The Flickr Movieserial Image Generatr

Commando Cody is the hero in two 12-episode science fiction serials made by Republic Pictures, played by George Wallace in 1952's “Radar Men from the Moon” and Judd Holdren in 1953's “Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe.” In the latter, Commando Cody along with trusted aides Joan Gilbert (Aline Towne) and Ted Richards (William Schallert), later joined by Dick Preston (Richard Crane), must foil the various schemes of The Ruler (Gregory Gay), an evil alien hell-bent on taking over Earth.

Commando Cody was one of several Republic “rocket-suited” serial characters, the others being Jeff King in “King of the Rocket Men” (1949) and Larry Martin in “Zombies of the Stratosphere” (1952). They all wore the same flying suit, which may have been "lifted" by Republic from a preliminary flying suit design for the 1940s Fawcett Publications’ comic book character “Bulletman,” whose adventures the studio had once considered adapting as a serial. Walt Disney’s “The Rocketeer” (1991) was a nod to these various Republic rocket men.
[Source: Wikipedia]

"And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Til touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man…"
--- Elton John

“Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars” is a 1938 Universal Pictures 15-chapter movie serial based on the Flash Gordon newspaper comic strip. It is the second of the three Flash Gordon serials made by Universal between 1936 and 1940. The principal cast consists of Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Jean Rogers as Dale Arden, Frank Shannon as Dr. Zarkov, Charles B. Middleton as Ming the Merciless, Beatrice Roberts as Queen Azura and Richard Alexander as Prince Barin. The serial was followed by “Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940). [Source: Wikipedia]

Presented in 13 chapters, “Flash Gordon” is the first screen adventure for the comic strip character created by Alex Raymond in 1934. It presents the story of Gordon’s visit to the planet Mongo and his encounters with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton (as Ming), Priscilla Lawson (as Princess Aura) and Frank Shannon (as Dr. Zarkov) portray the film’s central characters. In 1996, “Flash Gordon” was selected for preservation in the U. S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” [Source: Wikipedia]

Movie trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8BFrd1ckSw

Presented in 13 chapters, “Flash Gordon” is the first screen adventure for the comic strip character created by Alex Raymond in 1934. It presents the story of Gordon’s visit to the planet Mongo and his encounters with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton (as Ming), Priscilla Lawson (as Princess Aura) and Frank Shannon (as Dr. Zarkov) portray the film’s central characters. In 1996, “Flash Gordon” was selected for preservation in the U. S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” [Source: Wikipedia]

Movie trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8BFrd1ckSw

Presented in 13 chapters, “Flash Gordon” is the first screen adventure for the comic strip character created by Alex Raymond in 1934. It presents the story of Gordon’s visit to the planet Mongo and his encounters with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton (as Ming), Priscilla Lawson (as Princess Aura) and Frank Shannon (as Dr. Zarkov) portray the film’s central characters. In 1996, “Flash Gordon” was selected for preservation in the U. S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” [Source: Wikipedia]

Movie trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8BFrd1ckSw

“Hawk of the Wilderness” (1938) is a Republic movie serial based on the Kioga adventure novels written by pulp writer William L. Chester (1907-1971). Kioga was a Tarzan-like white child raised on a lost island in the Arctic Circle, somewhere in northern Siberia, which was heated by thermal springs and unknown currents. Chester wrote four Kioga novels. The first, “Hawk of the Wilderness” (1935), was the one that was filmed as the 12-part 1938 Republic serial. (The other novels in the series were “Kioga of the Wilderness” (1936), “One Against a Wilderness” (1937) and “Kioga of the Unknown Land” (1938)).

Herman Brix had earlier also played Tarzan on film in the 1935 Edgar Rice Burroughs-produced serial “The New Adventures of Tarzan.” “Hawk of the Wilderness” was later re-edited into a feature film version for television as “The Lost Island of Kioga” in 1966. [Source: Wikipedia]

“On a strange and savage coast of the Arctic north of Siberia, a son was born to a white doctor and his wife. Their only friend among the wild tribes of the north was the doctor’s educated Indian companion Mokuyi. His parents killed by savages, the white child was brought up by Mokuyi and taught the English of his fathers as well as the Indian arts of hunting and fighting. Named Kioga, the Sea Hawk, the boy grew up to be chief of his tribe, half savage, half civilized. How Kioga comes to love a white girl, how he wins her from her wealthy and jealous suitor, how he escapes the fury of his savage tribesmen, make a tale that is full of sheer romance.”
[From the blurb on the dust jacket]

“The Lost City,” a 15-chapter movie serial starring Juanita Hansen and released in 1920, was the first million dollar serial, the first “jungle queen” picture, the first “lost city” movie, and the first motion picture to use actual wild animals in the action sequences. It was not filmed in Africa as advertised. It was actually filmed at Los Angeles’ Selig Polyscope Studios using animals from the Selig Zoo.

Bela Lugosi as Dr. Alex Zorka in Universal Studios serial "The Phantom Creeps" (1939)

Silent movie British story paper first issue, Boys Cinema Weekly No. 1, December 13, 1919, Bill Hart photo cover. Contains photos of Will Rogers, Harry Carey, Douglas Fairbanks, Jack Dempsey and Charlie Chaplin. Novelization of The Iron Test, a Vitagraph serial (circus story featuring Carol Holloway and Antonio Moreno). Also features Bill Hart biography.

The Lost City big little book-type, Five Star Library No. 19, 1935 from Engel-van Wiseman. Movie stills every other page. William (Stage) Boyd cover.

The White Horseman movie serial British story paper cover, Boys' Cinema Weekly, December 30, 1922. Serialized story based on the movie (1921, Universal Film), directed and written by Directed by Ford Beebe, J.P. McGowan and Albert Russell. Featuring Art Acord, Eva Forrestor, Marie Tropic. last film of Beatrice Dominguez. Considered lost.

Cloaked western villain movie serial story paper, The Iron Rider featured in Boys' Cinema Weekly, Vol. 5 No. 111, January 21, 1922. Serialized story based on the 1920 Fox Film serial, anonymous. The film series was directed by Scott Dunlap and featured Larry Lannigan, Mera Donovan, Arthur Morrison , Wadsworth Harris, John Lannigan. The magazine also features The Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which first appeared in Blue Blook in 1917, then reprinted as the sixth Tarzan hardcover in 1919. This reprint, which began three issues earlier, is tied to the Elmo Lincoln films, and may be the first new serial printing of the series. the Tarzan story itself takes place during chapter 11 of the first novel.

The New Adventures of Tarzan is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters starring Herman Brix. The serial is a more authentic version of the character than most other adaptations, with Tarzan as a cultured and well educated gentleman as in the original Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. It was filmed during the same period as the Johnny Weissmuller/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Tarzan films. Film exhibitors had the choice of selecting the serial or the episodes edited into two separate films, The New Adventures of Tarzan and Tarzan and the Green Goddess. The serial was filmed in Guatemala, and Tarzan was played by Herman Brix (known post-war as Bruce Bennett).
[Source: Wikipedia]

Here is the first addition to my line of custom Mego action figures based on the stars of Golden Age movie serials. This particular Green Hornet is modeled after his celluloid counterpart from the Republic Serial, The Green Hornet Strikes Again. GA's mask is sculpted on to his face, and features a custom paint job including the Hornet insignia, a modified Mego Wizard Of Oz jacket, CTVT pants & shoes, re-painted Cast-A-Way Toys fedora, a handmade neck scarf, and GH is built on a vintage Mego body. GH's Gas Gun is hand-sculpted and painted by Little Ol' Me :) I also designed the blister card you see here sporting a Cast-A-Way Toys Clamshell. I've been sitting on this one for quite awhile, I hope you like Him :)

From left to right, The Durango Kid, and Billy The Kid custom action figures by McKenzie McKustoms. Both figures are part of The World's Greatest Lawmen collection.

Some of the vintage movie posters are HUUUUGE! This one from the Kirk Alyn serial has to be ten feet tall.