Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc

Last updated

Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc.
Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc VideoCover.jpeg
Directed by Fred C. Brannon
Written by Royal K Cole
Basil Dickey
William Lively
Sol Shor
Produced by Franklin Adreon
Starring Kirk Alyn
Rosemary La Planche
Roy Barcroft
Carol Forman
Cinematography John MacBurnie
Music by Stanley Wilson
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release date
  • January 29, 1949 (1949-01-29)(U.S. serial) [1]
Running time
12 chapters / 167 minutes (serial) [1]
100 minutes (TV) [1]
CountryUnited States
Language English
Budget$156,120 (negative cost: $155,807) [1]

Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949) is a 12-episode black-and-white film serial produced by Republic Pictures during July 1948 and released in January 1949, an original screenplay written collaboratively by Royal K. Cole, Basil Dickey, William Lively and Sol Shor as a crime story with elements of "the mysterious Orient" incorporated in the plot.

Contents

Plot

Nila (Carol Forman), an Abistahnian criminal, and Spade Gordon (Roy Barcroft), an American gangster, conspire to form a super-mob dubbed Underworld, Incorporated, funded by the treasure of Kurigal I of Abistahn, instructions for the location of which are contained in hieroglyphics written on two golden statues in the shape of hands, found in Kurigal's tomb. When the professor in charge of the tomb's dig disappears under mysterious circumstances while translating the writing on one of the hands back at his American office, a team of special government agents led by David Worth (Kirk Alyn) and his aide Steve Evans, assisted by the professor's aide Laura Keith (Rosemary La Planche), set out to find the professor and the now-missing hands. The criminals manage to get possession of one of the Hands, but they need both of them to recreate the treasure map.

Cast

Production

Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. was budgeted at $156,120 although the final negative cost was $155,807 (a $313, or 0.2%, under spend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1949. [1]

It was filmed between 6 July and 27 July 1948 under the working title Crime Fighters vs. Underworld, Inc. [1] The serial's production number was 1701. [1]

Stunts

Special Effects

The special effects in this serial were created by the Howard & Theodore Lydecker, Republic's in-house effect team.

Release

Theatrical

Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc.'s official release date is January 29, 1949, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. [1]

Television

Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Golden Hands of Kurigal. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length. [1]

Chapter titles

Thirteen minutes and 20 seconds long, unless otherwise specified
  1. The Golden Hands (20 minutes)
  2. Criminals' Lair
  3. Death in Disguise
  4. Fatal Evidence
  5. The Trapped Conspirator
  6. Wheels of Disaster
  7. The Hidden Key
  8. The Enemy's Mouthpiece
  9. The Stolen Hand
  10. Unmasked - a re-cap chapter
  11. Tombs of the Ancients
  12. The Curse of Kurigal

Source: [1] [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Alyn</span> American actor (1910–1999)

Kirk Alyn was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Superman in live-action for the 1948 movie serial Superman and its 1950 sequel Atom Man vs. Superman, as well as fellow DC Comics characters Blackhawk from the Blackhawk movie serial in 1952, and Lois Lane's father Sam Lane in 1978's Superman: The Movie.

<i>Radar Men from the Moon</i> 1952 film by Fred C. Brannon

Radar Men from the Moon is a 1952 Republic Pictures' 12-chapter movie serial, the first Commando Cody serial starring newcomer George Wallace as Cody, Aline Towne as his sidekick Joan Gilbert, and serial veteran Roy Barcroft as the evil Retik, the Ruler of the Moon. The director was Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by the Lydecker brothers. This serial recycles the flying sequences from Republic's earlier 1949 serial King of the Rocket Men. It was later released by Republic in 1966 as the 100-minute television film Retik the Moon Menace.

<i>Superman</i> (serial) 1948 15-part black-and-white Columbia film serial based on the comic book character Superman

Superman is a 1948 15-part Columbia Pictures film serial based on the comic book character Superman. It stars an uncredited Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. Like Batman (1943), it is notable as the first live-action appearance of Superman on film, and for the longevity of its distribution. The serial was directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Adventures of Superman television series, and Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Sam Katzman, and shot in and around Los Angeles, California. It was originally screened at movie matinées, and after the first three scene-setting chapters, every episode ends in a cliffhanger. The Superman-in-flight scenes are animations, in part due to the small production budget.

<i>G-Men vs. the Black Dragon</i> 1943 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

G-Men vs. The Black Dragon (1943) is a Republic Pictures movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen.

<i>Haunted Harbor</i> 1944 film by Wallace Grissell, Spencer Gordon Bennet

Haunted Harbor (1944) is a Republic serial, based on the novel by Ewart Adamson.

<i>Federal Operator 99</i> 1945 film

Federal Operator 99 is a 1945 American movie serial from Republic Pictures. It was later edited down into a feature version titled F.B.I. 99 for television. The serial is about an FBI agent named Jerry Blake who battles gentleman thief Jim Belmont, who escapes custody with help of his gang and begins a wave of crimes, beginning with plotting to steal the crown jewels of the Princess Cornelia.

<i>The Purple Monster Strikes</i> 1945 film by Fred C. Brannon, Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Purple Monster Strikes is a 1945 Republic Movie serial. It was also released as a Century 66 television film under the title D-Day on Mars (1966).

The Phantom Rider is a 1946 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures starring Robert Kent and Peggy Stewart. It was later re-released under the new title Ghost Riders of the West.

<i>Daughter of Don Q</i> 1946 American film by Fred C. Brannon, Spencer Gordon Bennet

Daughter of Don Q (1946) is a Republic Movie serial. It combines elements of the B-Western genre with contemporary crime films, especially the popular "land grab" plot in which the villain attempts to steal apparently worthless land from the heroine because he secretly knows it is worth a fortune. In this case, Dolores Quantero, is the rightful heir to extremely valuable metropolitan land which another family member, Carlos Manning, wants for himself.

<i>Son of Zorro</i> 1947 film

Son of Zorro is a 1947 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the 43rd of the 66 serials produced by that studio. The serial was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon. George Turner starred as a descendant of the original Zorro in 1860s United States.

<i>Jesse James Rides Again</i> 1947 film by Thomas Carr, Fred C. Brannon

Jesse James Rides Again is a 1947 American Republic Western film serial.

<i>G–Men Never Forget</i> 1948 film by Fred C. Brannon, Yakima Canutt

G–Men Never Forget is a 1948 American movie serial from Republic Pictures. The serial was condensed into a 100-minute feature film in 1966 under the title Code 645.

<i>Adventures of Frank and Jesse James</i> 1948 film by Fred C. Brannon, Yakima Canutt

Adventures of Frank and Jesse James is a 1948 Republic film serial directed by Fred C. Brannon and Yakima Canutt and starring Clayton Moore, Steve Darrell, Noel Neill, George J. Lewis, John Crawford, and Sam Flint.

<i>Ghost of Zorro</i> 1949 film by Fred C. Brannon

Ghost of Zorro is a 1949 Republic Movie serial. It uses substantial stock footage from earlier serials, including Son of Zorro and Daredevils of the West. This film was shot in Chatsworth, Los Angeles.

<i>King of the Rocket Men</i> 1949 film by Fred C. Brannon

King of the Rocket Men is a 1949 12-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, produced by Franklin Adreon, directed Fred C. Brannon, that stars Tristram Coffin, Mae Clarke, Don Haggerty, House Peters, Jr., James Craven, and I. Stanford Jolley.

<i>The James Brothers of Missouri</i> 1946 film by Fred C. Brannon

The James Brothers of Missouri is a 1949 American Republic Western film serial.

<i>Radar Patrol vs. Spy King</i> 1949 film by Fred C. Brannon

Radar Patrol vs. Spy King is a 1949 12-chapter black-and-white spy film serial produced and distributed by Republic Pictures from an original, commissioned screenplay collaboratively written by Royal K. Cole, William Lively and Sol Shor. Kirk Alyn played the lead.

<i>Desperadoes of the West</i> 1950 film

Desperadoes of the West (1950) is a 12-chapter Republic film serial.

<i>Don Daredevil Rides Again</i> 1951 film by Fred C. Brannon

Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951) is a Republic Movie serial. It makes heavy use of stock footage from Republic's previous Zorro serials. The character of Don Daredevil was created for this serial as the rights to Zorro belonged to Disney by 1951.

<i>Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion</i> 1951 film by Fred C. Brannon

Government Agents vs Phantom Legion (1951) is a 12-chapter American black-and-white action film serial produced and distributed by Republic Pictures Corporation in 1951. It is an original, studio-commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson, produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 108–109. ISBN   0-9632878-1-8.
  2. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time . McFarland & Company, Inc. p.  248. ISBN   0-7864-0471-X.
Preceded by Republic Serial
Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949)		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.