My Favorite Movie Serials
by ripjarvis | created - 27 Jul 2015 | updated - 27 Jul 2015 | PublicBack in my childhood you went to the movies and spent all day. One of the reasons you did this on Saturday was that was when the new episode of the cliff hanger serials debuted. Sure they were not always great art, but to a small boy, they were wonder come to life.
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1. Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
Passed | 216 min | Action, Adventure, Family
To protect a magic talisman from being used for evil, a teenage boy named Billy Batson is given the power to become an adult superhero, Captain Marvel, with a single magic word: "Shazam!"
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Tom Tyler, Frank Coghlan Jr., William 'Billy' Benedict, Louise Currie
Votes: 1,524
Many consider this the best. You can argue, but it did have the best of that Republic Style.
2. The Green Hornet (1940)
Approved | 258 min | Adventure, Crime, Family
A newspaper publisher and his Korean servant fight crime as vigilantes who pose as a notorious masked gangster and his aide.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor | Stars: Gordon Jones, Wade Boteler, Keye Luke, Anne Nagel
Votes: 713
This one had some of the best dash (and the best title sequence) of the chapter plays. And, unlike so many others, it stayed pretty close to its Radio Roots.
3. Flash Gordon (1936)
Passed | 245 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Alexis Zarkov visit the planet Mongo to thwart the evil schemes of Emperor Ming the Merciless, who has set his planet on a collision course with Earth.
Directors: Frederick Stephani, Ray Taylor | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson
Votes: 2,658
This was the ground breaker. Science Fiction on film fought to excite like this one. Now it looks clunky, sure, but at the time....just wow! And this was one of the Universal Studio products, not known for their serials.
4. The Shadow (1940)
Passed | 285 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The Shadow battles a villain known as The Black Tiger, who has the power to make himself invisible and is trying to take over the world with his death ray.
Director: James W. Horne | Stars: Victor Jory, Veda Ann Borg, Roger Moore, Robert Fiske
Votes: 376
Victor Jory was born to play the shadow on film, even though they didn't pay a lot of attention to the books or the radio.
5. The Spider's Web (1938)
Passed | 300 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A crime fighter known as The Spider battles a villain called The Octopus, who is out to sabotage America and install his own government.
Directors: James W. Horne, Ray Taylor | Stars: Warren Hull, Iris Meredith, Richard Fiske, Kenne Duncan
Votes: 167
Great serial based on "The Spider: Master of Men" pulp novels. Little slow by comparison, but certainly worth a fan's time.
6. Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)
Passed | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The masked hero leads a fighting force to fight a villian who plots the conquest of The Republic of Mexico.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Reed Hadley, Sheila Darcy, William Corson, Leander De Cordova
Votes: 464
Absolutely the best of the Zorro serials.
7. Captain America (1944)
Passed | 244 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Superhero Captain America battles the evil forces of the archvillain called The Scarab, who poisons his enemies and steals a secret device capable of destroying buildings by sound vibrations.
Directors: Elmer Clifton, John English | Stars: Dick Purcell, Lorna Gray, Lionel Atwill, Charles Trowbridge
Votes: 1,104
Wasn't even written for Cap originally, but they have those great Republic Stunt men, so it doesn't slow down once they get started. And the female lead should have played Lois Lane sometime.
8. Batman (1943)
Approved | 260 min | Action, Crime, Family
The very first serial to adapt the comic book character of the Batman. In it, the Batman is a secret U.S. government agent, attempting to defeat the schemes of Japanese agent Dr. Daka operating in Los Angeles at the height of World War II.
Director: Lambert Hillyer | Stars: Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft, J. Carrol Naish, Shirley Patterson
Votes: 2,472
For a Columbia (not the best serial studio) this one looks pretty good. But it seems Robin saves Batman a lot more than the other way around.
9. Undersea Kingdom (1936)
Approved | 226 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
Crash Corrigan, a recent graduate of Annapolis, and Diana, a go-getting reporter, join Professor Norton for a search for the source of a string of earthquakes, Atlantis. They ride Prof. ... See full summary »
Directors: B. Reeves Eason, Joseph Kane | Stars: Ray Corrigan, Lois Wilde, Monte Blue, William Farnum
Votes: 634
"Crash" Corrigan is down there roughing them up. Another amazing piece of SF from Republic. Look closely you might recognize Lon Chaney Jr. and Smiley Burnett now and then.
10. Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
Approved | 299 min | Action, Adventure, Family
When a deadly Nitron ray strikes Earth, Flash Gordon and his friends travel to Mars to battle Ming the Merciless and his new ally Queen Azura.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Robert F. Hill, Frederick Stephani | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Frank Shannon
Votes: 1,052
Visually one of the most striking of the Flash Gordon's
11. The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1940)
Approved | 293 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A wealthy publisher uses a disguise and calls himself the Green Hornet to fight crime in his city.
Directors: Ford Beebe, John Rawlins | Stars: Warren Hull, Wade Boteler, Anne Nagel, Keye Luke
Votes: 426
The Hornet is back, and still doing it good!
12. Superman (1948)
Approved | 244 min | Sci-Fi
Superman comes to Earth as a child and grows up to be his home's first superhero with his first major challenge being to oppose The Spider Lady.
Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet, Thomas Carr | Stars: Kirk Alyn, Noel Neill, Tommy Bond, Carol Forman
Votes: 1,218
Kirk Alan isn't even credited, so people would think it really was Superman performing. They had most people going, until the flying Superman became a cartoon.
13. Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
Approved | 195 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov return to the planet Mongo for an antidote to the Purple Death, which wreaking destruction on Earth. However, Ming the Merciless has other plans for them.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Carol Hughes, Charles Middleton, Anne Gwynne
Votes: 1,498
Flash and Ming are at it again.
14. Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Approved | 252 min | Family, Sci-Fi
Superman battles Lex Luthor who is using a teleportation device and a new identity as Atom Man in his criminal plans.
Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet | Stars: Kirk Alyn, Noel Neill, Lyle Talbot, Tommy Bond
Votes: 832
At last - Lex Luthor!
15. Batman and Robin (1949)
Approved | 263 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Second serial featuring the comic book character Batman. In it, Batman, together with his sidekick Robin, face off against the Wizard, a hooded villain with an electronic device that remotely controls vehicles.
Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet | Stars: Robert Lowery, Johnny Duncan, Jane Adams, Lyle Talbot
Votes: 2,107
The dynamic duo still look good, though their car could use some work.
16. Buck Rogers (1939)
Approved | 237 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
A 20th Century pilot named Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade awake from 500 years in suspended animation to find that the world has been taken over by the outlaw army of Killer Kane.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Constance Moore, Jackie Moran, Jack Mulhall
Votes: 997
Damn, Buck sure looks and acts like Flash.
17. Dick Tracy (1945)
Passed | 61 min | Action, Crime, Family
Police detective Dick Tracy must identify and apprehend a serial killer known as Splitface.
Director: William Berke | Stars: Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Mike Mazurki, Jane Greer
Votes: 1,634
Lester Gould's hard nosed detective comes to the screen with a vengeance.
18. Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941)
Passed | 263 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Dick Tracy goes up against a villain known as The Ghost, who can turn himself invisible.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Ralph Byrd, Michael Owen, Jan Wiley, John Davidson
Votes: 324
Still rounding up goons and crushing skulls.
19. Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939)
Passed | 302 min | Mystery
A mad doctor named Zanoff uses a drug to bring himself back from the dead after his execution in prison. Dick Tracy sets out to capture Zanoff before he can put his criminal gang back together again.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Ralph Byrd, Irving Pichel, Ted Pearson, Jennifer Jones
Votes: 363
Not the best of the series, but better than some.
20. Drums of Fu Manchu (1940)
Passed | 269 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu searches for the keys to the tomb of Genghis Khan, in order to fulfill a prophecy that will enable him to conquer the world. His nemesis, Dr. Nayland Smith, and ... See full summary »
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Henry Brandon, William Royle, Robert Kellard, Gloria Franklin
Votes: 334
The king of the "Yellow Peril" characters. Take it with a dash of salt.
21. Flying Disc Man from Mars (1950)
Passed | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A hero single-handedly sets himself against Martians trying to assume control of Earth.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Walter Reed, Lois Collier, Gregory Gaye, James Craven
Votes: 290
Republic hero takes on the phenomenon of flying saucers.
22. Judex (1916)
Not Rated | 300 min | Adventure, Crime
A twelve-part serial following the adventures of the masked vigilante Judex as he fights against criminals led by the corrupt banker Favrauxom.
Director: Louis Feuillade | Stars: René Cresté, Musidora, René Poyen, Édouard Mathé
Votes: 1,126
This silent French crime suspenser is worth watching.
23. Les vampires (1915)
Not Rated | 421 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An intrepid reporter and his loyal friend battle a bizarre secret society of criminals known as The Vampires.
Director: Louis Feuillade | Stars: Musidora, Édouard Mathé, Marcel Lévesque, Jean Aymé
Votes: 5,428
Another great French Silent serial, but it's about a gang of thieves, not really vampires.
24. King of the Rocket Men (1949)
Passed | 167 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Jeff King in his experimental rocket suit battles the evil Dr. Vulcan.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Tristram Coffin, Mae Clarke, Don Haggerty, House Peters Jr.
Votes: 965
Every kid in the audience wanted that flying suit1 I know I did.
25. Radar Men from the Moon (1952)
Approved | 167 min | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
Strategic targets on Earth are being destroyed by an unknown weapon. Government security head Henderson suspects it's an "atomic ray" originating from the moon.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: George D. Wallace, Aline Towne, Roy Barcroft, William Bakewell
Votes: 1,180
Another fun Commando Cody adventure
26. The Lone Ranger (1938)
Approved | 264 min | Western
Heroic's of Lone Ranger & Tonto, matter!
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Silver Chief, Chief Thundercloud, Lynne Roberts, Stanley Andrews
Votes: 246
This was lost for a long time. Then they found one with Spanish Subtitles, but those are gone now if you don't want them
27. The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939)
Approved | 263 min | Western
Homesteaders are moving into the valley settled many years ago by rancher Craig Dolan. He wants to keep them out by legal means but his nephew Bart brings in outlaws to drive them out. The ... See full summary »
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Robert Livingston, Chief Thundercloud, Silver Chief, Duncan Renaldo
Votes: 139
Kemosabe and Tonto ride out once more.
28. Mandrake, the Magician (1939)
Approved | 215 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Mandrake and his assistant Lothar are working the cruise lines and make the acquaintance of Professor Houston who has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by a masked Crime Lord known as "The Wasp".
Directors: Norman Deming, Sam Nelson | Stars: Warren Hull, Doris Weston, Al Kikume, Rex Downing
Votes: 214
Another Columbia that is almost more fun to watch the mistakes.
29. Spy Smasher (1942)
Passed | 215 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Alan Armstrong, aka Spy Smasher, battles a Nazi villain known as The Mask, who heads a gang of saboteurs determined to spread destruction across America.
Director: William Witney | Stars: Kane Richmond, Marguerite Chapman, Sam Flint, Hans Schumm
Votes: 414
Another Whiz comics adaptation, has its moments.
30. The Masked Marvel (1943)
Passed | 197 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A mysterious detective called The Masked Marvel battles Japanese saboteurs intent on blowing up America.
Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet | Stars: William Forrest, Louise Currie, Johnny Arthur, Rod Bacon
Votes: 207
The American version of the masked wrestler hero, without the ring.
31. Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940)
Passed | 267 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A mad scientist plots the domination of America and only the masked hero, The Copperhead, can stop him.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Eduardo Ciannelli, Robert Wilcox, William Newell, C. Montague Shaw
Votes: 277
Was planned as a third Superman serial and then they lost the rights, so they invented the non super-powered hero The Copperhead.
32. Perils of Nyoka (1942)
Approved | 261 min | Drama
It's intrepid Nyoka and her friends versus Vultura, Queen of the Desert, on a quest for the Golden Tablets of Hippocrates.
Director: William Witney | Stars: Kay Aldridge, Clayton Moore, William 'Billy' Benedict, Lorna Gray
Votes: 179
Jungle adventure at its finest, sort of.
33. The Phantom Empire (1935)
Approved | 245 min | Drama, Family, Romance
When the ancient continent of Mu sank beneath the ocean, some of its inhabitant survived in caverns beneath the sea. Cowboy singer Gene Autry stumbles upon the civilization, now buried ... See full summary »
Directors: Otto Brower, B. Reeves Eason | Stars: Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, Betsy King Ross, Dorothy Christy
Votes: 539
The best cowboy/science fiction/musical serial you'll ever see!
34. The Spider Returns (1941)
Approved | 300 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The evil and masked "Gargoyle" is sabotaging all of America's industrial plants. It is up to the Spider to save the country.
Director: James W. Horne | Stars: Warren Hull, Mary Ainslee, Dave O'Brien, Joseph W. Girard
Votes: 279
Not as good as the first, but, hey, what is?
35. Tarzan the Fearless (1933)
Passed | 86 min | Adventure, Family
Mary Brooks' father, who has been studying ancient tribes, falls into the hands of the people of Zar, god of the Emerald Fingers. Tarzan helps Mary locate her father, rescues everyone from the High Priest of Zar and takes Mary to his cave.
Director: Robert F. Hill | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Julie Bishop, Edward Woods, Philo McCullough
Votes: 826
Buster Crabbe as the King of the Jungle.
36. Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)
Passed | 167 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The invaders come to Earth to create an H-bomb to blast Earth out of orbit so that Mars can take its place.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Judd Holdren, Aline Towne, Wilson Wood, Lane Bradford
Votes: 480
You got Commando Cody and a young Leonard Nimoy, you gotta ask?
37. Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953–1955)
30 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Dangerous climate changes are ravaging Earth and the U.S. government requests an investigation by masked super-scientist Commando Cody. He discovers that the disasters are being caused by space-alien forces from unknown planetary origins.
Stars: Judd Holdren, Aline Towne, Gregory Gaye, Craig Kelly
Votes: 204
Was shot as a TV series, but they released it as a serial.
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