crow-34

This was one of the best early serials filled with action furnished by Yakima Canutt on the horse. Although later serials would improve the mask it was also unique in it's scripting. It was well written as serials go. It was mentioned somewhere that a serial was silly. True perhaps but we didn't get that serious with them and enjoyed anyway. This Zorro was entertaining and interesting. One of the best cliffhangers endings was with the train, early in the serial.

Previously, I noticed that many times they changed the ending and not too cleverly. In chapter 8 when the Marvel took the dive off the roof the action the next week was different and obviously sneaky, not a true cliffhanger! Oh yes, the agent who knifed the thug in bed after he identifies the Marvel was the Marvel technically. Tom Steele played the assassin and of course was killed again in the car crash. He is as you know the man behind the mask in all the action scenes. If you watch closely you can identify his stance, body language and physical running attitude. He was never mentioned in the credits at all. Most curious.

Another original serial with a different theme and another best because of Bela Lugosi who made it work. Plots in serials tended to be stale later on. This was an exceptionally good plot and well written for the cliffhanger serial age. Invisibility and one of the robot theme scripts added to the thrills. I always thought it emulated Joe Louis.