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Notes to Forum Members: The Movie Serial Message Boards have been upgraded with increased security to registration-only to prevent spam, hostility and abuse of the private message feature. Registered members will notice no difference in service and should now enjoy a more pleasant posting experience at the forums!

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Excellent service, amazing products!" -- customer David Carroll, Massachusetts

We offer the sharpest and best versions of many classic serials to be found anywhere! And, lucky you, here they are! See their individual pages for more information, sample chapters, framegrabs, reviews and lots more!

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"It's always a pleasure trading with you guys. Quality product and quick efficient service. I always appreciate the little extras you include on your restorations. I especially loved the bull session you guys included on THE LONE RANGER [RIDES AGAIN] serial. It reminded me of my old convention attending days . . . Thanks again for your efforts." -- Customer G.A. Still, Tennessee
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED KING OF THE MOUNTIES with restored music and sound effects, and reconstructed missing sequences and dialogue
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN with restored chapter openings/closings, cliffhangers and subtitle-free for the first time since 1939; 30-minute commentary by Squadron members

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED GANG BUSTERS restored to premium sharpness
The FIGHTING MARINES the last Mascot serial, featuring the villainous Tiger Shark!
HOLT OF THE SECRET SERVICE with Squadron member commentary on all chapters
LOST CITY OF THE JUNGLE Lionel Atwill's final screen performance
THE MASTER KEY with 15-minute wartime documentary prologue, WWII cartoons
THE MYSTERY OF THE RIVERBOAT An often-overlooked thriller featuring Robert Lowery and Mantan Moreland
THE MYSTERY SQUADRON with restored sound, picture and chapter endings
THE PAINTED STALLION with play-as-feature option, 3-color alternate version of Chapter 1
RADIO PATROL Grant Withers in an early comic strip/cop cliffhanger
THE RUSTLERS OF RED DOG with commentary on Chapter 1 by Whiskey Pete Brangus
NEW! S O S COAST GUARD special edition with restored sound, original theatrical trailer, and alternate edition with warm/cool toned Chapter 1.
TAILSPIN TOMMY IN THE GREAT AIR MYSTERY sharp, beautiful digital transfer
ZORRO RIDES AGAIN with excellent quality (booming!) restored sound
ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP with Linda Stirling swimsuit slideshow, EL COYOTE TV pilot
ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION with stills, original script pages

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THE PHANTOM EMPIRE with period score, sepia/silver tones, extras.
THE SIGN OF THE WOLF in light sepia tone with optional period score
UNDERSEA KINGDOM black and white with cool black and white toned underwater scenes
THE VANISHING LEGION in warm and cool black and white tones; restored sound and picture

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LOST SERIAL COLLECTION (Anthology) 2 DVDs of incredibly rare scenes, trailers, and chapters from dozens of lost serials, featuring Pearl White, Ruth Roland, Warner Oland, Eddie Polo, and many more
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ADVENTURES OF TARZAN with TARZAN OF THE APES prologue, new score, color tints
BEATRICE FAIRFAX 5 episodes of 1916 girl reporter series, restored, new score, color tints
The JUNGLE PRINCESS 4-chapter condensation with new score and color tints
LIGHTNING HUTCH from 35mm; stunt man Charles Hutchison's only surviving serial
THE MASKED RIDER the amazing find from 1919, in process of being reconstructed and restored
OFFICER 444 a crazy Ben Wilson chapter play with fiendish villains aplenty
THE PERILS OF PAULINE 9-chapter condensation, color toned
TARZAN THE TIGER Frank Merrill's only surviving performance as Lord Greystoke
A WOMAN IN GREY slightly condensed, with music score


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MALA, Secret Agent of the South Seas 7-chapter condensation of ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND in color, minus repeated footage and a few cheater chapter endings
ROCKET SHIP Flash Gordon feature version in experimental color and alternate widescreen versions; commentary by Ace Drummond & Dr. Grood


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What's an audio DVD? Well, it's like a DVD entirely composed of extras that are audio-only. They hold dozens of hours worth of material, and are great to play on portable DVD players in the car or at home in your DVD player while you work or relax! You see the title of what's playing on the illustrated menu while it plays, and can refer to the printed list of contents on the convenient DVD insert. Many of the following titles have been restored to the best quality possible, and some of them contain up to 50 hours worth of content! The HORROR ARCHIVE, a 5-DVD set, contains 220 hours worth of audio horror -- that's almost 10 days worth of shows, if played straight through!

Click on the DVD links to hear sample stories from each DVD!

NEW ALL-STAR WESTERN THEATER (Archive Edition) 41 hours (85 episodes) of original stories featuring Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage with guests Johnny Mack Brown, Ken Curtis, Allan Lane, Dale Evans, Don "Red" Barry and many more.
The AVENGER(Restored Edition) Mysterious Shadow-like crime-fighter, written by Walter Gibson!
The Complete
BLUE BEETLE (Restored Edition) Complete restored collection of one of the first super-heroes of the air!
NEW GREEN VALLEY LINE Serial (Archive Edition) Featuring Rollon Parker and John Todd. 26-episode old-time railroad serial in which big business and a crooked gang try to take over the railroad line that keeps Morristown alive. Bill Reed, the hero, must find out if his father Jacob is involved in the plots while keeping the Green Valley Line running. His girl Kerry and her Pop help out. Highly recommended for railroad buffs who'd like to spend a pleasant afternoon with the friendly folks down at the station.
The Amazing Colossal HORROR ARCHIVE (Archive Edition) Unspeakably huge collection of horror stories, 5 DVD set
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MASTERS OF HORROR (Restored Archive Edition) Fantastic collection of radio appearances of Karloff, Lugosi, Lorre, Price and Rathbone. One of our best-selling and most entertaining titles.
MONSTERS (Restored Archive Edition) The complete radio FRANKENSTEIN serial, werewolves, vampires, and much more
NEW MOON OVER AFRICA Serial (Restored Edition) The atmospheric adventures of Professor Anton Edwards, his daughter Lorna, her fiance Jack Martin and Masai Prince N'Guru in the lost jungles of French Equatorial Africa. Presented complete in 13 double-length 20 minute chapters. Written by Talbot Mundy. Sound completely restored for the best-quality version of this serial available anywhere. Also includes restored versions of other African adventures including She, The Green Goddess (featuring Orson Welles), Obgobi, Pollock and the Porroh Man, and the classic Leinengen vs. the Ants (featuring William Conrad).
PIRATES - SEA ADVENTURES Treasure Island, the complete Voyage of the Scarlet Queen, and much more
NEW THE ROY ROGERS SHOW (Archive Edition) 35 hours of original radio programs, including Night Riders, Black Gold, The Mysterious Puppet, Diamond Smuggling, Lawman's Badge, Roar of the River, and many more, from 1951-1953 featuring the admirable cowboy hero and his companions Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes, and Roy's trusted mount Trigger. Lots of music here also by the top-notch Western quartet the Sons of the Pioneers. 76 programs.
NEW THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (Archive Edition) 63 Programs from the 1950s syndicated radio series starring Marius Goring, who also played the title character on TV. It is 1792 and the streets of Paris are awash in blood. Sir Percy Blakeney, an English gentleman who poses as a fop assembles a secret society to rescue the falsely accused from the guillotine during the "reign of terror." His identity known only to his agents, the rest of society, and his arch enemy, French Republican Chauvelin -- know of him only as "The Scarlet Pimpernel." Over 25 hours of adventures.
THE SHADOW OF FU MANCHU (Restored Edition) 63 Progra
SWORDS OF ADVENTURE Robin Hood, Three Musketeers, Knights of the Round Table and more swashbuckling adventures!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (Archive Edition) Basil Rathbone (and sometimes Tom Conway) and Nigel Bruce in half-hour Holmes stories
TARZAN: RADIO SERIALS - TARZAN, LORD OF JUNGLE (Archive Edition) TARZAN OF THE APES, and two other serials, one featuring James (King Thun) Pierce, and the more sophisticated 1950s half-hour Tarzan programs.
NEW TALES OF THE TEXAS RANGERS (Archive Edition) 59 programs, 29 hours of crime dramas featuring the Texas Rangers.


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The Serial Squadron interview at Matinee at the Bijou -- Dr. Grood is currently working on THE SERIALFEST 2009 ANNUAL, THE MASKED RIDER Vol 2, SERIALFEST DVD MAGAZINE Issue 4, the ADVENTURES OF HARRY HOUDINI radio serial, THE VOICE FROM THE SKY , THE TRAIL OF THE OCTOPUS, the lost serial novels THE DIAMOND IN THE SKY, WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY and THE MYSTERY MIND, extra-high quality digital transfers of THE DEVIL HORSE and THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS and a secret Republic serial restoration project!


Coming soon: The Lost Serial Photoplay Collection!
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Find out WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY -- solve the theatrical dressing-room murder in THE STRANGE CASE OF MARY PAGE -- join in THE ADVENTURES OF KATHLYN as she travels to India -- and voyage with an American actress to Egypt where a royal prince wants to make her his wife -- or kill her UNDER THE CRESCENT! Help Herbert Rawlinson as Detective Sanford Quest discover the secret of THE BLACK BOX! Learn THE WAY OF A MAN on a frontier adventure with an enormous cast! Beware the evil twin of a lover and the sign of murder she bears that is the TREY O'HEARTS, and discover who will finally win the battle for a stolen baby's life and THE DIAMOND FROM THE SKY! These were the first American serials ever made, some almost 100 years ago -- these long-lost adventures and many more will soon be available in photoplay form -- with stills from the original productions (THE BLACK BOX includes 32 original stills from the serial, UNDER THE CRESCENT includes 64, and TREY O'HEARTS even more, including scenes of the actual film crew on location!) -- right here, as soon as we approve all the proofs!


Some great NEW serials are also in production now by the Squadron. Here's a sneak peek:
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ADVENTURES OF HARRY HOUDINI by Greg Gick
What would it have been like if Houdini had had his own radio show in the 1930s? And what if the writers of WEIRD TALES wrote the scripts? A new original 5- Episode Audio Adventure Featuring Brittany Kirkpatrick and Ryan Long

MYSTERIES OF MYRA, the notorious long-lost 1916 occult serial newly realized with a beautiful new star, beginning with Episode 1: The Secret Chamber. Can paranormal investigator Payson Alden help young Myra survive the evil Black Order's plot to destroy her with a hypnotic spell before she can inherit her father's fortune?

THE TRAIL OF THE OCTOPUS, featuring Ben Wilson and Neva Gerber -- A bizarre story of secret passageways with eyes that peer through the dark, an Asian mastermind, a set of crooked daggers, a master sleuth, a mystic and a masked mystery man called Monsieur X.

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New Online Serials of Interest
Dr. Horrible | Mercury Men | Angel of Death | Red vs. Blue




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SerialFest 2009 Cast & Attendees after the production of THE BLACK CANYON

Please visit http://www.serialfest.org or click SERIALFEST at left for more information!

WELCOME TO THE SERIAL SQUADRON

The Serial Squadron is a group of hard-working staff members and volunteers dedicated to releasing as much interesting and sometimes historical cliffhanger-related material as we can provide for fans of the serial form. We at the Squadron make a great deal of effort and spend much time seeking out and attempting to make possible exhibition or publication of long-unseen serial films, novelizations and dramatizations that might without our efforts never be seen by the public.

Despite their leading role in changing the image of pre-suffrage American women, as well as having helped launch the careers of stars such as John Wayne and Boris Karloff, and been the first form in which a flying superhero, or even such familiar characters as Batman and Flash Gordon were seen on screen, very little credit is given for the contributions movie serials made to popular culture, and their roots in legend and 1800s stage melodrama and therefore their connection to the current pop mythology remain largely unacknowledged or unknown by the general public. Very little if any attention is paid by the studios to restoration of old serial material. We also hope to further public awareness on these sorts of topics.

This company is founded on principles of honesty, creativity and hard work, and supported by legitimate film historians, writers, actors, artists, researchers, collectors, and professionals in the current entertainment industry as well as many, many happy customers who recognize the effort we have put in our work. We do not need to denounce others to try and make our product look better in comparison. It speaks for itself, and if it's not the best it can be we don't even offer it.

We don't post or allow hype, spam, or links to unlicensed DVDs of movie serials but instead pursue appropriate legal licenses for publication or exhibition of copyrighted material. Thanks to this policy, we were able to bring you the first-ever showing of DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST in 2008, and if all goes well further progress on similar projects will follow.

What we find or create, we share--we do not hold anything in the "vault" if it's legal to release it. Thanks to the efforts of Squadron members and staff, we've made the first-ever DVD version of ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION, THE VOICE FROM THE SKY, THE MYSTERY MIND, THE MASKED RIDER, BEATRICE FAIRFAX and many more long-thought-lost serials available for viewing, listening, or reading, and addition to your collection once again.

We aren't affiliated with any other commercial DVD publishers and do not accept promotional copies of anything in return for blanket endorsements. We DO support creative serial-related projects and publications such as
Ken Weiss's books, Boyd Magers' WESTERN CLIPPINGS, and DVDs from Grapevine Video which are original work not copied from others' material.

We do not endorse or promote adversarial behavior, racial stereotypes, bondage, violence, victimization of women, or the portrayal of non-whites in subordinate roles. The cliffhangers of the 1930s and 40s were, as all melodramas are, products of their times and reflect the fears and ethnocentrism of their particular era. We do not condone or share such antiquated perspectives but recognize villainous depictions of any race, for instance, which appear in serials, as the dramatic equivalent of the Wicked Witch of the West in THE WIZARD OF OZ or a monster from outer space; they are not to be taken literally but are instead imaginary villains in fairy tales of another time who, once defeated, would allow peace in the (often young) viewer's mind at that moment to be restored. For every age there is "enemy"-mythology -- an imaginary 100% evil if not entirely demonic redskinned savage, hun, yellow peril, communist, or terrorist the masses are instructed by their leaders to fear. Our point of view on these "bad guys" is that by not taking them literally but instead viewing them in historical perspective and recognizing them for the bizarre fairy tales or morality plays they are -- as well as recognizing in them that the heroes and heroines are just as stereotypical as the villains -- we can learn a great deal about ourselves both past and present, and perhaps even prevent repetition of mistakes of the past.

That being said, please don't post here if you have any intention of emulating them and enjoy tying women to railroad tracks, sabotage, igniting flame wars, subordination of "inferior races," fascist philosophy, controlling all conversations within your view, thievery, torture, sadism or anything else Fu Manchu does with his free time. If you are into this stuff, time to draw the line between fantasy and reality or recognize the one between appreciation and overindulgence or maybe just get a new hobby! This site is about the adventure cliffhanger -- a unique art form -- the original FILMS, not so much the DVD versions -- and related material old and new, and appreciating the art and history of the melodrama and the efforts of those actors and directors and special effects people and musical composers who made them -- not anyone's attempt to control discussions about them OR try and slap mind-control collars on our members OR in any other way attempt to sabotage the Squadron clubhouse!

We also do not approve of watching an entire serial all at once; by inappropriately putting the viewing experience under the viewer's control enjoyment of and appreciation for the form and all sense of adventure is destroyed. If you watch a serial all at once, you run the risk of losing perspective on the point of participating in the whole adventure and replacing it with a desire to control the viewing experience. Beware, you are one step away from becoming a power-mad serial villain yourself! The goal of serial-watching, again, should be to ENJOY them and APPRECIATE their form, not to become "master" of them.

This is why we call ourselves not serial "collectors" but serial ENJOYERS! -- In a good-humored, slightly qualified sort of way . . . they're kind of like your great-uncle Fred who you can't help still caring about despite his very old-fashioned (and sometimes thoroughly out-of-line and out-of-date) point of view!

We DO approve of and encourage people to watch for and appreciate in serials in unqualified terms is their often-amazing stunt work, innovations in editing, profound influence on films which are in the theaters at this very minute, and appreciation of the hard-working and often poorly-paid actors and filmmakers who created them. We also are interested in promoting awareness of new presentations which draw upon the old cliffhanger form and/or characters and encourage you to contact us if you're working on a new cliffhanger-related project which will appeal to general audiences (not the cult crowd). Some serials, stereotypical characters or no, such as
ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION are still appropriate for viewing by kids -- who many of them were made for (and who often really enjoy them if anyone bothers to share), and we keep that in mind when assembling our DVD collections.

We also support authors and publishers who create original serial-related material that is not simply copied from someone else's work, especially our own.

We also hope you will contact us if you have access to rare silent serial material which could be incorporated into some of our silent serial restoration projects on DVD or in print. A great deal of such material is in private hands and not in libraries or archives. We don't wish for these old serials to be forgotten. Share what you have and we'll reward you with free Squadron DVDs and publications and credit on whatever you contribute to!

This site was designed as a friendly meeting place for those who enjoy the cliffhanger form past and present, and is dedicated to bringing you the best in cliffhanging entertainment possible. That's what it will continue to be despite any efforts by the Bootleg, Bondage & Badmouth Brigade (aka the League of Real-Life Serial Villains) who occasionally make feeble attempts to cause us or our members or those who contribute to our projects harm or insult. Fortunately, security measures have recently been implemented to help keep them away from this website (We sicced Frank Merriwell on 'em and they ran like scared rabbits!).

Life is short and we want to contribute as much happiness and thrilling adventure to it as we can while we're here. We're out to show you the best time possible with our restored and remastered
DVDs and everything else we publish, always with an eye toward respect for historical material as well. We hope you agree with our philosophy and enjoy what the Squadron has to offer -- excellent digital transfers of rare films which can still thrill a kid of any age from 6 to 60, audio dramas, books, and much more on the topic of classic cliffhangers which still heavily influence films today, restorations of partially lost or incomplete material, and fun new works that keep the cliffhanger-serial form alive in a new milennium.

The 2009 Squadron Rare Serial Lobby Cards Calendar
is now available only from Lulu.com!
(Note: You must order the calendar direct from Lulu--
it's not available with the Mail Order Form!)

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Recommended Links
Silent Serials | Silent Era | Western Clippings | Grapevine Video | Matinee at the Bijou | Hollow Earth Expedition role-playing game

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Welcome to the Serial Squadron Clubhouse, the best place to visit to read or share information about silent and sound cliffhanger movie serials! Home of the internet's first most comprehensive radio/TV/movie Cliffhanger Forums (now alphabetized for easy reference), new free member photo albums, the world's only annual all-cliffhanger film festival, the sharpest and highest quality classic movie serial DVDs sold anywhere!


New Books Shipping Now
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THE TREY O'HEARTS: A fantastic new updated edition of one of the most exciting and action-packed early and now completely lost serials, with cliffhangers galore and now 75 original photographs, many from the collection of Edward Sloman, the actor who played the villain, to help tell the story and give you a glimpse of the production crew as well! The next best thing to have been there to see the great original cliffhanger! Highly recommended! 6"x9", glossy full color cover, black and white interior.
Description at Lulu.com
Order from the Squadron by mail
Order using PayPal


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THE STRANGE CASE OF MARY PAGE
A mystery/courtroom drama serial made by Essanay in 1916. This short novelization is of a serial that was directed at the ladies but is nice to have for serial completists. 114 pages, 6"x9", full color glossy cover, black and white interior.
Description at Lulu.com
Order from the Squadron by mail
Order using PayPal


New DVDs Shipping Now
"A highly satisfying look at entertainment in times gone by" -- The DVD/Laserdisc Newsletter, June 2009
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The third issue of the SERIALFEST DVD MAGAZINE, a 2-DVD collection of ultra-rare serial chapters, many never before on DVD, that you can watch at home with your serial pals. This issue featuring BEATRICE FAIRFAX Episode 8: At the Ainsley Ball, Chapter 3 of THE VOICE FROM THE SKY: The Man from Nowhere, Chapter 5 translated and restored of ISLE OF SUNKEN GOLD, new chapters of THE MASKED RIDER, THE GREEN HORNET, THE MYSTERY TROOPER and THE EAGLE and a new digital transfer and full restoration of the incredibly rare never-before-on-video 1915 Edison short THE MISSION OF MR. FOO!
Order with PayPal:

Order by mail: SerialFest DVD Series Issue #3 (April 2009)


"A monumental accomplishment." -- Customer willielg
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NEW! THE MASKED RIDER Vol. 1, Hands down the most hard-hitting and thrilling silent serial ever filmed, featuring Harry Myers, Ruth Stonehouse, Paul Panzer and Edna M. Holland. You want it? Well, we have it. See what's got everyone at the edge of their seats and begging for more! Volume 1 includes the first third of the serial including found footage from Episodes 1-5 and a complete new re-creation of the mostly-lost Episode 1 by modern actors. Commentary on 2 Episodes by restoration director Eric Stedman

"This collection offers a single chapter from [seven] serials, almost all of which are pull-out-your-wallet fantastic." -- The DVD/Laserdisc Newsletter, June 2009
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Issue 2 of the SerialFest DVD Magazine, including Chapter 4 of ISLE OF SUNKEN GOLD, Chapter 2 of THE VOICE FROM THE SKY, a NICK CARTER short and Chapter 2 of THE MASKED RIDER (with Karloff's first screen appearance), is ready to ship!

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Still available: the first issue of the new rare serial chapter DVD series/home film festival!


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The great Republic serial SOS Coast Guard with restored audio & original trailer, 2 editions available!


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THE SERIALFEST 2008 ANNUAL and Bonus DVD is shipping now. This unique "first issue" includes new articles about serials as well as archived "classic" Squadron forum threads. The DVD includes the discussion of DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST with Jim D'Arc of BYU, Serial Jeopardy, THE MYSTERY MIND, Adrian Booth and more. Order this great 150-page all-serial publication!