The Phantom (1943) DVD9 - Disk 1 of 2 - Theatrical Serial - Chapters 01 to 10 of 15 [DDR]
The Phantom is a 1943 classic Columbia Pictures cliffhanger serial starring Tom Tyler in the title role.
The serial is based on Lee Falk's comic strip The Phantom.
The serial also features Jeanne Bates as the Phantom's girlfriend Diana Palmer, and Ace the Wonder Dog as the Phantom's trusty German shepherd Devil (who is a wolf in the original comic).
CAST:-
Tom Tyler as The Phantom/Geoffrey Prescott, The Ghost Who Walks. Tyler had an "almost uncanny" resemblance to the character. However, he is also described as wooden in speech and movements, "the Gary Cooper of B films."
Jeanne Bates as Diana Palmer
Kenneth MacDonald as Dr. Max Bremmer
Joe Devlin as Singapore Smith
Frank Shannon as Professor Davidson
Guy Kingsford as Byron Anderson
Wade Crosby as Long
John Bagni as Moku
Sol Gorss as Andy Kriss
Stanley Price as Chief Chota (uncredited)
Dick Curtis as Tartar Leader (uncredited)
Early Cantrell as Ruby Dawn aka The Fire Princess (uncredited)
Jay Silverheels as Astari Warrior (uncredited)
Sam Flint as Phantom XX, Geoffrey Prescott's Father (uncredited)
Ace the Wonder Dog as Devil
Directed by B. Reeves Eason
Produced by Rudolph C. Flothow
Written by Morgan Cox, Victor McLeod, Leslie Swabacker, Sherman L. Lowe, Lee Falk (character), Ray Moore (character),
CHAPTERS:-
-- ch. 1 The sign of the skull
-- ch. 2 The man who never dies
-- ch. 3 A traitor's code
-- ch. 4 The seat of judgement
-- ch. 5 The ghost who walks
-- ch. 6 Jungle whispers
-- ch. 7 The mystery well
-- ch. 8 In quest of the keys
-- ch. 9 The fire princess
-- ch. 10 The chamber of death
-- ch. 11 The emerald key
-- ch. 12 The fangs of the beast
-- ch. 13 The road to Zoloz
-- ch. 14 The Lost City
-- ch. 15 Peace in the jungle.
MOVIE REVIEW:- The Phantom (1943)
Lee Falk and Ray Moore's famous syndicated comic strip hero came to the screen in this 15 chapter serial produced by Rudolph C. Flotow for Columbia Pictures. Displaying unusually good judgment, the studio cast the still strapping former silent screen cowboy Tom Tyler as Geoffrey Prescott who, like generations of Prescotts before him, battles piracy and crime in Darkest Africa. Dressed in his trademark tights and black mask, The Phantom sallies forth to locate the lost city of Zolos, aided by his lovely fiancée, Diana Palmer (Jeanne Bates) and Ace, the Wonder Dog. The opposition is headed by the nefarious Dr. Bremmer (Kenneth MacDonald), but the good doctor is, in the long run, no match for the masked avenger who, in the final chapter, restores "Peace in the Jungle." One of Columbia's few worthwhile serials, The Phantom was yet another success for the popular and personable Tyler, who had earlier scored in the title role of Republic Pictures' The Adventures of Captain Marvel. Columbia filmed a belated and rather unnecessary sequel, The Adventures of Captain Africa (1949), starring John Hart, a bland actor who later played The Lone Ranger for one season on television when Clayton Moore went on strike. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
Like most serials, the film had a relatively low budget. In the serial, the Phantom's real name is Geoffrey Prescott, while in the comic strip, his real name is Kit Walker, due to the name "Kit" not having been used in the strip up to that point. Here, when covering his costume with a hat, dark glasses, and an overcoat so as to enter civilization unobtrusively, the Phantom tells Singapore Smith to call him "Walker." Most of the serial was filmed in the Hollywood hills, which doubled as the African jungle.
SYNOPSIS:- The Phantom (1943)
Professor Davidson plans an expedition to find the Lost City of Zoloz. The location of the city is contained on seven pieces of ivory, three of which Davidson already possesses.
Doctor Bremmer, however, intends to find the lost city and use it as a secret airbase for his unnamed country. To remove him as an obstacle, he kills The Phantom, only for his recently returned son, Geoffrey Prescott, to inherit the family identity and take over the mantle of The Phantom.
Three of the remaining ivory pieces are owned by Singapore Smith, who initially steals Davidson's pieces. The seventh, and most important, piece is missing at first but turns up in the possession of Tartar (which The Phantom acquires by wrestling Tartar's pet gorilla).
Professor Davidson and his lovely daughter Diana search Africa for the Lost City of Zoloz. Legend pegs it to be the source of a a vast hidden treasure. Their search is hindered by a local crook, Singapore Smith, who wants the treasure for himself. With help of The Phantom, who is also Diana's fiance, they bring peace to the jungle.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:-
Video Codec: MPEG-2
Video Bitrate: 4999 kbps
Video Resolution: 720x480
Video Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1
Frames Per Second: 29.970
Audio Codec: AC3
Audio Bitrate: 192kb/s CBR 48000 Hz
Audio Streams: 2
Audio Languages:English
RunTime 254 mins
Subtitles: None
Ripped by: Trinidad [DDR]
Duration: 254 mins