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Date Posted: 03:54:23 01/25/09 Sun
Author: Rick
Subject: Favorite Universal movie serials

The poll covers all Universal serials, silent and sound era to 1946. Non-Universal serials are included in the poll.





Rick

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Replies:

[> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- Officer Torch, 12:04:33 01/25/09 Sun [1]

Well, I'm partial to Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. But, there are others I enjoy, eg Ace Drummond, The Phantom Empire, Don Winslow, Red Barry, Undersea Kingdom, Shadow of the Eagle, Tim Tyler's Luck, Return of Chandu, Hurricane Express, some others. Of the non-FG/BR serials, I tend to favor...The Phantom Empire, Ace Drummond, Don Winslow. The serials from yesteryear bring back a lot of memories.


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[> [> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- DAN, 10:55:41 01/26/09 Mon [1]

The first Universal serial I saw was the first "Flash Gordon" and right off I noticed some of the music from Bride of Frankenstein, and also the tower steps.

"Tim Tyler's Luck" was the second U serial I saw.

My Favorite Universal Serials are:

The Phantom of the Air (1933)
Ace Drummond (1936)
Flash Gordon (1936)
Tim Tyler's Luck (1937
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
Buck Rogers (1939)
The Phantom Creeps (1939)
Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1939)
The Green Hornet (1940)
The Green Hornet Strikes Again (1940)
Junior G-Men (1940)
Don Winslow Of the Navy (1942)
Junior G-Men of the Air (1942)
Jungle Queen (1945)
Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (1943)

Non-Universal Serials:

The Return of Chandu (1934) Principal
Phantom Empire (1935) Mascot
Undersea Kingdom (1936) Republic
SOS Coast Guard (1937) Republic
Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) Republic
Perils of Nyoka (1942) Republic
The Masked Marvel (1943) Republic
Batman (1943) Columbia
The Purple Monster Strikes (1945) Republic
Superman (1948) Columbia
King of the Rocket Men (1949) Republic
Atom Man vs Superman (1950) Columbia
Radar Men From the Moon (1952) Republic
Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952) Republic
Blackhawk (1952) Columbia

I also liked some of the Universal Western Serials, and though I didn't like the westerns as much as the Sci-Fi stuff, they were still fun.

"Winners of the West," "Riders of Death Valley,"
"Overland Mail," etc.

And the same for these westerns outside of Universal.

"Zorro Rides Again," Zorro's Fighting Legion" "The Lone Ranger," "Zorro's Black Whip," "Ghost of Zorro."


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[> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- Tim, 14:42:17 01/26/09 Mon [1]

There are many of the Universal serials I have not seen (Dan provides a great list here). My current favorite has the be the 1936 Flash Gordon. The blonde Flash Gordon meets the blonde (brunette in later serials) Dale Arden. Characters include the evil Ming, his daughter Aura and the loyal Officer Torch. Also the brainy Zarkov, the bellowing King Vultan, the noble Prince Barin and many more. Fast paced fun and excitement.

Re: Dan's non-Universal list. I saw the Batman serial awhile back and really enjoyed it. Zombies of the Stratosphere is notable for having a young pre-Trek Leonard Nimoy in a small role as an alien. I recall seeing a shortened movie length version called Satan's Satellites on late night TV back in the 1970s or early 1980s.

Tim


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[> [> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- Rick, 18:43:31 01/26/09 Mon [1]

"Bride of Frankenstein" cues were tracked only in the feature version of Flash Gordon later released in November of 1936 and were also used in "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" (1938). The 1936 serial released in April relied heavily on Hajos' score
from "Werewolf of London." No Waxman cues were tracked from "Bride."







Rick


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[> [> [> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- DAN, 10:48:19 01/27/09 Tue [1]

I could have sworn I noticed some of the "Bride" cues when I first saw "Flash Gordon?"

But then I'm only going from memory, which is faulty.

I first saw FG around 1960, and then again about 1965.

I saw the other two sequels a year or so after seeing the first FG serial, about 1961 or 1962.

I also saw the condensed movie version of FG in the sixties. And the only FG serial I have on tape so far is
FG Conquers the Universe.

Anyway I stand corrected.


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[> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- joystar, 20:01:36 10/08/09 Thu [1]

Tim Tyler's Luck
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars
and my beloved Buck Rogers.

Tim Tyler's Luck was the first, and I remember LOVING the music.

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars was Gorgeous, and I enjoyed Anthony Waarde as the Tree King and C. Montague Shaw as the Clay King. I STILL loved the music...

In Buck Rogers, I was reunited with my dear Buster Crabbe, enjoyed meeting old friends in new characters...also known as "Killer Kane" and "Dr. Huer".. I also loved seeing "Wilma Deering" kick **s, and found Henry Brandon's
"Captain Laska a fitting adversary for Buck.

And Yes...I STILL LOVE THE MUSIC. Every single blessed note. (lol)

One final thought. Do any of the East Coast brigade remember the old Chuck McCann show on WNEW Ch. 5 out of New York City?

McCann was a gifted comedian and impressionist who could do spot on impressions of both Laurel and Hardy. He also ran chapters of the serials. After Friday's episode, it was hell waiting til Monday to find out what happened.

It drove me nuts during TRIP TO MARS, because Friday's cliffhanger was a hypnotised Dale stabbing flash in the back, and WNEW then cancelled McCann's show! Took me 20 years to find out how he got out of it!

Cliffhangers can be pretty tough when you're only 10!

JS


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[> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- DAN, 19:47:07 10/11/09 Sun [1]

The first TV shows I remember Chuck McCann from was his Sunday morning show "Let's Have Fun," opposite Wonderama on WNEW, and "Laurel & Hardy and Chuck" on weekday afternoons. Both shows ran from 1960 till 1965 on WPIX channel 11.

"Let's Have Fun" was a three and a half hour show.
You could see a variey of cartoons, a couple of Three Stooges shorts, a few live puppet skits, and the marquis chimps.

I tried like hell to never miss Laurel & Hardy and Chuck, because, besides the L&H film short, the L&H puppets Chuck used on the show would be used in a different serialized adventure. And each adventure would last for about three weeks. Chuck provided the voices for both of the L&H puppets.

In the fall of 1965 Chuck McCann moved to WNEW and ran some cartoons along with the old serials. I was bummed when his show was cancelled.

Before The Chuck McCann Show, in 1962 Officer Joe Bolton, became "Chief Joe Bolton" and left the hosting duties of The Three Stooges to Fireman Todd Russell on WPIX.

Chief Joe Bolton now hosted the Dick Tracy cartoons along with a serial. The only two serials I can remember seeing on this show were "Zombies of the Stratosphere" and "Radar Men From the Moon."


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[> [> Re: Favorite Universal movie serials -- joystar, 12:51:28 10/13/09 Tue [1]

Dan...hello! I definitely remember Officer Joe Bolton, though I don't really remember the show's content. WPIX also had Fire Captain Jack McCarthy as well. I only came upon Chuck McCann on WNEW. I remember that he pronounced Buster Crabbe's name as "Crabbay", as though it were French! I remember that Chuck used to flip his tie, ala Oliver Hardy. How I LOVED that dear man...


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