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A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a
motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...
form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of
short subject A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film or ...
s exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, generally advancing weekly, until the series is completed. Usually, each serial involves a single set of characters, protagonistic and antagonistic, involved in a single story. The film is edited into chapters, after the fashion of serial fiction, and the episodes should not be shown out of order, as individual chapters, or as part of a random collection of short subjects. Each chapter was screened at a movie theater for one week, and typically ended with a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
, in which characters found themselves in perilous situations with little apparent chance of escape. Viewers had to return each week to see the cliffhangers resolved and to follow the continuing story. Movie serials were especially popular with children, and for many youths in the first half of the 20th century a typical Saturday matinee at the movies included at least one chapter of a serial, along with
animated cartoon Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
s,
newsreel A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news, news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a Movie theater, cinema, newsreels were a source of cu ...
s, and two feature films. There were films covering many genres, including
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...
,
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...
,
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
or
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...
characters,
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
, and jungle adventures. Many serials were Westerns, since those were the least expensive to film. Although most serials were filmed economically, some were made at significant expense. The '' Flash Gordon'' serial and its sequels, for instance, were major productions in their times. Serials were action-packed stories that usually involved a
hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
(or heroes) battling an evil
villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
and rescuing a damsel in distress. The villain would continually place the hero into inescapable death traps, or the heroine would be placed into a lethal peril and the hero would come to her rescue. The hero and heroine would face one trap after another, battling countless thugs and henchmen, before finally defeating the villain.


History

* List of film serials by year


Birth of the form

Movie serials began in Europe. In France
Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset (30 March 1862 - 22 June 1913) was an early film pioneer in France, active between the years 1905 and 1913. He worked on many genres of film and was particularly associated with the development of detective or crime Seri ...
launched his series of Nick Carter films in 1908, and the idea of the episodic crime adventure was developed particularly by Louis Feuillade in ''
Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...
'' (1913–14), ''
Les Vampires ''Les Vampires'' () is a 1915–1916 French Silent film, silent Crime film, crime serial film written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Set in Paris, it stars Édouard Mathé, Musidora and Marcel Lévesque. The main characters are a journalist an ...
'' (1915), and ''
Judex Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...
'' (1916); in Germany, ''
Homunculus A homunculus ( , , ; "little person", : homunculi , , ) is a small human being. Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has root ...
'' (1916), directed by Otto Rippert, was a six-part horror serial about an artificial creature. There were also the 1910 Deutsche Vitaskop five-episode '' Arsene Lupin Contra Sherlock Holmes'', based upon the Maurice LeBlanc novel, and a possible but unconfirmed ''Raffles'' serial in 1911.


American serials

Serials in America first came about in 1912, as extensions of magazine and newspaper stories. Publishers realized they could build interest (and boost circulation) by sponsoring live-action adventures of the printed characters, serialized like the printed counterparts. The first screen adaptation was '' What Happened to Mary''. produced by the Edison studio and coinciding with the adventure stories published in ''The Ladies' World''. It may be significant that the early American serials were aimed at the feminine audience who wanted thrills, not the masculine audience who preferred more extreme, blood-and-thunder action. By the 1930s and the advent of sound films, both markets ultimately devolved to the juvenile audience, although serials continued to command a certain adult following. The most famous American serials of the silent era include '' The Perils of Pauline'' and ''
The Exploits of Elaine ''The Exploits of Elaine'' is a 1914 American Serial (film), film serial in the damsel in distress genre of ''The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial), The Perils of Pauline'' (1914). ''The Exploits of Elaine'' tells the story of a young woman named ...
'' made by
Pathé Frères Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...
and starring Pearl White. Another popular serial was the 119-episode '' The Hazards of Helen'' made by Kalem Studios and starring Helen Holmes for the first 48 episodes, then Helen Gibson for the remainder. Ruth Roland,
Marin Sais Marin Sais (born Mae Smith; August 2, 1890 – December 31, 1971) was an American actress whose career was most prolific during the silent film era of the 1910s and 1920s. Sais' acting career spanned over four decades and she is possibly best ...
, Grace Cunard, and Ann Little were also early leading serial queens. Other major studios of the silent era, such as
Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907 ...
and Essanay Studios, produced serials, as did
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, Fox, and Universal. Several independent companies (for example, Mascot Pictures) made
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
serials. Four silent
Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...
serials were also made.


Sound era

Expensive feature films were offered by exhibitors for a percentage of the theaters' admissions. Serials, however, were rented by exhibitors for a much lower, flat fee. The arrival of sound technology made it costlier to produce serials, so that they were no longer as profitable on a flat rental basis. Further, the
stock market crash A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock prices across a major cross-section of a stock market, resulting in a significant loss of paper wealth. Crashes are driven by panic selling and underlying economic factors. They often fol ...
of 1929 and the added expense of sound equipment made it impossible for many of the smaller companies that produced serials to upgrade to sound, and they went out of business. Mascot Pictures, which specialized in serials, made the transition from silent to sound and produced the first "talking" serial, '' King of the Kongo'' (1929).
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
also kept its serial unit alive through the transition. In the early 1930s a handful of independent companies tried their hand at making serials. The Weiss Brothers had been making serials in 1935 and 1936. In 1937
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
, inspired by the previous year's serial blockbuster success at Universal, '' Flash Gordon'', decided to enter the serial field and contracted with the Weiss Brothers (as Adventure Serials Inc.) to make four chapter plays. They were successful enough that Columbia canceled the agreement after three productions and produced the fourth itself, using its own staff and facilities. Columbia thus forced the Weiss Bros. out of the serial field. Mascot Pictures was absorbed by
Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...
, so that by 1937, serial production was now in the hands of three companies – Universal, Columbia, and Republic. Each company had its own following: Republic was known for its well staged action scenes and spectacular cliffhanger endings; Universal broadened its serials' appeal by casting stars of feature films; Columbia specialized in screen adaptations of radio, comic-book, and detective-fiction adventures. These studios turned out four serials per year (one each season) of 12 to 15 episodes each, a pace they all kept up until the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In 1946, new management at Universal did away with all low-budget productions including "B" musicals, mysteries, westerns, and serials, Republic and Columbia continued unchallenged. Republic's serials ran for 12, 13, 14, or 15 chapters; Columbia's ran a standard 15 episodes (with the single exception of ''
Mandrake the Magician ''Mandrake the Magician'' is a Comic strip syndication, syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk before he created ''The Phantom''.Ron Goulart, ''The Encyclopedia of American Comics''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. . pp. 91, 249 ...
'', which ran 12 episodes). By the mid-1950s, however, episodic television series and the sale of older serials to TV syndicators, together with the gradual drop in audience attendance at Saturday matinees in general, made serial production a losing proposition.


Production


Peak form

The classic sound serial, particularly in its
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
format, has a first episode of three reels (approximately 30 minutes in length) and begins with reports of a masked, secret, or unsuspected villain menacing an unspecific part of America. This episode traditionally has the most detailed credits at the beginning, often with pictures of the actors with their names and that of the character they play. Often there follows a montage of scenes lifted from the cliffhangers of previous serials to depict the ways in which the master criminal was a serial killer with a motive. In the first episode, various suspects or "candidates" who may, in secret, be this villain are presented, and the viewer often hears the voice but does not see the face of this mastermind commanding his lieutenant (or "lead villain"), whom the viewer sees in just about every episode. In the succeeding weeks (usually 11 to 14), an episode of two reels (approximately 20 minutes) was presented, in which the villain and his henchmen commit crimes in various places, fight the hero, and trap someone to make the ending a cliffhanger. Many of the episodes have clues, dialogue, and events leading the viewer to think that any of the candidates were the mastermind. As serials were made by writing the whole script first and then slicing it into portions filmed at various sites, often the same location would be used several times in the serial, often given different signage, or none at all, just being referred to differently. There would often be a female love interest of the male hero, or a female hero herself, but as the audience was mainly youngsters, there was no romance. The beginning of each chapter would bring the story up to date by repeating the last few minutes of the previous chapter, and then revealing how the main character escaped. Often the reprised scene would add an element not seen in the previous episode, but unless it contradicted something shown previously, audiences accepted the explanation. On rare occasions the filmmakers would depend on the audience not remembering details of the previous week's chapter, using alternate outcomes that did not exactly match the previous episode's cliffhanger. The last episode was sometimes a bit longer than most, for its tasks were to unmask the head villain (who usually was someone completely unsuspected), wrap up the loose ends, and end with the victorious principals relieved of their perils. In 1936, Republic standardized the "economy episode" (or "recap chapter") in which the characters summarize or reminisce about their adventures, so as to introduce showing those scenes again (in the manner of a
clip show A clip show is an episode of a Television program, television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows include a frame story in which cast members recall events from past installments of the show, depicte ...
in modern television). Serials had been including older scenes for years, as flashbacks during later parts of the narrative, but the wholesale insertion of entire sequences was introduced in the 1936 outdoor serial '' Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island''. It was scheduled as a standard 12-chapter adventure, but when bad weather on location delayed the filming, writer Barry Shipman was forced to come up with two extra chapters to justify the added expense. This was an emergency measure at the time, but Republic recognized that it did save money, so the recap chapter became standard practice in almost all of its ensuing serials. Recap chapters had lower budgets, so rather than staging an elaborate cliffhanger (a runaway vehicle, a stampede, a flooding chamber, etc.), a cheaper, simpler cliffhanger would be employed (an explosion, someone knocked unconscious, etc.).


Production practices

The major studios had their own retinues of actors and writers, their own prop departments, existing sets, stock footage, and music libraries. The early independent studios had none of these, but could rent sets from independent producers of western features. The firms saved money by reusing the same cliffhangers, stunt and special-effects sequences over the years. Mines or tunnels flooded often, even in '' Flash Gordon'' (reusing spectacular flood footage from Universal's 1927 silent drama '' Perch of the Devil'') and the same model cars and trains went off the same cliffs and bridges. Republic had a
Packard Packard (formerly the Packard Motor Car Company) was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana, in 1958. One ...
limousine and a Ford Woodie station wagon used in serial after serial so they could match the shots with the stock footage from the model or previous stunt driving. Three different serials had them chasing the
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
sound truck, required for location shooting, for various reasons. Male fistfighters usually wore hats so that the change from actor to
stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
would not be caught so easily. A rubber liner on the hatband of the stuntman's fedora would fit snugly on the stuntman's head, so the hat would stay on during fight scenes. Many serials were later cut down and edited into feature versions for theatrical release or for television. '' Tarzan the Fearless'' (1933) and '' The Return of Chandu'' (1934) were released in a hybrid format that allowed exhibitors to show a feature version of the first four chapters before continuing the story in weekly instalments.


Recaps of the story

Each serial chapter began with exposition of what led up to the previous episode's cliffhanger. Each studio approached this in different ways. Universal had been using printed title cards to introduce each chapter until 1938, when it began using "scrolling text" , a format
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
used in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' films. In 1942 Universal scrapped the printed recaps altogether in what the studio called "streamlined serials". The action began immediately, with the story characters ''discussing'' the action leading up to the cliffhanger. Republic followed the traditional format established by its predecessor Mascot, with still photos of the story characters accompanied by printed recaps of the narrative. Columbia used spoken recaps through 1939, replaced by printed recaps in 1940. Announcer Knox Manning was hired in 1940 to read along with the printed recaps until 1942, when only Manning's voice was used to summarize the action.


Stylistic differences between the studios

Universal had been making serials since the 1910s, and continued to service its loyal neighborhood-theater customers with four serials annually. The studio made news in 1929 by hiring
Tim McCoy Tim McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy ...
to star in its first all-talking serial, ''The Indians Are Coming!'' Epic footage from this western serial turned up again and again in later serials and features. In 1936 Universal scored a coup by licensing the comic-strip character Flash Gordon for the screen; the serial was a smash hit, and was even booked into first-run theaters that usually did not bother with chapter plays. Universal followed it up with more pop-culture icons:
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
and Ace Drummond from radio, and Smilin' Jack and
Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily American newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, b ...
from newspapers. Universal was more story-conscious than the other studios, and cast its serials with "name" actors recognizable from feature films: Lon Chaney Jr., Béla Lugosi, Dick Foran, The Dead End Kids, Kent Taylor, Buck Jones, Ralph Morgan,
Milburn Stone Hugh Milburn Stone (July 5, 1904 – June 12, 1980) was an American actor, best known for his role as "Doc" (Dr. Galen Adams) on the Western (genre), Western series ''Gunsmoke''. Early life Stone was born in Burrton, Kansas, to Herbert Stone an ...
, Robert Armstrong, Irene Hervey, and Johnny Mack Brown, among many others. In the 1940s Universal's serials employed urban and/or wartime themes, incorporating newsreel footage of actual disasters. The 1942 serial '' Gang Busters'' is perhaps the best of Universal's urban serials; Universal often reused some of its footage for future serials. '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' was a popular, patriotic serial. The studio's reliance on stock footage for the big action scenes -- some of it silent footage dating back to the 1920s -- was certainly economical, but it often hurt the overall quality of the films. Universal's last serial was '' The Mysterious Mr. M'' (1946), and the serial unit shut down.
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
was the successor to Mascot Pictures, a serial specialist. Writers and directors were already geared to staging exciting films, and Republic improved on Mascot, adding music to underscore the action, and staging more elaborate stunts. Republic was one of Hollywood's smaller studios, but its serials have been hailed as some of the best, especially those directed by John English and
William Witney William Nuelsen Witney (May 15, 1915 – March 17, 2002) was an American film director, film and television director. He is best remembered for the action films he made for Republic Pictures, particularly serial film, serials: ''Dick Tracy Return ...
. In addition to solid screenwriting that many critics thought was quite accomplished, the firm also introduced choreographed fistfights, which often included the stuntmen (usually the ones portraying the villains, never the heroes) throwing things in desperation at one another in every fight to heighten the action. Republic serials are noted for outstanding special effects, such as large-scale explosions and demolitions, and the more fantastic visuals like Captain Marvel and Rocketman flying. Most of the trick scenes were engineered by Howard and Theodore Lydecker. Republic bought the screen rights to the newspaper comic character Dick Tracy, the radio character The Lone Ranger, and the comic-book characters
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
, Captain Marvel, and Spy Smasher. Republic's serial scripts were written by teams, usually from three to seven writers. From 1950 Republic economized on serial production. The studio was no longer licensing expensive radio and comic-strip characters, and no longer staging spectacular action sequences. To save money, Republic turned instead to its impressive backlog of action highlights, which were cleverly re-edited into the new serials. The studio slashed costs further by shortening the length of each chapter from 1800 feet (20 minutes) to 1200 feet (13 minutes, 20 seconds). Most of the studio's serials of the 1950s were written by only one man, Ronald Davidson—Davidson had co-written and produced many Republic serials, and was familiar enough with the film library to write new scenes based on the older action footage. Republic's last serial was '' King of the Carnival'' (1955), a reworking of 1939's '' Daredevils of the Red Circle'' using some of its footage. Columbia made several serials using its own staff and facilities (1938–1939 and 1943–1945), and these are among the studio's best efforts: '' The Spider's Web'', '' The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'', ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'', '' The Secret Code'', and ''
The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...
'' maintained Columbia's own high standard. However, Columbia's serials often have a reputation for cheapness, because the studio usually subcontracted its serial production to outside producers: the Weiss Brothers (1937–1938),
Larry Darmour Lawrence J. Darmour (1895–1942) was an American film producer, operator of Larry Darmour Productions from 1926, and a significant figure in Hollywood's low-budget production community. Career Darmour was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. Aft ...
(1939–1942), and finally Sam Katzman (1945–1956). Columbia built many serials around name-brand heroes. From newspaper comics, they got Terry and the Pirates,
Mandrake the Magician ''Mandrake the Magician'' is a Comic strip syndication, syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk before he created ''The Phantom''.Ron Goulart, ''The Encyclopedia of American Comics''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. . pp. 91, 249 ...
,
The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...
, and Brenda Starr, Reporter; from the comic books, Blackhawk,
Congo Bill Congorilla (originally in human: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan) is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transfor ...
, time traveler Brick Bradford, and
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
and
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
(although this last owed more to its radio incarnation, which the credits acknowledged); from radio, Jack Armstrong and Hop Harrigan; from the hero pulp characters like The Spider (two serials: '' The Spider's Web'' and '' The Spider Returns'') and
The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...
(despite also being a popular radio series); from the British novelist
Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer of crime and adventure fiction. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was ...
, the first archer-superhero, The Green Archer; and even from television: Captain Video. Columbia's early serials were very well received by audiences—exhibitors voted '' The Spider's Web'' (1938) the number-one serial of the year. Former silent-serial director James W. Horne co-directed ''The Spider's Web'', and his work secured him a permanent position in Columbia's serial unit. Horne had been a comedy specialist in the 1930s, often working with
Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...
, and most of his Columbia serials after 1939 are played tongue-in-cheek, with exaggerated villainy and improbable heroics (the hero takes on six men in a fistfight and ''wins''). After Horne's death in 1942, the studio's serial output was somewhat more sober, but still aimed primarily at the juvenile audience. ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' (1943) was quite popular, and ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (1948) was phenomenally successful despite using cartoon animation for the flying sequences instead of more expensive special effects.
Spencer Gordon Bennet Spencer Gordon Bennet (January 5, 1893 – October 8, 1987) was an American film producer and director. Known as the "King of Serial Directors", he directed more film serials than any other director. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Benne ...
, veteran director of silent serials, left Republic for Columbia in 1947. He directed or co-directed the studio's later serials. In 1954 producer Sam Katzman, whose budgets were already low, reduced them even more on serials. The last four Columbia serials were very-low-budget affairs, consisting mostly of action scenes and cliffhanger endings from older productions, and even employing the same actors for new scenes tying the old footage together. The new footage was so threadbare that it would often show the new hero ''watching'' the action from a distance, rather than actually participating in it. Columbia outlasted the other serial producers, its last being '' Blazing the Overland Trail'' (1956).


Availability


In theaters

There was always a market for action subjects in theaters, so as far back as 1935 independent film companies reissued older serials for new audiences. Universal brought back its ''Flash Gordon'' serials, and reissue distributors Film Classics and Realart re-released other Universal serials in the late 1940s. Both Republic and Columbia began re-releasing their older serials in 1947 as a cost-cutting measure: instead of making four new serials annually, the studios could now make three, and the fourth would be a reprint of an old serial. Although Republic discontinued new serial production in 1955, the studio continued making older ones available to theaters through 1959. Columbia, which canceled new serials in 1956, kept older ones in circulation until 1966. Columbia still offers a handful of serials to today's theaters.


On television

Serials, with their short running times and episodic format, were very attractive to programmers in the early days of television. Veteran producers Louis Weiss and Nat Levine were among the first to offer their serials for broadcast. The traditional week-to-week format of viewing serials was soon abandoned. As Republic executive David Bloom explained, "Attempts to program serials with full week intervals between chapters during the earlier days of television just about killed them off as effective sales product. It is understandable that this practice was adopted in view of their success in theaters on a Saturday matinee exhibition policy. But cliffhangers simply cannot be treated on TV as they were in theaters and still maintain the suspense so vital to their entertainment content. This suspense factor is diluted by the vast amount of other TV entertainment beamed between weekly showings." TV stations began showing serials daily, generally on weekday afternoons, as children's programming. In July 1956 TV distributor Serials Inc., a subsidiary of Jerry Hyams's Hygo Television Films, bought the 1936-1946 Universal serials (including all titles, rights, and interests) for $1,500,000. Also in 1956, Columbia's TV subsidiary
Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. ''Screen Gems'' has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the de ...
reprinted many of its serials for broadcast syndication. Only the films' endings were changed: Screen Gems replaced the "at this theater next week" title card with its standard Screen Gems logo. Screen Gems acquired the Hygo company in December 1956, and packaged both Columbia and Universal serials for broadcast. Republic's TV division, Hollywood Television Service, issued serials for television in their unedited theatrical form, as well as in specially edited six-chapter, half-hour editions ready made for TV time slots. In the late 1970s and 1980s, serials were often revived on
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television in the United Kingdom.


Home movies

Both Republic and Columbia issued "highlights" versions of serials for the home-movie market. These were printed on 8mm silent film (and later Super 8 film) and sold directly to owners of home-movie projectors. Columbia was first to market, with three abbreviated chapters from its 1938 serial '' The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok''. When
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
became a national craze in 1965, Columbia issued a six-chapter silent version of its 1943 ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
''. Republic followed suit with condensed silent versions of its own serials, including '' Adventures of Captain Marvel'', '' G-Men vs. the Black Dragon'', and '' Panther Girl of the Kongo''. With the rise in popularity of Super 8 sound-film equipment in the late 1970s, Columbia issued home-movie prints of entire 15-chapter serials, including '' Batman and Robin'', ''
Congo Bill Congorilla (originally in human: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan) is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transfor ...
'', and '' Hop Harrigan''. These were in print only briefly, until the studios turned away from home-movie films in favor of home video.


Home video

Film serials released to the home video market from original masters include most Republic titles (with a few exceptions, such as '' Ghost of Zorro'')—which were released by Republic Pictures Home Video on VHS and sometimes laserdisc (sometimes under their re-release titles) mostly from transfers made from the original negatives, ''
The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...
'', and '' Blackhawk'', both released by Sony only on VHS, and DVD versions of '' Flash Gordon'', '' Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars'', and ''
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flas ...
'' (Hearst), '' Adventures of Captain Marvel'' (Republic Pictures), ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' and '' Batman and Robin'' (Sony), ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' and '' Atom Man vs. Superman'' (Warner). The Universal serials had been controlled by Serials Inc. until it closed in 1970. The company now known as VCI Entertainment obtained the rights. VCI is offering new Blu-Ray and DVD restorations of many Universal serials, including '' Gang Busters'', '' Jungle Queen'', '' Pirate Treasure'', and three Buck Jones adventures. All of the new VCI releases derive from Universal's 35mm vault elements. Notable restorations of partially lost or forgotten serials such as '' The Adventures of Tarzan'', '' Beatrice Fairfax'', '' The Lone Ranger Rides Again'', '' Daredevils of the West'', and '' King of the Mounties'' have been made available to fans by The Serial Squadron, a home-video concern specializing in action fare. A gray market for serials also exists. These are unlicensed DVD releases of studio product, deriving from privately owned 16mm prints or even copies of previously released VHS or laserdisc editions. They are sold by various websites and Internet auctions. These DVDs vary between good and poor quality, depending on their source. Major video companies have made a few serials available in new, restored editions from original prints and negatives. In 2017, ''Adventures of Captain Marvel'' became the first serial to be released on Blu-ray.


Amateur/fan efforts

An early attempt at a low-budget Western serial, filmed in color, was entitled ''The Silver Avenger.'' One or two chapters exist of this effort on 16mm film but it is not known whether the serial was ever completed. The best-known fan-made chapter play is the four-chapter, silent 16mm ''Captain Celluloid vs. the Film Pirates,'' made to resemble Republic and Columbia serials of the 1940s and completed in 1966. The plot involved a masked villain named The Master Duper, one of three members of a Film Commission who attempts to steal the only known prints of priceless antique films, and the heroic Captain Celluloid, who wears a costume reminiscent of that of the Black Commando in the Columbia serial ''The Secret Code'' and is determined to uncover him. Roles in the serial are played by, among others, film historians and serial fans Alan G. Barbour, Al Kilgore, and William K. Everson. In the 1980s, serial fan Blackie Seymour shot a complete 15-chapter serial called ''The Return of the Copperhead.'' Seymour's only daughter, who operated the camera at the age of 8, attests that as of 2008 the serial was indeed filmed but the raw footage remains in cans, unedited. In 2001, ''King of the Park Rangers,'' a one-chapter sound serial was released by Cliffhanger Productions on VHS video tape in sepia. It concerned the adventures of a Park Ranger named Patricia King and an FBI Agent who track down a trio of killers out to find buried treasure in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. A second ten-chapter serial, ''The Dangers of Deborah,'' in which a female reporter and a criminologist fight to uncover the identity of a mysterious villain named The Terror, was released by Cliffhanger Productions in 2008. In 2006, Lamb4 Productions created its own homage to the film serials of the 1940s with its own serial titled "Wildcat." The story revolves around a super hero named Wildcat and his attempts to save the fictional Rite City from a masked villain known as the Roach. This eight-chapter serial was based heavily on popular super hero serials such as "Batman and Robin," "Captain America," and "The Adventures of Captain Marvel." After its premiere, "Wildcat" was posted on the official Lamb4 Productions YouTube channel for public viewing.


Studio/commercial efforts, cartoons, and spoofery

The serial format was used with stories on the original run of ''
The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...
'' (1955–58), with each chapter running about six to ten minutes. The longer-running dramatic serials included "Corky and White Shadow", "The Adventures of Spin and Marty", " The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure", "The Boys of the Western Sea", "The Secret of Mystery Lake", "The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of Ghost Farm", and '' The Adventures of Clint and Mac''. Other Disney programs shown on '' Walt Disney Presents'' in segments (such as '' The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh'', '' The Swamp Fox'', ''The Secret of Boyne Castle'', ''The Mooncussers'', and '' The Prince and the Pauper'') and Disney feature films (including '' Treasure Island''; '' The Three Lives of Thomasina''; '' The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men''; '' Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue''; and '' The Fighting Prince of Donegal'') edited into segments for television presentation often had a cliffhanger-serial-like feel. In England, in the 1950s and 60s, low-budget six-chapter serials such as ''Dusty Bates'' and ''Masters of Venus'' were released theatrically, but these were not particularly well-regarded or remembered. The greatest number of serialized television programs to feature any single character were those made featuring "
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
", the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
character introduced in 1963. ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' serials would run anywhere from one to twelve episodes and were shown in weekly segments, as had been the original theatrical cliffhangers. ''Doctor Who'' was syndicated in the US as early as 1974, but did not gain a following in America until the mid-1980s when episodes featuring Tom Baker reached its shores. Although the series ended in 1989, it was revived in 2005, now following a more standard episode format. The 1960s cartoon show '' Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle'' included two serial-style episodes per program. These spoofed the cliffhanger serial form, with pun-filled teasers for the next episode: "Be with us next time for ''Cheerful Little Pierful'' or ''Bomb Voyage''". Within the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, the recurring but non-serialized '' Dudley Do-Right'', specifically parodied the damsel in distress (Nell Fenwick) being tied to railroad tracks by arch villain Snidely Whiplash and rescued by the noble but clueless Dudley. The Hanna–Barbera '' Perils of Penelope Pitstop'' (spun off from the Hanna-Barbera hit ''
Wacky Races ''Wacky Races'' is a media franchise containing five animated series, several video games, and a comic book, with most centered on the theme of various Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters primarily engaged in auto racing (although occasionally employ ...
'') was a takeoff on the silent serials ''The Perils of Pauline'' and ''The Iron Claw,'' which featured
Paul Lynde Paul Edward Lynde (; June 13, 1926January 10, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and game-show panelist. A character actor with a distinctively campy and snarky persona that often poked fun at his closeted homosexuality, Lynde was well know ...
as the voice of the villain Sylvester Sneakley, alias "The Hooded Claw". '' Danger Island,'' a multi-part story in under-10-minute episodes, was shown on the Saturday-morning ''Banana Splits'' program in the late 1960s. Episodes were short, full of wild action, and usually ended on a cliffhanger. This serial was directed by
Richard Donner Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American film director, producer and actor. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters", Donner directed some of the mo ...
and featured the first African American action hero in a chapter play. The violence present in most of the episodes, though much of it was deliberately comical and would not be considered shocking today, also raised concerns at a time when violence in children's TV was at issue. On February 27, 1979, NBC broadcast the first episode of an hour-long weekly television series '' Cliffhangers!'', which had three segments, each with a different serial: a horror story (''The Curse of Dracula'', starring Michael Nouri), a science fiction/western (''The Secret Empire,'' (inspired by 1935's ''The Phantom Empire'') starring Geoffrey Scott as Marshal Jim Donner and Mark Lenard as Emperor Thorval) and a mystery (''Stop Susan Williams!'', starring
Susan Anton Susan Anton is an American actress and singer. Her debut film, " Goldengirl," earned her a Golden Globe nomination, leading to a contract with NBC for her variety show, "Presenting Susan Anton." Later, ABC signed her for the drama series " ...
,
Ray Walston Herman Ray Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor. He started his career on Broadway theatre, Broadway earning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Mr. Applegate in ''Damn Yankees'' (1956 ...
as Bob Richards, and Albert Paulsen as the villain Anthony Korf). Though final episodes were shot, the series was canceled and the last program aired on May 1, 1979 before all of the serials could conclude; only ''The Curse of Dracula'' was resolved. In 2006, Dark Horse Indie films, through Image Entertainment, released a 6-chapter serial parody called ''Monarch of the Moon,'' detailing the adventures of a hero named the Yellow Jacket, who could control Yellow Jackets with his voice, battled "Japbots", and traveled to the moon. The end credits promised a second serial, ''Commie Commandos From Mars.'' Dark Horse attempted to promote the release as a just-found, never-before-released serial made in 1946, but suppressed by the US Government.


Public domain

Several serials are now in the
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
. These can often be downloaded legally over the internet or purchased as budget-priced DVDs. The list of public domain serials includes: *'' The Vanishing Legion'' with Harry Carey (1931) *'' The Hurricane Express'' with
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
(1933) *'' Burn 'Em Up Barnes'' with Frankie Darro (1934) *'' The Lost City'' with Kane Richmond (1935) *'' The New Adventures of Tarzan'' with Herman Brix (1935) *'' The Phantom Empire'' with
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...
(1935) *'' Undersea Kingdom'' with Ray Corrigan (1936) *'' Ace Drummond'' with John 'Dusty' King (1936) *'' Dick Tracy'' with Ralph Byrd (1937) *'' Zorro's Fighting Legion'' with Reed Hadley (1939) *'' The Phantom Creeps'' with
Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...
(1939) *''
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flas ...
'' with Buster Crabbe (1940) *'' The Green Archer'' with Victor Jory (1940) *'' Holt of the Secret Service'' with Jack Holt (1941) *'' Gang Busters'' with Kent Taylor (1942) *''
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
'' with Dick Purcell (1944) *'' The Great Alaskan Mystery'' with
Milburn Stone Hugh Milburn Stone (July 5, 1904 – June 12, 1980) was an American actor, best known for his role as "Doc" (Dr. Galen Adams) on the Western (genre), Western series ''Gunsmoke''. Early life Stone was born in Burrton, Kansas, to Herbert Stone an ...
(1944) *'' Zorro's Black Whip'' with
Linda Stirling Linda Stirling (born Louise Schultz; October 11, 1921 – July 20, 1997) was an American showgirl, Model (person), model, and actress. In her later years, she had a second career as a college English professor for more than two decades. She ...
(1944) *'' Radar Men from the Moon'' with Roy Barcroft (1952, originally conceived as a TV series)


Selected film serials

* List of film serials by year * List of film serials by studio


Selected serials of the Silent Era

* '' What Happened to Mary?'' (1912) * '' The Adventures of Kathlyn'' (1913) * ''
Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...
'' (1913) – (
Cinema of France The cinema of France comprises the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe, with prima ...
) * '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914) * '' The Hazards of Helen'' (1917) * ''
The Exploits of Elaine ''The Exploits of Elaine'' is a 1914 American Serial (film), film serial in the damsel in distress genre of ''The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial), The Perils of Pauline'' (1914). ''The Exploits of Elaine'' tells the story of a young woman named ...
'' (1914) * ''
Les Vampires ''Les Vampires'' () is a 1915–1916 French Silent film, silent Crime film, crime serial film written and directed by Louis Feuillade. Set in Paris, it stars Édouard Mathé, Musidora and Marcel Lévesque. The main characters are a journalist an ...
'' (1915) – (
Cinema of France The cinema of France comprises the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe, with prima ...
) * ''The Ventures of Marguerite'' (1915) * ''Les Mystères de New York'' (1916) * ''Le Masque aux Dents Blanches'' (1917) * ''
Judex Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...
'' (1917) * '' Casey of the Coast Guard'' (1926) * '' Tarzan the Mighty'' (1928) * '' Queen of the Northwoods'' (1929) (Last serial from
Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...
) * '' Tarzan the Tiger'' (1929) (partial
sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...
)


Serials of the golden age of serials

The "golden age" of serials is generally from 1936 to 1945.Images
– Golden Age of the Serial. Retrieved July 10, 2007 Postwar expenses limited large-scale production, so the serial form continued on a smaller scale for another decade. * '' Ace Drummond'' (Universal, 1936) * '' Custer's Last Stand'' (Weiss Bros., 1936) * '' Darkest Africa'' (Republic, 1936) * '' Flash Gordon'' (Universal, 1936) * '' Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island'' (Republic, 1936) * '' Shadow of Chinatown'' (Victory, 1936) * '' The Adventures of Frank Merriwell'' (Universal, 1936) * '' The Clutching Hand'' (Weiss Bros., 1936) * '' The Black Coin'' (Weiss Bros., 1936) * '' The Phantom Rider'' (Universal, 1936) * '' The Vigilantes Are Coming'' (Republic, 1936) * '' Undersea Kingdom'' (Republic, 1936) * '' Blake of Scotland Yard'' (Victory, 1937) * '' Dick Tracy'' (Republic, 1937) * '' Jungle Jim'' (Universal, 1937) * '' Jungle Menace'' (Weiss Bros./Columbia, 1937) * '' Radio Patrol'' (Universal, 1937) * '' S.O.S. Coast Guard'' (Victory. 1937) * '' Secret Agent X-9'' (Universal, 1937) * '' The Mysterious Pilot'' (Weiss Bros./Columbia, 1937) * '' The Painted Stallion'' (Republic, 1937) * '' Tim Tyler's Luck'' (Universal, 1937) * '' Wild West Days'' (Universal, 1937) * '' Zorro Rides Again'' (Republic, 1937) * '' Dick Tracy Returns'' (Republic, 1938) * '' Flaming Frontiers'' (Universal, 1938) * '' Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars'' (Universal, 1938) * ''
Hawk of the Wilderness ''Hawk of the Wilderness'' (1938) is a Republic Pictures, Republic movie serial based on the ''Kioga'' adventure novels written by Pulp magazine, pulp writer William L. Chester (1907–1971). Kioga was a Tarzanesque white child raised on a lost ...
'' (Republic, 1938) * '' Red Barry'' (Universal, 1938) * ''
The Fighting Devil Dogs ''The Fighting Devil Dogs'' (1938) is a 12-chapter Republic Pictures, Republic Serial (film), movie serial starring Lee Powell (actor), Lee Powell and Herman Brix, the latter better known by his later stage name, Bruce Bennett. It was directed by ...
'' (Republic, 1938) * '' The Secret of Treasure Island'' (Weiss Bros./Columbia, 1938) * '' The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'' (Columbia, 1938) * '' The Lone Ranger'' (Republic, 1938) * '' The Spider's Web'' (Columbia, 1938) * ''
Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily American newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, b ...
'' (Universal, 1939) * '' Daredevils of the Red Circle'' (Republic, 1939) * '' Dick Tracy's G-Men'' (Republic, 1939) * '' Flying G-Men'' (Columbia, 1939) * ''
Mandrake the Magician ''Mandrake the Magician'' is a Comic strip syndication, syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk before he created ''The Phantom''.Ron Goulart, ''The Encyclopedia of American Comics''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. . pp. 91, 249 ...
'' (Columbia, 1939) * '' Overland with Kit Carson'' (Columbia, 1939) * '' Scouts to the Rescue'' (Universal, 1939) * '' The Lone Ranger Rides Again'' (Republic, 1939) * '' The Oregon Trail'' (Universal, 1939) * '' The Phantom Creeps'' (Universal, 1939) * '' Zorro's Fighting Legion'' (Republic, 1939) * '' Adventures of Red Ryder'' (Republic, 1940) * '' Deadwood Dick'' (Columbia, 1940) * '' Drums of Fu Manchu'' (Republic, 1940) * ''
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flas ...
'' (Universal, 1940) * '' Junior G-Men'' (Universal, 1940) * '' King of the Royal Mounted'' (Republic, 1940) * '' Mysterious Doctor Satan'' (Republic, 1940) * '' Terry and the Pirates'' (Columbia, 1940) * '' The Green Archer'' (Columbia, 1940) * ''
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
'' (Universal, 1940) * '' The Green Hornet Strikes Again'' (Universal, 1940) * ''
The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...
'' (Columbia, 1940) * '' Winners of the West'' (Universal, 1940) * '' Adventures of Captain Marvel'' (Republic, 1941) * '' Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.'' (Republic, 1941) * '' Holt of the Secret Service'' (Columbia, 1941) * '' Jungle Girl'' (Republic, 1941) * '' King of the Texas Rangers'' (Republic, 1941) * '' Riders of Death Valley'' (Universal, 1941) * '' Sea Raiders'' (Universal, 1941) * '' Sky Raiders'' (Universal, 1941) * '' The Iron Claw'' (Columbia, 1941) * '' The Spider Returns'' (Columbia, 1941) * '' White Eagle'' (Columbia, 1941) * '' Captain Midnight'' (Columbia, 1942) * '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' (Universal, 1942) * '' Gang Busters'' (Universal, 1942) * '' Junior G-Men of the Air'' (Universal, 1942) * '' King of the Mounties'' (Republic, 1942) * '' Overland Mail'' (Universal, 1942) * '' Perils of Nyoka'' (Republic, 1942) * ''
Perils of the Royal Mounted ''Perils of the Royal Mounted'' is a 1942 American Northern (genre), Northern film. It was the 18th Serial (film), serial released by Columbia Pictures. It starred Robert Kellard (aka Robert Stevens) as the hero, Sgt. Mack MacLane of the Royal Mo ...
'' (Columbia, 1942) * '' Spy Smasher'' (Republic, 1942) * '' The Secret Code'' (Columbia, 1942) * '' The Valley of Vanishing Men'' (Columbia, 1942) * '' Adventures of the Flying Cadets'' (Universal, 1943) * ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' (Columbia, 1943) * '' Daredevils of the West'' (Republic, 1943) * '' Don Winslow of the Coast Guard'' (Universal, 1943) * '' G-Men vs. the Black Dragon'' (Republic, 1943) * '' Secret Service in Darkest Africa'' (Republic, 1943) * '' The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' (Universal, 1943) * '' The Masked Marvel'' (Republic, 1943) * ''
The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...
'' (Columbia, 1943) * '' Black Arrow'' (Columbia, 1944) * ''
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
'' (Republic, 1944) * '' Haunted Harbor'' (Republic, 1944) * '' Raiders of Ghost City'' (Universal, 1944) * '' The Desert Hawk'' (Columbia, 1944) * '' The Great Alaskan Mystery'' (Universal, 1944) * '' Mystery of the River Boat'' (Universal, 1944) * '' The Tiger Woman'' (Republic, 1944) * '' Zorro's Black Whip'' (Republic, 1944) * '' Brenda Starr, Reporter'' (Columbia, 1945) * '' Federal Operator 99'' (Republic, 1945) * '' Jungle Queen'' (Universal, 1945) * '' Jungle Raiders'' (Columbia, 1945) * '' Manhunt of Mystery Island'' (Republic, 1945) * '' Secret Agent X-9'' (Universal, 1945) * '' The Master Key'' (Universal, 1945) * '' The Monster and the Ape'' (Columbia, 1945) * '' The Purple Monster Strikes'' (Republic, 1945) * '' The Royal Mounted Rides Again'' (Universal, 1945)


Other notable serials

* '' The King of the Kongo'' (1929) – First serial with
sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...
(a
Mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...
production) * '' The Mysterious Mr. M'' (1946) – Last serial from Universal * ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (1948) - First live-action appearance of Superman on film * '' King of the Carnival'' (1955) – Last serial from Republic * '' Blazing the Overland Trail'' (1956) – Last American serial (a Columbia production) * ''
Super Giant is a Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial-like tokusatsu short feature films produced between 1957 and 1959 by Shintoho (the non-union branch of Toho). He is also known in Japan as , is known in The United States as St ...
'' (1957) – Japanese
tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...
superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...
serial (a
Shintoho was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big six film studios (which also included Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, Toei Company, and Toho) during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Toho company ...
production), released in the U.S. as ''Starman''


See also

* List of film serials by year * List of film serials by studio *
Pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 until around 1955. The term "pulp" derives from the Pulp (paper), wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed, due to their ...
s, a contemporary, and similar, form of serialized fiction. * The ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' and ''
Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
''
film series A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. It is a type of series fiction. This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples ...
; creator
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
says that both series were based on and influenced by serial films. * List of fictional shared universes in film and television * ''
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
'' *
Serial (radio and television) In television program, television and radio programming, a serial is a show that has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even t ...


References


Further reading

* Robert K. Klepper, ''Silent Films, 1877–1996, A Critical Guide to 646 Movies'', McFarland & Company, * Lahue, Kalton C. ''Bound and Gagged: The Story of the Silent Serials.'' New York: Castle Books 1968. * Lahue, Kalton C. ''Continued Next Week : A History of the Moving Picture Serial.'' Norman. University of Oklahoma Press. 1969


External links


Serial Squadron
Index of Silent Era Serials
In The BalconyDieselpunk IndustriesTV Cream
{{Authority control History of film Damsels in distress