THE CRIMSON GHOST
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THE CRIMSON GHOST
THE MOVIE SERIAL
Blu-Ray / DL-DVD
FEATURING CHARLES QUIGLEY, LINDA STIRLING,
CLAYTON MOORE, KENNE DUNCAN
and ? as THE CRIMSON GHOST
(Voice by I. Stanford Jolley)
Professor Chambers demonstrates his new invention, the cyclotrode, to his associates, and soon after is pursued by agents of a caped fiend called the Crimson Ghost, a disguised and demented University professor wearing a skull mask and hooded crimson cape.
The Cyclotrode is capable of disrupting all sorts of electronic signals and said to even be able to assume control of a nuclear missile, and with it the Crimson Ghost desires to assume total power.
Criminologist Duncan Richards tries to avoid the masked villains' mind‑control collars, which bend victims to his will, and uncover his true identity.
The Crimson Ghost was the final serial directed by William Witney for Republic. It's simple, efficient and fast-moving, with a solid cast of performers including fan-favorite Linda Stirling and Clayton Moore, on hiatus from the Lone Ranger TV show, who as Ash is an effectively dangerous right-hand henchman to the caped fiend who dominates the story.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CRIMSON GHOST
It is not recorded in the serial history books, because Republic would not have wanted people to know this, but the Crimson Ghost was inspired by and based on the character The Red Death, who appeared in SPY SMASHER comics #2 and had a grand battle with Mr. Smasher in that issue.
Three Spy Smasher serials were planned before the DC/Fawcett lawsuit hit the fan and caused the cancellation of #2 and #3. You can see the Axis trio which also appeared in an issue of SPY SMASHER in KING OF THE MOUNTIES, the SPY SMASHER RETURNS script tweaked for Sgt. King instead. (This is why King is shown flying a plane in the serial multiple times, when he's a mountie character -- Spy Smasher had his special Gyrosub plane which in the serials he never got a chance to fly.)
Whether the script which was filmed as THE CRIMSON GHOST script would have been called something like SPY SMASHER VS. THE RED DEATH and featured Spy Smasher as the hero but then his character was changed is not known. The Red Death ended up being just a skull-masked guy in a red robe that wasn't even red in black and white anyway but you can see the obvious resemblance, and understand when you look at him why the character just sort of appeared out of the blue.
The Red Death was also featured in the Spy Smasher Big Little Book-style publication SPY SMASHER VS. THE RED DEATH which is reprinted in its entirety, and fully restored, in the Squadron book SPY SMASHER IN THE COMICS AND THE MOVIES, available now and recommended!
The serial last appeared in a colorized and edited version for TV presentation; this edition is the complete black and white original theatrical version taken from an original print and presented in 1440 x 1080 HD.
The CRIMSON GHOST Blu-Ray Includes all 12 episodes in excellent condition transferred from a near-mint condition original print with a clear and very stable picture; almost no damage, dust or splices and the theatrical trailer. about 3 hours.
THE CRIMSON GHOST BLU-RAY
1440 x 1080 HD image with pillar-boxing burned on Blu-ray media; superb, clean, sharp picture quality; probably the highest overall picture quality sound serial the Squadron has yet made available.
ORDER THE CRIMSON GHOST BLU-RAY
1440 x 1080 HD image with pillar-boxing burned on Blu-ray media; superb, clean, sharp picture quality; probably the highest overall picture quality sound serial the Squadron has yet made available.