SerialFest Background
& History
Since 2001 Serial Squadron members have combined
efforts with the Squadron to develop an annual all-serial
film festival event where serial fans young and old could
meet and exchange greetings, cyclotrodes, fisticuffs, and
lunarium. Serials from member film collectors such as Drew
Caldwell, Prince Barin, Commando Cody and Dr. Maldor have
been shown, and each year members are honored for their
contributions at the annual Squadron Dinner held near the
theater. Attendees have included authors, theater owners,
collectors, and authors such as Len "Dr. Zorka" Kohl, who
wrote The Sinister Serials of Karloff, Lugosi and
Chaney for Midnight Marquee Press and Ken Weiss,
author of To Be Continued.
SerialFest has been sponsored seven years running by the
Serial Squadron and its members.
The SerialFest Film Festival is a not-for-profit event. All
those who work on SerialFest are volunteers, and box office
receipts from the show benefit future events, the Yak
Awards, and film preservation projects. All overrun from
box office receipts collected for SerialFest is directed to
serial film preservation or to acquisition of rare serial
chapters from the Library of Congress or other archives.
Performers and a few attendees at the Sheraton Langhorne
after the performance of THE BLACK CANYON at SerialFest
2009 (Click for larger
image)
Back row = Don Quantero, Jeff King, Ryan
Long, Beck & Reed, 39013, Sgt. Ward, Capt. Canuck,
Bulldog Drummond, Colin Gordon, Matt Imparato; 2nd Row: Tom
McGeeney is on the far left, then Daredevil of the Red
Circle and Sombra, Dr. Daka, Sgt. Ward, Hannah P., and
Brittany Kirkpatrick; Dr. Grood is kneeling in front with
Charlie Leeder.
SerialFest 2009 at the Sheraton Langhorne
was produced by Dr. Grood and featured chapters from
original prints of numerous rare serials such as The
Last of the Mohicans, The Devil Horse and
Adventures of Frank Merriwell, and video
restorations of chapters from The Trail of the
Octopus and Isle of Sunken Gold. Live
presentations included the final chapter of The Mystery
Mind and the 1890 melodrama The Black Canyon.
Guests included Tom McGeeney and Valhalla's pirates. Games
and awards were presented by Zorro and the Tiger Woman.
Click to Run Dr. Daka's SerialFest 2009
Slideshow
Archivist James D'Arc, Serial authors Ken Weiss,
Richard Hurst and Len Kohl, SCARLET AVENGER filmmaker Scott
Clements and cast members from THE MASKED RIDER and DANGERS
OF DEBORAH and the Squadron at SerialFest 2008, during the
showing of DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST
SerialFest
2008 at the Newtown Theater featured the complete
serial Daredevils of the West, the re-created
Chapter 1 of The Masked Rider, fan-produced serial
The Scarlet Avenger, and chapters from The
Master Mystery. The Mystery Mind chapter 3
was performed live. Special guest was James D'Arc from
BYU.
SerialFest 2007 at the Newtown Theater featured
the premiere of Dr. Grood's restoration of the serial
The Lone Ranger Rides Again.
SerialFest 2006 at the Newtown Theater
featured a 35mm presentation of Nyoka and the
Tigermen, attended by special guest (Vultura herself)
Adrian Booth, who also participated in a radio re-creation
of Chapter 1 of The Mystery Mind as performed by
Melanie Walters, Ken Weiss, Len Kohl and other Squadron
members. Satan the gorilla was referee for the Serial
Jeopardy game, and Dr. Grood's Cliffhanger Card Game was
played 3 nights running (2 time winner: Black Tiger!).
SerialFest 2005 at the Newtown Theater
featured many long-unseen chapters from silent serials,
including A Woman in Grey, The Iron Claw,
and Beatrice Fairfax as well as the showing of a
(still!) lost serial and a staged reading of the script of
the lost Chapter 1 of The Masked Rider which
included a dramatic death scene performed by author Ken
Weiss, among other notable performances.
SerialFest 2004 at Bucks County Community
College featured the restored Adventures of Tarzan, Spy
Smasher, and the 21st century premiere of The
Masked Rider. Live entertainment included surprise
appearances of the Spider, Satan the gorilla, the Masked
Rider and a battle between the Black Tiger and Stark gangs.
SerialFest 2003 was held at the Newtown
Theater and Chandler Hall and featured much live
entertainment including appearances by jungle serial
characters, a presentation on the Wharton silent serials by
Terry Harbin, surprise guest Screen Thrills publisher Sam
Sherman, a memorable serial Jeopardy game hosted by Ace
Drummond and Dr. Satan's robot, and won by Pa Stark, and
the premiere of Dr. Grood's restored King of the
Mounties chapters.
Cast of the SerialFest 2002 Stunt Show
SerialFest 2002, held in Oakland, Pa. and
produced by the Serial Squadron and Pittsburgh Filmmakers
featured guest of honor John Duncan, star of Batman and
Robin (1949), and a live stunt show featuring Dr.
Satan's Robot and Fu Manchu.
SerialFest 2001 was held in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada and produced by Henry Miyamoto (pictured)
and the Serial Squadron. It featured a presentation of
Zorro's Black Whip.