Ace Drummond

(1936) Ace Drummond is a film serial based on the Ace Drummond comic strip drawn by Clayton Knight and written by Eddie Rickenbacker. It featured aviator Ace Drummond and his adventures in Mongolia. A mysterious villain who calls himself The Dragon is attempting to prevent International Airways from beginning service there, in order to protect the secret of the mountain of jade for himself. It features a dungeon in the nearby monastery, the kidnapping of an archeologist who stumbles onto the secret, his daughter's attempts to rescue him with Ace's help, a death ray The Dragon uses on the airline pilots, a radio system by which The Dragon communicates with his henchmen via the rotation of Buddhist prayer wheels (each transmission concluding "The Dragon commands!"), and a squadron of his own fighter planes. Ace also regularly performs his theme song, "Give Me a Ship and a Song".

Price: $8.00

Adventures of Captain Marvel

(1941) Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 twelve-chapter film serial directed by John English and William Witney for Republic Pictures, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications such as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. It starred Tom Tyler (who also played The Phantom) in the title role of Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson. This serial was the first film adaptation of a comic book superhero. That claim would have gone to the previous serial, Mysterious Doctor Satan, which was intended to have been a Superman serial until National Comics (now DC Comics) pulled out of negotiations. National Comics unsuccessfully attempted to sue Republic for producing a Captain Marvel serial.

Price: $8.00

Adventures of Red Ryder

(1940) Mesquite banker Calvin Drake plans to profit from the Santa Fe Railroad's acquisition of right-of-way by gaining control of the land in the territory. In the ensuing war of intimidation against the ranchers, Ira Withers is killed and Red Ryder and his father, Colonel Tom Ryder, form an organization to drive the gunmen and outlaws out of the territory. Colonel Ryder is killed by One-Eye Chapin and Red vows vengeance. Sheriff Dade is in league with the Drake faction, including Ace Hanlon. The Duchess, Red's aunt, is about to lose her ranch. Red learns of a plan to dynamite a dam providing the water supply, and saves Beth Andrews, daughter of the former sheriff, Luke Andrews who was also murdered by Drake's men. This DVD contains all 12 thrill packed chapters.

Price: $8.00

Adventures of Sir Galahad

(1949) The Arthurian film cycle started with the Adventures of Sir Galahad serial. In this version, the youth Galahad (played by George Reeves), trying to emulate his father Sir Lancelot, wants fervently to be admitted to the Knights of the Round Table order. When he defeats Sir Bors and Sir Mordred in tournament, King Arthur agrees to knighthood if he can guard Excalibur for one night. Unfortunately, during that night the sword is stolen by a mysterious personage known only as the Black Knight. Possession of Excalibur makes the holder invincible and without it the sovereignty of Arthur is endangered, then Galahad is refused knighthood until the sword is found. Galahad, aided by Sir Bors, is hindered in his quest by Ulric, the Saxon King, who invades England, and by Merlin the magician, who harasses our hero at every turn. Galahad suspects that the Black Knight is a traitor within Camelot who seeks the throne in alliance with the Saxons, while Morgan le Fay, Arthur's half sister and also a magician, helps him fight both Merlin's magic and the Saxons.

Price: $8.00

Atom Man vs. Superman

(1950) Lex Luthor, the Atom Man, invents a number of deadly devices to plague the city, including a disintegrating machine which can reduce people to their basic atoms and reassemble them in another place. But Superman manages to thwart each scheme. Since Kryptonite can rob Superman of his powers, Luthor decides to create a synthetic Kryptonite and putters about obtaining the necessary ingredients: plutonium, radium and the undefined 'etc.' Luthor places the Kryptonite at the launching of a ship, with Superman in attendance. He is exposed to the Kryptonite and passes out. Superman is taken off in an ambulance driven by Luthor's henchmen, and he is now under the control of Luthor. Superman is placed in a device, a lever is pulled, and the Man of Steel vanishes into "The Empty Doom" (which bears a similarity to the Phantom Zone of the comic books). The serial features several elements re-used in later Superman features: the Man of Steel is exposed to synthetic Kryptonite during a public function, as he is the motion picture Superman III. When he escapes from "The Empty Doom", the headline of the Daily Planet proclaims: Superman Returns, the title of the most recent Superman movie.

Price: $8.00

Batman

Batman is a 15-chapter serial, released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures. The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. J. Carrol Naish played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred the butler. The plot involved Batman -- as a U.S. government agent -- attempting to defeat the Japanese agent Dr. Daka, at the height of World War II. The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman, and for debuting story details that became permanent parts of the Batman mythos. It introduced "The Bat's Cave", and its secret entrance through a grandfather clock inside Wayne Manor. Both departures subsequently appeared in the comics. The serial also changed the course of how Alfred Pennyworth's physical appearance would be depicted in later Batman works. At the time it was released in theaters, Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven in Batman comics. After William Austin's portrayal in these chapter plays, however, subsequent issues of the comics portrayed him Austin had: trim, and sporting a thin mustache . The serial was commercially successful, and spawned a sequel, Batman and Robin, in 1949. However, the sequel's very-low production values and over-the-top action and dialogue caused later audiences and reviewers to find it ridiculous. It was re-released in 1965 to capitalize on its camp value. The re-released version, called An Evening with Batman and Robin, proved very popular, and its success inspired the intentionally campy Batman television series (and its 1966 feature film spin-off) starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

Price: $8.00

Batman and Robin

(1949) Prof. Hammil's Remote Control device, which enables the user to take over any motor vehicle within 50 mileS, is stolen by The Wizard, black-hooded mastermind, and his gang. Batman and Robin (who drive about in a standard convertible instead of the Batmobile) must prevent the Wizard from obtaining diamonds, needed as fuel for the device, and rescue magazine photographer Vicki Vale from periodic perils. Where is the Wizard's base, reached only by remote controlled submarine? Which of several suspicious characters hides beneath the Wizard's hood?

Price: $8.00

Black Widow

(1947) The Daily Clarion hires detective story writer Steve Colt to investigate the deaths of a group of scientists working on an atomic rocket development project. Behind the killings is fortune teller Sombra, a spy from an Asian country intent on world domination, who is determined to pilfer the atomic rocket by luring workers from the project to her parlor and killing them with black widow spider venom when they refuse to cooperate. This DVD contains all 13 thrilling chapters.

Price: $8.00

Blackhawk

(1952) Based on a successful comic book that began in 1941, the Blackhawks were seven flyers who banded together during WW II to fight the Nazis. After the war, they continued to fight evil where ever they find it. In this movie, they are battling a group of spies and saboteurs bent on destroying democracy. The Blackhawks foil a succession of plots, with a cliff hanger ending in each episode.

Price: $8.00

Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers (1939) is a Universal serial film based on the Buck Rogers comic strip. It starred Buster Crabbe as the heroic Buck Rogers, Constance Moore as relatively seldom-seen romantic interest Wilma Deering, Jackie Moran as sidekick George "Buddy" Wade, and Anthony Warde as "super-racketeer" "Killer" Kane. The story begins with Buck Rogers and Buddy Wade in the midst of a dirigible flight over the North Pole. They are caught in a savage storm and crash - but not before they release an experimental substance called Nirvano Gas that they hope will preserve them until rescue can arrive. The Nirvano Gas works, but the dirigible is buried in an avalanche and is not found until 500 years have passed. When Buck and Buddy are found, they awaken to a world ruled by the ruthless dictator "Killer" Kane and his army of "super-racketeers." Only those who live in the "Hidden City", run by the benevolent scientist Dr. Huer and his military counterpart, Air Marshal Kragg, resist the criminal rulers of Earth. Buck and Buddy join the resistance, and they set out for Saturn, where they hope that they can find help in their fight against Kane. Saturn is run by Aldar and the not-so-aptly-named Council of the Wise and Prince Tallen. To the dismay of Buck and Buddy, they also discover that Kane has dispatched ambassadors of his own, headed by his loyal henchman, Captain Laska. The serial then becomes a back-and-forth struggle between Buck and Kane to secure the military support of Saturn for the struggles on Earth.

Price: $8.00

Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders

(1953) A foreign power, which is represented by their agent Marlof, attempts to set up secret missile bases in Canada to target the United States for their planned summer invasion. Meanwhile, acting on intelligence following the smashing of a spy ring in Montreal, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers Don Roberts and Kay Conway go undercover in a settling party headed for the Yukon. Marlof also has agents, Beck and Reed, in the party en route to the site of the planned missile bases.

Price: $8.00

Captain America

Captain America (1944) is a Republic serial film based (loosely) on the comic book character Captain America. It was the last Republic serial made about a superhero. It also has the distinction of being the most expensive serial that Republic ever made. The serial sees Captain America, really District Attorney Grant Gardner, trying to thwart the plans of The Scarab, really museum curator Dr. Cyrus Maldor - especially regarding his attempts to acquire the "Dynamic Vibrator" and "Electronic Firebolt", devices that could be used as super-weapons. In a rare plot element for Republic, the secret identity of the villain is known to the audience from the beginning, if not to the characters in the serial. The studio's usual approach was the use of a mystery villain who was only unmasked as one of the other supporting characters in the final chapter.

Price: $8.00

Captain Midnight

(1942) Captain Midnight is a 15-episode serial based on the radio adventure series of the same name. Captain Albright (Dave O'Brien), an ace aviator better known as Captain Midnight, is assigned to neutralize the evil enemy scientist Ivan Shark (James Craven), who is merrily bombing major American cities. Shark is after a new range finder invented by an altruistic scientist (Bryant Washburn). The scientist of course has a beautiful daughter (Dorothy Short, then Mrs. Dave O'Brien) who seemingly can't mail a letter without being kidnapped. With Captain Midnight on the case, Ivan Shark finds his best laid schemes going "agley", and once more the world is made safe for Democracy and Ovaltine. Like many wartime Columbia serials, Captain Midnight is endearingly directed by former Laurel and Hardy associate James W. Horne.

Price: $8.00

Captain Video

(1951) Based on the television series Captain Video and His Video Rangers, this 15-chapter serial was pretty much the beginning of the end for that venerable format (the last serial was made five years after this). Although put together by such longtime serial specialists as director Spencer Bennett, producer Sam Katzman and writer Royal Cole, this cheaply filmed anemic entry has Judd Holdren, as Captain Video, flying around in cartoon rocket ships, wearing what appears to be an old football uniform and fighting old robots that aficionados will recognize from serials filmed years before. The plot, such as it is, has Captain Video and his young Video Ranger sidekick battling the evil ruler of the planet Atoma. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi

Price: $8.00

Congo Bill

(1948) Congo Bill is a Columbia movie serial based on the DC Comics character Congo Bill. A girl is about to inherit a fortune, but she is missing in Africa. Only then, family charges Congo Bill, an adventurer, to find her, and bring her back to civilization. He follows a legend about a mysterious White Queen, but his path is full of difficulties, by an inhospitable jungle, and the man who will lose the fortune if the girl is found alive.

Price: $8.00

Daughter of Don Q

(1946) Republic Pictures attempted to mix the popular Zorro sub-genre with a modern crime story in this action serial directed by veterans Spencer G. Bennet and Fred C. Brannon. It was an uneasy mix at best, and after establishing that Dolores Quantaro (Adrian Booth) was indeed the granddaughter of the legendary daredevil, the serial settled down to become a rather drawn-out whodunit concerning the murders of several descendants of a Spanish settler. Attempting to get to the bottom of the carnage, Dolores is aided by crime reporter Cliff Roberts (played by future Superman, Kirk Alyn), but despite their combined efforts, it took another 11 episodes before the culprit was finally unmasked. Adrian Booth had been billed Lorna Gray when playing the evil high priestess Vultura in the earlier, and still fondly remembered, Perils of Nyoka (1942). The brunette starlet went on to some success as a leading lady in Republic Westerns.

Price: $8.00

Dick Tracy

(1937) Dick Tracy's foe for this serial is the crime boss and Masked Mystery Villain The Spider and his Spider Ring. In the process of various crimes, including using his Flying wing and sound weapon to destroy the Bay Bridge in San Francisco and stealing an experimental "Speed Plane", the Spider captures Dick Tracy's brother, Gordon. The Spider's minion, Dr. Moloch, performs a brain operation on Gordon Tracy to turn him evil, making him secretly part of the Spider Ring and so turning brother against brother.

Price: $8.00

Dick Tracy Returns

(1938) Dick Tracy Returns is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial Dick Tracy, with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the title character. It was successful enough that two further sequels were released, in 1939 and 1941, and Byrd become so connected with the character he went on the play him in a subsequent television series. This serial charts Tracy's efforts to capture the Stark Gang of Pa Stark (Charles Middleton, more famous for his serial role of Ming the Merciless in Universal's Flash Gordon serials) and his sons.

Price: $8.00

Dick Tracy's G-Men

(1939) Dick Tracy's G-Men is a 15-Chapter Republic Movie Serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by William Witney and John English. This serial was the fifteenth of the sixty-six produced by Republic and the third Dick Tracy serial (there would be one more, Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc, in 1941). As with all four Dick Tracy serials, Ralph Byrd plays the lead. This time he faces Irving Pichel as the spy with a vendetta, Zarnoff. Future Academy Award winner Jennifer Jones co-stars as Gwen Andrews. "G-Man" is a contemporary slang term for an agent of the FBI. In the comic strip, Dick Tracy is actually a detective in the police force of an unnamed Midwestern city resembling Chicago. This was changed for the serial. 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.

Price: $8.00

Dick Tracy vs, Crime Inc.

(1941) Chester Gould modeled his famous comic strip sleuth on the features of square-jawed actor Jack Holt, but it is Ralph Byrd who became the definitive Dick Tracy on the big screen. In this action-packed chapter play, Tracy battles the Ghost, a fiendish master criminal who has the ability to make himself invisible. One of the Ghost's ambitions is to wipe out New York City with a gigantic tidal wave. Can Dick Tracy save the Big Apple from being swallowed up by the sea? Don't miss a single thrilling minute!

Price: $8.00

Drums of Fu Manchu

(1940) 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 his associates fight to keep the evil doctor from getting his hands on the keys.

Price: $8.00

Epic Story of the Cliffhangers

(1996) A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to ensure the audience will return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma. The phrase is believed to come from the end-of-episode situation in adventure silent films of the early 1900s, with the protagonist literally left hanging from the edge of a cliff, although the oldest usage the Oxford English Dictionary has is from 1937. Some serials end with the caveat "To Be Continued..." or "The End?" In television series, the following episode sometimes begins with a recap sequence. In "The Epic Story of the Cliffhangers", journey back to the heyday of the Saturday Matinee in this original documentary. It traces the history of the Cliffhanger serial, from its earliest origins in silent movies through to the Golden Age during the 1930's and 1940's.

Price: $8.00

Feature Versions of Classic Serials

This DVD contains three films which are feature versions of classic cliffhanger serials. 1. The Lost City (1935) After a series of electrical storms disrupts the world, electrical engineer Bruce Gordon develops a machine to trace the cause of the disasters. He discovers that the source is in central Africa and, backed by the nations of the world, sets out on an expedition. Bruce learns that the disturbances emanate from an area called the Magnetic Mountain. But unknown to our hero and his pal Jerry, the Magnetic Mountain also contains a super-advanced secret city ruled by the tyrannical scientific wizard named Zolok, who has unleashed the electrical fury threatening civilization as part of his plan to conquer the world. Zolok has under his control a brilliant inventor, Manyus, Manyus' beautiful daughter Natcha and an army of giant African slaves, who follow the dictates of a strongman, Appolyn, and Gorza, a dwarf. Also in the mix are schemers Reynolds and Colton, who plan to capture Manyus and thereby gain control of Zolok's army... 2. Destination Saturn (1939) A re-edited version of the the 1939 serial Buck Rogers, released to television in the 1960's as a feature film. 3. Mars Attacks the World (1938) As a deadly ray from space hits the Earth, Flash Gordon travels to its source, the planet Mars, only to find his old enemy emperor Ming of Mongo. With the help of the clay people and other fantastic creatures, he fights for the freedom of two planets.

Price: $8.00

Flash Gordon

(1936) Flash Gordon is a 1936 science fiction film serial. Told in 13 installments, it was the first screen adventure for the comic-strip character Flash Gordon, and tells the story of his first visit to the planet Mongo and his encounter with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles B. Middleton, Priscilla Lawson and Frank Shannon played the central roles. In 1996, Flash Gordon was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Price: $8.00

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars

(1938) Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars is a serial film of 15 episodes, based on the comic strip Flash Gordon. It is the second of three Flash Gordon serials made between 1936 and 1940. The main cast from first serial reprise their roles: Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Jean Rogers as Dale Arden, Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov and Charles B. Middleton as Ming the Merciless. Also in the principal cast are Beatrice Roberts as Queen Azura, Donald Kerr as Happy Hapgood, C. Montague Shaw as the Clay King, and Wheeler Oakman as Ming's chief henchman.

Price: $8.00

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe

(1940) Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe was the last of three Flash Gordon serials made from 1936 to 1940. The serial was produced by Universal Pictures. The film starts on Earth. A deadly plague has been ravaging the planet, known as the Purple Death because it leaves a purple spot on the forehead of its victims. Ming the Merciless is suspected to be behind the plague, and Flash Gordon is sent with Dr. Alexis Zarkov and Dale Arden to the planet Mongo to find the cause of the plague, as well as a cure. Caused by Ming's spaceships dropping "Death Dust" into the Earth's atmosphere, they eventually find an antidote, Polarite in the Kingdom of Frigia, for it and Flash and Zarkov distribute it by the same method soon after the start of the series, while Dale Arden remains in the forest kingdom. Ming sends an army of walking robot bombs after them and succeeds in capturing Zarkov, but Flash is able to free him. Soon reunited with her, the trio continue to battle Ming, his cohorts, and his underlings. Ming's Captain Torch is the "spearpoint villain" of this serial, a type of character which the previous two did not have. He takes tactical command of the efforts to stop them. Before they leave, they destroy Ming by locking him in a tower and crashing a rocket ship loaded with Solarite into it. Prince Barin takes his rightful place as ruler of Mongo. In his rage, Ming says, similar to King Louis XIV of France, "I am the universe!" for nearly his last words. Flash Gordon is said by Zarkov at the end of the series to have conquered the universe.

Price: $8.00

Flying Disc Man From Mars

(1950) Martian invader, Mota, attempts to conquer the Earth as Mars is worried about its use of new atomic technology. They consider that it would be much safer, and beneficial for both Earth and Mars, if the Martians were in charge. Mota, having been shot down by an experimental ray gun, blackmails American scientist, and former Nazi, Dr Bryant into assisting him and hires some criminals to be his henchmen. Kent Fowler, the private pilot who shot down Mota with Dr Bryant's ray gun, gets caught up in these events while working security for atomic industrial sites.

Price: $8.00

Gangbusters

(1942) Gang Busters is a Universal movie serial based on the radio series Gang Busters. The city is terrorized by a crime wave masterminded by the elusive, soft-spoken Professor Mortis (Ralph Morgan). Police detective Bill Bannister (Kent Taylor), his partner TIm Nolan (Robert Armstrong), and police chief Martin O'Brien (Joseph Crehan) investigate the activities of Mortis and his gang, and discover that the crimes were all perpetrated by men who had died some time ago. Following the story are reporter Vicki Logan (Irene Hervey) and her photographer Happy Haskins (Richard Davies).

Price: $8.00

Ghost of Zorro

(1949) It's 1865 and the telegraph is heading west. George Crane, wanting to keep law and order out of his territory, is out to stop the construction. The Engineer on the job is Ken Mason and he is the grandson of Zorro. As Crane sends his men or Indians to stop the work, Mason repeatedly puts on the Zorro costume and rides to the rescue in this 12 chapter serial. Chapter titles 1.Bandit Territory (20min) 2.Forged Orders (13min 20s) 3.Robber's Agent (13min 20s) 4.Victims of Vengeance (13min 20s) 5.Gun Trap (13min 20s) 6.Deadline at Midnight (13min 20s) 7.Tower of Disaster (13min 20s) 8.Mob Justice (13min 20s) 9.Money Lure (13min 20s) 10.Message of Death (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter 11.Runaway Stagecoach (13min 20s) 12.Trail of Blood (13min 20s)

Price: $8.00

G-Men vs. The Black Dragon

(1943) American, British and Chinese secret agents battle the Japanese Black Dragon Society, a secretive ring that smuggles enemy agents into the U.S. disguised as mummies. Federal Agent Rex Bennett is enlisted by the government to capture them. As Oyama Haruchi, leader of the dangerous paramilitary group, begins to destabilize the United States war effort through sabotage and corruption, Bennett must team up with British special agent Vivian Marsh and Chinese special agent Chang Sing to stop them and help win the war.

Price: $8.00

Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion

Government Agents vs Phantom Legion (1951) is a 12-chapter American black-and-white film serial produced and distributed by Republic Pictures Corporation in 1951. It is an original, studio-commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson, produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon, and presents a combined international intrigue-action genres story involving interstate shipments of products critical to national security being hijacked by a gang of foreign agents. Two US government agents, Hal Duncan and Sam Bradley, must prevent agents of a foreign power, led by Regan and Cady, from hijacking trucks and stealing defence materials being transported by truck. They are hired by an interstate trucking association whose constituent truck lines have been principal targets of the hijacking, and it becomes evident that one of the four directors of the association - Armstrong, Crandall, Thompson or Willard - is the secret leader of this gang and provides them with shipment and route information necessary for the gang's successes.

Price: $8.00

Great Alaskan Mystery

(1944) The Great Alaskan Mystery is a Universal film serial about government agents trying to stop Nazi spies from getting their hands on futuristic weapons. James 'Jim' Hudson, an adventurer and accompanied by allies, goes after Nazi agents who have a new death ray called the Paratron. THE GREAT ALASKAN MYSTERY is something out of the ordinary in cliffhangers. Reminiscent in spots of Republic's Mountie serials but also bearing many similarities to "real world" Universal serials like SKY RAIDERS, it has a highly talented cast, (many of whom are known for their feature work rather than their serial work), an unusual setting, and a good script. It's generally either loved or hated by fans--hated by those who can't get over its frequently un-serialish feel and loved by those who appreciate its unique qualities.

Price: $8.00

The Green Hornet

(1940) The 13-episode Universal serial The Green Hornet is based on the radio series of the same name. Gordon Jones stars as Britt Reid, crusading young publisher of the Daily Sentinel, who matches wits with the underworld by disguising himself as the Green Hornet. So far as police are concerned, the Hornet is himself a criminal; this misunderstanding enables Reid to operate "outside the law" to battle criminals and racketeers. In the course of the serial, Reid and his faithful valet Kato (Keye Luke), the only living person who knows the true identity of the Hornet, take on a crooked insurance racket, an auto-theft ring and a dishonest flying school. Others in the cast include Anne Nagel as Reid's secretary Lenore "Casey" Case, and Wade Boteler as thick-headed detective Michael Axford. A TV version of The Green Hornet appeared in 1966, with Van Williams as Reid and no less than Bruce Lee as Kato.

Price: $8.00

The Green Hornet Strikes Again

(1940) A sequel to The Green Hornet, The Green Hornet Strikes Again is a 15-chapter serial that was based upon characters from the popular radio and pulp series. The Green Hornet (Warren Hull) is actually Britt Reid, fearless newspaper publisher, who dons the Hornet's guise to battle criminals that have managed to escape the long arm of the law -- aided, of course, by his invaluable sidekick, Kato (Keye Luke). As Strikes Again opens, Reid and Kato are enjoying a well-earned vacation in Hawaii. Their respite is short-lived, however, as they discover that master criminal Crogan (Pierre Watkin) has ratcheted up his operations and is starting a whole new series of rackets that require the Hornet's attention. After a rough crossing, they begin closing down Crogan's rackets -- including selling bombs to foreign agents -- one by one. Along the way, the duo encounter a number of close calls involving a plane crash, an explosion in a laboratory, a roof cave-in, electrocution, and driving a car into a warehouse loaded with explosives. In the end, of course, the Hornet brings down Crogan and all is once again well. For Strikes Again, Warren Hull, who had already played super-heroes The Spider and Mandrake the Magician, replaced Gordon Jones, the Hornet from the original serial.

Price: $8.00

Haunted Harbor

(1944) Haunted Harbor is a Republic Movie serial, based on the novel by Ewart Adamson. A sea captain about to be hanged for a murder he didn't commit is rescued from the gallows by two of his crewmen. They head for the island of Pulinan, where they believe the real murderer--the captain's former partner--is hiding so the captain can clear his name. As it turns out, their troubles are only beginning.

Price: $8.00

The Invisible Monster

(1950) A would-be American dictator and mad-scientist, known only as The Phantom Ruler, has developed a formula which, when sprayed on some solid object, renders that object and everything it contains invisible when exposed to rays emitted by a special lamp, also his own invention. Covered from head to toe in formula-treated cloth, he thus moves about unseen, presently with the objective of stealing enough money and formula components to render an entire army of willing followers invisible. Two henchmen assist him, along with several illegal aliens smuggled into the US by him and used to infiltrate, as employees, possible sites for him to later rob while invisible. When he successfully robs a bank vault, an investigator from the bank's insuror teams up with a woman police detective to solve the mystery of the money which to all outside appearances has just vanished. Tracking clues and interrupting other attempts by the Phantom Ruler to commit crimes, the protagonists round up enough evidence that they are not merely dealing with an ordinary crime ring. Eventually they discover the invisibility fluid and lamp, and the Phantom Ruler is killed when he trips over an open high-power electric cable he had laid on the floor of his den to do in the forces of law and order closing in upon him.

Price: $8.00

Jungle Drums of Africa

Jungle Drums of Africa (1953) is a 12-episode, American serial film, shot in black-and-white, which was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic Pictures. The story is set in Kenya, and involves the efforts of an American uranium processing company's representative and a woman medical missionary, to thwart the efforts of agents of a "foreign power", abetted by a disaffected native witchdoctor, to gain control of a large uranium deposit on lands owned by the latter's tribe. This serial features black American actors in major roles, including that of a college-educated chieftain.

Price: $8.00

Jungle Queen

(1945) During World War II, the Nazi High Command sends agents into the African jungle to stir up the local Tongghili tribes against the British Allies. Two Americans, Bob Elliott (Edward Norris) and Chuck Kelly (Eddie Quillan) arrive to aid the Allies and meet Pamela Courtney (Lois Collier), who is looking for her father, an explorer who mysteriously disappeared. Lothel (Ruth Roman), the beautiful and mysterious Jungle Queen, Tongghili’s spiritual leader, helps our heroes end the Nazi terror and return peace to the jungle, before vanishing into a sheet of flames!

Price: $8.00

King of the Forest Rangers

(1946) King of the Forest Rangers came in 1946, as America was getting back into peace time. Republic was still issuing four serials a year to distributors, but with WW 11 ending, they had lost the Nazi-Japanese enemy angle and had to rely on more standardized plot lines. King of the Forest Rangers starred Larry Thompson, a standard leading man, with no reputation among young serial fans as with Clayton Moore. Helen Talbot, who had been Don Barry's leading lady in westerns, may not have been Linda Stirling's equal, but did a passable job. My favorite chapter shows her strapped to a paper shredder about ready to go toward a whirling blade as the chapter ends.

Price: $8.00

King of the Rocketmen

(1949) King of the Rocket Men is a Republic movie serial, in twelve chapters, notable for introducing the "Rocketman Character" who reappeared under a variety of names in later serials Radar Men from the Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. An evil genius of unknown identity, calling himself "Dr Vulcan," plots to conquer the world, but first needs to eliminate one by one the members of the Science Associates, an organization of the Earth's greatest scientists. After narrowly escaping an attempt on his life by Vulcan, one member of Science Associates, Dr. Millard (James Craven), outfits another member, Jeff King (Tristram Coffin) with an "atomic powered rocket flying suit." With the help of the suit, a magazine photographer named Glenda Thomas (Mae Clarke), and other inventions of Dr. Millard, King battles the minions of Dr. Vulcan for twelve suspenseful episodes. Eventually Vulcan steals one of Millard's more dangerous inventions, the Decimator, and uses it to flood and destroy Manhattan Island (courtesy of stock footage from the once-thought-lost film, Deluge (1933)), before being brought to justice by Jeff King in his jet pack. Chapter titles 1.Dr. Vulcan - Traitor (20min) 2.Plunging Death (13min 20s) 3.Dangerous Evidence (13min 20s) 4.High Peril (13min 20s) 5.Fatal Dive (13min 20s) 6.Mystery of the Rocket Man (13min 20s) 7.Molten Menace (13min 20s) 8.Suicide Flight (13min 20s) 9.Ten Seconds to Live (13min 20s) 10.The Deadly Fog (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter 11.Secret of Dr. Vulcan (13min 20s) 12.Wave of Disaster (13min 20s)

Price: $8.00

Lost Planet

The Lost Planet is a 1953 Columbia Pictures 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay by George H. Plympton and Arthur Hoerl (who also wrote for Rocky Jones, Space Ranger). It appears to have been planned as a sequel to the earlier chapterplay Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere and shares many plot-points, props and sets, as well as some of the same cast. However, the Video Rangers do not appear, and their uniforms are instead worn by "slaves" created electronically by Reckov, the dictator of the Lost Planet (Gene Roth) with the help of mad scientist Dr. Grood (Michael Fox) and enslaved "good" scientist Professor Dorn (Forrest Taylor). The serial is interplanetary in name only, since while Dr. Grood has a "space projectile" identical to that seen in the Captain Video serial, the other characters fly to the Lost Planet in an ordinary light aircraft! As on the Rocky Jones, Space Ranger TV series, with which it shares a writer, the dialogue is often as unintentionally hilarious as that of an Ed Wood film. Typical: "How are we going to find it, it's the Lost Planet."

Price: $8.00

Mandrake the Magician

(1939) Columbia's 7th serial was based on the King Features newspaper comic strip created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis, Mandrake the Magician, the world's foremost exponent of mind over matter, although most of us who read the strip over the years were never really certain whether Mandrake was really a magician, or just had even more ability to cloud men's minds than the Shadow. The serial does allow Mandrake to discard his tie and tails when he isn't performing professionally, but out of his top hat and cloak, he is mainly a fist-slugging detective in this serial. Mandrake and Luthor are working the cruise lines and meet Professor Hudson who has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by "The Wasp", who sends his hordes of henchmen in waves to steal the invention, and they blow up a radio station, a power plant and a dam just to show they mean business.

Price: $8.00

Manhunt of Mystery Island

(1945) Manhunt of Mystery Island is a Republic Movie serial. It was the thirty-sixth serial produced by Republic (of a total of sixty-six) and the first released in 1945. It is one of the few 15-chapter serial to be released by the studio. The year 1945, the end of the Golden Age of Serials, was the last in which Republic released any 15-chapter serials, the remainder being either 12- or 13-chapters in length. A mad genius seeks to conquer the world, using a Transformation Machine to disguise himself as "the legendary" pirate Captain Mephisto. To do so, he kidnaps Prof Forrest, resulting in his daughter Claire Forrest, with Lance Reardon, coming to the rescu

Price: $8.00

The Mysterious Dr. Satan

(1940) A mad scientist named Dr. Satan plots to steal key pieces of technolgy to enable him to build an army of robots based on his prototype to conquer America. The only one standing in his way is Bob Wayne, who fights Satan as the enigmatic Copperhead.

Price: $8.00

Mysterious Island

(1951) In the Civil War, POW Capt. Cyrus Harding escapes from his Confederate captors in an observation balloon, with sailor Pencroft, his nephew Bert, writer Gideon, and soldier Neb. A hurricane blows the balloon off course to an uncharted island in the pacific. Our heroes soon encounter the natives (who worship the island's volcano), Rulu (a woman from Mercury trying to extract an element in order to conquer the Earth), Ayrton (a wild man exiled on the island), and Capt. Shard (a mercenary pirate). A mystery man, who possesses great scientific powers, also makes his presence known to the group of people, but whose side is he on? For 15 chapters, our quintet of heroes must battle all the elements and peoples while trying to figure a way off the island and back to civilization.

Price: $8.00

Nyoka and the Tigermen

(1942) Professor Campbell's expedition into the hills of Libya obtains a papyrus which might reveal the hiding place of the Golden Tablets of Hippocrates, containing lost medical secrets. Also in the region is intrepid Nyoka Gordon, still seeking her father, lost on a previous expedition. She alone can translate the papyrus, which directs our heroes through deadly perils (including the Tunnel of Bubbling Death) into the land of the Tuaregs. Opposing them are Vultura, Queen of the Desert, and her Arab ally Cassib, both greedy for the treasure.

Price: $8.00

Panther Girl of the Kongo

(1955) Panther Girl of the Kongo is a Republic movie serial. It used a lot of stock footage from the 1941 Republic serial "Jungle Girl". This was the sixty-fifth of sixty-six serials produced by Republic. Panther Girl of the Kongo mixes several stock serial plots including the "land grab", exotic location, jungle girl and mad scientist. Mad Scientist Morgan wants sole access to secret diamond mines in the local area of Africa. In order to accomplish this he breeds giant crayfish ("Claw Monsters") to scare away any other inhabitants. Jean Evans, the Panther Girl, and friend Larry Sanders encounter this plot while on a photo safari in the region. Panther Girl of the Kongo's official release date is 3 January 1955, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. This was followed by a re-release of Jesse James Rides Again instead of a new serial. The last new serial, King of the Carnival, followed in the summer.

Price: $8.00

The Phantom

(1943) The Phantom is a 1943 classic Columbia Pictures cliffhanger serial starring Tom Tyler in the title role. The serial is based on Lee Falk's comic strip The Phantom. The serial also features Jeanne Bates as the Phantom's girlfriend Diana Palmer, and Ace the Wonder Dog as the Phantom's trusty German shepherd Devil (who is a wolf in the original comic). Professor Davidson plans an expedition to find the Lost City of Zoloz. The location of the city is contained on seven pieces of ivory, three of which Davidson already possesses. Doctor Bremmer, however, intends to find the lost city and use it as a secret airbase for his unnamed country. To remove him as an obstacle, he kills The Phantom, only for his recently returned son, Geoffrey Prescott, to inherit the family identity and take over the mantle of The Phantom. Three of the remaining ivory pieces are owned by Singapore Smith, who initially steals Davidson's pieces. The seventh, and most important, piece is missing at first but turns up in the possession of Tartar (which The Phantom acquires by wrestling Tartar's pet gorilla).

Price: $8.00

Purple Monster Strikes

(1945) A Martian spacecraft crash-lands near the observatory of Cyrus Layton, designer of Earth's first spaceship. The survivor, forerunner of an invasion, can assume the form of any earthman. Calling himself the "purple monster," the humanoid invader sets about gaining control of Layton's rocket project. Opposing him is Craig Foster, former Secret Service man, who episode by episode tries to thwart the monster's attempts to acquire rocket components. Will Craig ever suspect that his closest associate is really the monster?

Price: $8.00

Radar Men From the Moon

(1952) 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! He assigns Commando Cody, scientist and man of action with a secret flying suit, to investigate. Soon, Cody is battling Earth thugs in the pay of Krog the moon man and making trips in his experimental rocket to the moon itself, in a perilous and all but singlehanded effort to thwart the planned invasion of Earth.

Price: $8.00

Radio Patrol vs. Spy King

(1949) The war lords of a potential enemy of the US has the spy ring, led by John Baroda, the Spy King and his aide Nitra, sabotaging the plans for a vast defense system of radar stations along the American borders. Radar Defense Bureau operative Chris Calvert comes to the rescue of a brilliant radar scientist, Joan Hughes, who has been kidnapped by Baroda henchmen in chapter 1 ("The Fatal Fog"), and the two battle together before putting an end to the Spy King in the aptly-named chapter 12, "Day of Reckoning".

Price: $8.00

Red Barry

(1938) Based on Will Gould's popular comic strip, the 13-episode Universal serial Red Barry stars Buster Crabbe in the title role. Detective Barry is galvanized into action when $2,000,000 worth of bonds is stolen from an unnamed Asian country. Among the villains involved are prima ballerina Natacha (Edna Sedgewick) and criminal mastermind Quong Lee (Frank Lackteen). Forming an uneasy alliance with criminologist Vane (Hugh Huntley), Barry pursues the miscreants up hill and down alley. Also on Barry's side is intrepid girl reporter Mississippi (Frances Robinson), who makes Lois Lane seem shy and retiring. Seldom pausing for breath, Red Barry remains one of the most memorable of the Universal chapter plays

Price: $8.00

The Return of Chandu

(1934) The Black Magic cult of Ubasti, based on the isle of Lemuria, believes that Nadji, a princess of Egypt, is a reincarnation of their long-dead goddess, Ossana, and intend to sacrifice Nadji so that Ossana may be resurrected. Nadji has taken refuge at the California home of Frank Chandler, an American raised in the east and possessed of White Magical powers, who calls himself "Chandu". Vindhyan, high priest of the cult's California outpost, learns of this and ultimately succeeds in placing her in a trance which Chandu cannot easily break, propelling him to move her to safety, choosing the port of Suva in the South Seas. There, aided by his sister Dorothy, nephew Bob and niece Betty, Chandu is able to revive her and deal with Vindhyan, only to have the evil Voice of Ubasti, highest of the high priests, spirit her to Lemuria through the magic Circle of Ola. Chandu, Dorothy, Bob and Betty set out in pursuit but end up shipwrecked on Lemuria itself...

Price: $8.00

Secret Agent X-9

(1945) Based on the '30s comic-strip character, Secret Agent X-9 was a black-and-white adventure serial from Universal. This 1945 version stars a young Lloyd Bridges as the American hero Phil Corrigan, also known as Secret Agent X-9. He joins up with Chinese agent Ah Fong (Keye Luke) and Australian agent Lynn Moore (Jan Wiley) to defeat the bad guy, Japanese agent Nabura (Victoria Horne). Chapter titles 1.Torpedo Rendezvous 2.Ringed by Fire 3.Death Curve 4.Floodlight Murder 5.Doom Downgrade 6.Strafed by a Zero 7.High Pressure Deadline 8.The Dropping Floor 9.The Danger Point 10.Japanese Burial 11.Fireworks for a Deadman 12.Big Gun Fusillade 13.Zero Minute

Price: $8.00

Secret Sevice in Darkest Africa

(1943) Secret Service in Darkest Africa is a Republic movie serial. It was Republic's thirtieth serial, of the sixty-six produced by the studio. It was a sequel to G-Men vs the Black Dragon released earlier in 1943, again starring Rod Cameron as American secret agent Rex Bennett. This time Bennet faces the Nazis rather than the Japanese. As with the earlier installment, Bennet is supported by characters from some of the allied nations in World War II. The serial is also known by the titles Manhunt in the African Jungles, changed when it was re-released in 1954, and The Baron's African War, when it was edited into a 100-minute film for television in 1966. In an attempt to control the entire Middle East and defeat the Allies, Nazi agent Baron von Rommler (Lionel Royce) captures and impersonates Sultan Abou Ben Ali (also Lionel Royce), leader of all the Arabs. Opposed to him is American Secret Service Agent Rex Bennett (Rod Cameron), along with reporter Janet Blake (Joan Marsh) and Chief of Police Captain Pierre LaSalle (Duncan Renaldo).

Price: $8.00

The Shadow

(1940) 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. The plot begins with dynamited railroads, wrecked airplanes and blown-up industrial plants, with the clear message that nothing is safe from the machinations of the secret mastermind of the underworld known only as The Black Tiger. The man has plans to take over everything. While the police make only a few futile arrests, Lamont Cranston, noted scientist and criminologist, assumes the disguise of a black-garbed, masked figure (The Shadow) to combat this evil. The police,of course, assume that The Shadow and The Black Tiger are one and the same.

Price: $8.00

Sky Raiders

(1941) Sky Raiders is a Universal film serial. Captain Dayton, owner of Sky Raiders, Inc., has invented a new fighter plane and bomb sight. Nazi agent Felix Lynx attempts to steal these inventions for his own country. Dayton recruits young Tim Bryant, a member of Air Youth of America, to help him.

Price: $8.00

The Spider Returns

The Spider Returns (1941) is a Columbia movie serial based on the pulp magazine character The Spider. It was the fourteenth of the 57 serials released by Columbia and a sequel to its 1938 serial The Spider's Web. The first episode runs 32 minutes; the rest are about 17 minutes each. Amateur criminologist Richard Wentworth was formerly the masked vigilante, The Spider. Wentworth brings The Spider out of retirement to help his friend, police commissioner Kirk (Kirkpatrick in the pulps), fight a dangerous maniac. This new enemy is The Gargoyle, a mysterious crime lord who threatens America with sabotage and wholesale murder in an effort to wreck national defense. Thrill to the action of this fantastic serial on 2 DVDs. Chapter titles 1.The Stolen Plans 2.The Fatal Time-Bomb 3.The Secret Meeting 4.The Smoke Dream 5.The Gargoyle's Trail 6.The X-Ray Eye 7.The Radio Boomerang 8.The Mysterious Message 9.The Cup of Doom 10.The X-Ray Belt 11.Lips Sealed by Murder 12.A Money Bomb 13.Almost a Confession 14.Suspicious Telegrams 15.The Payoff

Price: $8.00

The Spider's Web

The Spider's Web (1938) is a Columbia Pictures movie serial based on the pulp magazine character The Spider. The 15-chapter adventure (first episode was double length) was directed by serial and western specialist Ray Taylor and comedy and serial veteran James W. Horne. It was the fifth of the 57 serials released by Columbia. The film was wildly successful when first released; it was the most popular serial of 1938, according to a tally published in The Motion Picture Herald, and was the first serial that Columbia brought back as a reprint (in 1947). A sequel, The Spider Returns, was released in 1941; of the Spider's Web principals, only Warren Hull and Kenne Duncan returned in their original roles. Chapter titles 1.Night of Terror 2.Death Below 3.High Voltage 4.Surrender or Die 5.Shoot to Kill 6.Sealed Lips 7.Shadows of the Night 8.While the City Sleeps 9.Doomed 10.Flaming Danger 11.The Road to Peril 12.The Spider Falls 13.The Manhunt 14.The Double Cross 15.The Octopus Unmasked

Price: $8.00

Spy Smasher

Spy Smasher is a costumed American acting independently of the United States while it remains out of World War II. After discovering information about Nazi activities in occupied France he is captured and executed. However this is faked and he escapes back to the United States, meeting with his twin brother Jack (as Jack is incorrectly "recognized" and attacked by a Nazi agent) and Jack's fiance. The Nazi agent in America is The Mask, operating from a U-Boat near the coast. The Mask's attacks on America begin with an attempt to flood the country with forged money and destroy the economy. When this is defeated, he continues with other attacks including destroying planes, oil and munitions intended for Britain. Constant defeats at the hands of Spy Smasher, with support from Jack Armstrong and Admiral Corby, also leads the villain to take the fight back to the masked hero. In the end, the villain is killed aboard his own U-Boat in a sea of flaming oil. However, Spy Smasher's brother Jack Armstrong was also killed by the Nazis earlier in the serial. Chapter titles 1.America Beware (28min 32s) 2.Human Target (17min 29s) 3.Iron Coffin (16min 48s) 4.Stratosphere Invaders (16min 50s) 5.Descending Doom (16min 48s) 6.The Invisible Witness (16min 39s) 7.Secret Weapon (16min 53s) 8.Sea Raiders (16min 45s) 9.Highway Racketeers (16min 41s) 10.2700° Fahrenheit (16min 56s) 11.Hero's Death (16min 45s) 12.V..._ (16min 40s)

Price: $8.00

Superman

Superman (1948) is a 15-part black-and-white Columbia film serial based on the comic book character Superman. It stars Kirk Alyn as Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. It is notable as the first live-action appearance of Superman on film and for the longevity of its distribution. The serial was directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Superman television show, and Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Sam Katzman and shot in and around Los Angeles, California. It was originally screened at movie matinées and after the first three scene-setting chapters, every episode ends in a cliffhanger. The Superman-in-flight scenes are animations, in part due to the small production budget. Superman is sent to Earth by his parents just as the planet Krypton blows up and is later raised as Clark Kent by a farm couple. After his foster parents die, the Man of Steel heads to Metropolis under the bespectacled guise of Kent and joins the staff of the Daily Planet in order to be close to the news. Whenever emergencies happen, he responds in his true identity as Superman. This first serial revolves around the nefarious plot of a villain who calls herself the Spider Lady. Chapter titles 1.Superman Comes To Earth 2.Depths Of The Earth 3.The Reducer Ray 4.Man Of Steel 5.A Job For Superman 6.Superman In Danger 7.Into The Electric Furnace 8.Superman To The Rescue 9.Irresistible Force 10.Between Two Fires 11.Superman's Dilemma 12.Blast In The Depths 13.Hurled To Destruction 14.Superman At Bay 15.The Payoff

Price: $8.00

Zombies of the Stratosphere

(1952) Security agent Larry Martin, who can fly with an experimental rocket suit, investigates clandestine visits to earth by a Martian spaceship. Meanwhile, villainous Martians conspire with a traitorous atomic scientist to blast earth out of its orbit and replace it with Mars! Can Larry and his cohort Bob Wilson stop the Martians before they complete their dastardly project? Most interesting thing about this serial is the appearance of a very young Leonard Nimoy who, of course, all sci-fi fans know as Mr. Spock in Star Trek TOS.

Price: $8.00

Zorro Rides Again

(1937) In contemporary California, villain J. A. Marsden aims to take over the California-Yucatan Railroad with the aid of his henchman El Lobo. The rightful owners, Joyce and Phillip Andrews, naturally object. Their parter, Don Manuel Vega summons his nephew, James Vega, to help them as he is the great grandson of the original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega. He is disappointed, however, to find that his nephew is a useless fool (presumably Don Manuel had not paid too much attention to his family history). Nevertheless, James Vega installs himself in the original Zorro's hideout and adopts the Zorro identity to defeat Marsden and El Lobo. This Zorro uses twin pistols and (like the original Zorro) a whip as his main weapons of choice, rather than a more traditional sword. Chapter titles 1.Death from the Sky (29 min 41s) 2.The Fatal Minute (18 min 1s) 3.Juggernaut (16 min 18s) 4.Unmasked (16 min 19s) 5.Sky Pirates (16 min 54s) 6.The Fatal Shot (16 min 32s) 7.Burning Embers (15 min 30s) 8.Plunge of Peril (17 min 10s) 9.Tunnel of Terror (17 min 07s) 10.Trapped (17 min 23s) 11.Right of Way (15 min 47s) 12.Retribution (15 min 47s)

Price: $8.00

Zorro's Black Whip

(1944) Zorro's Black Whip is a Republic Pictures film serial starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the popular 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of The Mark of Zorro and Republic was unable to use the character himself, but still wanted to capitalize on it. However, and despite the title, Zorro does not feature in this serial. The hero(ine) is actually called The Black Whip throughout. The serial is set in pre-statehood Idaho, and involves a fight to prevent and ensure statehood by the villains and heroes respectively. Parts of this serial were reused as stock footage to pad out later serials such as Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951) and Man with the Steel Whip (1954) - despite the fact that both of those serials had male leads.

Price: $8.00

Zorro's Fighting Legion

(1939) Zorro's Fighting Legion is a Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley as Zorro. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro. The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui Indians, has emerged and attacks the gold trade of the Republic of Mexico, planning to take over the land and become Emperor. A man named Francisco is put in charge of a fighting legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the gold, but he is attacked by men working for Don Del Oro. Zorro comes to his rescue, but it is too late for him. Francisco's partner recognizes Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega. Francisco asks Diego, as Zorro, to take over the fighting legion and defeat Don Del Oro.

Price: $8.00