BLACKHAWK

Kirk Alyn and Carol Forman

BLACKHAWK (aka Blackhawk, Fearless Champion of Freedom/15 chapter Columbia serial/1952). Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet; Fred F. Sears.

Having already played Superman twice, Kirk Alyn  was the perfect choice to play another DC Comics hero (albeit without actual super-powers), Blackhawk, who headed a team of international freedom fighters. The Blackhawk comic, beautifully drawn by Reed Crandell (who gets credit in the serial), and created by Will Eisner (who does not), had been published since the early 1940's. There were some changes made from the comic: the Chinese cook Chop Chop (Weaver Levy) was less caricatured, and Andre (Larry Stewart) was no longer French. Stanislaus, portrayed as a gruff, gray-haired middle-aged man in the comics, has an evil twin in the serial, and is played by Rick Vallin, The villainess is hard-as-nails Laska (Carol Forman), who is given an unflattering hairstyle and is in no way as glamorous as she was in other serials, such as her headliner The Black Widow. She reports to an unseen (but hardly unknown) "Leader," who keeps asking her to give more, more -- including her life -- to the "party." Laska's main henchman is Aller, played by serial regular Marshall Reed [Gunfighters of the Northwest]. When handsome Aller tires to get familiar with Laska -- "nice drivin', baby," he tells her -- she snaps, "The name is Laska!" Blackhawk is full of exciting cliffhangers, even if none of them are resolved in a clever manner -- Blackhawk simply rolls out of the way of several oil drums, or jumps out of a hay wagon that has caught on fire. In other sequences Stan is tied to a pole with a plane's propeller rushing towards him; Blackhawk's car is pushed onto the tracks just as a train arrives; fiery derricks topple like tenpins; a cartoon "flying saucer" hits our hero's plane; and Blackhawk's parachute fails to open so he has to ride piggyback on the shoulders of one of his comrades. Laska and her gang have several headquarters, all of which look exactly the same. Noting this, Blackhawk wonders about it and says, "they must have a reason for that." although it's never determined what it is (the budget was the reason, of course). Michael Fox plays one of Laska's confederates, and William Fawcett [Batman and Robin] is a scientist who has created a destructive ray machine. A lot of the action has to do with the theft and retrieval of "element X." Plenty of exciting fisticuffs in this.

Verdict: Blackhawk is a lot of fun. ***.

THE GIRL WHO DARED

Peter Cookson

THE GIRL WHO DARED (1944). Director: Howard Bretherton.

Ann Carroll (Lorna Gray) and her brother Josh (Kirk Alyn of Superman) are given a lift by the mysterious Rufus Blair (Peter Cookson) to a sort of haunted house party on an island that lies past a causeway. However, the owners of the house, Beau and Chattie Richmond (John Hamilton and Vivien Oakland), never sent out any invitations. While the group is pondering who might have invited people to a non-party, one of a pair of twins (Veda Ann Borg) is found murdered. The phone lines are cut and the causeway is cut off due to a storm. Everything seems to be tied into a theft of radium which someone is killing for. The suspense is quite bearable in this otherwise entertaining if distinctly minor Monogram mystery. The cast is game enough, with Willie Best [My Little Margie] making the best impression (despite the old-fashioned nature of his acting) as the funny and likable manservant Woodrow, along with Peter Cookson [Shadow of Suspicion], who proves once again that he was a criminally underutilized leading man. Roy Barcroft and Grant Withers are also in the cast. Howard Bretherton directed a number of serials, Charlie Chan movies, and Frankie Darro features.

Verdict: The girl who dared what? **1/2 out of 4.

RADAR PATROL VS. SPY KING

RADAR PATROL VS. SPY KING (12 chapter Republic serial/1949). Director: Fred C. Brannon.

Operative Chris Calvert (Kirk Alyn) and scientist Joan Hughes (Jean Dean) versus Spy King John Baroda (John Merton) and hench-woman Nitra (Eve Whitney), who hope to sabotage radar defense stations. The cliffhangers involve deadly acid, deadlier explosions and cars off of cliffs, plus a poison gas inside an encyclopedia and an exciting plane crash in chapter eleven. Tom Steele and Tristram Coffin are also in the cast. The serial has mediocre villains but a good climax in the air. George J. Lewis, who plays good guy Lt. Agura, was a villain in Federal Operator 99. Jean Dean was also in Blood of Dracula and Eve Whitney, playing herself, was the brunette party goer who inspires the jealous gals to go to "Charm School" on a classic episode of I Love Lucy. Merton was in several other serials, including Brick Bradford, Hop Harrigan, and The Adventures of Sir Galahad.

Verdict: Acceptable but second-rate serial. **1/2.  

DAUGHTER OF DON Q

DAUGHTER OF DON Q (12 chapter Republic serial/1946). Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon.

The pretty sports celebrity Delores Quantero (Lorna Gray playing as Adrian Booth), one of many descendants of Don Quantero, is unaware that an old Spanish land grant actually leaves millions of dollars of real estate to his heirs. One of them, Carlos Manning (LeRoy Mason), is aware of this, and with the aid of his main henchman Donovan (Roy Barcroft), sets out to murder the other heirs. Cliff Roberts (Kirk Alyn) is an intrepid  reporter who aids Delores and tries to find out why someone is killing off all of her relatives. This is a nifty idea for a serial, and Daughter of Don Q makes the most of it. Although comparatively colorless, the villains in this are especially evil  -- at one point they are going to make it look like a perfectly innocent man committed embezzlement and then suicide. The serial also has a sense of humor. When one nasty gunsel falls out of a window to his death, it turns out that he made a living by proposing to wealthy women and absconding with their fortunes before the wedding. "I wonder if any of the ladies he left at the church will attend his funeral," someone quips. There are many good cliffhangers; one of the best has Delores hanging onto a shower curtain after she's knocked out of a window as it begins to slip off the rod notch by notch ... The feisty Delores, who gives as good as she gets, gets hit on the head so often it's a wonder she even knows who she is by the end of the serial! Although there is nothing elaborate or especially unique about Daughter, it's still terrifically entertaining. Lorna Gray played the villainess in Perils of Nyoka and Barcroft was the bad guy in Manhunt of Mystery Island, another superlative Republic serial.

Verdict: Maybe not a classic but fast-paced and action-packed from start to finish. ***1/2.  

FEDERAL AGENTS VS UNDERWORLD INC.

FEDERAL AGENTS VS UNDERWORLD INC. (12 chapter Republic serial/1949). Director: Fred C. Brannon.

Professor Clayton (James Craven) is kidnapped because he has knowledge of something called the Golden Hand of Abisthan treasure, which is coveted by a villainess named Nila (Carol Forman). Nila wants to organize the entire underworld of the country into a massive group like the F.B.I [not nearly enough is done with this great idea]. Out to stop her nefarious plans and find the professor are Inspector David Worth (Kirk Alyn of Superman fame) and Laura Keith (Rosemary La Planche from Strangler of the Swamp). While there are a couple of borrowed cliffhangers in this serial, it also boasts a suspenseful bit involving a box with a bomb in it in chapter 5; Dave nearly running Laura over with his car in chapter 8; a stone-hearted Nila shooting David in 9; a collision between planes in mid-air in 10; and a collapsing bridge in 11. Roy Barcroft, Tristram Coffin and Tom Steele are also in the cast.

Verdict: Fast-paced and generally lively. ***

THE TRAP

THE TRAP (1946). Director: Howard Bretherton. 

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is called in when one of a traveling group of show girls is found strangled -- then there are more murders which Chan can't prevent. This was the last time Toler played Chan, but as usual, he does it well. Rita Quigley is the hysterical Clementine [she was to make only one more movie] and Anne Nagel, who plays the bitchy Marcia, was also in The Secret Code and other serials, as well as The Invisible Woman and Man Made Monster. Minerva Urecal of the prune face plays the unpleasant landlady Mrs. Weebles. Mantan Moreland is as wonderful as ever as Birmingham Brown.; Victor Sen Yung reprises the role of Jimmy Chan. Kirk Alyn, who appeared in many serials including Superman, plays Sergeant Reynolds, but I confess I didn't even recognize him. This is another suspenseful and entertaining Monogram Chan pic available as part of the new TCM Spotlight Charlie Chan Collection from Warner Home Video. 

Verdict: Toler's farewell appearance. **1/2.

ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN

ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN (1950). 15 Chapter Columbia serial. Director: Spencer Bennet.

Superman not only has to contend with the villainy of Lex Luthor, but Luthor's “ally” Atom Man who wears a silly concealing helmet. Even the kids had no trouble figuring out who Atom Man really was. Luthor has mastered a teleportation device that sends his henchmen back to his cave hide out before they can be captured, and can also speed any of his enemies, Superman included, into a vast space Luthor calls “the empty doom.” Luthor also uses an explosive ray gun and an earthquake device to try to bring down the Daily Planet building and Metropolis itself. Superman is shown to fly via cartoon animation [aside from in close ups] but this is more effective than expected. At one point the “real” Superman is shown riding a missile that is aimed for the Daily Planet building. Lex Luthor is played by a comparatively bland Lyle Talbot, but Kirk Alyn isn't bad at all as Clark Kent and Superman. Noel Neill is a perfect Lois Lane, both sweet and spunky and never a bitch. Pierre Watkin is fine as a very petulant Perry White.

Verdict: Moderately entertaining serial is not one of the best but there have certainly been worse. **1/2.

THE GREAT MOVIE SERIALS

THE GREAT MOVIE SERIALS: Their Sound and Fury. Jim Harmon and Donald F. Glut. Doubleday; 1972.

An entertaining look at the great and not-so-great cliffhanger serials, with chapters on the imperiled girls such as Pauline and Nyoka; Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and other space heroes; western heroes such as the Lone Ranger; the aviator heroes; detectives such as Dick Tracy; classic villains; and superheroes like Captain Marvel, Superman and Batman. There are also photographs and interviews with several serial stars, and a foreword by actor Kirk Alyn (Superman and Blackhawk, among others). Harmon and Glut not only tell the stories of many of the most memorable serials, but also go behind the scenes, telling how certain stunts were done, and which serials borrowed footage from previous chapterplays and movies, and which were merely re-releases under another name. The authors' enthusiasm for these great old serials informs every page and makes you wish that more of them were available. [Luckily thanks to the video and DVD revolution many of these serials can be seen in their entirety, which was not true at the time of this book's publication.]

Verdict: Great!