''Undersea Kingdom'' (1936) is a Republic Pictures 12 chapter

film 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 ...

released in response to Universal's '' Flash Gordon''. It was the second of the sixty-six serials made by Republic. In 1966, the serial was edited into a 100-minute television film titled ''Sharad of Atlantis''. Following a suspicious earthquake, and detecting a series of signals, Professor Norton leads an expedition, including Lt. Crash Corrigan and reporter Diana Compton, in his rocket submarine to the suspected location of Atlantis. Finding the lost continent they become embroiled in an Atlantean civil war between Sharad (with his White Robes) and the usurper Unga Khan (with his Black Robes), who wishes to conquer Atlantis and then destroy the upper world with

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

s generated by his Disintegrator. Thus he will rule the world unless he can be stopped in time. The star of the serial is ''

Ray "Crash" Corrigan Ray "Crash" Corrigan (born Raymond Benitz; February 14, 1902 – August 10, 1976) was an American actor most famous for appearing in many B-Western movies (among these the Three Mesquiteers and Range Busters film series). He also was a st ...

'', using that screen name for the first time. The name was created to sound similar to "Flash Gordon", in one of many similarities. Formerly a stunt man – he was the person swinging on vines in ''

Tarzan the Ape Man Tarzan, the Ape Man may refer to * Tarzan, a fictional character * ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932 film), with Johnny Weissmuller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959 film) with Denny Miller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981 film) with Richard Harris and ...

'' – Corrigan went on to use this screenname for the rest of his career in serials and B-Westerns. The first two chapters of the serial were mocked on the TV show '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' in July/August 1992.

Plot

The plot involves the main character "Crash" Corrigan trying to stop an evil tyrant ruler of Atlantis from conquering the lost continent and then the entire upper world. Lieutenant Crash Corrigan, in his last year at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in Annapolis, Maryland, is invited by Billy Norton to visit his father, Professor Norton, after a wrestling match. At their house, the professor is demonstrating his new invention, which can detect and prevent (at short range) earthquakes, to Diana Compton and his theory about regular tremours from the area where

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and '' Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that b ...

used to be. When Atlantean tyrant Unga Khan and his Black Robe army turn their Disintegrator beam on St Clair, Professor Norton leads an expedition to investigate. Along with him in his Rocket Submarine are Crash, Diana, three sailors (Briny Deep, Salty, Joe) and their pet

parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...

Sinbad. Unknown to the expedition until it is underway and in trouble, Billy has stowed away on the Rocket Sub as well. Problems for the expedition begin when Joe, in charge of the engine room, is driven mad by the fear that the submarine cannot survive such depths. In order to prove this, he locks the engine room door and sends the sub into a fatal dive. As soon as this crisis is averted, Unga Khan and Captain Hakur detect their approach and bring them through a tunnel into the Inland Sea with a Magnetic Ray.

Cast

Main cast

as Crash Corrigan, Athlete and Navy

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. Crash Corrigan's stage name came from this serial. *

Lois Wilde Edithia Lois Wilde (August 14, 1907 – February 16, 1995) was an American actress, Model (art), model, dancer, and beauty contest winner. She was most famous for appearing in Western (genre), B-Western and Action film, Action movies, and also know ...

as Diana Compton, Reporter from the ''Times'' who joins the expedition to Atlantis to get a story * Monte Blue as Unga Khan, Tyrant and leader of the Black Robes *

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent film cinema and became one of the highest-paid actors during that time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachuse ...

as Sharad, High priest of Atlantis and leader of the White Robes * Boothe Howard as Ditmar, one of Unga Khan's Black Robes *

Raymond Hatton Raymond William Hatton (July 7, 1887 – October 21, 1971) was an American film actor who appeared in almost 500 motion pictures. Biography Hatton was born in Red Oak, Iowa. His physician father steered him toward a career in medicine. Howev ...

as Gasspom, one of Unga Khan's Black Robes * C. Montague Shaw as Professor Norton, a British-born US scientist and leader of the expedition to Atlantis in his Rocket Submarine * Lee Van Atta as Billy Norton, Professor Norton's young son who stows away aboard the submarine expedition *

Smiley Burnette Lester Alvin Burnett (March 18, 1911 – February 16, 1967), better known as Smiley Burnette, was an American country music performer and a comedic actor in Western films and on radio and TV, playing sidekick to Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, a ...

as Briny Deep, a

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

in Professor Norton's Rocket Sub expedition and comic relief * Frankie Marvin as Salty, a sailor in Professor Norton's Rocket Sub expedition and comic relief

Supporting cast

Lon Chaney, Jr. Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...

as Captain Hakur, Black Robe commander, Unga Khan's main

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

. Captain Hakur was "probably" Lon Chaney, Jr.'s "most colourful henchman." *

Lane Chandler Lane Chandler (born Robert Clinton Oakes, June 4, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American actor specializing mainly in Westerns. Biography Early life Chandler was raised on a ranch near Culbertson, Montana, the son of a horse ra ...

as Darius, one of Sharad's White Robes *

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 Lieutenant Andrews, US Navy * John Bradford as Joe, a sailor in Professor Norton's Rocket Sub expedition who goes mad with fear and almost kills them all * Malcolm McGregor as Zogg, one of Unga Khan's Black Robes * Ralph Holmes as Martos, one of Sharad's White Robes *

John Merton John Merton (born Myrtland F. LaVarre; February 18, 1901 – September 19, 1959) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1927 and 1959, mostly as a villain. He was the brother of filmmaker André de la Varre a ...

as Moloch, Black Robe whose life is spared by Corrigan and switches sides * Ernie Smith as Gourk, one of Unga Khan's Black Robes *

Lloyd Whitlock Lloyd Whitlock (January 2, 1891 – January 8, 1966) was a prolific American actor who began working during Hollywood's silent era. Born in 1891, he appeared in nearly 200 films between 1916 and 1949. Distinguished by his height and stature, he ...

as Captain Clinton, US Navy Captain

Production

''Undersea Kingdom'' was budgeted at $81,924 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 $99,222 (a $17,298, or 21.1%, overspend). It has the lowest budget of any Republic serial but it was only the third cheapest in actual production cost. The serial was filmed between 3 March and 28 March 1936 under production number 417. The only cheaper serials were the subsequent ''

The Vigilantes Are Coming ''The Vigilantes Are Coming'' is a 1936 American Republic film serial directed by Ray Taylor and Mack V. Wright. It was the third of the sixty six serials made by Republic Pictures (and the third released in 1936). This serial was filmed betwee ...

'' ($87,655) and, in 1938, ''

The Fighting Devil Dogs ''The Fighting Devil Dogs'' (1938) is a 12-chapter Republic movie serial starring Lee Powell and Herman Brix, the latter better known by his later stage name, Bruce Bennett. It was directed by William Witney and John English. While not often co ...

'' ($92,569). By comparison, the larger Universal Pictures spent $350,000 in producing the first ''Flash Gordon'' serial.

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 ...

* Tracy Layne *

Ted Mapes Ted Mapes (November 25, 1901 – September 9, 1984) was an American character actor, who was also a prolific stuntman and body double. Born on November 25, 1901, in St. Edward, Nebraska, he moved to Los Angeles in his mid-20s, and entered the fi ...

* Eddie Parker * Charles Schaeffer * Tom Steele started his serial career in this serial. He went on to work in most of the subsequent serials produced by Republic and

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

. *

Bill Yrigoyen Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

Special effects

John T. Coyle John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

* 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 ...

Bud Thackery Ellis J. "Bud" Thackery (January 31, 1903 – July 15, 1990) was an American cinematographer who spent the bulk of his film career at Republic Pictures before successfully transitioning to television. His first credit as a director of photogra ...

These include the Volkites (The robotic army of the Black Robes), The Juggernaut (their tank), Vol Planes (Atlantean rocketships) and Professor Norton's Rocket Submarine, as well as sets and Unga Khan's tower. This is the first appearance of the "Republic Robot" (as the "Volkites"). It would turn up again in ''

Mysterious Doctor Satan ''Mysterious Doctor Satan'' (also known as ''Doctor Satan's Robot'') is a 1940 American film serial directed by William Witney and John English. Produced by Republic Pictures, the serial stars Edward Ciannelli, Robert Wilcox, William Newell, C ...

'' (1940) and '' Zombies of the Stratosphere'' (1952). It is parodied in Star Trek: Voyager's '' The Adventures of Captain Proton''. Some of the model effects seen within the serial: Image:Undersea_Kingdom_Rocket_Sub.jpg, Professor Norton's Rocket Submarine Image:Undersea_Kingdom_Juggernaut.jpg, Unga Khan's Juggernaut tank Image:Undersea_Kingdom_VolPlane.jpg, One of Unga Khan's Vol Planes Image:Undersea_Kingdom_Projector.jpg, An aerial torpedo being fired from Unga Khan's tower

Unga Khan's technology

While the technology base of Atlantis is apparently very low, with sword-wielding cavalry and chariots the main type of military force, Unga Khan's ''Black Robes'' (or Imperial Guard) have several very advanced items of technology. Unga Khan's Disintegrator is the main plot device. A machine capable of artificially creating

s at a precise target, it is this that leads to Professor Norton's expedition to Atlantis and also the means by which Unga Khan means to conquer or destroy the upper world. The Reflector Plate is the most ubiquitous device used throughout the serial. This is a screen that acts much like a ''view screen'', or

videophone Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real time communication.McGraw-Hill Concise Ency ...

, in more modern science fiction. It is used to communicate between two plates or it is used, most frequently, to view (and hear) any remote location. No cameras or microphones are apparently necessary to this second function and it appears to have no limits - viewing the Sacred City, areas of Atlantis and the upper world with no problems. Unga Khan's Imperial Guard are augmented by Volkites, a type of

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may ...

controlled by a bulky remote control device often worn by Hakur. They also perform tasks in the tower, for example operating the Master Controls of other devices such as the Disintegrator when commanded to by remote control (the remote control of most devices is usually done through remotely controlling the Volkite(s) to operate the Master Controls to remotely control the actual device). While the Imperial Guard use swords or bows, the Volkites are armed with Atomguns, rifle-sized

ray gun A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon that releases energy, usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have variou ...

s. Occasionally these are used by others where necessary but only when taken from a Volkite. In terms of vehicles, Unga Khan has one

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

, called the Juggernaut. This can be controlled by remote as well as by the driver (either human or Volkite). It has no armament itself but is used as a battering ram during siege warfare. Though not used very often, Unga Khan's forces also have several aircraft called Vol Planes (also known as Sky Chariots by the White Robes). Unga Khan's tower is armed with one Projector which fires one Aerial Torpedo at a time. This is, again, controlled by remote control. Unga Khan uses his Transformation Chamber to brainwash those unwilling to do his bidding. The effect wears off in time and can be reversed by the Chamber. The Magnetic Ray is used only once to pull the Rocket Submarine into Atlantis (much like a

tractor beam A tractor-beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. The concept originates in fiction: The term was coined by E. E. Smith (an update of his earlier "attractor-beam") in his novel '' Spacehounds of IPC'' ( ...

in Star Wars or Star Trek) in the first chapter. In the last chapter, an Invisible Wall of Atom Rays is activated to provide Unga Khan's tower with a force field to protect it from the United States Navy's bombardment. Finally, the tower itself has automatic sliding doors and elevators. The most advanced technology seemingly available to the opposing ''White Robes'' of Sharad are catapults and flame throwers built into the walls of the Sacred City.

Release

Theatrical

''Undersea Kingdoms official release date is 30 May 1936, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. It was re-released on 15 February 1950 between the first runs of '' Radar Patrol vs. Spy King'' and ''

The Invisible Monster ''The Invisible Monster'' is a 1950 Republic film serial, starring Richard Webb and Aline Towne. Plot A would-be dictator and scientist, known only as ''The Phantom Ruler'', has developed a formula which, when sprayed on some solid object, rend ...

''.

Television

''Undersea Kingdom'' was one of several Republic serials re-released as a film for television in 1966. It was renamed as ''Sharad of Atlantis''. This version was cut down to 100 minutes in length.

Critical reception

In the words of author William C. Cline, ''Undersea Kingdom'' was a "totally unbelievable – but visually enjoyable – twelve-chapter madhouse chase."

Chapter titles

# Beneath the Ocean Floor (30 min 51s) # The Undersea City (19 min 13s) # Arena of Death (18 min 58s) # Revenge of the Volkites (18 min 7s) # Prisoners of Atlantis (17 min 33s) # The Juggernaut Strikes (16 min 40s) # The Submarine Trap (17 min 20s) # Into the Metal Tower (16 min 49s) # Death in the Air (16 min 48s) # Atlantis Destroyed (17 min 28s) # Flaming Death (19 min 23s) # Ascent to the Upperworld (16 min 54s) _Source:

Cliffhangers

# ''Beneath The Ocean Floor:'' Flying

torpedoes A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

cause a landslide and blow Crash and Billy off a cliff as they try to escape the Volkites. # ''The Undersea City:'' Crash is hit by an atom gun and falls down an

elevator shaft An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They are ...

. # ''Arena of Death:'' Crash is dragged behind a chariot. # ''Revenge of the Volkites:'' During a siege, Crash and Moloch fall into the path of a Black Robe

cavalry charge A charge is an offensive maneuver in battle in which combatants advance towards their enemy at their best speed in an attempt to engage in a decisive close combat. The charge is the dominant shock attack and has been the key tactic and decis ...

. # ''Prisoners of Atlantis:'' Diana is trapped in the brainwashing Transformation Chamber. # ''The Juggernaut Strikes:'' As Crash (with Billy on his back) walks a tightrope across a

chasm In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben wi ...

, Ditmar snaps the cable with torpedoes. # ''The Submarine Trap:'' Crash is caught an explosion when an arrow hits the cylinders of Priming Powder. # ''Into the Metal Tower:'' Crash is tied to the front of the Juggernaut (The Black Robe

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

)) as it rams the gates of the sacred city. # ''Death in the Air:'' The heroes' aircraft is shot down by Unga Khan. # ''Atlantis Destroyed:'' The heroes are caught in the Sacred City under

aerial bombardment An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offic ...

. # ''Flaming Death:'' Crash and Professor Norton are caught in the jets of Unga Khan's

rocket engines A rocket engine uses stored rocket propellants as the reaction mass for forming a high-speed propulsive jet of fluid, usually high-temperature gas. Rocket engines are reaction engines, producing thrust by ejecting mass rearward, in accordanc ...

Solutions

Many of the solutions to these

cliffhanger 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 or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...

s are "cheats"- they change or obviously do not match the events shown in the preceding

. # ''The Undersea City:'' Crash and Billy take cover on the other side of the peak. # ''Arena of Death:'' Crash does not fall but catches the side of the shaft and climbs down. # ''Revenge of the Volkites:'' Crash climbs into the chariot and takes over. # ''Prisoners of Atlantis:'' Crash and Moloch lie flat and are unharmed as the charge passes around them. # ''The Juggernaut Strikes:'' Crash rescues Diana before the process is completed. # ''The Submarine Trap:'' Crash grabs hold of the cable before it snaps and they are able to drop safely to the ground. # ''Into the Metal Tower:'' Crash dives underwater moments before the explosion. # ''Death in the Air:'' Despite the visible effects of crashing into the gate in the previous chapter, this time the gates are opened before impact and the Juggernaut simply enters the courtyard. # ''Atlantis Destroyed:'' Crash, Billy and Professor Norton climb out of the wreckage without significant injury. # ''Flaming Death:'' Although Sharad is killed when a column falls on him, none of the heroes are seriously injured. # ''Ascent to the Upper World:'' Moloch is caught in the flames and dies, but Crash and Professor Norton escape to shelter in a lower level of the caves under Unga Khan's tower.

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{B. Reeves Eason 1936 films 1936 adventure films 1930s fantasy films Films set in Atlantis American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by B. Reeves Eason Films directed by Joseph Kane Republic Pictures film serials American science fiction adventure films American science fiction short films Films set in the Atlantic Ocean Articles containing video clips Films produced by Nat Levine American fantasy adventure films 1930s science fiction films 1930s American films

Plot

Cast

Main cast

Supporting cast

Production

Stunts

Special effects

Unga Khan's technology

Release

Theatrical

Television

Critical reception

Chapter titles

Cliffhangers

Cliffhangers

Solutions

See also

References

External links