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SerialFest DVD Magazine Issue #4
Aug 2009

The Leather Pushers (Universal, 1922) Round Two
Featuring REGINALD DENNY and HAYDEN STEVENSON

The story continues from SF DVD MAGAZINE Issue #1 -- Kane Halliday, former wealthy aristocrat and now known as "Kid Roberts" continues to try and win money in the boxing ring as well as win back his fiancee Estelle, who has misgivings about him since his father's fortune was lost. A real gem of an episode with action and laughs aplenty as the "Kid" ends up in the ring with gigantic irishman Kelly and faces equally hazardous battles with his manager and others who can't keep their hands off his prize money or keep out of crap games. Halliday both wins and loses big in this wonderfully fun series episode, but it all turns out for the best in the end. An excellent showpiece for hugely entertaining actor Denny who deals with all the crazy situations he ends up in with class and humor and would have made a wonderful cliffhanger serial hero had he ever been tapped for a such a part. Entirely new musical score with sound effects during the big fight scene. This one is a real knockout and not to be missed!

Beatrice Fairfax (1916)
Episode 9: Outside the Law
Featuring GRACE DARLING and HARRY FOX

An honest married woman's racy old love letters somehow fall into the hands of slimy Simeon Gold, editor of "The Vampire," a tabloid rag dedicated to printing anything unfit for print, and Gold decides to blackmail her -- unless she will submit to his lustful desires, he will print the letters and destroy her marriage. The unfortunate woman writes for help to Beatrice, and Jimmy goes undercover, disguising himself as a fruit and vegetable seller, to try and get access to Gold's house and the letters back. Eventually he and Beatrice end up in big trouble when they're caught at gunpoint by the old vulture himself, as they raid Gold's flat. Uh oh. Now what? New musical score compiled from vintage piano roll music.

Isle of Sunken Gold (Mascot 1927)
Chapter 6: The Prey of Sharks
Featuring ANITA STEWART and BRUCE GORDON

After the failed rescue of the sailors, Princess Kala, Tod, and Snowball, now all that's left of their expedition, try and escape death at the hands of Kong the ape, the mutineers, and the island natives. Includes a brief glimpse of Duke Kahanomoku in a heroic role as Lono, a native loyal to the Princess. The episode ends with the hero and heroine thrown off a cliff to the shark-infested waters below. The last of three episodes of this serial recently rediscovered in the Netherlands. Translated from Dutch, restored, color tinted, and scored quite thoroughly and painstakingly with full natural sound effects and music, and with reconstructed opening titles. Features Anita Stewart, star of the early serial THE GODDESS.

The Masked Rider (1919)
Episode 4: The Capture of Juanita
Featuring HARRY MYERS and PAUL PANZER

After Harry is rescued from branding, Harry, Ruth and the Texas Rangers band together and cross the border, determined to rescue little Blanche from Pancho's grasp and, after battles with various lookouts on the rocks, a massive gunfight ensues, which the traitorous and cowardly Santas ducks out of, allowing Juanita to be captured by Captain Jack. Note: this is the original Episode 4, formatted as it appears to have been released theatrically with accurately reconstructed intertitles and, as close as we can tell, the original start and end points in the action. The ending is somewhat abrupt but apparently this chapter was the product of the division of a single too-long original chapter script into two episodes, of which this became the first part. The break point seems to be correct as it came at the end of a reel and the next footage that appeared in the discovered footage was a summary of the preceding chapter.

The Voice from the Sky (Ben Wilson 1930)
Chapter 4: Danger Ahead
Featuring HAL TALIAFERRO and NEVA GERBER, narrated by ALLYSON MALANDRA

Jean and Jack survivve their desperate rooftop escape attempt with the help of Asian secret agent Mr. Wing and the mysterious Man from Nowhere, then board a train to try and get the "secret of the air" to Washington before Ballin and his henchmen get ahold of it. Includes what must have been some pretty impressive and elaborate railroad stunt action at the conclusion. The very first sound cliffhanger serial, which was originally filmed by Ben Wilson (who died soon after it was first presented), and given limited distribution, presented once again from all the authentic original material that's left of it.

The Mystery Trooper (1931)
Chapter 4: The Cave of Horror
Featuring ROBERT FRAZER and CHARLES KING

In this episode, after Billy helps him escape the deathtrap in the shack, Red Eagle helps the hero Jack Logan and heroine Helen Holt find their way to the cave which may hold the secret to the treasure sought by both the rightful owners and a criminal gang. The phantom Mystery Trooper again appears when Jack and Helen's life is in mortal danger, but is nowhere to be found when the criminals also discover the cave. Another very early sound serial, the original material of which exists in very poor condition. But with new Squadron restoration techniques, the nasty jitter originally present has been eliminated in most shots with a new Squadron stabilization technique and minimized in others, and absolutely awful quality original sound brought back to at least reasonably listenable condition. Stars Robert Frazer, Blanche Mehaffey, and Buzz Barton. Enjoy a new, refreshed version of this chapter in the best condition possible!

"The Eagle" in The Vigilantes are Coming (1936)
Chapter 4: Unholy Gold
Featuring ROBERT LIVINGSTON and RAY HATTON

Robert Livingston first appeared on the serial screen as the Zorro-like masked avenger "The Eagle" in this serial, which was released by Republic with a noisy soundtrack. The nasty audio buzz has been removed in this new restored presentation. Lots of action in this episode as the Eagle fights to rescue his friends from execution and defeat the schemers who intend to try and control all of California.

This issue also includes special complete bonus chapters:

Adventures of the Flying Cadets
Chapter 1
Featuring ROBERT ARMSTRONG

A transfer of a single chapter from a never-completed Squadron project. During World War II, the murderous Black Hangman murders the authorities at the flight academy without warning to try and acuire a military secret. Four young Air Cadets band together to put a stop to his schemes. Watch for Ralph Byrd as the officer whose parachute is entangled in the tail of a plane in an exciting early scene. No title on this episode -- we had better go consult our copy of TO BE CONTINUED to see if it was ever given a name. A couple of splices in the opening, then good quality throughout. With restored sound.

The Phantom Empire
Chapter 5: Beneath the Earth
Featuring FRANKIE DARRO and GENE AUTRY

A chapter from the Serial Squadron edition of this amazing classic serial, enhanced noticeably by the use of warm and cool black and white tones and a perfectly-fit period score during action scenes.

Road to Berlin
A 1941 War Department Short featuring RALPH "DICK TRACY" BYRD

This is a wartime film about a convoy ship attacked by subs on its way across the Atlantic in which Byrd was tapped to play a Navy man and looks a great deal as he did in his role in the Republic serial S O S COAST GUARD.

The Lone Ranger
The Home Movie Cartoon

This legendary but cheap and not too well made oddity was distributed in the home movie market in the 1940s, which explains why it's not included in a lot of lists of theatrical releases.

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