Flash Gordon 1930's serials

Discussion in 'Movies & Televison: Reviews, Discussions & Debate' started by Panchyprsss, Nov 20, 2012.

  1. Panchyprsss

    Panchyprsss Clogg's LORD PROTECTOR

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    Have been rewatching this classic serial at Netflix. The first serial, simply titled Flash Gordon, was the most fun of all three serials starring Larry "Buster" Crabbe, a USA Olympic gold medalist swimmer who started his Hollywood career playing Tarzan in 1933. The 1936 Republic scifi serial was a faithful screen adaptation of the popular Alex Raymond newspaper cartoon strip. Tje serial became so popular that some theaters were giving it bigger billing than the feature film! The success of Flash Gordon spawned two more serials: Flash Gordon Trip To Mars and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. Each subsequent serial was inferior to the previous one and the budgets were even lower which explains why no attempt was made in the third one to 'dress-up' the out of place Robin Hood costumes (it was a common Hollywood practice at the time to recycle sostumes, sets, music and stock footage for their weekly movie serials which were considered nothing else than time filling). Going back to the original: like I said this is the most fun of them all. Sure is silly as hell, the acting is way over the top, the plot makes no sense and the costumes are easily identified from roman & medieval films lightly altered to make them look "scifi". The special effects are really bad too. So how come this is fun? Well, it has a fast pace, lots of action that usually ends in cliffhangers and it has an inocent honest feel to it. The people that made it really cared to deliver the goods even in its string budget. No wonder the 1980 film took an homage approach to it and play it high camp. Oh and Jean Rogers as Dale Arden was incredibly sexy in her Mongo costume as well as the actress that played Princess Aura. If you remove your prejudices about old dated black & white films, you too might enjoy this. 7.5/10

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  2. Panchyprsss

    Panchyprsss Clogg's LORD PROTECTOR

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    Compare Jean Rogers Dale Arden to Melody Anderson's in the remake.

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  3. Panchyprsss

    Panchyprsss Clogg's LORD PROTECTOR

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    *Buster Crabbe was THE Man at old serials. Not only he portrayed Tarzan and Flas Gordon, but he was also the first Buck Rogers and starred in many other 40's action/adventure movie serials. Crabbe always remained in good shape since he never quit swimming. One of his last roles before he died was that of Colonel Gordon in the 80's tv series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
    *Did you know that the Flash Gordon comic strip was the direct result of failed negotiations between King Features and Edgar Rice Burroughs over a proposed "John Carter of Mars" comic strip? When Burroughs demanded to retain all the rights for radio spin-offs, merchandise and movie adaptations, King Features walked out of the negotiations and the same team that was already preparing a John Carter strip launched three days later "Flash Gordon", much to Edgar Rice Burroughs anger.
    *Charles Middleton, the original Ming The Merciless, was a fine character actor, but was forever typecast in villain roles with the exception of portraying Abraham Lincoln a few times.
    *The first Flash Gordon serial was selected for preservation by the USA National Film Registry.

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    With Gil Gerard in a 1980 episode of Buck Rogers in The 25th Century at age 72.
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    Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless Ruler of the Universe LOL
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    Ok this has nothing to do with Flash Gordon, but these Battlestar Galactica babes look smoking hot here!

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