The Serial Squadron Cinema Cliffhanger Archive
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The home on the web of the original cinema superhero, Western and sci-fi cliffhangers that inspired STAR WARS and the Hollywood comic book hero blockbusters of today.
It is our mission at the Squadron to preserve and restore the rarest of all historical theatrical cliffhanger movie serials of 1912-1956 and related series films and create restored editions of serials as yet unseen by the general public, or which are only viewable in poor or incomplete condition. Most titles here come from new transfers done from original films and include restored picture and sound. Silent titles include new scores and missing content in any serial is re-created or summarized. Subscribers help us continue to restore new titles and when special projects surface we sometimes use pledge drives to help fund restorations.
New additions to list of books available: The Mysteries of Myra Book/DVD Combo set
New additions to the list of available DVDs: Captain America, Deadwood Dick, Jungle Menace, Perils of Nyoka, The Tarzan Audio Collection, The Master Key, Lost City of the Jungle, Darkest Africa, King of the Texas Rangers (see below).
SHIPPING NEXT
Coming in October 2017:
The fast and furious Rex Bennett WWII spy action serials
G-MEN VS. THE BLACK DRAGON
and SECRET SERVICE IN DARKEST AFRICA
MOVIE THEATER
Coming in October to this Theater
SECRET SERVICE IN DARKEST AFRICA
Restored by the Serial Squadron
WATCH CHAPTER 2: THE CHARRED WITNESS NOW
Featuring ROD CAMERON punching out every Nazi in sight,
and DUNCAN RENALDO as Pierre LaSalle!
VIEWING SCHEDULE TBA; Don't miss a single exciting episode!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE SQUADRON VIDEOS
AVAILABLE NOW ON DVD
Squadron DVDs now ship in about 1-3 days to the US and internationally
with full color inserts and black and white printed disk labels.
Note: EVERYTHING here is an "upgrade." We will offer NO DVD copy of a serial that we believe exists in better condition anywhere else. If a studio releases a serial from original material we will usually remove it from our list.
DARKEST AFRICA
Featuring
Clyde Beatty and
the Bat-men of Africa
in Republic's first serial
Restored and in superb quality
World famous lion tamer Beatty teams up with his trusted assistant Hambone, a jungle boy named Baru, and Bonga, a vine-swinging gorilla, to try to rescue the princess of the lost city of Joba, held captive by evil high priest Dagna and his squadron of flying Bat-men.
Shipping Now
PERILS OF NYOKA
New Restoration with Original Titles
Featuring
Kay Aldridge as Nyoka
Clayton Moore as Larry
Adrian Booth as Vultura
Tristram Coffin as Torrini
and Charles Middleton as Cassib
Directed by
William Witney
& John English
Adventurers Nyoka Gordon and her friend Larry Grayson search for the golden tablets of Hippocrates, which contain a cure for cancer. Arabian queen Vultura, who masquerades as an earthly incarnation of a pagan Sun Goddess, also wants the tablets and the treasure associated with them and with her lieutenant Cassib and Count Torrini, as well as her bodyguard, an ape named Satan, travels across the desert in her chariot to try to obtain them. An action-packed classic with more torturous deathtraps than possibly any other serial ever made.
Transfer Quality: Superb, stabilized, presented in warm black and white with restored audio & newly synched sound
DVD Contents: Complete 15 episode serial
Special Features: Reconstructed original "Perils of Nyoka" titles, re-release trailer
This title is now set up with the order-fulfillment service and will ship internationally.
Order Now
CAPTAIN AMERICA
The original
Squadron Restoration
With Extras
Featuring
Dick Purcell as Captain America
Lionel Atwill as the Scarab
Adrian Booth as Gail Richards
A serial killer calling himself the Scarab goes on a murder spree targeting people connected with an archaeological expedition. District Attorney Grant Gardner decides to go undercover and disguises himself in a Captain America costume to try to apprehend the fiend and his gang of hired goons. Only Gardner's trusted secretary Gail Richards knows he is playing vigilante and helps him apprehend the crooks. Based on the Fawcett Comics character Mister Scarlet, who was replaced due to the DC/Fawcett lawsuit over Captain Marvel (and the fact that his comics weren't selling that well anyway in 1943).
Extras include a slideshow of original stills and about how Jack Kirby created Captain America, and an interview with Captain America memorabilia and toy collector Wade Shaw.
This is the the one others have tried to copy -- the best existing transfer of this title. Get the original, available nowhere else.
Watch Chapter 1
This title is now set up with the order-fulfillment service and will ship internationally.
Order Now
The Great Serial
KING OF THE
TEXAS RANGERS
Featuring
Sammy Baugh as Ranger King
Duncan Renaldo as Pedro Garcia
Neil "Commissioner Gordon" Hamilton
When mysterious foreigners using a zeppelin as a command post kill quarterback Tom King's father, he teams with Sgt. Pedro Garcia of the Mexican police to avenge the murder and put a stop to the "fifth columnist's" plans for sabotage and destruction. An action-packed classic serial originally conceived as a vehicle for Roy Rogers. With restored picture and audio.
Order the KING OF THE TEXAS RANGERS DVD now:
Coming in November 2017:
MANHUNT OF MYSTERY ISLAND
Featuring
Roy Barcroft as Captain Mephisto
Linda Stirling and Richard Bailey
Claire Forrest asks private investigator Lance Reardon to help her find her kidnapped father. The inventor of the Radiatomic Power Transmitter is held prisoner on Mystery Island by one of its four owners, who conceals his identity by transforming himself into Captain Mephisto, a pirate ancestor. As the villain harasses Forrest into completing the device that will give her control of world industry, Lance and Claire follow Mephisto's trail throughout the island, while death narrows the number of suspects from four to two.
THE GREAT SERIAL SQUADRON RESTORATIONS
Available Now on DVD
Action Heroes & Heroines
Captain America
The Spider's Web
The Vanishing Shadow
The Blue Beetle
Advs of Frank Merriwell
The Flame Fighter
The Lost Special
The Voice from the Sky
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
All in English; No Subtitles
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
In English, no subtitles
Exotic Adventure
Drums of Fu Manchu
From an original print
Exotic Adventure
The Desert Song
Lost City of the Jungle
Shadow of Fu Manchu
Under the Crescent
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
The Phantom Empire
Restored & Scored
Flash Gordon
Commando Cody
Radar Men from the Moon
Undersea Kingdom
Jungle & Tarzan
Tarzan the Fearless
In cliffhanger format
Adventures of Tarzan
Tarzan Audio Collection
The Call of the Savage
Darkest Africa
Jungle Menace
Jungle Princess
Westerns
Daredevils of the West
The Complete Serial
The Red Rider
The Devil Horse
Great Adventures of
Wild Bill Hickok
Heroes of the West
The Lone Defender
Mystery Mountain
The Painted Stallion
The Rustlers of Red Dog
The Sign of the Wolf
The Vanishing Legion
All Star Western Theater
Roy Rogers Show
Occult & Horror
The Hope Diamond Mystery
Featuring Boris Karloff
The Trail of the Octopus
The Mysteries of Myra
Zudora
Masters of Horror / Monsters
The Mystery Mind
Seven Footprints to Satan
Mystery
The House of Hate
The long-lost Pearl White serial
The Green Archer
Sherlock Holmes
The Strange Case of Mary Page
Masked Riders
Deadwood Dick
The Masked Rider
The Black Whip
The Eagle
Zorro Rides Again
Zorro's Black Whip
Zorro's Fighting Legion
Crime
Beatrice Fairfax
Gang Busters
The Wolf Dog
Blake of Scotland Yard
Holt of the Secret Service
Radio Patrol
Tales of the Texas Rangers
Air, War & Spy
The Master Key
The Mystery Squadron
Patria
The Fighting Marines
Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery
World War II On the Air
Audio DVDs
Robin Hood/Swords of Adventure
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Masters of Horror/Monsters
Exotic Adventures
& Much More
Mounties
King of the Mounties
Clancy of the Mounted
The Mystery Trooper
Pirates & Sea
The Secret of Treasure Island
Mala, Secret Agent of the South Seas
Isle of Sunken Gold Vol 2
The Mystery of the River Boat
Pirates & Sea Adventures
SOS Coast Guard
Anthology DVDs
The Lost Serial Collection
SerialFest DVD Magazine
The Wharton Serials
Titles with BUY IT NOW buttons on this site will ship internationally
and include DVDs with printed disk labels.
Support the Squadron's restoration efforts and get on the list to receive Squadron DVDs as soon as they are released by clicking this link:
Subscriptions
MORE UPCOMING RELEASES IN PRODUCTION
Coming in November 2017:
THE SQUADRON GUIDE TO
THE MOVIE SERIALS
A 400 page book which includes concise descriptions of every cliffhanger serial and film series from 1912-1956, listed in order of release date, and stills from hundreds of rare titles; also covers feature versions and re-releases, TV cliffhangers, serial merchandise, serials on videotape and DVD, serial novelizations, big little books, comics, even sheet music. Created to be a useful, handy reference no cliffhanger serial fan will want to be without!
Will ship when final proofs are approved.
The films above have been delivered for transfer and will be published as they are completed.
MORE TO COME
SERIALFEST DVD MAGAZINE #5
Featuring chapters from THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE
BEST OF SERIALFEST
DVD MAGAZINE
Featuring Nick Carter Detective, The Liberty Boys, Mr. Foo,
the Leather Pushers & More
CLIFFHANGER
TREASURY #3
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Visit the PATREON SERIAL SQUADRON VIP SUBSCRIBER PAGE for more details!
SQUADRON RESTORATIONS ARE NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN
BUY FROM LICENSED VENDORS ONLY
We have regrettably recently received reports of unlicensed vendors selling copies of copyrighted Squadron DVDs at conventions, in email lists, and on websites, including THE HOPE DIAMOND MYSTERY and even advertising illegal copies for sale in periodicals. Only Peter C. Walther of Rome NY, and the Lone Ranger Fan Club are licensed as a secondary distributors of Squadron DVDs so please do not order or purchase copies of Squadron publications from ANY other vendors; if you do you will be purchasing stolen property. Squadron restorations of public domain works are actively and legitimately copyrighted as "new versions" or derivative works, they are not public domain, even if their source material may be. Read about copyrights on derivative works at the Library of Congress. We reserve the right to register a copyright infringement complaint with the FBI, take legal action for damages, or file a charge of theft against any vendor selling copyrighted Squadron works without permission.
