Barney Bat Reviews

Passport to Suez (1943)

William's Lone Wolf goes out with a winner

[10/10 · 25 April 2006]

The other user comment misses the point of this film entirely; Passport to Suez is not supposed to be a serious historical examination of what might have happened had the Nazis gained control of the Suez Canal, but a spy/mystery/adventure with some comedy laced in.

Warren William's final turn as Michael Lanyard is a real winner, thanks to a complex and witty script and the direction of the great Andre De Toth. The Lone Wolf films are always entertaining (with the exception of The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt, which was nearly ruined by Ida Lupino) but Passport to Suez has a classier feel than any of its predecessors. The camera-work in the film is moody and atmospheric, William's first meeting with Mr. X is very memorable, and one murder scene that takes place on an Alexandrian street is positively stunning, something Hitchcock needn't have been ashamed of. The mystery is intricate and well-meshed, and the script features a memorable array of colorful characters--Gavin Muir's friendly and urbane Nazi operative, Sheldon Leonard's slick nightclub owner, Anne Savage's femme fatale, Sig Arno's eccentric stool pigeon, Frederic Worlock's uptight British intelligence officer, Jay Novello's sleazy spy, and especially Lou Merrill's phlegmatic but deadly double-agent.

William himself handles the atypical seriousness of the plot perfectly and reins in his usual enjoyable hamminess, while Eric Blore provides impeccable comedy relief(his reaction to the mysterious phone caller at the beginning of the picture is hilarious--I feel that way with certain telemarketers).

The propaganda in the film is mercifully minuscule; it has none of the protracted speeches that popped up in the earlier Lone Wolf film Counter-Espionage. Aside from Warren's remark to Muir about the "New European Order having no room for sentiment," propaganda is bypassed for sheer entertainment.

A worthy finale to William's illustrious stint as the Lone Wolf.

The Saint in London (1939)

Best Saint film

[11 November 2005]

Or my favorite, at least. I like the other Sanders entries, Hugh Sinclair's two shots at the role, and Louis Hayward's SAINT IN NEW YORK, but this one just seems to completely capture the lighthearted and eccentric but adventurous feel of the classic British "thriller" to a tee. The slightly giddy but very beautiful Sally Gray is a wonderful leading lady, and David Burns (a versatile and talented Broadway performer) is easily the Saint's best sidekick; he's tough and smart and not a buffoon in the least. Henry Oscar is also a classic villainous "Mr. Big." The dialog is sharp and witty throughout. Highly recommended.

When's Your Birthday? (1937)

Hilarious

[8 October 2005]

I just saw this one courtesy of Turner Classic Movies, and can't really agree with the other user comment. I saw many of Joe E. Brown's Warners films on TCM back in August, and personally I thought this picture was better than many of them. Being post-Code, the script didn't rely on double entendres, which can get tiresome very fast; the writers have to work to get laughs, and they do a good job. Brown is at the peak of his form, and the supporting cast--particularly Edgar Kennedy and Fred Keating--is a lot of fun. Bull Montana is also hilarious as the Salvador "slayer." Favorite line:

Frank Jenks: How'd you like to get drowned the bathtub?

Joe E. Brown: Not particularly!

Miracles for Sale (1939)

Wonderful magic show courtesy of Browning the Great

[12 August 2004]

I understand this was the famous Todd Browning's final film; well, he certainly picked a good one to go out on. MIRACLES FOR SALE is a murder mystery with a twist: all the suspects are either magicians or oculists. This naturally makes for a very spooky and atmospheric thriller, which is well handled by Browning and the cast. Robert Young is perfect as the glib magician hero, Florence Rice is appealing as the frightened heroine, and Frank Craven and Cliff Clark supply some hilarious dialogue. Unlike many murder mysteries of this vintage, though, MIRACLES doesn't fall into unsuspenseful slapstick by trying to ape the Thin Man films--it gets positively creepy in parts. Also refreshing is the fact that Young's character doesn't deny the existence of the supernatural: he just thinks that the murder in this case is the work of humans. As you would expect in a magician murder mystery, there are several tricks and illusions in the plot, one of which took me in completely. My brother, an amateur magician of sorts, also passed this one on the accuracy of its depiction of the magic profession. Check it out; you won't be disappointed.

Sky Murder (1940)

Third and last Nick Carter film is as good as the other two

[21 March 2004]

Unaccountably, MGM's excellent Nick Carter movies became the shortest series of detective films on record. The Carter films took the middle ground somewhere between the serial-like Brass Bancroft pictures and the sophisticated semi-comedy mysteries like the Thin Man films. The Carter series were fast-paced with quite a bit of action, but with some hilarious humor too. Bartholomew the Bee Man was the most unique of all detective sidekicks--quite loony, but very helpful at the same time. The interaction between Donald Meek's Bartholomew and Walter Pidgeon's self-assured Nick Carter was the best part of the series, which had several other things going for it too.

This final Carter film is a lot of fun, with Nick (unwillingly, at first) taking on a ring of Fifth Columnists (since this was filmed before the US entered the war, we're not told the villains are Nazis, but it's pretty clear anyway). Of course, the helpful and persistent Bartholomew is at his side--much to Nick's irritation. To further complicate things--and to make them still funnier--Joyce Compton is along for the ride too, as a delightfully brainless "detective" named Christine Cross. The plot gives us a new twist on the locked-room murder mystery: this time, a murder takes place in a locked airplane compartment! Karen Verne plays a German refugee suspected of the mysterious murder, and it's up to Nick to clear her--and protect her from the real killers, who are out to remove her at all costs. As in the first Carter film (NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE) there's a mastermind whose identity is not revealed right away, and an assortment of sinister henchmen. While trying to figure out the mystery (the who-dun-it isn't hard, but the "how dun it" certainly is) look for some great supporting players, including Chill Wills, Grady Sutton, Edward Ashley, and Tom Conway, soon to become a well-known film detective himself--the Falcon.

Be sure to check out this movie and the other Carter movies, NICK CARTER MASTER DETECTIVE and PHANTOM RAIDERS. All three are shown on TCM from time to time, and I highly recommend them.

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975)

A very entertaining picture

[13 July 2002]

When I first watched this film, I wasn't expecting much. I've heard it dumped on, critiqued, and panned from all sides. Boy, was I surprised! The movie is a real treat, and one of the last really entertaining movies to come out of Hollywood.

Fans of the pulp character Doc Savage tend to hate this movie, but really, it is a faithful adaptation of the character. I understand George Pal, the producer and screenwriter, was a huge fan of the Savage pulp novels, and his love really, REALLY shines through. He loves the characters so much that he doesn't hesitate to poke fun at them occasionally, but at the same time he maintains the audience's interest in the goings on.

The plot deals with Doc Savage (Ron Ely) and his Fabulous Five, comprised of Monk, a chemist, Ham, a lawyer, Rennie, an engineer, Johnny, an archelogist, and Long Tom, an electrican, journeying to South America to investigate the death of Doc's father, Professor Savage, who supposedly died of a rare tropical disease. The Professor's death was actually caused by the villainous Captain Seas (Paul Wexler), a sophistacated, villainous globe-trotter and explorer. Seas's reason for getting rid of Doc's father is....but that would be telling. Watch and find out.

This movie is fast-paced, funny, adventurous, and action-packed. Ron Ely is perfectly cast as Doc, complete with the blonde hair, massive physique, and all the litte gestures and mannerisms that go with the character of Savage. He even wears Doc's trademark white shirt and tan pants. The Fabolous Five are all well cast, too, with Darrel Zwerling standing out as the suave Ham. The interplay between Ham and Monk and the general interaction between all the team members really livens up the picture, just as it does the books.

Paul Wexler is also good as the villainous Captain Seas. He doesn't overact or chew the scenery in the slightest, and comes off as a strong bad guy. The atmosphere, both in New York at the beginning and later on in the South Amercian jungles, is well-handled, and the "Green Death" the hideous weapon with which the baddies dispose of their enemies, is really scary, thanks to Pal's special effects. I get the shivers just thinking about it.

The action highlights are many, but my favorite was the fight on the yacht midway, with Doc and his buddies battling Seas's henchmen in a great rough and tumble. The climactic fight between Doc and Seas is also good (and quite funny at the same time).

The John Phillip Sousa theme is rousing, humorous, and hummable. It lingers in the memory for a long time. I agree with another commentator that the use of the music was a master stroke.

The film really isn't campy, most of the humor derived from laughs WITH the characters, rather than at them. It's been compared to the Adam West BATMAN show, but in terms of villains, memorable characters, action, and atmosphere, it leaves BATMAN at the starting post. The script occasionally pokes fun at Doc's arsenal of gadgets and the greedy secondary villain (who sleeps in a giant cradle) but like the original Star Trek show, a little self-deprecating humor is needed to remind us that the fantastic goings-on are all in fun.

In conclusion, this is a really nifty movie, and a fitting finale to George Pal's career (it was his last picture). It's a labor of love and a job well done by all concerned.

Long live the Man of Bronze!

Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937)

First in a series of excellent films

[18 May 2001]

The 1937-1938 series of Bulldog Drummond films released by Paramount, starring first Ray Milland, then John Howard as Captain Hugh C. Drummond, and based on the classic mystery/adventure novels by H. C. "Sapper" McNeile, are first-rate mysteries, and BULLDOG DRUMMOND ESCAPES is a worthy series opener. The whole series (composed of eight films) captures the spirit of the books much more than the rather boring Ronald Colman film made in 1929, which is, for some reason, ridiculously overrated by critics, who, at the same time, dismiss the Milland-Howard films as mediocre programmers. The Colman film put the emphasis on the love story, which is only subsidary in the books, had little or no action, and neglected to give any sense of real menace to the villains. The Paramount series, on the other hand, kept the love interest subsidiary, were full of edge-of-your-seat action, and included first-class villain actors as menaces in the various films, such as J. Carrol Naish, Eduardo Cianelli, Porter Hall, and Leo G. Carrol I really can't talk about the plot of this or any other series entry, as that would constitute a "spoiler" by IMDB standards, but suffice it to say that it is rather loosely based on BULLDOG DRUMMOND, the first of Sapper's books. Ray Milland is Drummond, and an excellent one, but he was too big a star to remain tied to one character for more than one movie, so John Howard took over for the subsequent seven films. Sir Guy Standing, who plays Colonel Neilson, the ever-flustered Scotland Yard man who would like to solve his cases without Drummond bothering him, also did only this one film, the role being taken for the next three by John Barrymore, and for the final four by H. B. Warner. Heather Angel plays the heroine, Phyllis Clavering, in this one and in the final four, while Louise Campbell is Phyllis in the middle three. Reginald Denny is Drummond's loyal but not-too-bright pal Algy Longworth, and repeats his role in all the other films in the series. E.E. Clive is Drummond's indispensible and imperturable valet Tenny (inexplicably changed from Denny in the books). Clive also kept his role throughout the entire series. So, anyone who is a fan of the Drummond books, should, if they want to see the best screen treatment of their hero, check out these films and ignore the abstracted praises of the Colman film.

Trigger, Jr. (1950)

One of Roy and Wit's best

[17 May 2001]

In my opinion, Roy Rogers's best B-Westerns were the ones in the late forties-early fifties that were directed by William Witney, the "action ace." Of these Witney-Rogers ones, TRIGGER JR. is one of the best. Roy, Trigger, Trigger's almost-full grown son Trigger Jr., sidekicks Gordon Jones and Pat Brady, Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage, along with Roy's circus/wild west show, arrive at the ranch of Colonel Harkrider (veteran character actor George Cleveland), formerly partners with Roy's father Jonathan Rogers in the circus. They wish to winter at the ranch, as it is circus press agent Splinter's (Jones) idea that this will get the circus free publicity. The Colonel's daughter Kay (Dale Evans) also hopes that the prescence of the circus will get vigor back in her father, and that he will resume command of the circus when it leaves in the spring. The Colonel, however, is not too keen on circus life since the death of his older daughter during her bareback riding act. Her son, young Larry (Peter Miles) has ever since been afraid of horses, and the Colonel considers him a coward. The villain of the piece is Manson (Grant Withers), head of the so-called "Range Patrol" which is supposed to keep ranchers' horses from straying onto neighbouring ranges and prevent wild horse from making off with the herds. However, they have accomplished nothing, charged the ranchers exorbitant fees, and they are even suspected of rustling horse. Therefore, the Colonel wants to call together the ranchers to ask for a disbandment of the Range Patrol. Manson, who, needless to say, is rustling while collecting his huge fees, does not want his nice little racket to be wrecked, so he arranges for the escape of a vicious wild hores which the ranchers had ordered destroyed, and turns it loose on the ranchers' stock. The "Phantom" as the killer horse comes to be called, begins vicious raids on the ranch horses, striking them down and killing them with his hoofs. Just as Manson had planned, this gives his Range Patrol an excuse to stay around and "protect" the ranches from the Phantom. How Roy, Trigger Sr. and Jr., the Harkriders, Splinter, and the Riders of the Purple Sage defeat Manson's schemes makes for masterful entertainment. Both Trigger and little Larry prove key factors in the defeat of Manson, and he and his horse are finally brought to bay. This movie has plenty of action, comedy, and drama. Some of the action, such as a violent "hoof fight" between Trigger and the Phantom, is unique and not usually found in B-Westerns. Music is not as well represented as in Roy's earlier films such as BELLS OF ROSARITA, as there are only three songs, but there is nothing wrong with that. And two of the songs are, in my opinion, among the best of the ballads rendered by Roy. They are the delightfully informal "May the good Lord take a likin' to ya" and the eriee and haunting "Stampede!" So two thumbs-up for TRIGGER JR., Roy, Dale, Wit--and Trigger, of course.

Hold That Ghost (1941)

An absolute laugh-riot

[16 May 2001]

This is Abbot and Costello's third starring film (the first two are BUCK PRIVATES and IN THE NAVY) and it avoids most of the mistakes of its predecessors. Not that these first two are not funny--they're hilarious--but HOLD THAT GHOST has the most unbroken comedy of and Bud and Lou outing in the early part of their career. True, the Andrews Sisters are around, as in PRIVATES and NAVY, but the audience only has to put up with two of their songs, one at the beginning and one at the end. These, except for Ted Lewis's "Me and my Shadow," also rendered at the beginning, constitute the only songs to obscure Bud and Lou's talents. Another big plus in this one is the lack of any serious subplot. There is a romantic affair, carried on by Richard Carlson and Evelyn Ankers, but for once Bud and Lou's screenwriters keep in step with the film, and make the romance a funny one. The thing that helps the most to carry it off is Carlson's portrayl of his character as an absent-minded health nut. In addition, there is a burlesque love affair between Costello and the hilarious Joan Davis, who is a worthy match for him. One of the highlights of the film is a comic ballet bewtween the two.

As for the plot: William B. Davidson, who also appeared as the Captain in IN THE NAVY, plays gangster Moose Matson, who drops by Bud and Lou's rinky-dink filling station. Due to a chain of circumstances, Bud and Lou wind up in Matson's car while the ganster is fleeing the police. A cop's bullet downs Matson, who slumps dead on the seat. His last will and testament is clenched in his hand, and it reveals, to Abbot and Costello's suprise, that they are his sole benificiaries, as it states that whoever is with Matson at the time of his death wil will inherit all his wordly goods. Despite rumours of Matson's great wealth, the wordly goods appear to consist only of a country hotel. Bud and Lou jump at the chance to aqquire this propert, and accept the offer of a certain Charlie Smith (veteran mobster actor Marc Lawrence) to accompany them and show them around the hotel. However, unbeknowst to them, Smith is an ex-member of Matson's gang, anxious to find the loot which is believed to be stashed in the old hotel. Abbot and Costello charter a bus, which has already aqquired three other passengers: a charming young lady (Ankers) a doctor (Carlson) and a professional radio screamer (Davis). On arriving at their destination, the group is abandoned by their bus-driver, who runs off with the bus--and his passengers' luggage. Everyone is thus forced to stay the night at the eerie old hotel, which is filled with cobwebs, candles, sinister gangsters, and perhaps a ghost or two!

Thus the stage is set for the first, and, outside of ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, the best, of Bud and Lou's chillingly hilarious horror-comedies. Enjoy!

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Bud and Lou's best film

[13 October 2000]

Bud Abbot and Lou Costello put out a lot of comedy classics in the forties, such as HOLD THAT GHOST,BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME, WHO DONE IT, HIT THE ICE, and THE NAUGHTY NINETIES, but this one, done in 1948, is probably their best. The title understates the film, for Bud and Lou not only encounter the Frankentstein Monster(Glenn Strange)but also the Wolf Man(Lon Chaney Jr. of course) and Count Dracula(Bela Lugosi). Bud and Lou play delivery men, Chick Young and Wilbur Gray, who are assigned to deliver two crates, supposedly containing the remanins of Dracula and the Monster, to MacDougall's House of Horrors as new exhibits. What the boys don't know is that Dracula is alive, and has placed himself and the Monster in a dormant condition in order to sneak into the country. The Count, with the help of Dr. Frankenstein's book "The Secrets of Life and Death," hopes to revive the Monster, but he wants a new brain for it, because, as he tells his assitant Sandra(Lenore Aubert), he doesn't want to "repeat Frankenstein's mistake, and revive a vicious unmanageable brute." Sandra tells him she has found a simple, pliable brain for the Monster.(Lou's, of course) Meanwhile, Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, aware that Dracula plots to revive the Monster, attempts to convince Bud and Lou to aid him in thwarting the Count. Bud is sceptical, but Lou, who saw the "exhibits" escape from their crates, belives him. Even Lou, however, is somewhat sceptical of Talbot's request that the boys lock him in his room on nights of the full moon. To Abbot's further disgust, both Sandra and a pretty insurance investigator, Joan Raymond, apparently fall for Lou. Both, however, have ulterior motives. Sandra wishes to gain his brain for the Monster, and Miss Raymond hopes to induce Lou to lead her to the exhibits which the insurance company and MacDougall belive the boys stole. I won't reveal any more of the plot, as it would spoil this hilarious movie, but I will, in closing, quote one of my favorite lines from it. It occurs when Lon Chaney Jr. is trying to convince Lou to aid him in destroying Dracula and the Monster. Lou: I can't help you. I've got a date. In fact, I got two dates. Chaney: But you and I have a date with Destiny. Lou: Let Chick go with Destiny, won't ya? Please? Huh?

Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)

This serial IS all it's cracked up to be

[3 October 2000]

This serial has a reputation, that of being the greatest serial ever made, that is a greatly deserved one. The plot is complex, but not muddled, the actors are extremely competent, and the characters(this is very rare in serials)take on a life of their own. Most serial fans are familar with the plot, and besides, it is posted right here on the internet, so I will go on to the cast. Tom Tyler, probably more familar to film buffs as Luke Plummer in John Ford's classic STAGECOACH, looks the part of Captain Marvel to perfection. He has relatively few dialog scenes in the serial, however, and to some people this is an added bonus, as his extremely gravelly voice is not to everyone's taste Young Frank Coghlan Jr. is remarkably good as Billy Batson, and deserves additional acclaim as Republic's only juvenile serial hero. The incomparable William Benedict provides unobtrusive comedy relief, as he was to do the following year in NYOKA AND THE TIGERMEN. Benedict is my all-time favorite serial sidekick, even though he only did these two. Louise Currie, who was also to make a return date three years later in THE MASKED MARVEL, is a very likable heroine, and as for the Scorpion, he has got to be the best villain in serials, thanks largely to Gerald Mohr's voice. His closet competitors are probably Dr. Satan(Eduardo Cianelli), Captain Mephisto(Roy Barcroft) from MANHUNT OF MYSTERY ISLAND) and Jim Belmont(George J. Lewis) from FEDERAL OPERATOR 99. Kenne Duncan gives a good performance as Barnett, the Scorpion's chief henchman, and Reed Hadley also stand out as Rahman Bar, the Scorpion's Siamese cohort. The supporting cast includes silent serial great Jack Mulhall, and, as suspects for being the Scorpion, Harry Worth, Robert Strange, George Pembroke, Bryant Washburn, Peter George Lynn, and the wonderful scene-stealer John Davidson as the superstious Siamese, Tah Chotali. The special effects are positively astonishing, and hold up a lot better than modern high-tech effects do. After watching the serial, you simply have to conclude that Captain Marvel CAN fly. This certainly deserves its reputation as the greatest serial ever made. SHAZAM!

Hawk of the Wilderness (1938)

Republic's most underrated serial

[26 September 2000]

HAWK OF THE WILDERNESS, from 1938, is Republic Pictures' most underrated serial. It has as strong a plot as ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, made three years later, yet MARVEL is Republic's most popular and famous serial, while HAWK is hardly ever mentioned.

Yet the plot, actors, directors, production crew, and stuntmen are as good here as in Republic's other serials. The plot, based on a book by William A. Chester, goes like this. Dr. Rand, a renowned scientist, along with his Indian servant, wife, and infant son, embarks on an expedition to the Artic in search of a mysterious island inhabited by the ancestors of the American Indians, who migrated from the island to the mainland, although some of them still live there. Nearing the island, the ship is wrecked, and Dr. and Mrs. Rand drowned. However, Mokuyi, the Indian servant, manages to gain the shore carrying the baby. Twenty-four years pass, and the baby grows into a strong, brave, young man, called Kioga(Hawk of the Wilderness)by the island Indians, most of whom, led by the evil witch doctor Yellow Weasel, oppose the strangers, with the exception of a young brave named Kias who befriends Mokuyi and Kioga.

Meanwhile, in civilization, a note in a bottle, cast overboard by Dr. Rand at the time of the wreck, is finally discovered, but by the notorious smuggler Salerno. Salerno and his men, tempted by the mention of wealth in the letter, go to Dr. Munro, an old friend of Rand's, and offer to sign on as his crew in an expedition to see if any of Rand's party survived. Munro, his daughter Beth, Allan Kendall, a wealthy young man, Bulbul, another scientist, and George, Munro's Negro butler, sail to the island with Salerno and his crew. On arrival, Salerno and his men mutiny, murdering the captain Munro had hired. Salerno's gang return to the ship, leaving the Munro had hired. Salerno's gang return to the ship, leaving the Munro party stranded. Shortly afterward, Yellow Weasel and his Indians launch an attack on them. Kioga, however, on the advice of Mokuyi, rescues the Munro group, and from then on, Kioga and the Munros must battle the Indians, Salerno and his smugglers, and the island itself, to escape and return to civilization.

The cast is excellent, with Herman Brix,(later Bruce Bennet) standing out in his only starring role at Republic. He is perfect as Kioga, not only excelling in the action scenes, but turning in an above-the-serial-average performance. The rest of the cast provide good back-up, particularly the two villain leaders, William Royle as Salerno and veteran character actor Monte Blue as Yellow Weasel. Royle's performance is all the more impressive when you remember that he played Sir Denis Nayland Smith in DRUMS OF FU MANCHU two years later.

The Lydecker effects are spectacular, especially the exploding volcano in the final chapters, and John English and William Witney once again direct the film smoothly through the fights and chases to the climactic twelfth episode.

In summing up, this serial(in my humble opinion) deserves to rank in the serial top ten with ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, MYSTERIOUS DR. SATAN, and the other Witney and English classics.

Federal Operator 99 (1945)

George J. Lewis's finest serial performance

[17 September 2000]

This wonderful serial is from the Republic Studios heyday, 1937-1947, full of director Spencer Gordon Bennet's fantastically designed fistfights, and imaginative chapter endings. But the best things about this one are the excellent performances by everyone involved. Marten Lamont, who portrays the title character, gets much "into" his role and gives a much more animated performance than a lot of other serial heroes. I wish he had done more serials, but probably Republic decided that his charming British accent was too out of place. Lamont can be seen in small roles in Alfred Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT and John Ford's HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY.

Helen Talbot, who played in hundreds of Republic B-Westerns opposite stars such as Don "Red" Barry and Allan "Rocky" Lane, is a very likeable heroine, and gets herself into a lot of nasty situations, although she is probably one of the only serial heroines to never get knocked unconcious in the course of the whole serial.

As for the bad guys, George J. Lewis gives his greatest serial performance as the suave, urbane, music-loving master criminal Jim Belmont. Although Lewis did lots of other serials, this was his only part as a "brains" heavy, and he gives it everything he's got.

Equally impressive is the talented Lorna Grey, as Belmont's henchwoman, Rita Parker. Miss Grey is almost as nasty in her portrayal of Rita as she was as Vultura in NYOKA AND THE TIGERMEN, three years earlier. And yet, in several other serials, she played the heroine, and just recently I saw her in a old Three Stooges short on AMC, as the scatter-brained wife of a wealthy tycoon. Truly a versatile actress!

As for the supporting cast, Hal Taliferro, as Belmont's chief gunman, is a typically tough and stupid "action" heavy. Ernie Adams has an entertaning bit as a reporter, and all of Republic's stuntmen pop up as assorted hoods, more than once. But the crowning performances are by Lamont and Lewis, both in brief moments of glory.

Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949)

Okay plot, great cast

[19 June 2000]

The plot and action sequences of this serial are average for a latter-day Republic serial, but the nifty cast lifts it above the ordinary. Kirk "Superman" Alyn is very good in the action lead, Rosemary LaPlanche is fine as the heroine,and the dependable James Dale is a sturdy sidekick. In the villain's camp, the ubiquitous Roy Barcroft is superb, as always, and Carol Forman is menacing as the head of Underworld Inc., Nila. She also semi-reprises her role as The Spider Lady, in the Superman serial. Among the supporting cast are sometimes-serial lead Bruce Edwards (THE BLACK WIDOW), and James Craven. Marshal Reed and Tristam Coffin, who have both starred in other serials, have small parts as a police detective and a lawyer, respectively. As for the plot, which involves an Arab treasure, most of it is fairly standard stuff, but there is one unique (I think) twist that really comes as a surprise. This is a good serial, and Republic aficiandos should check it out.