Classic Cliffhangers

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.

Take one well-oiled effective killing machine, add a familiar hero on the ground, in the air, and on horseback; stir in a ghastly end that’s surely impossible to escape, add action, add passion, made on a shoestring budget at breakneck speed, and you’ve got the recipe for Republic Pictures. Who, after all, cannot forget The Atomic Kid, starring Mickey Rooney, or The Untamed Heiress, with an un-Oscar-worthy performance by ingénue Judy Canova? Exploding onto the movie scene in 1935, Republic Pictures brought the pop culture of the 30s and 40s to neighborhood movie houses. Week after week kids sank into their matinee seats to soak up the Golden Age of the Republic series, to ride off into the classic American West. And they gave us visions of the future. Visions that inspire film makers today. Republic was a studio that dollar for dollar packed more movie onto the screen than the majors could believe. From sunrise on into the night over grueling six day weeks, no matter how much mayhem movie makers were called upon to produce, at Republic Pictures it was all in a day’s work. Republic Pictures was the little studio in the San Fernando Valley where movies were made family style. A core of technicians, directors, and actors worked hard at their craft as Republic released a staggering total of more than a thousand films through the late 1950s. Republic Pictures was home to John Wayne for thirty-three films. Always inventing, Republic brought a song to the West. It featured the West’s first singing cowboy. Republic brought action, adventure, and escape to neighborhood movies houses across America. And they brought it with style. Scene from westerns such as The Three Mesquiteers and the Lawless Range gave screaming kids at the bijou a white-knuckle display of expert film making. Republic Pictures became a studio where major directors could bring their personal vision to the screen. Sometimes these were projects no other studio would touch such as The Quiet Man (which brought director John Ford an Oscar) and Macbeth. Killer Bs, Cowboys, Creatures and Classics: The Story of Republic Pictures is for anyone who likes B movies magic. It is the honest account of an extraordinary production house, one whose ability to turn out films quickly boded well for its transition into television production. Not only were its sets used for such shows as Leave it to Beaver and Gilligan’s Island, stock footage from Republic’s movies was used on such shows as Gunsmoke and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.

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.

"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 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.

This collection of essays (first published in Big Reel) lovingly recalls the glory days of the movie serial. The primary focus is on the fans of the serials--what they thought of them in their heyday, what they think of them now, and why these episodic tales are still so popular. Preceding each article is a brief commentary about the essay explaining why the topic was chosen and the reader response it evoked when first published.

This illustrated filmography analyzes the plots and players of the more than forty motion pictures about the legendary Missouri outlaw Jesse James (1847–1882), from the silent era to the 21st century. Among the films and actors covered are Jesse James (1939) with Tyrone Power, Kansas Raiders (1950) with Audie Murphy, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972) with Robert Duvall, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) with Brad Pitt. Each evaluation compares Hollywood’s version of history to the hard facts. A brief biography of the outlaw provides an overview of his life and career. Also examined are European films, made-for-television movies and continuing TV series that have featured episodes involving Jesse James.