Lightning Hutch

Charles Hutchison, who could have given (and maybe did give) Douglas Fairbanks a run for his money in the stunts department, stars in yet another chapter serial, as a former Secret Service agent who finds himself involved in the theft of the formula for a poison gas; additionally, he himself is being framed (by the bad guys, naturally) for the theft of valuable bonds placed in his safe by a good friend. Hutchison shows off his formidable athletic talent here; swimming underwater, scaling almost sheer rock, swinging from a chandelier (very swashbuckling!), and of course, winning against the bad guys. Another silent that, fortunately, has been saved, for future enjoyment.

This fast-moving, late-silent serial is a model of the form as former Secret Serviceman "Lightning" Hutch" and his pals attempt baffle a gang of bad guys who are after the super-scientific poison gas -- and Clifford Price, who is after his girl. The cinematography by Leon Shamroy is modeled after the classic serials of Feuillade, particularly LES VAMPIRE and is a thing of beauty. Although stylized, the serial form in LIGHTNING HUTCH is not decadent and it still shows its vigor as a competitor against the feature movie for the longer form of cinema.

As almost all of Charles Hutchison's daredevil work in silent films has disappeared, we are most fortunate to have this complete serial at our disposal, so that we too can discover what all the fuss was about. Alas, at this very late stage in his Hutch impersonation, the actor was no longer performing all his own stunts. He does use a drainpipe to climb up the façade of a building, but his clamber up the side of a mountain is obviously camera trickery; and you don't have to be particularly keen-eyed to notice that doubles are taking the falls from cliffs, boats and bicycles.

Furthermore, although still physically fit, he is obviously no longer the youthful, dashing Hurricane Hutch of old. In fact, he looks distinctly middle-aged. The character's retirement was not just around the corner but was actually sprung upon his audience less than three months later.

Nonetheless, this serial boasts more than its share of hairbreadth chases and spectacular stunts. The climax of the first chapter is a real stunner and you actually have to see that episode to catch it. All the other eps reprise the cliffhanger, but for some reason chapter two doesn't. Instead it picks up the action from the very point where it finishes.

Yes, this is a serial in the classic tradition with a cliffhanger at the end of every episode—and a thrilling one too, except for chapter four. Well, nine out of ten is not a bad effort at all.

As it happens, Hutchison's direction is far more competent and skillful than his acting. Not only does the action come across with often breathtaking vigor, but he has drawn some excellent performances from his cast, particularly heavy Sheldon Lewis, heroine Edith Thornton and lounge lizard Eddie Phillips.

An added bonus are the serial's splendid production values, which include some great sets and the superb tinted photography by Hollywood's self-proclaimed master of cameramen, Leon Shamroy. This was actually his first film, so we'll excuse him for not lighting Miss Thornton as attractively at the beginning of the movie as he does in the middle sections and at the finale. With time out for Tongues of Scandal, Shamroy went on to photograph Hutchison in Pirates of the Sky (directed by Hutchison under the pseudonym of Charles Andrews), The Trunk Mystery and Hidden Aces (all 1927).