The Phantom - Serial
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Movie Reviews of The Phantom - Serial
Movie Review: DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
Product arrived on time and in good condition. I would purchase again in the future.Movie Review: The Phantom's Zone?
Summary: 4 Stars
Columbia Pictures was infamous for making infamously bad serials. However, through some inexplicable fluke, they made a really great serial in 1943. It was called `The Phantom.' Here are some of the things that make this serial so good:
1. Tom Tyler in the title role. He projected a strong and quietly heroic screen presence, and was athletic enough to look good in the Phantom suit. He is believable in the fight scenes. Superhero suits look good in comic strips, but usually on the screen they look completely stupid. Tom Tyler, a former champion weight lifter, could pull it off. He was also a decent actor. Totally serious, but never camp or inadvertently goofy. I rate him as being almost as good as Buster Crabbe, as far as serial heroes go. Definitely head and shoulders above Kirk Alyn or either of the poor guys that played Batman in the serials.
2. Good fight scenes.
3. Ace the Wonder Dog, playing `Devil,' the Phantom's dog (in the comic strip, Devil was a wolf, but trained wolves were more expensive). All the great heroes each have certain gimmicks, trademarks, special weapons, etc. Such is Devil for the Phantom, and the idea of the hero being aided in a fight by a big dog is a cool idea. Devil definitely makes the fight scenes more interesting and believable here.
4. Good cliff hangers.
5. Staying reasonably faithful to the original source material. Although taking some serious liberties regarding the comic strip from whence it was inspired, this serial still retains the spirit and appeal of the Lee Falk's creations. Rightly so, the Phantom is a cool character, and should be treated with a little respect.
And now, a short commentary regarding racial stereotypes: in my mind, it has always been problematic that in the comics, the Phantom is an unelected pale-skinned person holding a high degree of authority for a large group of darker-skinned persons. To be fair, the Phantom was created in the 1930's, when there was a lot of overt racism in the U.S., when Lee Falk and most of his readers wouldn't have had anyone to point out this inequity. And to be fair, Lee Falk's representation of African tribes, though entirely fanciful, was much less derogatory than that of Edgar (`Tarzan') Rice Burroughs or of any mainstream Hollywood movie.
Which brings us back to this serial. While all the action takes place in the jungle, there are no positive indications as to whether this jungle is in Africa, South America, Asia, the Canary Islands, or southern Albania. Nor is there any coherent racial representation regarding the natives of this imaginary region. Many were played by Caucasian actors, some by Native Americans (an unbilled Jay Silverheels played a small role), as well as actors of other ethnicities. Overall, their skin color is not much, if any, darker than the Phantom's. Also, the characterization of the natives in this serial, while often fitting an unflattering stereotype, is much less offensive than you see in Tarzan and Jungle Jim films of the same era.
All in all, I would recommend this for serial fans, film buffs, and admirers of the the Phantom.
Movie Review: One of Columbia's best, fun for serial fans, great print
Summary: 4 Stars
Most Columbia cliffhangers were made by independent producers, but in 1938-39 and 1943-44 Columbia made its own serials, using the studio's many sets, facilities, and contract players. Columbia's home-grown serials are very efficient, and THE PHANTOM is no exception.It's a jungle serial, so this writer expected a lot of pedestrian dialogue scenes embellished with old wild-animal footage. It's true that the first chapter falls into this pattern while the story is being set up, but from there it's a lot of fun, almost all of it staged for this production, with Tom Tyler an ideal Phantom. For some reason the supporting cast was not credited, but fans of Columbia will easily recognize Kenneth MacDonald (terrific as the suave villain), Dick Curtis (great to see him play a benign role, for once), Ernie Adams (in a bigger-than-usual role as the Phantom's pal), and some familiar faces in the goon squad (George Chesebro, Wade Crosby, Kermit Maynard, I. Stanford Jolley, Al Hill). Good stuntwork and brisk direction (by B. Reeves Eason) keep this one moving, with Tom Tyler in there punching through 15 chapters. Ace, the Phantom's handsome dog, later became "Rusty" the German shepherd in Columbia's family series.
THE PHANTOM has two pleasant surprises for the Columbia serial fan. The recap narration is exceptionally brief (even though the recap footage is lengthy). And each closing "teaser" of next week's episode does NOT spoil the suspense by showing the imperiled hero out of danger. Every cliffhanger in THE PHANTOM keeps the viewer guessing, for a welcome change.
The print is excellent, with fine picture and sound. Only Chapter 11 has soundtrack trouble for a few minutes, and the video producers have remedied it as best they could. The DVD release also includes commentary by Max Allan Collins of "Dick Tracy" fame. Definitely of interest to serial collectors, and fans of Columbia's "B" movies and short subjects will especially enjoy this.
Movie Review: Rousing good fun
Summary: 4 Stars
With surprising good acting and a strong story, this serial is just fun for all, and since it was made decades ago, it is just fine for kids to watch.
Most actors look either very skinny or pudgy in hero costume tights. Tom Tyler looks good in the suit, good in a stunt fight, and has a voice that nicely matches what you expect from a hero.
I had never watched this before getting the DVDs, and I am surprised how well the story hangs together. Some of the cliff hanger endings are a bit on the silly side, but there are also clever plot twists beyond what I would have expected. My wife and I have been going thru the series for a few days now and have been quite entertained. Fifty plus years ago this was weekly movie theater fare for many, but if you have never seen these serials, or if you feel an urge to revisit your youth, these DVDs will not disappoint. They are certainly quite different than what you've been used to.
The image quality is about what you'd expect. There are many imperfections in the film image, and the music has the type of distortion and tinny sound that you get used to if you watch old movies or TV shows. However, you quickly get past those flaws and put them out of your mind as you are drawn into the story and the action.
TIP: Since you likely don't want to watch the serial straight thru in one sitting per DVD, it would be nice to have a chapter selection on the menu, right? Well, its there, but not where you would expect it to be, on the front page of the DVD menu. However, just select Special Features, and you'll find the needed and expected Chapter Menu there.
This is a great value for the hours of entertainment, especially if you are or ever were a fan of The Phantom comic strips or comic books.
Movie Review: The Phantom.......
Summary: 4 Stars
Made in 1943, The Phantom was a classic Columbia Pictures cliffhanger serial that starred Tom Tyler in the leading role. In this serial, Geoffrey Prescott takes over the mantle of The Phantom from his dying father, and must thwart Dr. Max Bremmer's plans to find the lost city of Zoloz, where the doctor intends to build a hidden airbase. To find Zoloz, the Phantom and Bremmer are both searching for pieces of a map that will lead them to the secret city, which is hidden deep in the jungle. Like most serials of the day, The Phantom has to make his way through many twists and turns in the story before saving the day in the end. Directed by B. Reeves Eason, this is one of the better Columbia Pictures Serials. As you've read in other reviews, Columbia wasn't well known as a great movie serial maker like Republic Pictures was. Nonetheless, it is one of my favorites from back in the day. The serial also features Jeanne Bates as Diana Palmer, and Ace the Wonder Dog as the Phantom's trusty German shepherd Devil. Like most serials of the day, it lasts over 15 chapters. It's well worth getting and watching before checking out the 1996 movie starring Billy Zane(which, in my opinion, is just as great). It's a series I wish filmmakers would make another movie of.