The disappearance of The Lost City from New York television is not an urban legend. Buster Crabbe had a daily show where he showed one episode of a different serial every day. So you had to watch 12 weeks and you saw 5 complete serials. He showed the first episode of The Lost City. It scared the spit out of me. I couldn't wait until next week. But on the appointed day a new serial began. No explanation. Now, for those who know the first chapter, it contains none of the politically incorrect stuff that appeared later. Only Sam Baker's insanely threatening presence. A bunch of mommy complaints must have convinced Crabbe to cancel the showing.
Sam Baker showed a great build but he was past his prime. To see him in The Thief of Bagdad is to see one magnificent body.
Of course as a little kid I didn't remember the name of the serial but always wanted to see more of it. Finally in the book Forgotten Horrors I found the name. Shortly thereafter I obtained a tape of one of the feature versions. I was not disappointed. As a fan of SF serials The Lost City exceeded my expectations. Cheap, yes. But so sincere! The acting was on a par with other serials of the period but the characters, sets and special effects were so much better than average.
Eventually I obtained the complete serial on DVD in an excellent print from Sinister Cinema. Frankly, it wasn't as good as the feature version - too many non-sf sub-plots. But unlike most serials that just keep telling the same stories - plot advancement, fight, plot advancement, fight, cliffhanger - Lost City kept involving more and more characters and stories. As other viewers have said, there's absolutely nothing like it. It's in my top five favorites.
Sam Baker showed a great build but he was past his prime. To see him in The Thief of Bagdad is to see one magnificent body.
Of course as a little kid I didn't remember the name of the serial but always wanted to see more of it. Finally in the book Forgotten Horrors I found the name. Shortly thereafter I obtained a tape of one of the feature versions. I was not disappointed. As a fan of SF serials The Lost City exceeded my expectations. Cheap, yes. But so sincere! The acting was on a par with other serials of the period but the characters, sets and special effects were so much better than average.
Eventually I obtained the complete serial on DVD in an excellent print from Sinister Cinema. Frankly, it wasn't as good as the feature version - too many non-sf sub-plots. But unlike most serials that just keep telling the same stories - plot advancement, fight, plot advancement, fight, cliffhanger - Lost City kept involving more and more characters and stories. As other viewers have said, there's absolutely nothing like it. It's in my top five favorites.