THE CRIMSON GHOST (1946). 12-chapter Republic serial. Directed by William Witney and Fred C. Brannon.
An evil masked mastermind known as the Crimson Ghost is out to steal a device known as a cyclotrode. To this end he uses a "control collar" around the necks of henchmen and unwilling participants alike. This collar not only saps the will of the individual wearing it, but can also kill them from long distance. Charles Quigley and Linda Stirling are the nominal hero and heroine in this, but the most striking presence is provided by Clayton Moore, this time playing the Ghost's main bad guy. Chapter three has a nifty high wire plunge and there's a dandy gas room death trap in chapter four. Four different composers contributed some excellent music to keep things humming, and the theme that introduces each chapter is swell.
Verdict: You can't beat that ghost! ***.
2 comments:
Indeed one of the more entertaining serials, but I am one whose guilty film pleasures include serials, having seen almost 120 of them over the years. A perfect close to the day, one chapter a night is better than a glass of warm milk to send you off to sleep.
I couldn't have put it better myself! Although I tend to watch a few chapters at one sitting. I'm slowly working my way through as many of them as I can get my hands on. Many are more entertaining and better-made (in their low-budget fashion) than some of the big-budget super-hero spectacles of today!
Thanks for your comment.
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