Thought I would try my hand at throwing out a new topic for discussion. What is your favorite guilty pleasure serial? What serial do you really like, even
though you know it isn't very good? For me that would be Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island. There is no Earthly reason for me to like this serial. There
is way too much padding, whole scenes are reused in different chapters, the acting between the two leads is less than inspired, and the mystery plot is okay at
best. But I enjoy watching it. I like the special effects and model work of the Lydeckers, the combination of jungle and espionage plotting, and dare I say
it, the comedic banter between Newell and Ward (my favorite is when Newell tells Ward to go stand over by a tree and tell the story of his life). I've
watched it six, maybe seven times over the past ten years and it was one of the first serials I upgraded from VHS to DVD.
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Guilty Pleasures
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 toddgault.movieserialmess... |
Guilty Pleasures |
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 27 07/03/09 14:42:44 |
Todd Gault..........Serial Buff
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Pa Stark.movieserialmess... |
#1 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 68 07/03/09 18:28:27 Studmuffin Rabbi Stark
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Too many serial fans really put down ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND, but I do enjoy it. My three biggest guilty pleasures are women, Remember, you can always trust Honest Pa Stark |
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KanSmiley |
#2 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 93 07/03/09 19:54:38 |
As I have posted before my experience with serials came in the late, late 40s and 50s so therefore I know only the bottle of the barrell Republics. I suppose
if I have guilty pleasures as far as serials go it would be those last few serials that Republic made. They were my introduction to serials and are the ones I
have the Saturday matinee memories of. When I put in King of the Carnival or a similiar one I can almost smell the popcorn in the lobby, see the heavy curtain
across the door of the auditorium and walk down the inclined aisle looking for that certain seat I sat in every Saturday.
http://www.saturday-matinee-memories.com/
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Riddle Rider |
#3 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 47 07/04/09 09:25:51 Cardinal Blood 'N' Thunder
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My guilty pleasure is PANTHER GIRL OF THE KONGO. I know it's awful, but I like looking at Phyllis Coates in Frances Gifford's JUNGLE GIRL costume.
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HiYoSilverAway |
#4 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 13 07/04/09 09:42:23 Resident B-Western Expert |
I also sorta enjoy Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island as well. As mentioned before, it does have some good special effects and I do like the locations and
cinematography in the serial. My ultimate serial guilty pleasure is Whispering Shadow. I just think that every cliche done in a poverty row mystery film of the
30's is exemplified in the serial. Plus I love all of the red herrings in there as well.
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BdogDrummond |
#5 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 1 07/04/09 11:10:24 |
Right now my favorite guilty pleasure is the silent serial Son of Tarzan and watching Mannila Martan who has to be the regualrly most scantily clad hot babe in
serialdom... (of course that could be a whole other discussion) --
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Brick Bradford |
Guilty Pleasures | #6 | ||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 5 07/04/09 12:25:47 Cardinal Brick Bradford |
As I have said before I like The Clutching Hand...I have seen it two times now..once watching the entire serial in one sitting....I recommend watching it with
large quantities of refreshment at hand..in my case (pun) Brickford Mansion Elixir and Car Polish...
Brick Bradford (Handsomest Hero in Serials and Bad Guy(watching an entire serial in one sitting) |
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Captain Canuck |
#7 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 45 07/04/09 15:59:30 Resident Comic |
I like the much and often maligned Jungle Queen. I liked the whole Lothel character and I though she outshone the heroes of the piece. And she well
ought to with all the time she spent running back and forth in that big walk in furnace!
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Black Tigrrr.movieserialmess... |
#8 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 40 07/04/09 18:29:57 Chief Smoking Tiger Head
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Radar Men from the Moon is my guilty pleasure. A late Republic, wacky plot, ridiculous trips to the Moon, jaw-dropping scientific faux pauxs, and an
uncharismatic hero. Still I've watched this thing about a half dozen times and really like it.
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Doctor Satan 1940 |
#9 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 7 07/05/09 11:14:13 |
Secret Confessions of a Serial Fan:
I love Bela Lugosi's serials. Yeah Shadow of Chinatown has some patently ridiculous cliffhangers in it (fish bowl, anyone?) and yes, Return of Chandu gets a little slow at times, but Bela himself is great. He's well worth watching in both of these. Others that I like that tend to be roundly hated: Mandrake, The Magician--come on! It has Warren Hull in it, and he's loads of fun to watch. 
Atom Man Vs. Superman--some of the best one-liners in serial history. If only I had written a line as great as "You've got the spine of a jellyfish"! Terry and the Pirates--Ridiculously funny. But then, I like funny serials!
"If there is a life after this one know that your last experience with me was at least an interesting one!"
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Riddle Rider |
#10 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 49 07/05/09 14:16:54 Cardinal Blood 'N' Thunder
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Gee, I didn't realize MANDRAKE was "roundly hated." Granted, it hasn't much to do with the comic strip -- it's a downright lousy
adaptation -- but it's loaded with fast-paced Columbia action and great pulse-pounding music. I think it's too good to be thought of as a guilty
pleasure. Same goes for TERRY AND THE PIRATES -- a travesty, if you love the Milton Caniff comic strip as I do. But I pretend the serial features an
alternate-universe Terry, Pat, et al. If you look at it that way, and accept that Horne intended it to be goofy, it's a lot of fun. SHADOW OF CHINATOWN --
now that's my idea of a guilty pleasure!
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Pa Stark.movieserialmess... |
#11 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 71 07/05/09 18:58:37 Studmuffin Rabbi Stark
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I second the motion for Hi Yo on THE WHISPERING SHADOW, just for all the great red herrings, and BT for RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON.
Remember, you can always trust Honest Pa Stark |
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Powder Solvang |
#12 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 6 07/08/09 21:50:51 |
My guilty pleasure? "Jungle Sam" Katzman! Jungle Raiders, Brick Bradford, The Vigilante, Congo Bill, both Superman serials, Batman and Robin are all
what I consider to be "A" list serials. Somehow the cheap factor just doesn't bother me at all!
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Pa Stark.movieserialmess... |
#13 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 81 07/09/09 15:48:20 Studmuffin Rabbi Stark
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I like some Columbia serials from the 50's because Spencer Bennet directed them. A couple of favorites are BLACKHAWK and CAPTAIN VIDEO.
Remember, you can always trust Honest Pa Stark |
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toddgault.movieserialmess... |
#14 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 33 07/10/09 11:22:54 |
I'm a big fan of The Vigilante, Ralph Byrd and George Offerman make a great team with plenty of wise cracking between them, plus Byrd and Ames both get to
sing and aren't too shabby at it.
Todd Gault..........Serial Buff
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zorrothefox.movieserialmess... |
guilty pleasure serial | #15 | ||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 28 07/10/09 23:27:18 Resident Movie Critic |
I have two: Zombies of the Stratosphere and Radar Men From the Moon Too much stock footage, silly plots and villains; bland heroes, but somehow I enjoy them. Z
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Barcroft |
Guilty Pleasures | #16 | ||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 22 07/11/09 00:00:05 Cardinal Barcroft |
I guess my guilty pleasure would be The Scarlet Horseman. This was one of the last of the Universals and they decided to have a little fun with it. The
heroes are Paul Guilfoyle as Jim Bannon the Scarlet Horseman was the perennial weasel or bad guy in so many RKO movies, Cy Kendall as Amigo likewise was always
the bad guy and Edward Norris who jumped around at various studios playing light weights, bad guys etc. was Kirk Norris were the 3 stars. The serial had just
about every b-western villain imaginable plus Virginia Christine and Victoria Horne as the female villains. Everybody always complains about the goofy whistle
but if you overlook it the serial is not that bad. One of Barcroft's favorites.
Barcroft |
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Ravenstone |
#17 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 4 07/13/09 10:16:51 |
Definitely THE LOST CITY. There's a lot wrong with this serial, starting with William "Stage" Boyd who apparently shot the whole thing half in
the bag, but it's entertaining as hell! John
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Black Tigrrr.movieserialmess... |
#18 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 49 07/13/09 11:43:43 Chief Smoking Tiger Head
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I agree with Lost City, Raven. Once a group of us watched a chapter and a girl sat with her mouth open in disbelief.
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Chuck White |
#19 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 70 07/15/09 11:06:26 |
Barcroft wrote: I agree, Barcroft. I have just watched TSH for the first time, recently, and it was fun. I will definitely watch that one again. THE LOST CITY is also on my list, it's just way too much fun for one serial. |
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Powder Solvang |
#20 | |||
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Cliffhanger Family Member
Posts: 11 07/15/09 18:20:44 |
Chuck, are you sure the Scarlet Horseman wasn't one of your ancestors? You have a lot in common; flashy costume, secret identity, underground cave!
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Would you expect anything else from Pa Stark? Seriously, my three biggest serial
guilty pleasures are all ones I saw as a little kid, and when I saw them again, I still got a kick out of them. They are SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE, DON WINSLOW OF
THE NAVY, and THE GREAT ALASKAN MYSTERY.
- Announcements
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- DVD Reviews
- Favorite TV Shows
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- Cliffhanger Productions Shorts and Serials
- Cliffhanger Productions Pulp Stories and Novels
- Cliffhanger Productions On The Air OTR Projects
- Classic Cliffhanger News
- Classic Cliffhanger Stars
- Republic Serials
- Columbia Serials
- Universal Serials
- Mascot Serials
- Independent Serials
- Classic Gimmick Movies
- Classic Adventure
- Classic Musicals
- Classic Crime and Suspense
- Classic Drama
- Classic Comedy
- Classic Western
- Classic Sci-Fi
- Classic Horror
