Cliff-Hanger Serials
A world unto their own, the great serial chapters of the 1930s, '40s and '50s brought adventure and intrigue to the cinema screens every week as young and old alike would check out the latest instalment to see if our hero would survive (naturally!) and if the bad guys would be stopped in their tracks (of course!). The best part was always the 'cliffhanger' where the filmmakers would come up with an ingenious hook to keep you coming back for more. Films like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'The Rocketeer' owe a debt to these thrill-a-minute extravaganzas, where saving the Earth from peril was all in a days work.
Captain America - 15 Chapter Serial: Chapters 1-5 (1944)
Director: John English, Elmer Clifton
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Dick Purcell
Captain America is a 1944 Republic black-and-white serial film loosely based on the Timely Comics (today known as Marvel Comics) character Captain Ame... Read more
Zorro Rides Again: Episodes 1 - 6 (1937)
6.8/10
Director: William Witney
Starring: John Carroll, Reed Howes
The masked crusader vows vengeance for the murder of his uncle, but the evil Marsden will stop at nothing to gain control of the railroads. John Carro... Read more
Blake Of Scotland Yard (1937)
5.8/10
Director: Bob Hill
Scotland Yard inspector Sir James Blake (Herbert Rawlinson) has financed a death ray designed by young inventor Ralph Byrd. The ray will be a boon to... Read more
The Hurricane Express - The Serial (1932)
Director: Armand Schaefer
Starring: John Wayne
John Wayne is the son of a murdered engineer on the world's fastest train, the Hurricane Express. His mission: complete the journey and catch the diab... Read more
The Green Hornet (1940)
7.1/10
Director: Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe
Starring: Keye Luke, Wade Boteler, Gordon Jones, Anne Nagel
George W. Trendle's original masked crime fighter explodes onto the screen in this exciting 1940s serial presentation - gripping from one nail-biting... Read more
Three Musketeers: The Serial 7-12 (1934)
6.7/10
Director: Armand Schaefer
Starring: John Wayne, Ruth Hall, Lon Chaney Jr
'One for all and all for one!' Daredevil thrills and spills abound, as John Wayne and the men of the Foreign Legion battle villainous El Shaitan and h... Read more
Flash Gordon: 4 Classic Episodes (1954)
6.5/10
Starring: Steve Holland, Irene Champlin
These four great episodes follow the voyages of space hero Flash Gordon portrayed by Steve Holland, Dale Arden (Irene Champlin) and Doctor Zarkov ("Jo... Read more
Dick Tracy: Volume 2 (1937)
6.1/10
Director: Ray Taylor, Alan James
Starring: Ralph Byrd, Smiley Burnette, Lee Van Atta, Kay Hughes
Volume 2 of 3. Ace detective Dick Tracy appears in more action-packed serial adventures (this is the middle five of fifteen installments). Hard on the... Read more
Dick Tracy: Volume 1 (1937)
6.1/10
Director: Ray Taylor, Alan James
Starring: Ralph Byrd, Smiley Burnette, Lee Van Atta, Kay Hughes
Police detective Dick Tracy is hard on the heels of the ruthless Spider Ring and their evil leader, the Lame One. As he gets closer, the Spider Ring p... Read more
The Shadow of the Eagle: The Serial (1932)
5.8/10
Director: Ford Beebe
Starring: John Wayne
John Wayne is a pilot for a carnival who must help his boss when he's accused of being "the Eagle," a criminal who has been skywriting threatening mes... Read more