Classic Cliffhangers Volume 1 1914 1940

"Serials can be both entertaining and informative. It is exactly those same two goals that author Hank Davis hopes to achieve with Classic Cliffhangers, Volume 2: 1941-1955. The goal of the book is to entertain as well as encourage audiences to be entertained by movie serials. Lord knows, that's what they were made for. But this book will also inform about the people on both side of the camera, as well as the producers who hired them and the world in which all this happened. These are movie serials. It's OK to appreciate their art and laugh at their lunacy. Not all the laughs were intended, but that shouldn't stop us. This isn't grimly serious business. Most of the serials were made for a young Saturday matinee audience, who were much less sophisticated than the savvy film fan of today. There is something wrong if we can't laugh, as well as nod our heads in appreciation, at what these skilled professionals have accomplished, often under very trying conditions and with ridiculously low budgets."--Publisher description.

From The Perils of Pauline in the silent movie days to The Mysterious Dr. Satan and other 1940s wartime shorts, serials enchanted movie fans. The innocence, energy and undeniable skill that permeated every reel of these chapter plays is a tribute to the true pioneers of gorilla filmmaking make ‘em fast, make ‘em as good as possible with as little as possible, and make ‘em fun. The best serials are classic examples of early American low-budget filmmaking. Bad serials are silly and stilted, but always charming and sometimes bizarre. At the very least, they offer a window into a welcome time and place where the good guys always win, the kid saves the day, and the hero gets the girl. Introduction by Adrian Booth. 305 pages. Illustrated with nearly a hundred rare scene stills, lobby cards, and posters.

Serials can be both entertaining and informative. It is exactly those same two goals we hope to achieve with this second volume of Classic Cliffhangers. The goal of the book is to entertain as well as encourage audiences to be entertained by movie serials. Lord knows, that s what they were made for. But this book will also inform about the people on both sides of the camera, as well as the producers who hired them and the world in which all this happened. These are movie serials. It s OK to appreciate their art and laugh at their lunacy. Not all the laughs were intended, but that shouldn t stop us. This isn t grimly serious business. Most of the serials were made for a young Saturday matinee audience, who were much less sophisticated than the savvy film fan of today. There is something wrong if we can t laugh, as well as nod our heads in appreciation, at what these skilled professionals have accomplished, often under very trying conditions and with ridiculously low budgets.

From their heyday in the 1910s to their lingering demise in the 1950s, American film serials delivered excitement in weekly installments for millions of moviegoers, despite minuscule budgets, nearly impossible shooting schedules and the disdain of critics. Early heroines like Pearl White, Helen Holmes and Ruth Roland broke gender barriers and ruled the screen. Through both world wars, such serials as Spy Smasher and Batman were vehicles for propaganda. Smash hits like Flash Gordon and The Lone Ranger demonstrated the enduring mass appeal of the genre. Providing insight into early 20th century American culture, this book analyzes four decades of productions from Pathe, Universal, Mascot and Columbia, and all 66 Republic serials.

While many fans remember The Lone Ranger, Ace Drummond and others, fewer focus on the facts that serials had their roots in silent film and that many foreign studios also produced serials, though few made it to the United States. The 471 serials and 100 series (continuing productions without the cliffhanger endings) from the United States and 136 serials and 37 series from other countries are included in this comprehensive reference work. Each entry includes title, country of origin, year, studio, number of episodes, running time or number of reels, episode titles, cast, production credits, and a plot synopsis.

From 1937 through 1945, Hollywood produced over 1,000 films relating to the war. This enormous and exhaustive reference work first analyzes the war films as sociopolitical documents. Part one, entitled “The Crisis Abroad, 1937–1941,” focuses on movies that reflected America’s increasing uneasiness. Part two, “Waging War, 1942–1945,” reveals that many movies made from 1942 through 1945 included at least some allusion to World War II.

The science fiction masterpiece of man versus alien that inspired generations, from Orson Welles’s classic radio play to the film starring Tom Cruise. At the turn of the twentieth century, few would believe that mankind is being watched from above. But millions of miles from Earth, the lords of the Red Planet prepare their armies for invasion, waiting for the moment to strike. When they land in the English countryside, baffled humans approach, waving white flags, and the Martians burn them to a crisp. The war has begun, and mankind doesn’t stand a chance. As Martian armies roll across England, one man fights to keep his family safe, risking his life—and his sanity—on the front lines of the greatest war in galactic history. H. G. Wells’s groundbreaking novel, adapted to radio and film, among other mediums, by visionary artists from Orson Welles to Steven Spielberg, remains one of the most chilling, unforgettable works of science fiction ever written. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.