The Serial Squadron Cinema Cliffhanger Archive
PIRATES & SEA ADVENTURE SERIALS
Featuring Roy Barcroft and Linda Stirling
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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.
2-DVD Set includes all 15 chapters & theatrical trailer
Image: Excellent; pure restored B/W, restored audio
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DL-DVD
Featuring
JOHN CRAWFORD
and RICHARD CRANE
A 15 chapter cliffhanger actually set in the days of swashbucklers and privateers. Two men are charged with finding out whether the infamous Captain Kidd is a pirate hunter or whether he has turned pirate himself--and if he has, to capture him and bring him back to England for trial. This ambitious low-budget costume epic is unique and one of the most entertaining later American movie serials. It makes good use of existing seaworthy sets, costumes and stock footage. This transfer was donated to the Squadron and resolution is not perfect but the picture is very clean, stable and splice-free.
View Chapter 1: "Pirate vs. Man-of-War"
View Chapter 2: "The Fatal Shot"
15 Episodes / Black and White
Very good quality video & audio
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PIRATE TREASURE
Featuring RICHARD TALMADGE
WILLIAM DESMOND
and WALTER MILLER
DL-DVD
Champion flyer Dick Moreland uses his prize money for a groundbreaking flight to finance an expedition to a remote island where his pirate ancestor is said to have buried a million dollars in gold. Brassett, a crooked lawyer and member of the Aero Club tricks Moreland into accepting him along with his band of crooks on the voyage to the island and constant battles ensue as the various factions fight over control of the loot, and avoid hostile natives on the island as well.
Talmadge was a master of his trade who performed stunts for Douglas Fairbanks and this serial shows off his amazing abilities.
12 Episodes / Black and White
3 hours 48 minutes
New Transfer with Restored Picture and Audio
Treasure Island
✦✦✦+ (Columbia, 15 Chapters)
Don Terry, Gwen Gaze, Walter Miller D: Elmer Clifton
When they reach Treasure Island, Larry Kent, who is searching for a missing newspaperman, and Toni Morell, who has half of a treasure map, fall into the hands of Collins, an anything-but-rational master of a strange chateau haunted by a pirate’s ghost. Collins, aka “The Shark,” has the other half of the map and employs a gang of cowled diggers in his search for the treasure. He also has henchmen dressed as pirates, and several skilled "house guests" he has kidnapped for medical or scientific duties.
Image: Excellent; B/W, from 16mm
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(Entire serial on 1 disk, full quality)
the River Boat
✦✦✦ (Universal, 13 Chapters)
Robert Lowery, Mantan Moreland D: Ray Taylor, L. Collins
Something valuable lies within the Louisiana swampland near Duval's Landing and two crooked factions want to take that land from its unknowing owners. Attorney Steve Langtry (son of one of the landowners) sets out to unravel the mystery, with the aid of another owner, riverboat captain Ethan Perrin, and his daughter Jenny.
DVD Contents: Includes all 13 chapters, theatrical trailer
Image: Excellent; B/W, from 16mm
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of the South Seas
✦✦✦(Republic, 14 Chapters)
Ray Mala, Mamo Clark D: Ray Taylor, Mack Wright
Mala, a U. S. Intelligence agent, is dispatched to Clipper Island to investigate sabotage that destroyed the airship San Francisco, and must overcome not only a spy ring (guided from a distance by the mysterious H. K.) but also the unscrupulous Komatoan high priest, Porotu, who is scheming to wrest power from the rightful monarch, Princess Melani. Ready to lend Mala a hand are a comic relief duo, MacGlaurie and Tupper (one a beachcomber, the other a novelist). Ray Mala was an Alaska-born Native American, one of the first to ever be featured as a hero in an action film.
View Online Video: Chapter 1 Cliffhanger
DVD Includes content presented in 9 double-length chapters, redundant padding & repeated scenes Republic added in post-production to extend the serial from 12 to 14 chapters removed
Image: Excellent; 3-Color toned throughout
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✦✦✦ (Mascot, 10 Chapters)
Anita Stewart, Bruce Gordon, Duke Kahanamoku D:
A ship wrecks on an island where people encounter a fanged ape named Kong who guards a treasure cave.
Influenced: KING KONG
View Online Video:
1-DVD Set Includes existing chapters 4-6 and unrestored reel 1 of Chapter 7
Image: Good; Color Toned
Audio: Silent with new musical score and sound effects
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✦✦✦ (Republic, 12 Chapters)
Ralph Byrd, Bela Lugosi, Richard Alexander D: William Witney
Lt. Terry Kent of the Coast guard leads the pursuit of a less-than-noble scientist named Boroff, who has invented a disintegrating gas that he will deal to a belligerent nation, Morovania, unless someone can stop him.
View Online Video: Chapter 1
DVD Contents: Includes all 12 chapters
Image quality: Excellent, B/W with Chapter 1 in 3-tone color
✦✦+ (Republic, 12 Chapters)
Harry Lauter, Tom Steele, Aline Towne D: Franklin Adreon
A trader and a pretty girl are caught between UN agents and schemers who are fomenting a revolution in the strategic location of Bumatra. With warm/cool color tones on chapters 1 and 12 and restored audio and picture.
Stunt Man Tom Steele has a fairly large role as a tall, gangly, mute Asian weapons master. Victor Sen Yung appears as Tom's assistant, Wang.
DVD Contents: Includes all 13 chapters
Image: Very good, clear & scratch-free