Post by mikef6 on Jun 3, 2017 4:22:39 GMT
Theaters during the summers since about the turn of the new century have been filled with superhero action (“superhero” used lightly to include all masked and costumed crime-fighters). But leave us not forget the first superhero era from the late 1930s throughout the 1940s that occurred in cliffhanger serials, mainly from the three major serial producing studios of the time: Republic, Columbia, and Universal.
Perhaps the one that started the trend was “The Return of Zorro” (1937-Republic-12 chapters). There was one other Zorro and a Zorro-spin off. I will discuss those below, among my list of favorites.
Columbia brought out two Batman chapter plays: “Batman” (1943-15 chapters with Lewis Wilson) and “Batman and Robin” (1949-15 chapters with Robert Lowery putting on the bat ears) as well as a 15 chapter “Superman” (1948) followed by “Atom Man vs. Superman” (1950-15 chapters) Both Superman serials starred Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill. Since Superman is all but indestructible, Lois and Jimmy face death in most of the cliffhanger chapter endings. Columbia also mined the newspaper comic strips for the “white savior” jungle adventure “The Phantom” (1943-15 chapters).
Here are a few of my favorites:
“The Adventures Of Captain Marvel” (1941-Republic-12 chapters). It opens with an American archeological expedition in (I think) Burma. It begins with the typical attitude of the time that American scientists have a right to claim anything they want from other cultures. The people who live in the country are referred to as “natives” (“The natives are gathering to attack”). So I was surprised when the youngest member of the expedition, the gofer Billy Batson, refuses on ethical grounds to take part in the opening of an ancient tomb. For this refusal, he is granted the power to turn into superhero Captain Marvel whenever he says the name of the local god, Shazam. Another more modern aspect is the glee with which Capt. Marvel pummels the bad guy’s henchmen. They will empty their guns at him as bullets bounce off his chest, then Marvel’s mouth will turn up in a sadistic grin. He then chases each of them down and beats the crap out of them. At one point, Capt. M. picks a guy up, holds him over his head and throws him off a parking garage roof, sending him screaming to his death. A Captain Marvel reboot is scheduled for 2019 with a gender switch. Brie Larson is attached to play the Captain.
“The Green Hornet” (1941-Universal-13 chapters). Gordon Jones is the mild-mannered newspaper editor who dons the mask at night to fight crime. Chinese-American actor Keye Luke plays karate chopping sidekick Kato (who, in chapter one, is identified as Korean).
“Zorro’s Black Whip” (1944-Republic-12 chapters). Thing is, though, Zorro isn’t in this one. He isn’t even mentioned. And the story takes place in 19th century Idaho (Idaho?) instead of Old California. Anyhow, that doesn’t seem to have bothered anybody. In Idaho, a criminal element is trying to prevent the territory from getting statehood because that would bring law that would end gang control. A masked rider known as the Black Whip often shows up to foil criminal plots. In the first chapter, the Black Whip is fatally shot but makes it back to his hidden cave before dying. He is revealed to be the young crusading newspaper owner. His body is found by his sister, Queen Of The Serials Linda Sterling. Sterling then takes the part of the Black Whip and continues the crime fighting, aided by a government secret agent, played by George J. Lewis. (Lewis had a later Zorro connection when he played Don Diego’s father in the Disney TV series, 1957-1959.) The sister proves as adept on horseback and with gun and whip as her brother that by the time in one of the last chapters Lewis learns her identity and says, “This is no job for a girl,” she has proven over and over that it certainly is. Very unusual for the time period.
“Zorro’s Fighting Legion” (1939-Republic-12 chapters) The best of them – like this one – featured exciting outdoor photography, chases, fights, wall-to-wall action, and spectacular stunt work. Deep-voiced Reed Hadley (he narrated several 1940s docu-dramas such as “The House On 92nd Street” from 1945) takes the duel role of clueless Don Diego who is really Zorro. In this clip from the start of Chapter 8, stuntman Dale Van Sickle does an elaborate version of the famous “stagecoach stunt.” Van Sickle’s version, you might recognize, was re-created for the truck chase in Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The stunt men were the real stars of these Saturday matinee kids’ adventures. No computer animation or trickery. If you saw a man roll down a mountain or lie on the ground as horses pound over and past him, it is really happening.
Perhaps the one that started the trend was “The Return of Zorro” (1937-Republic-12 chapters). There was one other Zorro and a Zorro-spin off. I will discuss those below, among my list of favorites.
Columbia brought out two Batman chapter plays: “Batman” (1943-15 chapters with Lewis Wilson) and “Batman and Robin” (1949-15 chapters with Robert Lowery putting on the bat ears) as well as a 15 chapter “Superman” (1948) followed by “Atom Man vs. Superman” (1950-15 chapters) Both Superman serials starred Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill. Since Superman is all but indestructible, Lois and Jimmy face death in most of the cliffhanger chapter endings. Columbia also mined the newspaper comic strips for the “white savior” jungle adventure “The Phantom” (1943-15 chapters).
Here are a few of my favorites:
“The Adventures Of Captain Marvel” (1941-Republic-12 chapters). It opens with an American archeological expedition in (I think) Burma. It begins with the typical attitude of the time that American scientists have a right to claim anything they want from other cultures. The people who live in the country are referred to as “natives” (“The natives are gathering to attack”). So I was surprised when the youngest member of the expedition, the gofer Billy Batson, refuses on ethical grounds to take part in the opening of an ancient tomb. For this refusal, he is granted the power to turn into superhero Captain Marvel whenever he says the name of the local god, Shazam. Another more modern aspect is the glee with which Capt. Marvel pummels the bad guy’s henchmen. They will empty their guns at him as bullets bounce off his chest, then Marvel’s mouth will turn up in a sadistic grin. He then chases each of them down and beats the crap out of them. At one point, Capt. M. picks a guy up, holds him over his head and throws him off a parking garage roof, sending him screaming to his death. A Captain Marvel reboot is scheduled for 2019 with a gender switch. Brie Larson is attached to play the Captain.
“The Green Hornet” (1941-Universal-13 chapters). Gordon Jones is the mild-mannered newspaper editor who dons the mask at night to fight crime. Chinese-American actor Keye Luke plays karate chopping sidekick Kato (who, in chapter one, is identified as Korean).
“Zorro’s Black Whip” (1944-Republic-12 chapters). Thing is, though, Zorro isn’t in this one. He isn’t even mentioned. And the story takes place in 19th century Idaho (Idaho?) instead of Old California. Anyhow, that doesn’t seem to have bothered anybody. In Idaho, a criminal element is trying to prevent the territory from getting statehood because that would bring law that would end gang control. A masked rider known as the Black Whip often shows up to foil criminal plots. In the first chapter, the Black Whip is fatally shot but makes it back to his hidden cave before dying. He is revealed to be the young crusading newspaper owner. His body is found by his sister, Queen Of The Serials Linda Sterling. Sterling then takes the part of the Black Whip and continues the crime fighting, aided by a government secret agent, played by George J. Lewis. (Lewis had a later Zorro connection when he played Don Diego’s father in the Disney TV series, 1957-1959.) The sister proves as adept on horseback and with gun and whip as her brother that by the time in one of the last chapters Lewis learns her identity and says, “This is no job for a girl,” she has proven over and over that it certainly is. Very unusual for the time period.
“Zorro’s Fighting Legion” (1939-Republic-12 chapters) The best of them – like this one – featured exciting outdoor photography, chases, fights, wall-to-wall action, and spectacular stunt work. Deep-voiced Reed Hadley (he narrated several 1940s docu-dramas such as “The House On 92nd Street” from 1945) takes the duel role of clueless Don Diego who is really Zorro. In this clip from the start of Chapter 8, stuntman Dale Van Sickle does an elaborate version of the famous “stagecoach stunt.” Van Sickle’s version, you might recognize, was re-created for the truck chase in Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The stunt men were the real stars of these Saturday matinee kids’ adventures. No computer animation or trickery. If you saw a man roll down a mountain or lie on the ground as horses pound over and past him, it is really happening.
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