Reviews (39)

Shazam! It's Captain Marvel vs. The Scorpion
Definitely the finest of the old-time movie serials, and the finest live action version of Captain Marvel. This movie was voted by Wizard magazine as the best comics-to-movie adaptation ever.

It has decent special effects and a fine story. A classic desert adventure, including angry horde, offended god, and stalwart hero. The flying sequences are well done. The cliff hangers are appropriately dramatic. The Scorpion is a nice serial villain, complete with hooded face and ultimate weapon, and Captain Marvel remains my favorite hero.

If you like serials or Captain Marvel you really can't go wrong with this.

Shazam! It's Captain Marvel vs. The Scorpion
Definitely the finest of the old-time movie serials, and the finest live action version of Captain Marvel. This movie was voted by Wizard magazine as the best comics-to-movie adaptation ever.

It has decent special effects and a fine story. A classic desert adventure, including angry horde, offended god, and stalwart hero. The flying sequences are well done. The cliff hangers are appropriately dramatic. The Scorpion is a nice serial villain, complete with hooded face and ultimate weapon, and Captain Marvel remains my favorite hero.

If you like serials or Captain Marvel you really can't go wrong with this.

Greatest Serial
The 40s serial "The Adventures of Captain Marvel" has to be the "Greatest Serial Ever Made." The special effects, for its tme, are outstanding. The flying scenes stood the test of time until the first Superman movie.

Many in the cast do a fine job. Tom Tyler makes an excellent Captain Marvel. He looks the part and he demonstrates the great athletic ability required of the part. The actor playing Billy Batson leaves a lot to be desired. He delivers his lines as a Junior High student would do in a school play. The "bad guys" are just great. They fill the bill in typical 1940s serial style.

By today's standards, the plot is childish, but for its time and targeted audience it must have proved to be exciting from week to week. Anyone with a penchant for memoribelia would surely want this video in their collection.

Lighthearted fun
I do not know how accurate this is to the original comic book--the first time I read "Captain Marvel" (SHAZAM), I got the idea that Bill Batson was only between 10 and 15. Here, he is closer to 21 or so.

Told in 12 parts, "Adventures of Captain Marvel" tells of a man trying to get all six lenses to a golden scorpion, which has an ability to turn regular objects into gold--and other powers. So which of the men is behind the "Scorpion" mask? You guessed it! None of the suspects are developed enough to bother guessing.

Captain Marvel walks like a mummy, and the bad guys continue to shoot him even after it is apparent bullets will not harm him--why is this always the case? Captain Marvel does not talk much, and Billy Batson is the real hero...after all, he is the person behind the superhero.

The story is good. Corny at times because as a serial, it wants viewers to wonder how the hero will escape at the beginning of each week. Billy is flying a plane that explodes. We know he is not dead because he is Captain Marvel, but they do not reveal how he escapes until the next episode.

The effects are obvious, but remember that this was the 1940s.

While not rated, the DVD does contain violence and parents might want to monitor younger children...equivalent of a PG.

One of the Best Superhero DVD's from the 20th Century!
No, there's no Dr. Sivana, Captain Marvel Jr., Mary Marvel or even Uncle Marvel...but you do have the prototype for which all superhero movies should be judged. The origin is actually pretty close to the well-known comic origin, with the old wizard SHAZAM, just in a different setting. I grew up watching the CBS SHAZAM! series in the '70's, and actually loved it. But this blows that series away by a mile. The flying scenes, by today's standards, are mediocre...but for someone seeing this in a theatre in 1941, groundbreaking would not begin to describe them. This Cap isn't afraid to get rough with the badguys, and will even use a machine gun when necessary! If you love serials, superheroes, cliffhangers or Captain Marvel, you gotta get this! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Classic Cliffhanger -- Best Jungle Serial Ever!
Despite my youthful age (over 40 / under 50), as a long-time fan of the sound motion picture serial, I've had the pleasure of seeing -- and now, thanks to video, owning -- virtually all of the greats from what was considered the "golden age" of movie serials.

From Batman to Zorro, the Lone Ranger to Flash Gordon, or Dick Tracy to Captain Marvel, they all had their own special appeal and allure. Granted, although all too often there were signficant differences in quality and production values, every fan had a favorite. And, for me and millions of other fans, no serial ever made was more exciting, entertaining, or intense as the action-packed thrills and perils found in "Jungle Girl."

Loosely based upon the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name and released in 1941 by Republic Pictures, the film starred beautiful Frances Gifford as Nyoka, the Jungle Girl. Unusal for the period, this was the first attempt (since the silent days of Pearl White) to feature a female as the lead in a movie serial.

Doubled equally by Helen Thurston and stunt ace David Sharpe, Nyoka swung through the trees with an acrobatic skill unseen in the much higher budgeted Tarzan films. Fighting diamond hunting gangsters and savage natives, she successfully endures 15-chapters of some of the best cliffhanger perils ever filmed . . . from lethal fire traps, avalanches, drownings, poison gas, falls from cliffs, and quicksand, just to name a few.

Opposed by "Slick" Latimer and Shamba, the Witch Doctor, (for me, one of the scariest villains in serial history) Nyoka barely survives to defeat her enemies and save the day. Universally considered one of the best serials ever made (and definitely the best jungle serial ever made), Jungle Girl was directed by the cream of action directors, William Witney and John English. It was so successful, the following year it spawned an even more popular sequel, "Perils of Nyoka."

For an example of the motion picture serial at its best, you can't do much better than "Jungle Girl" or its sequel. It's influence is felt to this day by modern serial fans like Steven Speilberg and George Lucas and many of their films, particularly the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, owes a debt of gratitude to this long gone, but not forgotten, American art form.

Classic Cliffhanger!
As a long-time fan of the old motion picture serials, I've had the pleasure of seeing (and now, thanks to video, owning) many of the greats from the "golden age" of movie serials.

From Batman to Zorro, the Lone Ranger to Flash Gordon, or Dick Tracy to Captain Marvel, they all had their own special appeal and allure, although all too often there were signficant differences in quality and production values. Every fan had a favorite. However, for me and millions of other fans, no serial ever made was more exciting, entertaining, or intense as the action-packed thrills and perils found in "Jungle Girl."

Loosely based upon the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name and released in 1941 by Republic Pictures, the film starred beautiful Frances Gifford as Nyoka, the Jungle Girl. Unusal for the period, this was the first attempt (since the silent days of Pearl White) to feature a female as the lead in a movie serial.

Doubled by stunt ace David Sharpe, Nyoka swung through the trees with an acrobatic skill unseen in the much higher budgeted Tarzan films. Fighting diamond hunting gangsters and savage natives, she successfully endures 15-chapters of perils from lethal fire traps, avalanches, drownings, poison gas, falls from cliffs, and quicksand, to name a few.

Opposed by Shamba, the Witch Doctor, one of the scariest villains in serial history, Nyoka barely survives to defeat her enemies and save the day. Considered one of the best serials ever made (and definitely the best jungle serial ever made), Jungle Girl was directed by the cream of action directors, William Witney and John English. It was so successful, the following year it spawned an even more popular sequel, "Perils of Nyoka."

For an example of the motion picture serial at its best, you can't do much better than "Jungle Girl" or its sequel. It's influence is felt to this day by modern serial fans like Steven Speilberg and George Lucas and many of their films, particularly the Indiana Jones series, owes a debt of gratitude to this long gone, but not forgotten, American art form. END

Queen of serials !
I bought this DVD at amazon France. "Jungle girl" is my second serials. First one was the silent "Tarzan, the Tiger" with Frank Merrill. The jungle adventures with Frances Gifford as Nyoka are really breathtaking. She looks great and I was very sad when I read that she had in the mid-forties such a terrible car accident which injured her so much. Everyone in this cliffhanger did a fine job. Of course don't forget the vilains : Latimer (Gerald Mohr, great actor of B-movies) and Shamba (Frank Lackteen). What would have been serials without such figures ? Even, I'm a newcomer in this genre, it's obvious for everyone that serials described the eternal fight between good and evil. Another point is very interesting : Serials have sometimes female heros (think about Linda Stirling in the very masculine part of Zorro !).
The DVD quality is really good. The picture looks sharp most of the time and the sound is also OK. The trailers of other serials (in the bonus area) are very entertaining and of course interesting for someone like me who discovers this little gems from another time ! But what a great Time it must have been! William Witney and John English were real Kings of Serials. It's a pity that such artists never became an Oscar for their lifework behind the cameras. Thanks to them !

Clean Print & Hiss-Free Audio Leave Me Swingin!
VCI Video got ahold of a nice clean print from the UK/Irish distribution and really put together a crisp visual & no-hiss audio package here! One of the great Republic serials, Jungle Girl gets her due in this release... from the packaging to the super-affordable price (if you don't think so, shop around). Each episode is complete, from the opening music to the closing credits (and not abridged in from the "where we left off" recap at the beginnings). A nice job all the way from VCI. Time for me to go... now where'd I park my elephant??!! ;^)

I flip whenever Nyoka does a swinging flip on the vine.
I always view earlier films with a different mindset than when I am watching modern films. While watching Jungle Girl, I put myself back in the 1940's when I was a kid watching the Saturday matinees. I also stretched this serial out (as it was originally intended) by watching no more than one or two chapters at each viewing session.

Under those conditons, I thoroughly enjoyed this serial. The resolution of the cliffhanger at the beginning of each chapter is handled in a credible fashion and the fist fights between the heroes and villains are well choreographed. (The gun fights aren't handled as well). Nyoka manages to appear unflappable even after several instances of being dunked in the water or tied to a pole. The key to this type of movie is the performance of the villains and here they are a credit to their class. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Memorable Henry Brandon performance distinguishes the serial
Henry Brandon -- a master character actor who usually played villains -- got his only leading role in this 1940 Republic serial, "suggested by" Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu stories. Brandon steals the film from the supporting players and the squadron of athletic henchmen (who do not speak -- eerie!).

The serial is about par for Republic. The plot concerns an archaeological search for the artifacts of Genghis Khan, but you won't care much. The story characters are sketchily written and competently if not brilliantly acted (although one must admire hero Robert Kellard's enthusiasm). There are the usual chases, fistfights, and narrow escapes for cliffhanger fans, and a good musical score.

As the treacherous warlord Fu Manchu, Henry Brandon's careful, eloquent performance is a masterpiece of economy. He speaks volumes with a swift extension of the forearm, a slight smirk, a raised eyebrow, a dramatic pause, a sly drawl. He even plays an effective bereavement scene. when he discovers one of his coterie has died. Brandon is far better than his material in this one.

The original negative of this serial was presumably unavailable, so the DVD producers had to make do with a copy. What survives looks like a good to excellent third-generation print in excellent physical condition. The image has more contrast and less detail than other DVDs, but it's certainly watchable and enjoyable.

All in all, a decent show made better by the leading actor.

Fu Do Something to Me
Well put-together serial, made wonderful by Brandon's believable performance as the villain. We have a host of usual types for this kind of film supporting Brandon: the dauntless young hero, the relentless older law enforcement official, the courageous sweet young thing, her sneaky female counterpart working with the villain, the requisite professors and experts and others, all lining up in a titanic struggle of good and evil to determine who rules India. The cliffhanger endings involve a variety of fiendish plots by Fu Manchu to get rid of one or another of the heroes, so that the good guys are not just saved every episode by jumping out of a car at the last moment before it goes over the edge of a cliff or blows up . The writers actually put together a scenario that goes in one direction from beginning to end. It all comes down to Brandon as Fu Manchu though. His is the only character with any depth and he creates a believable performance. I also own the VHS of this serial and the DVD has been restored to far, far superior quality. I recommend it if you are into this kind of entertainment.

Enjoyable Series - Disappointing Print.
I admit that if you are a fan of these delightful old series adventures, you'll thoroughly enjoy "Drums of Fu Manchu". The DVD set includes an informative 12 page booklet entitled, "The History of Fu Manchu", written by Eric Hoffman, and also, among other things, a short documentary about the cinematic history of this grand, evil character. It's clear that VCI Entertainment put a lot of effort into this "digitally remastered" video, and I find no fault with that effort.

With that said, I must admit that I was rather disappointed with the quality of the print that VCI Entertainment used, after they had put so much effort into the DVD's "extras". Although this print of "Drums" is clean and well preserved (no scratches or artifacts), it is generally dark, indistinct, and murky with only a very limited gray-scale range. It reminds me of the prints that used to be used for the late, late, late TV movies, before there was cable, that used third and fouth generation prints because they felt no one was watching anyway.

The DVD format has certainly raised the bar for what is acceptable, and not acceptable, when watching films in the comfort of our own homes. I, for one, now demand a crisp, clear, clean print that does full justice to the original. With all sorts of "restorations" now being offered that, in many cases, are better than the original release print of a film, I've become spoiled and quite critical. And a film's age has nothing to do with it. The DVD print of the Republic Serial, "Jungle Girl" (1941), is absolutely pristine! It was made from a 35mm Master Positive Print that is as clear and clean as any I've seen. The serial, "Jungle Jim" (1936), is also clean and clear, although not as sharp and crisp as "Jungle Girl". Both of these serials were issued by VCI, so I suspect that what they used for "Drums of Fu Manchu" was the best they could find. Still, it was disappointing to be expecting another "Jungle Girl", and receive such a mediocre print. By the way, the absolutely worst print of a serial that I've purchased was "The Three Musketeers" produced by the Roan Group, a company that usually does pretty good work. If these companies can't find a good print to work with, why do they even bother to reissue these movies? I, for one, would be willing to wait until the negative was found, a fine grained, master print was discovered (and I "know" they're out there), or the film was properly "restored" (emphasis on "properly").

Not One of the Best
I enjoy watching serials from this era and I can definitely say that this one rates below average compared to others I have watched.

A FU-TASTIC SERIAL!!!
I have two words to all potential buyers of this DVD: BUY IT! It is fantastic! This is probably one of the best movie serials ever made! Fifteen exciting chapters of trains wrecks, chases, car crashes, fights, fights and more fights, featuring one of the best villians in all of fiction, Dr. Fu Manchu. Brillantly played by Henry Brandon, whom most sf/ fantasy fans may know from John Carpenter's "ASSAULT ON PRECEINT 13". He is perhaps the best Fu in movie history, even better than Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee! He is that good, I kid you not! The serial is not based on the Sax Rohmer novel of the same name, but uses some of the plot of an earlier Fu novel and the Karloff film "THE MASK OF FU MANCHU". Normally this would make me an unhappy camper, but this serial is such a joy to watch and is so exciting, that I can forgive the producers for ignoring Rohmer's great book ("DRUMS" is one of my favorite Fu novels). All of the cast is pretty good. I liked Gloria Franklin as Fu's daughter Fah Loo Suee although she mysteriously disappears from the proceedings after about 12 chapters. And fans of Universal horror films will be happy to see the familiar face of the fly-eating maniac Renfield from the Lugosi Dracula, Dwight Frye in a small role in the 5th chapter. And wait until you see Loki, the lead Dacoit, one of "Fu Manchu's men-of-murder". He's a hoot! The picture and sound on the DVD are very nice and the extra's give a nice history of both Fu Manchu and the serial. There is a nice booklet included with the "HISTORY OF FU MANCHU" by Eric Hoffman and a photo gallery on the dvd and star and director bios and filmographies. Let me close by saying: this is one great DVD. BUY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!!! - George Bauch. ... Read more

Description

Mexico is under siege from the nefarious Don Del Oro, who's passinghimself off as an ancient sun god intent on oppressing the people. The only hope lies witheveryone's favorite masked crusader for western justice, the one and only Zorro! A rip- roaring serial packed with swashbuckling, stunts and high-flying action, this whip- cracking classic remains a captivating yarn for Zorro fans of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Zorro ride again in superior Republic Chapterplay!
There have been four serials made that use the actual "ZORRO" name and two or three that use a character similar to Zorro, but this 1938 chapterplay is the only one with the one and ONLY Zorro! With Zorro played by Reed Hadley, Republic's original story takes Zorro to Mexico after Juarez's successful revolution aainst Spain to stop the reincarnated Yaqui god Don Del Oro from stealing much needed gold and fomenting a Yaqui uprising. The twelve chapters of this serial keep Zorro and his Fighting Legion in continual peril from Don Del Oro and his Yaqui followers, and trying to deduce which one of four evil councillors is Don del Oro will keep everyone guessing until the final chapter! One of Republic's best serials ever and a worthy addition to the Zorro legend. END

One of the greatest movie serials of all time
This is also the ONLY Zorro serial dealing with the original Zorro character, set in the original time period (early 1800's). The serial is very well made. Reed Hadley is an excellent Don Diego/Zorro. The sword fighting scenes are very impressive. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter are excellently done. Don Del Oro is one of the greatest movie serial villians of all time. If you are a fan of the Zorro legend or of movie serials in general, this is one of the best. A must have!

ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE VERSION!!
Read the horrid reviews (as usual) for the Madacy product, then grab this Hal Roach Studios/Image version of this classic Republic Serial, perhaps second in fame only to THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL. This version is meticulously mastered from the original camera negative with fine grain shots substituted wherever necessary. Where Madacy "simply" eliminates(!) the beginnings and ends of each of their twelve 16mm chapters, making it more into a herky-jerky feature film that runs 3-1/2 hours (then making you buy TWO separate discs in order to obtain the whole story), this Hal Roach Studios version is absolutely complete--four hours on one disc (double-coated, no turning over!) and boasts trailers for six other top serials to boot. All from 35mm, with the visual power and dynamic soundtrack range the use of those elements brings to the table. This is the one you've been waiting for, so get the best possible version. (Same for ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND, ZORRO RIDES AGAIN and ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP, also mastered from the original 35mm nitrate camera negatives and fine grains. They're all being released by Image in the coming months.) As the reviewer from the Knight-Ridder Newspaper chain recently published "Do yourself a favor--wait for the Hal Roach Studios version from Image--it's the real deal". I concur. It's worth the little bit extra you have to pay to be able to see the picture and hear the sound the way it was all meant to be presented. ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION is worth the money for the twelfth chapter alone, with it's great unmasking scene (but, no peeking till you've built up to it by watching the first eleven!). You'll love it.

Enjoyed my 10 year old tape better
I was going to write my own review but michaeljmoore2 beat me to the punch. My old VHS version of this serial beats this DVD hands down. I still can't understand why the DVD version did not include the synopsis from the previous chapter. For me, this was one of the fun parts of the serial. It can't be because they ran out of space on the DVD since there are two DVDs with this set. Go figure.

GOOD FOR MADACY, BUT STILL DISAPPOINTING!
While Madacy may not have digitally remastered their version of Zorro's Fighting Legion, this disc does have decent picture and sound quality. The print is at times a little dark, but overall it is not bad to look at. The biggest problem with Madacy's version is that they not only have cut out the title's beginning and endings, they also removed the chapter recaps as well. This seems an odd choice on their part, considernig all chapter recaps were left in on their Painted Stallion, and New Adventures of Tarzan DVD's. Without the chapter recaps the serial loses some of its flare. I would reccomend waiting for the Image version of the serial. I understand that theirs comes from the original negative. ... Read more

Description

This 12-part serial made in 1939 places Don Diego (Reed Hadley) in Mexico. Disguuised as Zorro, he joins the conflict between the Mexican state and the Yaqui people where It seems a strange and mysterious figure in gold armor and a mask is being worshiped by the Yaqui, who rally behind their new leader to steal gold shipments from their Mexican neighbors. Diego must find out who is behind this false golden god and expose him for the good of peace!

The legendary masked swordsman Zorro dodges a variety of deathtraps, including exploding barns, runaway elevators and avalanches in his effort to thwart the insidious plan of armored bad guy Don Del Oro to rule Mexico. Directed by John English (TV’s "Gunsmoke", "Lassie") and William Whitney (TV’s "Bonanza", "The Virginian"). The original 12 chapter serial that inspired a number of Zorro adaptations including Walt Disney’s classic television series and Antonio Banderas’ blockbuster The Mark of Zorro. Early western directing style cited as an influence on later westerns including Rio Bravo, The Wild Bunch, and Unforgiven. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Zorro ride again in superior Republic Chapterplay!
There have been four serials made that use the actual "ZORRO" name and two or three that use a character similar to Zorro, but this 1938 chapterplay is the only one with the one and ONLY Zorro! With Zorro played by Reed Hadley, Republic's original story takes Zorro to Mexico after Juarez's successful revolution aainst Spain to stop the reincarnated Yaqui god Don Del Oro from stealing much needed gold and fomenting a Yaqui uprising. The twelve chapters of this serial keep Zorro and his Fighting Legion in continual peril from Don Del Oro and his Yaqui followers, and trying to deduce which one of four evil councillors is Don del Oro will keep everyone guessing until the final chapter! One of Republic's best serials ever and a worthy addition to the Zorro legend. END

One of the greatest movie serials of all time
This is also the ONLY Zorro serial dealing with the original Zorro character, set in the original time period (early 1800's). The serial is very well made. Reed Hadley is an excellent Don Diego/Zorro. The sword fighting scenes are very impressive. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter are excellently done. Don Del Oro is one of the greatest movie serial villians of all time. If you are a fan of the Zorro legend or of movie serials in general, this is one of the best. A must have!

ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE VERSION!!
Read the horrid reviews (as usual) for the Madacy product, then grab this Hal Roach Studios/Image version of this classic Republic Serial, perhaps second in fame only to THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL. This version is meticulously mastered from the original camera negative with fine grain shots substituted wherever necessary. Where Madacy "simply" eliminates(!) the beginnings and ends of each of their twelve 16mm chapters, making it more into a herky-jerky feature film that runs 3-1/2 hours (then making you buy TWO separate discs in order to obtain the whole story), this Hal Roach Studios version is absolutely complete--four hours on one disc (double-coated, no turning over!) and boasts trailers for six other top serials to boot. All from 35mm, with the visual power and dynamic soundtrack range the use of those elements brings to the table. This is the one you've been waiting for, so get the best possible version. (Same for ROBINSON CRUSOE OF CLIPPER ISLAND, ZORRO RIDES AGAIN and ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP, also mastered from the original 35mm nitrate camera negatives and fine grains. They're all being released by Image in the coming months.) As the reviewer from the Knight-Ridder Newspaper chain recently published "Do yourself a favor--wait for the Hal Roach Studios version from Image--it's the real deal". I concur. It's worth the little bit extra you have to pay to be able to see the picture and hear the sound the way it was all meant to be presented. ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION is worth the money for the twelfth chapter alone, with it's great unmasking scene (but, no peeking till you've built up to it by watching the first eleven!). You'll love it.

Enjoyed my 10 year old tape better
I was going to write my own review but michaeljmoore2 beat me to the punch. My old VHS version of this serial beats this DVD hands down. I still can't understand why the DVD version did not include the synopsis from the previous chapter. For me, this was one of the fun parts of the serial. It can't be because they ran out of space on the DVD since there are two DVDs with this set. Go figure.

GOOD FOR MADACY, BUT STILL DISAPPOINTING!
While Madacy may not have digitally remastered their version of Zorro's Fighting Legion, this disc does have decent picture and sound quality. The print is at times a little dark, but overall it is not bad to look at. The biggest problem with Madacy's version is that they not only have cut out the title's beginning and endings, they also removed the chapter recaps as well. This seems an odd choice on their part, considernig all chapter recaps were left in on their Painted Stallion, and New Adventures of Tarzan DVD's. Without the chapter recaps the serial loses some of its flare. I would reccomend waiting for the Image version of the serial. I understand that theirs comes from the original negative. ... Read more

Description

Barbed wire is brought to the open range, and the ranchers are urged by Sandy Reeves to fight against it. Reeves secretly plans to bring sheep into the territory but forgets to count in Gene Autry, who makes certain nothing dishonest goes on for very long. Crashing action and catchy Western melodies make this a true Autry classic, featuring the songs "Down in the Valley," "Buffalo Gals," "Powder Your Face with Sunshine" and "Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie." ... Read more

Description

Cattleman Gene Autry becomes the guardian of a wayward boy deeply indebted to a gambler. Hoping to straighten him out, Gene sends the boy to the New Mexico Military Institute# but the lad flees and is framed for an ex-jockey's murder. Full of rugged action and smooth Western songs, this was Autry's 70th screen feature and includes such tunes as "Can't Shake the Sands of Texas from My Shoes," "There's a Rainbow on the Rio Colorado" and "The Honey Song." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best Roy Rogers Video
This video is probibly the best Roy Rogers video there is. Dale Evans is an Eastern reporter/photographer who goes west to find the true story of the long dead Wild Cat Kelly. She meets Roy and Gabby and messes things up for them, but in the end everything works out. Roy and Dale have some funny scenes together and Gabby does a wonderful job. Some of the great songs include Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Along the Navajo Trial and the title song by Cole Porter .

Comments on Don't Fence Me In
The quality of this video is very good from both visual and sound aspects. In addition this is a full length version with a running time of over 70 minutes as opposed to the 54 minute TV version found in some earlier video releases. This is one of the very best Roy Rogers films. An outstanding performance as the retired outlaw Wildcat Kelly by "Gabby" Hayes adds considerably to the value of this film. This is a must for Roy Rogers' fans ... Read more

Reviews (8)

1940's Red Ryder and Little Beaver Volume 1, come to DVD!
Many now only relate to "Red Ryder's Genuine Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle" made famous in the 1983 Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story". This story was about a 10 year old boys obsession with getting Red Ryder's air rifle for Christmas.

Well now, we can all see this famous no-nonsense cowboy and his little sidekick Indian boy, Little Beaver in action. This was a perfect pair & their complete honorable taming of the west.

Red Ryder & Little Beaver adventures dominated the comic strips in the 1930's - 1950's. Late in the 30's REd Ryder came to the screen in a 12 action packed episode serial. Pretty good stuff and a sample coming attraction of this early Red Ryder serial is included on this double feature DVD.

The 1940's Red Ryder introduced the most popular Red Ryder with Wild Bill Elliot and Robert Blake an Little Beaver. This duo went on to make over a dozen Red Ryder movies in the 40's.
This Double Feature remastered DVD Full Screen Black/White includes 2 of thier movies.

An Antonio Kid (1944 / 52 minutes) - greedy outlaws pursuit of the coveted "Black Gold" by terrorizing ranchers.

Cheyenne Wildcat (1947 / 50 minutes) - Red becomes the object of desire of 2 ladies while he & Lil' Beaver pursue outlaws.

This is wholesome fun family entertainment. Red & Lil' Beaver compliment each other and there is genuine onscreen friendship chemistry between them. This is fun stuff. Nice addition to the old western DVD library. Also included is a movie billboard & comic strip montage extra.

Also, now we see why Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" obsessed over Red Ryder!!! Enjoy.

Red Ryder-Memories
These two western "B" movies from the 40's are typical of the westerns of the war years. The second movie, "Cheyene Wildcat" is the best of the Elliott "Ryder" movies. A big plus is Robert Blake (Baretta) playing Little Beaver! Another big plus, is Roy Barcroft as the mean villian. As with all the old movies coming out in DVD, the quality is very good.
If you are over 60 you'll enjoy the memory-if you are under 60 you get to see a time when good triumphed over evil!

ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER
I don`t believe this one ever got to the U.K. when i was riding the range at Saturday cinema. One word. Wonderful. My memories of serials in the early 50`s here in U.K. were Blackhawk. Possibly the best ever. Jungle Girl, Captain Video,SirLancelot,Superman,and White Eagle. Now at almost 60 years old to be able to relive those happy years once again with a serial like Red Ryder plus a TV episode with one of my favorite cowboys Rocky Lane is beyond words.The D V D transfer is very good its a treat to be able to see a good quality picture at last. I`ve had enough of poor quality slow speed video copy`s and as for some of the material some people get away with on the net. I urge you forget the rubbish and go for D V D and make Red Ryder your first choice. Come on company`s lets have some more...

THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER!
DON BARRY is the cowboy hero RED RYDER in this 12-PART SERIAL from Republic Pictures, circa 1940. It seems there is a CROOKED BANKER who is trying to steal land from good, honest, hard-working LANDOWNERS! So it is up to RED RYDER to save the day! NOAH BEERY plays Ace Hanlon while TOMMY COOK plays Little Beaver! You will THRILL to the CLIFFHANGERS in this serial, which is definitely an above-average example of the long forgotten art form! The EXTRAS are pretty sweet this time around too, partner! There is the PILOT for the RED RYDER TELEVISION SERIES, an interview with Don Barry himself and reproductions of LOBBY CARDS and POSTERS! If you were not a fan way back when, you sure shooting can become one now!

Sets a standard
If you love this stuff -- as I do -- you'll love this DVD. The transfer is excellent for a 60-year-old serial, and the extras are special: an interview with the late star, Don Barry, and even the full-length pilot of a Red Ryder TV show starring Rocky Lane (the latter isn't even mentioned on the package). And the full chapter endings are here, not clipped off as on some misguided serial transfers.

"Adventures of Red Ryder" isn't the best serial ever made ("Blackhawk" is my pick for that honor). But this release sets a standard for how other serials should be spiffed up and made available on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

1940's Red Ryder and Little Beaver Volume 1, come to DVD!
Many now only relate to "Red Ryder's Genuine Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle" made famous in the 1983 Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story". This story was about a 10 year old boys obsession with getting Red Ryder's air rifle for Christmas.

Well now, we can all see this famous no-nonsense cowboy and his little sidekick Indian boy, Little Beaver in action. This was a perfect pair & their complete honorable taming of the west.

Red Ryder & Little Beaver adventures dominated the comic strips in the 1930's - 1950's. Late in the 30's REd Ryder came to the screen in a 12 action packed episode serial. Pretty good stuff and a sample coming attraction of this early Red Ryder serial is included on this double feature DVD.

The 1940's Red Ryder introduced the most popular Red Ryder with Wild Bill Elliot and Robert Blake an Little Beaver. This duo went on to make over a dozen Red Ryder movies in the 40's.
This Double Feature remastered DVD Full Screen Black/White includes 2 of thier movies.

An Antonio Kid (1944 / 52 minutes) - greedy outlaws pursuit of the coveted "Black Gold" by terrorizing ranchers.

Cheyenne Wildcat (1947 / 50 minutes) - Red becomes the object of desire of 2 ladies while he & Lil' Beaver pursue outlaws.

This is wholesome fun family entertainment. Red & Lil' Beaver compliment each other and there is genuine onscreen friendship chemistry between them. This is fun stuff. Nice addition to the old western DVD library. Also included is a movie billboard & comic strip montage extra.

Also, now we see why Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" obsessed over Red Ryder!!! Enjoy.

Red Ryder-Memories
These two western "B" movies from the 40's are typical of the westerns of the war years. The second movie, "Cheyene Wildcat" is the best of the Elliott "Ryder" movies. A big plus is Robert Blake (Baretta) playing Little Beaver! Another big plus, is Roy Barcroft as the mean villian. As with all the old movies coming out in DVD, the quality is very good.
If you are over 60 you'll enjoy the memory-if you are under 60 you get to see a time when good triumphed over evil!

ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER
I don`t believe this one ever got to the U.K. when i was riding the range at Saturday cinema. One word. Wonderful. My memories of serials in the early 50`s here in U.K. were Blackhawk. Possibly the best ever. Jungle Girl, Captain Video,SirLancelot,Superman,and White Eagle. Now at almost 60 years old to be able to relive those happy years once again with a serial like Red Ryder plus a TV episode with one of my favorite cowboys Rocky Lane is beyond words.The D V D transfer is very good its a treat to be able to see a good quality picture at last. I`ve had enough of poor quality slow speed video copy`s and as for some of the material some people get away with on the net. I urge you forget the rubbish and go for D V D and make Red Ryder your first choice. Come on company`s lets have some more...

THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER!
DON BARRY is the cowboy hero RED RYDER in this 12-PART SERIAL from Republic Pictures, circa 1940. It seems there is a CROOKED BANKER who is trying to steal land from good, honest, hard-working LANDOWNERS! So it is up to RED RYDER to save the day! NOAH BEERY plays Ace Hanlon while TOMMY COOK plays Little Beaver! You will THRILL to the CLIFFHANGERS in this serial, which is definitely an above-average example of the long forgotten art form! The EXTRAS are pretty sweet this time around too, partner! There is the PILOT for the RED RYDER TELEVISION SERIES, an interview with Don Barry himself and reproductions of LOBBY CARDS and POSTERS! If you were not a fan way back when, you sure shooting can become one now!

Sets a standard
If you love this stuff -- as I do -- you'll love this DVD. The transfer is excellent for a 60-year-old serial, and the extras are special: an interview with the late star, Don Barry, and even the full-length pilot of a Red Ryder TV show starring Rocky Lane (the latter isn't even mentioned on the package). And the full chapter endings are here, not clipped off as on some misguided serial transfers.

"Adventures of Red Ryder" isn't the best serial ever made ("Blackhawk" is my pick for that honor). But this release sets a standard for how other serials should be spiffed up and made available on DVD. ... Read more

Description

The head of an outlaw gang, Jim Lassiter, is behind a string of mail robberies in Red Valley. Armed with a scheme to expose this no-gooder, postal inspector Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette arrange a dangerous set-up to expose their nefarious scheme. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Early Zorro
Adapted from the serial or not this was an action serial and belongs to those days, Don't compare and you will enjoy. I didn't like Zorro singing, Yakima Canutt did all the stunt work and they cheated the kids on some the cliffhanger endings, but it was an enjoyable one with a good story line.

ZORRO LOVERS THIS MOVIE ROCKS
This action packed zorro movie is one of the best movies i ever saw.It has great stunts and lots of gun shooting.I hope you buy this film (you will love it). -Brad Sprentz ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Better than its boring title
Dale Evans is the singer of an all girl band. She goes to Utah to sell her grandfather's ranch, that way her band will have money to put on their show. Only Roy isn't pleased with this, so he lies to her about its location. Add Gabby Hayes, romance, and some bad guys and this is an enjoyable Roy Rogers movie. Dale is very cute in this movie and she has a few solo numbers. The only thing that doesn't seem quite right with this movie is the change of her hair from brunette to blonde with no explanation. ... Read more

Description

Gene Autry discards his conventional cowboy garb and white Stetson for the blue uniform of a sergeant in the post-Civil War Cavalry in this 1950 film. The Apaches have been incited to raid the ranchers and homesteaders on the Western frontier by the Apache Kid and Curt Raidler, a renegade Austrian, who wishes to use the Indians to build himself an empire in America. Gene is assigned to end the rioting and, at the same time, smash the group of gun-runners responsible. Gail Davis and Pat Buttram join in the gun-scorching Autry action. ... Read more

Description

Episodes: "The Double Switch" - Gene sets a cunning trap for a thieving rancher who tries to stage a phony holdup with money earmarked for fixing up country roads. Song: "When the Bloom is on the Sage." "The Star Toter" - When the town sheriff is killed by a bank robber, Gene takes over totin' the star and must bring the bandit to justice while convincing the thief's young son to forsake his father's ways and live on the straight and narrow. Song: "Back in the Saddle Again." "The Posse" - When the town bank is robbed, the trail leads to "Whopper" Daro, a reformed bandit and famous liar. Gene and Pat try to clear Whopper of the crime and track the real bandits while helping Whopper save face with his visiting daughter by pretending that he is the owner of Gene's ranch. Song: "Pretty Mary." "Blackwater Valley Feud" - A land war heats up when a rancher is found murdered. Gene must clear the name of the framed rancher and bring the real killer to justice. Song: "That's My Home." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Morals Behind The Stories
This DVD is the typical Gene Autry Western. Each show portrays great moral value and ideals. In "The Star Toter," Gene show a young boy that the good guys can come out the winner, thus overshadowing the bad influences of a father on the wrong side of the law. In "The Posse" Gene show that everyone deserves a second chance, when he helps an ex-con who refused to give into backmail from the bad guys. These are just two examples that the children that grew up watching Gene Autry learned from. In "Doubleswitch" and "Blackwater Valley Feud", Gene tangles with the bad guys and as always, the cowboy in the white hat is Hero again. The Wrigley Chewing Gum commercials are a flash back into the early years when life was simpler and the Silver Screen legends like Gene Autry were looked up to as role models. The picture quality is great. As an Autry Fan and Collector I give this DVD 5 stars and I strongly urge you to let your children watch the man who as country Singer Johnny Cash once said was "a champion riding on Champion" for a good dose of moral integrity and values. All this Autry Fan can say is "I am glad that Gene Autry Still Rides The Trail." America still needs a Hero like him today!!!

Gene Autry Western Fan (Part2)
Now that I have had a chance to see two of the episodes of this DVD, I would like to to make an additional comment about the shows episodes, the background music is almost unbearable. The music shows no relationship to the action whatsoever, it really grates on the nerves. This is a great pity, because it spoils to some extent what are excellent shows. The shows as I said before have been excellently copied and restored, the shows have all the ingredients of good Gene Autry westerns, good music, plenty of action and have a good moral theme. It's a pity that Gene Autry did'nt pick a musical director who knew how to add the proper music ,and when not to add music, to his shows.

Gene Autry Western Fan
I have just received my copy of "Double Switch" and I am very happy that I ordered it. The DVD is excellent value for money, both in quality and content. I especially like the extra features which shows clippings from some of Gene Autry's films, these clipping serve to illustrate the 10 Gene Autry codes. One of these clippings is in color from the film, "Strawberry Roan", a film I wish was available, as I have never seen this. These clippings added to the other extra features of the disc make this DVD one of the best value Gene Autry items available. Apart from the other available DVD of the Gene Autry Shows on DVD, namely " Gold Dust Charlie" I hope that Image Entertainment will be able to make more Gene Autry shows available to the public on DVD and at the same quality and value. If they do, I would be happy to buy them all. ... Read more

Description

Saddle up, ride along and sing along with America's favorite cowboy into the golden age of television, where a white hat meant hero and a guitar was just as handy as a pearl-handled six-gun. Every week from 1950 to 1955, Gene Autry, the original singing cowboy and star of the rodeo ring, records, radio and the big screen, rounded up a whole herd of thrill-packed adventures and wagonloads of laughter right in America's living room. So, load up your cap gun, grab hold of the reins and get ready to ride off into a black and white sunset on the dusty trail to action and excitement. Episodes: "Gold Dust Charlie" - When Gold Dust Charlie turns up dead, Gene must outwit the claimjumpin' murderer and bring him to justice. Song: "Cowboy Blues." "Head for Texas" - Gene teams up with a down-on-his-luck jockey to stop a band of cattle rustlers who use a clever trick to steal livestock from a lovely lady ranch owner. Song: "Sing Me a Song of the Saddle." "The Doodle Bug" - Gene investigates a series of stagecoach holdups and discovers a gang of thieves and a pretty school marm in distress. Song: "Ridin' Down the Canyon." "The Silver Arrow" - When a witness to murder is found dead, pierced with a silver arrow, Gene and Pat Buttram help the accused man who has been framed. Together they flush out the real killer as he tries to steal the deed to a gold mine. Song: "Can't Shake the Sands of Texas from My Shoes." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gold Dust Charlie - Gene Autry
If you grew up watching these old westerns on TV you will enjoy This DVD which features the first 4 episodes of one of the earliest of all TV horse operas.Aimed basically at those growing at the time the stories are quite juvenile and corny, nevertheless they are well produced and provide a fine nostalgia trip for those of an appropriate age.
From a technical point of view the picture and sound have been remastered and quality is excellent.Extras include Autry sponsoring Wrigley chewing gum and a Gene Autry singalong jukebox ! ... Read more