''Gang Busters'' is a 1942

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

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 ...

based on the radio series ''

Gang Busters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957. Histo ...

''.

Plot

The city is terrorized by a crime wave masterminded by the elusive, soft-spoken Professor Mortis ( Ralph Morgan) from his base in a forgotten cavern beneath the rails of the city's subway line. He declares over the radio that The League of Murdered Men will exact revenge upon the city officials. Mortis's gang members were officially pronounced dead in prison but revived by medical genius Mortis, who recruited them to do his bidding. Police detective Bill Bannister (

Kent Taylor Kent Taylor (born Louis William Weiss; May 11, 1907 – April 11, 1987) was an American actor of film and television. Taylor appeared in more than 110 films, the bulk of them B-movies in the 1930s and 1940s, although he also had roles in more pr ...

) is visited by his brother, a reformed criminal who will inform on Mortis. Mortis's men kill the informant before he talks, and detective Bannister vows to get Mortis. Bannister, together with his partner Tim Nolan ( Robert Armstrong), and police chief Martin O'Brien (

Joseph Crehan Joseph A. Creaghan (July 15, 1883 – April 15, 1966) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1916 and 1965, and notably played Ulysses S. Grant nine times between 1939 and 1958, most memorably in ''Union Paci ...

) use the latest police methods to track down Mortis. Following the story are newspaper reporter Vicki Logan (

Irene Hervey Irene Hervey (born Beulah Irene Herwick; July 11, 1909December 20, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress who appeared in over fifty films and numerous television series spanning her five-decade career. A native of Los Angeles ...

) and her photographer Happy Haskins ( Richard Davies).

Cast

Starring: *

as Det. Lt. Bill Bannister *

as Vicki Logan, reporter * Ralph Morgan as Professor Mortis * Robert Armstrong as Det. Tim Nolan Featuring: * Richard Davies as Happy Haskins, news photographer *

as Police Chief Martin O'Brien * George Watts as Mayor Hansen *

Ralf Harolde Ralf Harolde (born Ralph Harold Wigger, May 17, 1899 – November 11, 1974) was an American character actor who often played gangsters. Between 1920 and 1963, he appeared in 99 films, including '' Smart Money'' with Edward G. Robinson and ...

as Chief Henchman Halliger *

William Haade William Haade (March 2, 1903 – November 15, 1966) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1937 and 1957. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California. Haade was a construction boss until ...

as Henchman Mike Taboni *

John Gallaudet John Beury Gallaudet (August 23, 1903 – November 5, 1983) was an American film and television actor. Career Gallaudet was born in Philadelphia and attended Williams College. His Broadway credits included ''Good Men and True'' (1935), ''Lost ...

as Henchman Wilkerson * George J. Lewis as Henchman Mason * Victor Zimmerman as Henchman Bernard * Johnnie Berkes as Newsboy–Henchman Grubb * Edward Emerson as "Frenchy" Ludoc With: * Pat O'Malley as the Police Scientist *

Beatrice Roberts Alice Beatrice Roberts (March 7, 1905 – July 24, 1970) was an American film actress. Early years Roberts was born on March 7, 1905, in New York City. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Colin M. Roberts, and she attended Winthrop High ...

as the Chief's Secretary * Riley Hill as Jim Bannister (Ch. 1) *

Grace Cunard Grace Cunard (born Harriet Mildred Jeffries; April 8, 1893 – January 19, 1967) was an American actress, screenwriter and film director. During the silent era, she starred in over 100 films, wrote or co-wrote at least 44 of those production ...

landlady A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the t ...

(Ch. 1) * Eddie Dean as Blair, ballistics expert (Chs. 1, 6) * Eddie Foster as Henchman Jerry Rogan (Chs. 3–4) *

Stanley Price Stanley Price (December 31, 1892July 13, 1955) was an American film supporting actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1922 and 1956. He was a charter member of the Screen Actors Guild. Career Price was an actor whose artistic career sp ...

as Henchman Corky Watts (Chs. 4–5) *

Ethan Laidlaw Ethan Allen Laidlaw (November 25, 1899 – May 25, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 350 films and made more than 500 appearances on television, mainly uncredited in Westerns, between 1923 and 1962. Laidlaw was bor ...

as Ludoc's bartender (Chs. 5, 7–8) *

Mickey Simpson Mickey Simpson (December 3, 1913 – September 23, 1985) was an American supporting actor of burly roles, probably most familiar as "Sarge," the bigoted diner owner in the 1956 film, ''Giant''. He appeared in over 175 films and television episod ...

as Bruiser, Ludoc's bouncer (Ch. 7) * Karl Hackett as Henry, crooked watchman (Chs. 7–8) * Phil Warren as Henchman McKay (Chs. 8–9) *

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

as Chemist Richards (Chs. 9, 11) * Jerry Jerome as Henchman Soupy Collins (Chs. 10–11) * Paul McVey as Attorney J.B. "Harry" Malloy (Ch. 12) *

Dick Hogan Dixon Howard "Dick" Hogan (November 27, 1917 – August 18, 1995) was an American actor of the 1930s and 1940s. During his 12-year career he appeared in over three dozen films, in roles which varied from unnamed bellhops to featured and starring ...

as announcer during opening titles

Production

''Gang Busters'' is one of Universal's most elaborate serials, with many chase and thrill scenes expertly staged in outdoor locations. The directors were Ray Taylor, veteran director responsible for many hit serials, and Noel M. Smith, former silent-screen director who specialized in fast action (Smith directed many of

Larry Semon Lawrence Semon (February 9, 1889 – October 8, 1928) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the silent film era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working ...

's stunt-filled comedies of the 1920s). Some of the footage in ''Gang Busters'' was so good that Universal often reused it in its later cliffhangers. Universal had been making adventure serials since the 1910s, and achieved major success with its Flash Gordon serials of the late 1930s. By the early 1940s serials were usually shown to juvenile audiences at weekend matinees. Universal intended ''Gang Busters'' for adult audiences and possible weeknight showings, and staged the action as a straight crime drama. The studio introduced a new "Streamlined Serials" format to distinguish it from its previous chapter plays. Instead of beginning each chapter with a printed synopsis of the storyline, the new format had the action in each chapter starting immediately. The story characters were shown discussing the latest developments and recapping the story themselves. As a publicity gimmick, Universal hired its "serial queen" of the 1910s, former action star

, to work in ''Gang Busters''. She appears only in the first chapter, as the landlady of a boarding house, but she received prominent billing in the promotional posters and advertising.

Critical reception

''Gang Busters'' was very successful in its original release, and was re-released in 1949 by Film Classics, Inc. Authors Jim Harmon and Donald F. Glut described ''Gang Busters'' as a "well made and interesting serial.", and William C. Cline considered the serial one of Universal's best and that Professor Mortis is one of the best characters ever created for a serial.

Chapter titles

# The League of Murdered Men # The Death Plunge # Murder Blockade # Hangman's Noose # Man Undercover # Under Crumbling Walls # The Water Trap # Murder by Proxy # Gang Bait # Mob Vengeance # Wanted at Headquarters # The Long Chance # Law and Order _Source:

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gang Busters 1942 films 1942 crime drama films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Universal Pictures film serials Films based on radio series Films directed by Ray Taylor Films directed by Noel M. Smith American crime drama films Films with screenplays by George H. Plympton 1940s American films