:

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And another suggested scene of torture by hot poker/branding iron ? as in Zorro Rides Again, Jungle Girl and The Perils of Nyoka:

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Scenes reflected in The Last Crusade comprise a water-filled subterranean setting, into which a bad guy pours oil and ignites it:

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And two shoot-outs between racing speedboats:

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One ends with a paddle steamer collision, and the other over a waterfall,

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which we finally see in Indy during KOTCS:

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Again there's a lot of the western genre on display with horses gallopng this way and that, punctuated frequently by the staple pulp ingredient of the fist-fight. I found The Tiger Woman to be an intriguing concept, due to it's suggested locale and the strange clash of genres.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
@Montana Smiffy: Still no reply from the UK seller about his/their claim of having all 20 chapters of "Pauline"?

I have a reply now - he says he sent one before, but it must still be floating somewhere out in cyber-space as it wasn't in my spam folder.

Here it is, warts and all:

i already sent you a emasil it stsates 20 episodes it is a compressed version trhis is the only version that exssists in the world this is the most complete serial avaialable you will not get anythink else i have cleared my email as it was full so there is no problem you sending me a email now


What do you make of that?


With regards to Serial influences on Lucas and Spielberg, rather than looking for the first instance of an idea or a cliffhanger, I'm more curious about the actual instances that Lucas and Spielberg might have seen.

As you wrote before, there are some that they might have seen when they were re-released, considering that Lucas was born in May 1944, and Spielberg in December 1946:

The Tiger Woman was re-released on 17th January 1951, under the title Perils of the Darkest Jungle. It was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a Century-66 film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Jungle Gold. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length. (Jack Mathis, "Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement")

The Perils of Nyoka (1942) was re-released on 2nd April 1952, under the title Nyoka and the Tigermen. It was also one of the 26 Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film, cut down to 100 minutes, was changed to Nyoka and the Lost Secrets of Hippocrates. (Jack Mathis, "Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement")


I followed the 'Century 66' lead and found a list of all 26 serials that were edited into TV films (the titles in brackets are the TV titles):

The Black Widow (Sombra, The Spider Woman)

Canadian Mounties Vs. Atomic Invaders (Missile Base at Taniak)

The Crimson Ghost (Cyclotrode "X")

Dangers of the Canadian Mounties (R.C.M.P. & the Treasure of Gengis Khan)

Darkest Africa (Batmen of Africa)

Federal Agents Vs. Underworld, Inc. ( Golden Hands of Kurigal)

Federal Operator 99 (FBI-99)

The Fighting Devil Dogs (Torpedo of Doom)

G-Men Never Forge (Code 645)

G-Men Vs. the Black Dragon (Black Dragon of Manzanar)

Hawk of the Wilderness (Lost Island of Kioga)

The Invisible Monster (Slaves of the InvisibleMonster)

Jungle Drums of Africa (U-238 and the Witch Doctor)

Manhunt of Mystery Island (Captain Mephisto and theTransformation
Machine)

The Masked Marvel (Sakima and The Masked Marvel)

Mysterious Doctor Satan (Doctor Satan's Robot)

Panther Girl of the Kongo (The Claw Monsters) * This one used a lot of stock footage from Jungle Girl

Perils of Nyoka (Nyoka and the Lost Secrets of Hippocrates)

The Purple Monster Strikes (D-Day on Mars)

Radar Men from the Moon (Retik the Moon Menace)

Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (Robinson Crusoe of Mystery Island)

Secret Service in Darkest Africa (The Baron's African War)

Spy Smasher (Spy Smasher Returns)

Tiger Woman (Jungle Gold)

Trader Tom of the China Seas (Target: Sea of China)

Undersea Kingdom (Sharad of Atlantis)



The only two serials that I know we can be more sure of were the ones spotted by Steranko:

George Lucas was working on a new film project and called Steranko, inquiring if he?d be interested in creating a series of production illustrations, just as Ralph McQuarrie had done for the Star Wars movies??It?s an old-fashioned movie, in the mode of a serial,? Lucas explained. ?It?s based on an old story idea of mine and what I?d really like to do is see that movie!?
?

Steranko flew out to the West Coast to meet with [Spielberg] and discuss his approach and inspirations. Spielberg was busy editing 1941 at a Burbank facility when the two men connected. After chatting for a while, the director suggested they continue at dinner and they piled in his car to drive to a nearby restaurant. His inspirations became immediately obvious: the back seat of the car was stacked with a multitude of film cans. Steranko noted a few of their titles: Spy Smasher and Zorro?s Fighting Legion, the serial reference Lucas had mentioned during the initial phone call.

?

Raiders was not, [Spielberg] explained, a suspense film. The plot was rooted in the action-adventure genre. The characters were larger than life; the locations were exotic, at times, bordering on the fantastic; and the set pieces were to be evocative of their period. Action, he stressed, was the keynote, and the plot was to feature enough cliffhangers to stock a serial ? which accounted for the homework in the car, which Spielberg would survey to hone his handling of the script?s daredevil stuntwork and explosive movement.

Jim Steranko: Arte Noir, Jim Steranko, J. David Spurlock & Angel de la Calle (2002)
 

Stoo

Well-known member
UK ebay Seller said:
i already sent you a emasil it stsates 20 episodes it is a compressed version trhis is the only version that exssists in the world this is the most complete serial avaialable you will not get anythink else i have cleared my email as it was full so there is no problem you sending me a email now
Sounds like a suspicious fish.
-"i already sent you a emasil it stsates 20 episodes"...What is IT? The DVD graphics? Very dodgy...
-"the most complete"...Most? Does this mean not-entirely-complete?
-"trhis is the only version that exssists in the world"...Trhis? Exssits?

I've tried looking on ebay but can't find the listing so could you give me the seller's link? (Is the name, julienneh2005?) In the list that you provided of his COMPLETE serials, "King of the Mounties", is among them and a FULL version of that supposedly doesn't exist either.:eek:
Montana Smith said:
With regards to Serial influences on Lucas and Spielberg, rather than looking for the first instance of an idea or a cliffhanger, I'm more curious about the actual instances that Lucas and Spielberg might have seen.
Same here, Smiff, but insatiable curiosity drives me to delve deeper into the ORIGINS of the origins!:D (Will comment on the '60s TV re-packagings later.)
Montana Smith said:
The only two serials that I know we can be more sure of were the ones spotted by Steranko:
Yeah, that blurb belongs here so thanks for re-posting it.:) Besides "Spy Smasher" and Zorro, it was either Spielberg or Lucas (or both) who mentioned other serial titles...just wish I could remember where I read/heard the instances.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Sounds like a suspicious fish.
-"i already sent you a emasil it stsates 20 episodes"...What is IT? The DVD graphics? Very dodgy...
-"the most complete"...Most? Does this mean not-entirely-complete?
-"trhis is the only version that exssists in the world"...Trhis? Exssits?

I've tried looking on ebay but can't find the listing so could you give me the seller's link? (Is the name, julienneh2005?) In the list that you provided of his COMPLETE serials, "King of the Mounties", is among them and a FULL version of that supposedly doesn't exist either.:eek:
.

I've just sent you an email with the seller's name, and a link.

:hat:
 

Montana Smith

Active member
With the help of reviews, largely those on IMDB, I've been honing down that huge list of Serials into something more manageable.

I was trying to sift the bad entries out of the equation, to leave only the best or most original examples of a genre.

First of all I discounted the standard westerns, as I don't think these will offer much in the way of variety.

The new shortlist:

Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy?s G-Men
Dick Tracy Returns
Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc.

Drums of Fu Manchu
G-Men vs The Black Dragon
SOS Coast Guard
Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island

Adventures of Captain Marvel
Captain Midnight
The Phantom
The Spider?s Web

Congo Bill
Darkest Africa
Jungle Jim
Jungle Menace

Haunted Harbor
Manhunt on Mystery Island

Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars



I'm looking forward to some further advice that might either shorten this list, or even lengthen it.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Re: "The Perils of Nyoka"

...

4) There is more, Smiffy, but you're not seeing it!


I found some help here! ;)

Connections between Nyoka and Indy:

• quest for a lost relic; an ornate metal box containing sacred stone tablets (Nyoka's box has a gold lion statue on the top, Raider's ark a statue of golden birds)

• the rope bridge snaps, and the hero hangs from cliff-face by remaining rope

• a trained pet monkey used for comedy relief

• torture with a cattle-brand, which ends up burning down the room

• heroes tied back-to-back on chair while room burns down

• gold medallion with a gem in the center

• mysterious group of foreigners with identical tattoos, who turn out to sort of be good guys protecting the relic

• ...and of course the usual fist-fights, horseback riding, gunfights, bad guys in arab robes and cairo


Stoo said:
Besides "Spy Smasher" and Zorro, it was either Spielberg or Lucas (or both) who mentioned other serial titles...just wish I could remember where I read/heard the instances.

While cheking out a possible bullsh!t statement on the page quoted above, about the serials Speilberg watched as a youngster, I found this:

Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Joseph McBride

Steven’s movie fanaticism was nurtured at the Kiva Theater on Main Street in Scottsdale, which showed sexy "adult" movies in the evening but had kiddie matinees every Saturday. Parents would drop off their kids and leave them all day with fifty cents’ admission to a program including two features – grade B Westerns and Tarzan movies, sci-fi and monster movies, and occasionally more prestigious films, such as John Huston’s Moby Dick and John Ford’s The Searchers – along with ten cartoons, Our Gang shorts, and two intallments of the kinds of serials Spielberg would pastiche so affectionately in his Indiana Jones movies. "It was a great Saturday," Spielberg recalled. "I was in the movies all day long, every Saturday. I saw Tailspin Tommy and Masked Marvel and Commando Cody and Spy Smasher – serials like that."

More can be read here (but it's not the complete book).


http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...=onepage&q=spielberg "tailspin tommy"&f=false
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Montana Smith said:
I've just sent you an email with the seller's name, and a link.:hat:
Thanks a lot, Smiff.:hat: Here is his/her/their product description for the 1914 version of "Perils of Pauline" (warts and all):

---
"Condition: New: An item that is still in its original shrink wrap from the manufacturer and the original manufacturer?s seal (if applicable) has not been removed. See the seller's listing for full details."

"this is for the complete serial. this is the only version available. this is on 9 chapters. cosisting of all 20 episodes. 214.minutes no other version exsists . this is the only one . comes cased and sleeved. and under ebay policys it is so noted that this serial is in the publick domain comes complete with chapter and menu search.free postage on all listing paypal only do not leave negertive feedback if there is a problem please email me we can sort it out thankssssssssss"

---
My observations:
1) The person who wrote this description is one step above Cro-Magnon man.
2) The name, Koerner, for the villain is from the edited, 9 episode Euro version from 1916.
3) A full run of all 20 episodes supposedly totals *410* minutes (not 214).
4) Grapevine Video released the 9 episode version on DVD with the same front cover as the one shown on the ebay lot. Length = 199 minutes.

Conclusion: BULLSH!T(n)
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Thanks a lot, Smiff.:hat: Here is his/her/their product description for the 1914 version of "Perils of Pauline" (warts and all):

---
"Condition: New: An item that is still in its original shrink wrap from the manufacturer and the original manufacturer?s seal (if applicable) has not been removed. See the seller's listing for full details."

"this is for the complete serial. this is the only version available. this is on 9 chapters. cosisting of all 20 episodes. 214.minutes no other version exsists . this is the only one . comes cased and sleeved. and under ebay policys it is so noted that this serial is in the publick domain comes complete with chapter and menu search.free postage on all listing paypal only do not leave negertive feedback if there is a problem please email me we can sort it out thankssssssssss"

---
My observations:
1) The person who wrote this description is one step above Cro-Magnon man.
2) The name, Koerner, for the villain is from the edited, 9 episode Euro version from 1916.
3) A full run of all 20 episodes supposedly totals *410* minutes (not 214).
4) Grapevine Video released the 9 episode version on DVD with the same front cover as the one shown on the ebay lot. Length = 199 minutes.

Conclusion: BULLSH!T(n)

So there's still more chance of finding the Ark of the Covenant on a Greek island than a complete 1914 "Perils of Pauline". :(
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Montana Smith said:
With the help of reviews, largely those on IMDB, I've been honing down that huge list of Serials into something more manageable.

I was trying to sift the bad entries out of the equation, to leave only the best or most original examples of a genre.

First of all I discounted the standard westerns, as I don't think these will offer much in the way of variety.

---edit---

I'm looking forward to some further advice that might either shorten this list, or even lengthen it.
Smiffy, about your short list...

Reconsider:
"Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island": To quote a popular intranetses term..."Meh." It has some O.K. moments but it's not that great and the 'actor' who plays the hero is annoying. (Though this one does have its fair share of amphibious planes and a zeppelin..with a biplane hooking up underneath! Oh, and a lava pit cliffhanger. Not a bad serial but not great either. Proceed with caution.)

Wise Choices:
"Jungle Jim": YES! A big favourite of mine and it's not from Republic! It's from Columbia Pictures. Not as good as the best Republic serials but I like it a lot and there is one scene in particular, where "Last Crusade" is a carbon copy.

"G-Men vs. The Black Dragon": A good one. (A clip from this was used in my "Raiders of the Lost Archives" video.;))

"Dick Tracy": Decent choice with another scene that "Last Crusade" copied almost shot-for-shot (which will feature in a future, "Raiders of the Lost Archives" video.)

"Manhunt on Mystery Island": 2 thumbs up from me and a very good choice!(y)(y) One highlight is hair-raising fight up a cliffside staircase. Highly enjoyable.

Additional Recommendations:
"Secret Service in Darkest Africa": The 'sequel' (so to speak) to, "G-Men vs. The Black Dragon", which is on your short-list. These 2 go together because they feature the same hero, played by the same actor. This is the one that I prefer. (It also has a few parallels to "Last Crusade".)

"King of the Mounties": One of the BEST Republic serials! Directed by William Witney. Superb action & editing. 'Say no more!':D

Possibles/Probables:
"Adventures of Captain Marvel": Have heard this is a great one but have never seen it.
"Drums of Fu Manchu": Knowing you, Smiffy, you'd probably like this. I've never seen the full series, though.
"Haunted Harbour": Looks good but have never seen the full thing. AndyLGR ordered it so perhaps he can give you a better opinion.

---
C'mon, folks! Anyone else out there who wishes to comment, please feel free to do so.:whip:
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Smiffy, about your short list...

Reconsider:
"Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island": To quote a popular intranetses term..."Meh." It has some O.K. moments but it's not that great and the 'actor' who plays the hero is annoying. (Though this one does have its fair share of amphibious planes and a zeppelin..with a biplane hooking up underneath! Oh, and a lava pit cliffhanger. Not a bad serial but not great either. Proceed with caution.)

Wise Choices:
"Jungle Jim": YES! A big favourite of mine and it's not from Republic! It's from Columbia Pictures. Not as good as the best Republic serials but I like it a lot and there is one scene in particular, where "Last Crusade" is a carbon copy.

"G-Men vs. The Black Dragon": A good one. (A clip from this was used in my "Raiders of the Lost Archives" video.;))

"Dick Tracy": Decent choice with another scene that "Last Crusade" copied almost shot-for-shot (which will feature in a future, "Raiders of the Lost Archives" video.)

"Manhunt on Mystery Island": 2 thumbs up from me and a very good choice!(y)(y) One highlight is hair-raising fight up a cliffside staircase. Highly enjoyable.

Additional Recommendations:
"Secret Service in Darkest Africa": The 'sequel' (so to speak) to, "G-Men vs. The Black Dragon", which is on your short-list. These 2 go together because they feature the same hero, played by the same actor. This is the one that I prefer. (It also has a few parallels to "Last Crusade".)

"King of the Mounties": One of the BEST Republic serials! Directed by William Witney. Superb action & editing. 'Say no more!':D

Possibles/Probables:
"Adventures of Captain Marvel": Have heard this is a great one but have never seen it.
"Drums of Fu Manchu": Knowing you, Smiffy, you'd probably like this. I've never seen the full series, though.
"Haunted Harbour": Looks good but have never seen the full thing. AndyLGR ordered it so perhaps he can give you a better opinion.

Thanks, Stoo. That's exacty what I was looking for. The original list was so big it was daunting, but now the mists are clearing I can see where I'm going.

Stoo said:
C'mon, folks! Anyone else out there who wishes to comment, please feel free to do so.:whip:

I thought this thread would have attracted more input...
 

AndyLGR

Active member
Montana Smith said:
I thought this thread would have attracted more input...
It will when I can find some spare time to watch them. Haunted Harbor is first on the list to watch.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
AndyLGR said:
It will when I can find some spare time to watch them. Haunted Harbor is first on the list to watch.

Looking forward to your review. The title of this one is really intriguing, which is why I still have it on my shortlist. I'm hoping it lives up to the creepy kind of Cthulhu-esque atmosphere that it suggests.
 
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