FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE

The wonderful Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless

FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (12 chapter Universal serial/1940). Directors: Ford Beebe; Ray Taylor.

The third and final Flash Gordon serial has a plague striking earth, leaving purple spots on victims' foreheads. This is caused by Ming (Charles Middleton) the Merciless' "death dust," which Flash (Buster Crabbe)  and his allies, Dale (Carol Hughes) and Zarkov (Frank Shannon), must stop or else. A cure for the death dust is Polarite, which can be found in the frozen kingdom of Frigia on Mongo. Flash has a few allies in the form of Queen Fria (Luli Deste of The Case of the Black Parrot) of Frigia; Prince Barin (Roland Drew of The Invisible Killer) of the medieval kingdom of Arboria; and Ming's daughter, Princess Aura (Shirley Deane). Aura has a handmaiden named Sonja (Anne Gwynne), who is secretly in league with the bad guys -- she and Dale have a "cat fight" in chapter ten. There are some decent cliffhangers, such as Flash falling into a bottomless pit in chapter one; an avalanche in chapter two; and the electrical ray in chapter four. We see more of Mongo's delightful giant lizards, one of whom snacks on a soldier (off-screen) in Ming's army. Crabbe and Shannon could have acted their parts in their sleep by now; Hughes [Meet the Boyfriend] is perhaps not as glamorous as Jean Rogers  but she's spunky enough. Byron Foulger, Roy Barcroft, Tom Steele, and Donald Curtis are also in the cast.

Verdict: Flash Gordon's last gasp, and not a moment too soon. **.

FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS

Kane Richmond and Buster Crabbe

FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS (15 chapter Universal serial/1938). Directors: Ford Beebe; Robert F. Hill

When destructive winds buffet the earth causing mass disaster, Flash Gordon (Buster Crabbe) heads to Mongo with Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) and Dale Arden (Jean Rogers), but they discover that a deadly ray is trained on earth from Mars. On Mars, Flash discovers that old adversary Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) has joined forces with Azura, Queen of Magic (Beatrice Roberts) -- known as "Her Magnificence" -- who is fond of turning anyone who displeases her into living clay. Flash and company take quite a while, nearly the entire serial, to finally turn off that ray, but along the way we see interesting sets, bridges made out of solid light, cloaks that allow people to fly through the air, and an underground tube through which Flash races in a speedy vehicle. Trick photography, as it used to be called, makes the clay people seem to come out of walls made of the same material (these sequences remind one of the rock people in the later Missile to the Moon) and there's a group of Forest People who are even more threatening. The cliffhangers aren't particularly special in this serial, although there is a disintegrater room sequence in chapter nine. With her hair short and brunette instead of long and blond, Jean Rogers is less of a sex object and comes off braver and more competent than in the original serial, but she doesn't look as hot. Beatrice Roberts [Love Takes Flight] is only acceptable as Azura, but Middleton again steals the show as the marvelous Ming. Flash is such a gentleman that at one point he actually apologizes to Ming: "I'm sorry I have to rough you up, Ming." Huh? Crabbe seems a little bored at times. Jack Mulhall, Anthony Warde and future Spy Smasher Kane Richmond [Haunted Harbor] are also in the cast, with Richmond playing an enemy soldier.

Verdict: Hearty hokum. **1/2.

FLASH GORDON

The "lobster-clawed dragon" has Flash in its clutches

FLASH GORDON (13 chapter Universal serial/1936). Director: Frederick Stephani.

In this serial based on the Alex Raymond "cartoon strip," the earth is threatened by another planet rushing toward it on a path to destruction. Flying to this planet, Mongo, with Professor Zarkov (Frank Shannon) and lovely Dale Arden (Jean Rogers of The Second Woman), Flash Gordon (Buster Crabbe) encounters Emperor Ming (Charles Middleton of The Town Went Wild) and his horny daughter, Aura (Priscilla Lawson). The original menace of two planets colliding is solved right off the bat, but now Flash and his friends have to deal with a variety of friendly and not-so-friendly Mongo inhabitants, as well as giant, man-eating lizards and a terrible fire dragon with lobster-like claws. Ming is also determined to make Dale his bride, while Aura is equally smitten with Flash and hates Dale, whom he prefers. Prince Thun (James Pierce) is king of the lion men while the obese King Vultan (Jack "Tiny" Lipson) rules the winged Hawkmen. (One can't imagine how Vultan would ever be able to get off the ground!) Flabby-armed and pot-bellied Prince Barin (Richard Alexander) claims to be the rightful ruler of Mongo. An "octosac" is merely an octopus that battles a shark (in footage later used in The Beast from 20,00 Fathoms and probably dozens of other films). There are some exciting scenes and death traps in the serial, such as a electric torture device in chapter six, a tank that fills with water and then an octosac; and a splendid, lengthy sword fight between Flash and Barin in chapter eight. The dragon does double-duty, first appearing in chapter two before becoming a fire-breathing variation in a later chapter. It's interesting that the flying ships of Mongo greatly resemble the design of Arkov's own spaceship, but why on earth does the scientist wear hot pants throughout the serial! The acting is more than acceptable, with Crabbe quite good in fact, and Middleton wisely underplaying instead of chewing the scenery as a lesser actor might do. There are interesting sets and some creative art direction, but some of the supporting players may have you scratching your head All told, however, Flash Gordon, despite its variable pleasures, is not that great a serial.

Verdict: A generally fast pace helps put the absurd material over and much of it is fun. **1/2.