Reviews

You've seen the film, at least twice, and read many of the reviews. Now go back and take a look at the trailer which is still available from many websites. You'll see clips from at least 2 scenes which were edited out of the final release cut:

1. There is a shot of Cole and Grandma, she seated, clutching what looks like a book.

2. Another brief clip shows Bruce Willis stepping out into night traffic with a huge truck bearing down on him.

Wonder what else was cut . . .

Universal created a real fun winner here. Buster Crabbe's popularity soared as he went on to more serials both as Flash and as Buck Rogers. He also made a Tarzan or two and some westerns.

But the character actors in Flash Gordon are tops: Charles Middleton as Ming was brilliant casting; chubby Richard Alexander as the would-be hero Prince Barin looks like he stepped right out of the comics, as do the Sharkmen, Lionmen and Hawkmen.

"Tiny" Lipson as Vultan the Hawkman is hilarious; he is also seen in some Marx Brothers and Three Stooges films. Of course the actors portraying the sexy (for 1936) Dale and Princess Aura are perfect. Even Zarkov is convincing as can be expected in this dark adventure series.

The music is constantly moving things along, much of it now available on CD as the same music used in Universal's "The Bride of Frankenstein".

The challenge is to find a good print. It would be great if Universal could "restore" some their classic serials.

The only remarkable thing about this short lived series that I recall is that it was shot on tape, not film. I believe it was the ONLY Western series shot on tape - ever. It had that soap opera look and the sound effects (gunshots, horses, fist-fights, etc.) sounded unnatural (for a Western). This strange look and sound probably contributed to its quick demise. Shot-on-tape just doesn't work with Westerns.