Adventures of Captain Africa: Mighty Jungle Avenger!

An obvious knock-off of THE PHANTOM, using stock footage and possessing the bare minimum of plot (and THAT incoherent), THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN AFRICA is Columbia Serials at its worst. Terrible acting, bad stunt work, and heavy padding all add up fifteen chapters of pure junk that is just not worth wading through. For absolute die hard fanatic completists only.

Many serial fans know that 'The Adventures of Captain Africa' was originally to be 'The Adventures of The Phantom'. Stills of this production show up from time to time.

The late John Hart told me (and others) at an Old Time Radio convention in NJ that, contrary to what some film historians say, the entire Phantom serial had finished production before Columbia Studios realized that their option for a second Phantom serial had expired.

Soon, producer Sam Katzman brought Hart and other actors back together to replace every shot in which The Phantom had appeared with new Captain Africa scenes.

The costume assembled for Capt. A was somewhat lackluster; an aviator's cap, mask, turtle-neck, jodhpurs, gun belt and boots.

Hart, an amusing and self-deprecating, man said: "As The Phantom I looked pretty good. As Captain Africa, I looked like an idiot."

I have only seen this series once - for 15 (I think) consecutive Saturday mornings in an English cinema back in the 1950s.

I absolutely loved it!!

The cliffhanging endings fired my imagination. One that particularly impressed me was the one in which Captain Africa was lying senseless under a descending portcullis which was threatening to impale him. I could hardly bear to wait the seven days until the next episode to see whether (or rather, how) he would escape from that one!!

I also developed a great longing to own a pith helmet - an ambition sadly unfulfilled to this day!

At the time I was not aware that this serial took footage from other, more illustrious, features (as a reviewer here suggests). But from my childish perspective it was a terrific series and thoroughly entertaining. I would love to see it again.

Best wishes to John Hart (still with us in 2003) and any other survivors of the series.

bob