Cliffhangers - Republic Pictures & Other Saturday Matinee Serials

Montana Smith

Active member
Batman (1943) continued...

Not only was this serial the first appearance of Batman on film, but also the first appearance of 'The Bat's Cave' itself. It didn't appear in the comics until Detective Comics #112 in June 1946.

One of the access points to the cave from Wayne Manor was through a grandfather clock, as in the serial:

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This film is also notable for changing the appearance of Alfred Pennyworth in the comics, from overweight and clean-shaven to the slim, thin-mustached figure more closely remembling the actor, William Austin:

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In chapter ten Batman escapes from a car before it plunges over a cliff and erupts spectacularly in a ball of flames:

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In the following chapter Daka ironically states: ?It will take but a few days to complete the weapon which will be more destructive than anything man ever dreamed of.?

His vision of the ?atom smasher? would be matched for real in 1945.


Bruce Wayne, in disguise as the criminal Chuck White, is followed in a taxi by New Order agents driving a truck. The truck rams the taxi in an attempt to kill Chuck:

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Chapter thirteen has a spike chamber, in which the walls compress from the sides:

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The final episode sees Daka meet a Mola Ram demise at the jaws of his own alligators!
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Batman and Robin (1949)

I liked the 1943 serial, but this 1949 entry is very underwhelming, though I am only six chapters into it.

For a start the Batman uniform doesn't look right. The ears are very off-putting!

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And the Bat Signal doesn't look too fearsome:

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The house used as Wayne Manor was the Columbia Pictures Ranch in Burbank, now known as the Warner Ranch. It?s a complete set with full exterior and interior, but as a ranch-style building it doesn?t make for a very convincing Wayne residence:

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The house, which is next door to that used in Bewitched, also appeared in the 1960s TV series Hazel, and all of the Lethal Weapon movies.

The Batcave is present, but is again quite sparsely furnished. There?s a rudimentary laboratory:

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A filing cabinet in which the top drawer houses Batman?s ?Rogue?s Gallery? ? files on known criminals:

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The next drawer down is where Batman and Robin keep their uniforms.

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The Batmobile this time is a maroon 1949 Mercury Convertible, which was also Bruce?s runabout:

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According to Johnny Duncan, the actor who played Robin in the serial, they actually went through six cars during filming. Though powerful, the Mercury was a very heavy car that didn't corner all that well...so whenever they wrecked one, they would just swap cars and continue shooting.

http://expensive-world.com/1949-the-second-batmobile/


The chief villain is the robed and masked Wizard who uses a stolen remote control device to commandeer air and land transport (at a range of up to 50 miles) for his crimes. The device runs on diamonds.

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The Wizard?s secret underground headquarters can only be reached by an unmanned submarine. And the submarine can only reached by descending into a cavern.


In chapter three Robin drives up alongside a speeding train so that the Batman can board it.

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As in 1943 Bruce Wayne is a master of disguise (like The Spider before him). He manages to infiltrate The Wizard?s gang by posing as one of their captured members.


To be continued...
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Batman and Robin (1949) continued...


Here’s the elaborate process required to reach The Wizard’s lair:

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In chapter seven Vicki Vale asks Batman a question that I was wondering about:

“Does Bruce Wayne know that you’re driving his car?”

“Of course.”

“You know, if I didn’t know Bruce Wayne so well I’d almost think that you and he were the same man.”

“That’s absurd.”


As before, access to the Batcave is through a grandfather clock:

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Chapter eight sees a car sail over a stone wall to be destroyed on the ground below:

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And in the following episode a car somersaults over a cliff into water:

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Incidentally, chapter nine is titled “The Wizard Strikes Back”. I don’t recall another possible source for the title of Star Wars Episode V.

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The armoured van (as used in the 1943 serial) is bombed from the air in episode twelve, and veers off the road and down a cliff face.


When The Wizard devises a way of making himself invisible the special effects are pretty good as he infiltrates buildings and knocks out his opponents.

During his escape his right hand is grazed by a bullet. By incredible coincidence several of the chief suspects have also suffered an injury to their right hand, throwing Batman and Gordon, along with the audience, off the scent.

In the final chapter Vicki Vale is captured by The Wizard’s gang and left tied up in her car. Batman, pursuing The Wizard to his lair, finds Vicki, and the scene that follows is very reminiscent of Indy finding Marion in Belloq’s tent:

Vicki: “Untie me, please.”

Batman: “I haven’t got time. You’ll be all right. Don’t go away (!)”


While there were some good locations and visual effects throughout, this serial lacked an effective and menacing villain. The Wizard was no Prince Daka. In fact, at times The Wizard was quite unassertive, allowing himself to be challenged by his minions.

It also lacked a recognizable Wayne Manor, and a decent Bat Utility Belt. Instead of the belt seen in 1943, Batman has a cloth band with a pocket or two. When he needs just the right tool to make his escape he has one miraculously attached to the belt, such as a large oxyacetylene cutter that was previously concealed by his cape.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Stoo said:
Do you think your reviews of the 2 Batman serials will inspire the hordes of Dork Knight fans to seek these out and watch them?:confused: For a few reasons, my guess would be no. (One reason being that many of them probably wouldn't touch a black & white movie with a 10-foot pole!)
Montana Smith said:
Don't hold your breath. Or you might turn blue!
How utterly disappointing.(n) With all the Batman fans on here, it's so sad that none of them seem to show even the slightest shred of interest in these 2 serials. It's quite "beyond my capacity to comprehend". Maybe the Batfans are suffering from myopia?:confused:
Montana Smith said:
Incidentally, chapter nine is titled “The Wizard Strikes Back”. I don’t recall another possible source for the title of Star Wars Episode V.
While they aren't serials, RKO made a film series of The Saint in the 1930s and '40s. The 2nd one from 1939 is called, "The Saint Strikes Back", and predates the Batman chapter by 10 years.

Here's a screengrab I made along with some nice posters:

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Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
How utterly disappointing.(n) With all the Batman fans on here, it's so sad that none of them seem to show even the slightest shred of interest in these 2 serials. It's quite "beyond my capacity to comprehend". Maybe the Batfans are suffering from myopia?:confused:

A condition sadly suffered by many Indy fans as well. :(

Stoo said:
While they aren't serials, RKO made a film series of The Saint in the 1930s and '40s. The 2nd one from 1939 is called, "The Saint Strikes Back", and predates the Batman chapter by 10 years.

Here's a screengrab I made along with some nice posters:

Cool. :cool:
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Montana Smith said:
A condition sadly suffered by many Indy fans as well. :(
Unfortunately...:(

Another aspect of "Star Wars" that seems to have been inspired by the serials are its funky screenwipes. Some Republic serials often used a "clock hand" wipe to change to the next scene and this type of thing can be seen in "Star Wars".
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Stoo said:
Unfortunately...:(

Another aspect of "Star Wars" that seems to have been inspired by the serials are its funky screenwipes. Some Republic serials often used a "clock hand" wipe to change to the next scene and this type of thing can be seen in "Star Wars".

Perhaps, but it's also a signature technique of Kurosawa's, who we know was an influence on Star Wars.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Attila the Professor said:
Perhaps, but it's also a signature technique of Kurosawa's, who we know was an influence on Star Wars.
Nice observation, Attila.:hat: It's been quite awhile since I've watched any Kurosawa films and don't remember any funky screen-wipes. The last one I watched was, "Dersu Uzala". Which films are you referring to? "Hidden Fortress"? "Throne of Blood"? "Yojimbo"?...or more obscure stuff?:confused:
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Air Canada added the next 2 chapters of "S.O.S. Coast Guard" to their Classics choices so I watched them 2 days ago. (I rewatched Chapter 1 just to see the melting effect again.) Because Larry Byrd plays Lt. Kent, at times it feels like another Dick Tracy serial.

The solution to the 1st cliffhanger was pretty good, with Lt. Kent & Jean finding an underwater, air pocket in the ship. Later on in Chapter 2, I laughed when Kent is trying to free his tied hands by cutting the ropes with the boat's wildly spinning throttle dial.

The ending of Chapter 3 is a nail-biter. The laboratory is melting with Lt. Kent and Snapper McGee trapped inside, about to meet the same fate!:eek: Let's hope Chapter 4 is playing when I fly back in 2 weeks.
Montana Smith said:
Fighting Devil Dogs was made a year later, and according to this page,
serialexperience.com said:
"The cliffhanger from Chapter Three involving the motorcycle chase is lifted bodily from “S.O.S. Coastguard”
My intuition was correct!:) Yet another source uncovered for the cut'n'paste production of "Fighting Devil Dogs".
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Air Canada added the next 2 chapters of "S.O.S. Coast Guard" to their Classics choices so I watched them 2 days ago. (I rewatched Chapter 1 just to see the melting effect again.) Because Larry Byrd plays Lt. Kent, at times it feels like another Dick Tracy serial.

The solution to the 1st cliffhanger was pretty good, with Lt. Kent & Jean finding an underwater, air pocket in the ship. Later on in Chapter 2, I laughed when Kent is trying to free his tied hands by cutting the ropes with the boat's wildly spinning throttle dial.

The ending of Chapter 3 is a nail-biter. The laboratory is melting with Lt. Kent and Snapper McGee trapped inside, about to meet the same fate!:eek: Let's hope Chapter 4 is playing when I fly back in 2 weeks.

It was a surpisingly good serial, with such an innocuous title. If it hadn't been for reading reviews beforehand I'd never have chosen it.


Stoo said:
My intuition was correct!:) Yet another source uncovered for the cut'n'paste production of "Fighting Devil Dogs".

Yes, they cheaped out with that one.

However, there was some good original bits, like more interior shots of the Dick Tracy Flying Wing, the "pipsqueak" proto Vader, plus archive footage of the '37 Japanese attack on Shanghai.

It was fun skimming back through these pages. I use them as an aide-mémoire since I watched so many in a short time they tend to blend together!
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Two days ago, I watched chapter #4 of "S.O.S. Coast Guard" while flying back to Switzerland. The nail-biting climax of #3 was resolved with a typical solution, one so obvious that I didn't see it coming! The magic of the cliffhanger still works all these decades later.:) (In early September, I'll be flying overseas again and will watch chapter #5 then. Can't wait.)

I also got the 1945 serial, "Jungle Queen", which will help pass the time vacationing Italy for the next 2 weeks. It has Nazis in the African jungle during the months before the start of WW2. Should be interesting...

Will give a review when I get back.:)
 

Sakis

TR.N Staff Member
Stoo said:
Here is a comparison of the "Jungle Jim", castle-balcony-whip-swing scene:

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Does the "Last Crusade" scene look original? No!:whip:

Original? Certainly no, far more beautiful? Hell yes!!!
 

russds

New member
I must be missing something. When I watch LC, I don't see that first (1989) top right image of Indy standing on the window ledge outside. Is that from somewhere else? I've seen that in another thread as well, and I thought maybe i'm crazy, but I watched the scene again, and still don't see it. :)
 

Montana Smith

Active member
russds said:
I must be missing something. When I watch LC, I don't see that first (1989) top right image of Indy standing on the window ledge outside. Is that from somewhere else? I've seen that in another thread as well, and I thought maybe i'm crazy, but I watched the scene again, and still don't see it. :)

I think it's a publicity still. It doesn't appear in VP's extensive screenshot gallery.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Me said:
Two days ago, I watched chapter #4 of "S.O.S. Coast Guard" while flying back to Switzerland. The nail-biting climax of #3 was resolved with a typical solution, one so obvious that I didn't see it coming! The magic of the cliffhanger still works all these decades later.:) (In early September, I'll be flying overseas again and will watch chapter #5 then. Can't wait.).
Forgot to mention that I did see #5 last month on the plane and, luckily, #6 was playing two weeks later on the return trip. The timing is working out very well since I've managed to see exactly half of "S.O.S. Coast Guard" as in-flight movies without missing any of the chapters.:D

The cliffhanger for #5 was highly unusual in that the character involved didn't safely escape the danger (an exploding boiler) at the start of #6. He actually got badly injured!:dead:

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I also watched all of "Jungle Queen" two months ago.:) The format was different from any serial I've ever seen.
Sakis said:
Original? Certainly no, far more beautiful? Hell yes!!!
Montana Smith said:
Yes, very little new under the sun, but when inspired, Spielberg did make it all look so much prettier! :)
Because of the many, moronic comments on YouTube, I'm almost afraid to use this scene in a future "Raiders of the Lost Archives" video.:(
russds said:
I must be missing something. When I watch LC, I don't see that first (1989) top right image of Indy standing on the window ledge outside. Is that from somewhere else? I've seen that in another thread as well, and I thought maybe i'm crazy, but I watched the scene again, and still don't see it. :)
Russ, it's actually from a rare, TV version that was only shown in certain countries during the early '90s. (Just kidding! That shot is NOT in the movie.;))
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
I also watched all of "Jungle Queen" two months ago.:) The format was different from any serial I've ever seen.

In what way?

I just read the synopsis, and for some reason I didn't consider it when I was picking serials.

Stoo said:
Because of the many, moronic comments on YouTube, I'm almost afraid to use this scene in a future "Raiders of the Lost Archives" video.:(

Those people will never understand the meaning of 'homage', so I wouldn't worry. :whip:
 

Stoo

Well-known member
"Jungle Queen" (1945) - Part 1

Montana Smith said:
In what way?

I just read the synopsis, and for some reason I didn't consider it when I was picking serials.
"Jungle Queen" (from Universal) is not one of the better serials out there but it's still watchable & intriguing. It has Nazi agents, plenty of pith helmets and a jungle setting.(y)

What I found most interesting about this one is that it doesn't follow the standard conventions. For 2 reasons:

1) It doesn't use the typical, title cards at the beginning of each chapter to keep the viewer updated on the story. Instead, the 're-cap' is done with dialogue by characters who aren't involved in the cliffhanger. They are in a completely different location from the action and talk about the events of the previous installment...

2) ...Then it cuts to the cliffhanger situation but (more often than not) it isn't a replay of the same shots from the earlier chapter. The sequences have been re-filmed, using different camera angles and different dialogue.

I've seen a few other Universal serials and they don't use this unconventional format so, "Jungle Queen", seems to be rather unique in this regard (although it's possible that there may be others).
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Stoo said:
Air Canada added the next 2 chapters of "S.O.S. Coast Guard" to their Classics choices so I watched them 2 days ago. (I rewatched Chapter 1 just to see the melting effect again.) Because Larry Byrd plays Lt. Kent, at times it feels like another Dick Tracy serial.

Not a cliffhanger, but closely connected...

I picked up a DVD today with three films on it:

Dick Tracy v. Cueball (1946, Morgan Conway)
Dick Tracy’s Dilemma (1947, Ralph Byrd)
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947, Ralph Byrd)

These were produced by RKO Radio Pictures. The Trivia page on IMDB for Dick Tracy's Dilemma records:

Ralph Byrd, who had previously played Dick Tracy in four serials Republic produced in the late '30s and early 40's, was hired to replace Morgan Conway because, after the two previous films (Splitface and Dick Tracy vs. Cueball), exhibitors complained. To them, Byrd was Dick Tracy, and only Byrd would do. RKO accepted this and hired him to finish the series. Unfortunately for Byrd, because of this he spent his career typecast as Dick Tracy.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Me said:
Because Larry Byrd plays Lt. Kent, at times it feels like another Dick Tracy serial.
D'oh!:eek: I wrote, "Larry Byrd plays Lt. Kent" when I meant, "Ralph Byrd plays Lt. Terry Kent". Guess I had '80s basketball on the brain (Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics).
Montana Smith said:
I picked up a DVD today with three films on it:
I've seen a couple of the Dick Tracy films ("Meets Gruesome" and the one with Splitface). They were both very good. Enjoy your DVD, Smiffy!:)
 
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