''Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders'' (1953) is a Republic

Movie serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

starring Bill Henry and both produced and directed by

Franklin Adreon Franklin "Pete" Adreon (November 18, 1902 – September 10, 1979) was an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Early life and career Born in Gambrills, Maryland, Adreon was a Marine Reservist during the 30 ...

. It was the sixty-second serial (of sixty-six) produced by Republic. Despite the title, this is not a science fiction serial. The plot is a northern cold war adventure involving secret missile bases and a planned invasion of the United States.

Plot

A foreign power, which is represented by their agent Marlof, attempts to set up secret missile bases in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to target the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

for their planned summer invasion. Meanwhile, acting on intelligence following the smashing of a spy ring in Montreal,

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

(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. Their attempts to disrupt the party only call the attention of the Mounties to the larger plot who, once the settlers finally reach their goal, continue to pursue the troublemakers, uncover their plot against the free world, unmask Marlof and bring them to justice.

Cast

* Bill Henry as Don Roberts, Sergeant in the RCMP *

Susan Morrow Susan Morrow (born Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor, May 25, 1932 – May 8, 1985) was an American actress. Early years Born as Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor to Frederick W. Immoor and Katherine (Shea) Immoor, Susan Morrow was ...

as Kay Conway, undercover operative of the RCMP *

Arthur Space Charles Arthur Space (October 12, 1908 – January 13, 1983) was an American film, television and stage actor. He was best known as Doc Weaver, the veterinarian, in thirty-nine episodes of the CBS television series '' Lassie''. Early years Bor ...

as Marlof, agent of a foreign power masquerading as Smoky Joe, a senile trapper *

Dale Van Sickel Dale Harris Van Sickel (November 29, 1907 – January 25, 1977) was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years. ...

as Beck, one of Marlof's two key

henchmen A henchman (''vernacular:'' "hencher"), is a loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organization: minions whose value lies pri ...

. * Pierre Watkin as Morrison, Commissioner of the RCMP

Supporting cast

*Mike Ragan as Reed, the other of Marlof's two key

. *

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program ''Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the first ...

as Anderson, lead headed for the Yukon * Edmund Cobb as Warner, a settler headed for the Yukon *Jean Wright as Betty Warner, a settler headed for the Yukon * Fred Graham as Mason, a henchman embedded with the settlers to keep them from reaching the Yukon *

Hank Patterson Elmer Calvin "Hank" Patterson (October 9, 1888 – August 23, 1975) was an American actor and musician. He is known foremost for playing two recurring characters on three television series: the stableman Hank Miller on '' Gunsmoke'' and farmer ...

as Jed Larson, a wizened Yukon trapper *Gayle Kellogg as Guy Sanders, a Corporal in the RCMP *

Harry Lauter Herman Arthur "Harry" Lauter (June 19, 1914 – October 30, 1990) was an American character actor. Early years Lauter was born in White Plains, New York. He worked as a model for a professional photographer and was a rodeo rider before m ...

as Clark, a Mountie * Tom Steele as Mac, Marlof's truck driving henchman

Production

''Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders'' was budgeted at $172,795 although the final

negative cost Negative cost is the net expense to produce and shoot a film, excluding such expenditures as distribution and promotion. Low-budget movies, for example ''The Blair Witch Project ''The Blair Witch Project'' is a 1999 American supernatural ho ...

was $167,669 (a $5,126, or 3%, under spend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1953 and the most under budget of all Republic serials. The next most under budget was the preceding ''

Jungle Drums of Africa ''Jungle Drums of Africa'' is a 1953 12-episode American serial film shot in black-and-white. It was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic Pictures. The ...

'' at $5,082 (2.9%) under budget. Those were the only two Republic serials released in

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yug ...

, although the studio did re-release '' Adventures of Captain Marvel'' (as ''Return of Captain Marvel'') and '' Captain America'' (as ''Return of Captain America'') to pad out their release schedule, not to mention the serial '' Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe'', which was originally intended to be a television series. Though filmed entirely in the United States, early chapters in ''Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders'' are set in a snowy region of northern Canada referred to as Taniak and rely heavily on the use of footage from earlier Republic productions including the 1938 feature '' Call of the Yukon'' and serials ''

King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist ...

'' and ''

King of the Mounties ''King of the Mounties'' is a 1942 Republic 12-chapter film serial, directed by William Witney. Allan Lane played Sgt. Dave King of the Mounties, with Peggy Drake as heroine Carol Brent, and Abner Biberman played the villainous Japanese admiral ...

''. These are blended with rear projection scenes featuring the serial's cast on studio sets and a "snow-dressed" Republic backlot. Later chapters set in snow-free forest were largely filmed in the Big Bear Lake region of California's San Bernardino National Forest. It was filmed between 24 March and 13 April 1953. The serial's production number was 1936.

Stunts

George DeNormand George DeNormand (1903 – 1976) was an American actor and stuntman. DeNormand was an amateur middleweight boxer in the 1920s. He was a prolific though often uncredited actor and stunt double in movies such as ''The Raven'' and ''Bride of Fran ...

* Fred Graham *

Carey Loftin William Carey Loftin (January 31, 1914 – March 4, 1997, a.k.a. Cary Loftin, Carry Loftin, Carey Lofton, Gary Loftin, William Carey Loftin) was an American professional stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor in the U.S. film industry. He is ...

Joe Yrigoyen Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

Special effects

Special Effects by the

Lydecker brothers Howard and Theodore Lydecker, always known—and billed—as such, were Howard "Babe" Lydecker (June 8, 1911 – September 26, 1969) and Theodore Lydecker (November 7, 1908 – May 25, 1990), a special effects team primarily working as contract ...

Release

Theatrical

''Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders'' official release date is 8 July 1953, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. This was followed by a

re-release In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Rec ...

of '' Captain America'', re-titled as ''Return of Captain America'', instead of a new serial. The next new serial, ''

Trader Tom of the China Seas ''Trader Tom of the China Seas'' is a 1954 Republic film serial directed by Franklin Adreon and starring Harry Lauter, Aline Towne, Lyle Talbot, Robert Shayne, Fred Graham, and Richard Reeves. In 1966 the serial was edited into ''Century 66 ...

'', followed in 1954.

Television

''Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders'' was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a 100-minute "Century 66" feature film on television in 1966, titled ''Missile Base at Taniak''.

Chapter titles

#Arctic Intrigue ''(20 min 00s)'' #Murder or Accident? ''(13 min 20s)'' #Fangs of Death ''(13 min 20s)'' #Underground Inferno ''(13 min 20s)'' #Pursuit to Destruction ''(13 min 20s)'' #The Boat Trap ''(13 min 20s)'' #Flame Versus Gun ''(13 min 20s)'' #Highway of Horror ''(13 min 20s)'' #Doomed Cargo ''(13 min 20s)'' #Human Quarry ''(13 min 20s)'' -- Re-cap Chapter #Mechanical Homicide ''(13 min 20s)'' #Cavern of Revenge ''(13 min 20s)'' _Source:

Cliffhangers

#''Arctic Intrigue'': Beck buries Don and Kay in an

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and eart ...

. #''Murder or Accident?'': Don is lured into a trap and falls down a concealed mineshaft. #''Fangs of Death'': Beck knocks Don unconscious and commands his lead sled dog to kill. #''Underground Inferno'': Don is caught in a cave full of burning ammunition as it explodes. #''Pursuit to Destruction'': In a car chase, Don's tire is punctured sending it over a cliff. #''The Boat Trap'': While intercepting a boat, the Mounties come under grenade attack from Beck. #''Flame Versus Gun'': Beck shoots Don with a rifle, knocking the Mountie over a cliff. #''Highway of Horror'': Kay is knocked unconscious in a car, which crashes and explodes. #''Doomed Cargo'': Don knocks Beck and Reed overboard but the boat he's on crashes into the rocks. #''Human Quarry'': Don is caught in a bear trap and triggers a spiked deadfall trap as he tries to escape. #''Mechanical Homicide'': Marlof rolls his car into the rock Don is using for cover, sending everything over a cliff.

Solutions

#''Murder or Accident?'': Don and Kay survive the

. #''Fangs of Death'': Don grabs a root as he falls and climbs back out. #''Underground Inferno'': Kay disperses the pack of dogs with gunshots (Don's thick coat protected him from a mauling). #''Pursuit to Destruction'': Don runs out of the cave just in time. #''The Boat Trap'': Don jumps clear of the car before it goes over the edge. #''Flame Versus Gun'': The Mounties jump overboard before their boat explodes. #''Highway of Horror'': Don lands in a river. His cartridge case caught the bullet. #''Doomed Cargo'': Don rides alongside and rescues Kay. #''Human Quarry'': Don dives overboard before the boat crashes. #''Mechanical Homicide'': Don jams the falling trap with a piece of firewood and Kay frees him from the bear trap. #''Cavern of Revenge '': Don dives safely into a river below.

References

External links

* *
Brief review of Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders at Quirk's Reviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Mounties Vs. Atomic Invaders 1953 films 1950s spy films 1950s English-language films American spy films Northern (genre) films American black-and-white films Republic Pictures film serials Royal Canadian Mounted Police in fiction Cold War history of Canada Films set in Yukon Films directed by Franklin Adreon 1950s American films