The Adventures of Captain Marvel – a 12 Chapter Serial (1941) Tom Tyler, Frank Coghlan Jr. – well done, with good acting & flight you’ll believe!
Adventures of Captain Marvel 12 Chapter Serial (1941) starring Tom Tyler, Frank Coghlan Jr.
Frankly, The Adventures of Captain Marvel is my favorite movie serial. It’s not cheesy nor laughable like Flash Gordon – Spaceship to the Unknown, nor is it a generic adaptation like the Captain America serial. It’s fairly accurate to the comic book source — with one glaring exception. In the comics, Billy Batson is a 12-year-old orphan. Here, he’s a young man. Which frankly makes sense, in the story. And Captain Marvel’s flying ability is on full display here — and it’s remarkably well done. Good performances create central characters that the audience likes and roots for. And a truly despicable villain — The Scorpion.
I truly enjoyed it, and hope that you do as well. Each “episode” is linked to a playable video, so that you can enjoy it for yourself.
Product Description
Newly Re-mastered from a 4K Scan by Paramount Pictures Archives! One of the Greatest Serials of All Time! Considered by many to be the finest serial ever made, Adventures of Captain Marvel chronicles the exploits of Captain Marvel (Tom Tyler, The Phantom), the world’s mightiest mortal, as he combats the Scorpion, a hooded villain intent on obtaining six optical lenses that turn ordinary stones into gold! Highlighting the serial are the fabulous flying sequences by Republic’s ace special effects team, Howard Lydecker and Theodore Lydecker. Combining a wired dummy photographed against real backgrounds in natural sunlight, with spectacular take-off leaps and landings supplied by action ace David Sharpe, the final effects are still as fascinating today as they were in 1941.
Adventures of Captain Marvel marked the very first time a comic book superhero’s exploits were transferred to the silver screen, and the resulting 12-chapter serial has yet to be equaled in excitement and entertainment. Directed by the great team of William Witney and John English, responsible for making some of the greatest serials of all time including the legendary Daredevils of the Red Circle.
Chapters
Chapter 1 – “Curse of the Scorpion” (30 min.)
on a scientific expedition to Siam, young Billy Watson is given the power to change himself into the super human Captain Marvel by the wizard Shazam. The expedition has found an ancient device, powerful and dangerous. Each member is entrusted with one of the lenses that power it. And seemingly one of them is The Scorpion, who covets the power for himself.
Chapter 2 – “The Guillotine” (16 min.)
Rahman Bar attacks the base of the camp of the Malcolm Expedition in reprisal for the theft of the Golden Scorpion. Billy Watson radios for troops from Fort Mooltan. Malcolm and the rest of the party try to escape with the lenses. Captain Marvel tries to warn them that the bridge across the gorge is mined.
Chapter 3 – “Time Bomb” (17 min.)
The Scorpion sends his men to Oak Mountain Lodge for Carlyle’s lens. Betty leaves a dummy package at the Elm Street Bridge. Billy Batson and Whitey fail to trap the Scorpion’s men. Captain Marvel arrives at Barnett’s apartment as Carlyle is about to be guillotined. Billy Batson tries to beat them to the Lodge in his plane. But Whitey fails to warn Billy that his plane will blow up one minute after eight!
Chapter 4 – “Death Takes the Wheel” (16 min.)
The Scorpion traps Billy Watson in Chan Lal’s curio shop. Betty is held captive at the N Street Garage by the Scorpion’s men. Barnett is forced to tell Captain Marvel where Betty is being held. Captain Marvel races to her rescue. But she’s tried to escape, and is unconscious in a car, heading towards disaster …
Chapter 5 – “The Scorpion Strikes” (16 min.)
The Scorpion forces Owens to lead Billy Batson into the Harrison mine tunnel. After Owens falls to his death, in a trap meant for Batson, it’s Shazam! Captain Marvel confronts and unmasks the Scorpion, only to find a loudspeaker concealed in a dummy. And then the Scorpion springs his trap!
Chapter 6 – “Lens of Death” (16 min.)
The Scorpion tricks Bentley and Fisher into revealing the hiding places of their lenses. Captain Marvel saves Bentley’s lens — with the aid of Bentley’s butler, who clearly serves a raise. Then, Captain Marvel hurries to Fisher’s estate, where Whitey’s already gone. But the Scorpion’s gotten there first, and tries to electrocute the Captain!
Chapter 7 – “Human Targets” (17 min.)
After stunning Captain Marvel — a minor inconvenience for the World’s Mightiest Mortal — the Scorpion steals the lens from his hand. Using a phony message, the Scorpion’s men “invite” Betty to “a date with the Scorpion.” She has a lot of spirit, and escapes even before Captain Marvel arrives. The Scorpion plans an elaborate trap to capture Captain Marvel. Barnett holds Betty and Billy Batson in a shack at the bombing range.
Chapter 8 – “Boomerang” (17 min.)
Since Betty had shot The Scorpion in the hand, Billy institutes a trap at the next expedition meeting. Billy Batson and Whitey accuse Dr. Lang of being The Scorpion. Dr. Lang tries to take Billy to a safe place in his car. The Scorpion’s men follow in Billy’s car — which has been sabotaged to explode at 50 miles per hour!
Chapter 9 – “Dead Man’s Trap” (16 min.)
The Scorpion forces Dr. Lang to reveal the hiding place of his lens. Doctor Lang called & gave Betty the combination to his safe. Captain Marvel tries to warn Betty of a death trap at Lang’s home. In the pursuit, the Scorpion is unmasked! But neither the audience nor Captain Marvel can see his face. Lang does, and is murdered for it. Billy Batson and Betty decide to get the lens …
Chapter 10 – “Doom Ship” (16 min.)
The “dead man’s trap” was a booby trap, set off by the opening of the safe — twin machine guns! Just as Billy and Betty are about to open the safe, The Scorpion’s man knocks them out, opens the safe — and is killed. Inside the safe is only a map, pointing out the location of Lang’s lens. Back in the archeological site where it all began. Soon, the remaining expedition members are going back there via boat. But there’s a terrible storm, and the boat’s in danger of sinking. With Captain Marvel’s help, there’s a breeches buoy to a nearby island. But The Scorpion’s on board the ship, knocks out Betty and tries to steal her piece of the map to the lens. Billy returns to rescue her, just as the ship’s about to sink …
Chapter 11 – “Valley of Death” (16 min.)
After Billy rescues Betty from the sinking ship, the Malcolm Expedition’s on their way back to where the adventure started. Captain Marvel rescues them from an explosive trap set by The Scorpion’s native followers. Billy Batson refuses to enter the tomb to get Doctor Lang’s lens. Rahman Bar plans to arouse the natives against the Expedition by awakening the volcano. Which traps Betty and Whitey in the collapsing tomb!
Chapter 12 – “Captain Marvel’s Secret” (16 min.)
In the conclusion, The Scorpion’s identity is finally revealed — after one final murder. He also sees — from a distance — Captain Marvel transforming back into Billy Batson. And he covets that power for himself. The remaining members of the expedition are captured. Will Billy reveal the secret?
Cast of characters
- Tom Tyler (The Mummy’s Hand; Stagecoach) … Captain Marvel
- Frank Coghlan Jr. (Square Shoulders) … Billy Batson
- William ‘Billy’ Benedict (Ghosts on the Loose) … ‘Whitey’ Murphy
- Louise Currie (The Ape Man) … Betty Wallace
- Robert Strange (The Walking Dead 1936) … John Malcolm
- Harry Worth … Prof. Luther Bentley
- Bryant Washburn (Night of Terror; Captain Midnight) … Henry Carlyle [Ch. 1-3]
- John Davidson (Grand Hotel; Captain America serial) … Tal Chotali
- George Pembroke (Drums of Fu Manchu) … Dr. Stephen Lang [Ch. 1-9]
- George Lynn (To Be or Not to Be; The Great Dictator) … Prof. Dwight Fisher [Ch. 1-6] (as Peter George Lynn)
- Reed Hadley (The Dark Corner; Shock) … Rahman Bar [Ch. 1, 11-12]
- Jack Mulhall … James Howell [Ch. 1]
- Kenne Duncan (The Deadly Ray from Mars) … Barnett – Chief Henchman [Ch. 2-10] (as Kenneth Duncan)
- Nigel De Brulier (Chandu the Magician) … Shazam [Ch. 1]
- John Bagni … Cowan – Henchman [Ch. 2-10]
- Carleton Young (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) … Martin – Henchman [Ch. 3-9]
- Leyland Hodgson (Bedlam) … Maj. Rawley [Ch. 1] (as Leland Hodgson)
- Stanley Price (Frontier in Space) … Owens – Henchman / Driver [Ch. 3-5]
- Ernest Sarracino … Akbar [Ch. 11-12]
- Tetsu Komai (The Night Walker) … Chan Lai [Ch. 4]
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