King of the Mounties

Last updated

King of the Mounties
Kingofthemounties.JPG
Directed by William Witney
Written byTaylor Caven
Ronald Davidson
William Lively
Joseph O'Donnell
Joseph Poland
based on character created by Stephen Slesinger and Romer Grey
Produced byWilliam J. O'Sullivan
Starring Allan Lane
Gilbert Emery
Russell Hicks
Peggy Drake
George Irving
Abner Biberman
William Vaughn
Nestor Paiva
Bradley Page
Cinematography Bud Thackery
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release date
  • October 17, 1942 (1942-10-17) [1]
Running time
12 chapters (196 minutes) [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$136,320 (negative cost: $139,422) [1]

King of the Mounties is a 1942 Republic 12-chapter film serial, directed by William Witney. Allan Lane played Sgt. Dave King of the Mounties, with Peggy Drake as heroine Carol Brent, and Abner Biberman played the villainous Japanese admiral Yamata.

Contents

Plot

Canada is being bombed mercilessly by a mysterious plane, which is shaped like a boomerang, and is dubbed the Falcon. The plane is under the command of Japanese admiral Yamata. The identity of the plane remains a mystery until Professor Marshall Brent and his daughter Carol arrive with a new type of airplane detector. The Axis forces are planning a Canadian invasion, and feeling that Professor Brent poses a threat to their plan, they kidnap him. RCMP Sergeant Dave King attempts a rescue, but the professor is killed when the plane in which he is held captive crashes into a riverboat.

Carol Brent, determined to carry on her father's work, manages with Sergeant King's help to prevent the Axis spies from capturing the device her father invented. When the spy ring makes a last desperate attempt to capture the device from the cabin in which she is hiding out, she destroys it rather than let it fall into enemy hands. She is kidnapped and taken to a volcanic crater, where the spy ring has its headquarters. Rescuing her is up to King.

Cast

Production

King of the Mounties was budgeted at $136,320 although the final negative cost was $139,422 (a $3,102, or 2.3%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1942. [1]

It was filmed between June 23 and July 17, 1942 under several working titles: King of the Royal Mounted Rides Again, King of the Royal Mounted Strikes Again, King of the Royal Mounted Strikes Back and King of the Northwest Mounted Strikes Again. [1] The serial's production number was 1195. [1]

Republic liked calling their heroes "King" in order to use the title "King of..." The studio had found success with this naming scheme following the adaptation of Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted . [2] [3]

The first reel of Chapter 3 was considered lost. However, the serial was recently restored by SerialSquadron.com, with added sound as well as subtitles in the spots where the soundtrack was missing. The restored serial has now been made available on DVD by Serial Squadron. [4]

Release

Theatrical

King of the Mounties' official release date is 17 October 1942, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. [1]

Chapter titles

  1. Phantom Invaders (24min 10s)
  2. Road to Death (15min 33s)
  3. Human Target (15min 42s)
  4. Railroad Saboteurs (15min 36s)
  5. Suicide Dive (15min 34s)
  6. Blazing Barrier (15min 33s)
  7. Perilous Plunge (15min 34s)
  8. Electrocuted (15min 40s)
  9. Reign of Terror (15min 32s)
  10. The Flying Coffin (15min 35s)
  11. Deliberate Murder (15min 32s)
  12. On to Victory (15min 32s)

Source: [1] [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Masked Marvel</i> 1943 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Masked Marvel (1943) is a 12-chapter film serial created by Republic Pictures, who produced many other well known serials. It was Republic's thirty-first serial, of the sixty-six they produced.

<i>The Great Alaskan Mystery</i> 1944 film by Ray Taylor, Lewis D. Collins

The Great Alaskan Mystery is a 1944 Universal film serial about government agents trying to stop Nazi spies from getting their hands on futuristic weapons.

<i>The Fighting Devil Dogs</i> 1938 American film

The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938) is a 12-chapter Republic movie serial starring Lee Powell and Herman Brix, the latter better known by his later stage name, Bruce Bennett. It was directed by William Witney and John English. While not often considered a great serial, as it contains much stock footage and two recap chapters, it is famous for its main villain, the Lightning—the first costumed supervillain. There is some speculation that George Lucas used the Lightning as a template for Darth Vader.

<i>The Tiger Woman</i> (1944 film) 1944 film by Wallace Grissell, Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Tiger Woman (1944) is a 12-chapter film serial by Republic Pictures starring Allan Lane and Linda Stirling. The serial was re-released in 1951 under the title Perils of the Darkest Jungle and, in 1966, it was edited into the 100-minute Century-66 film Jungle Gold.

<i>Adventures of Red Ryder</i> 1940 film by John English, William Witney

The Adventures of Red Ryder is a 1940 American 12-chapter movie serial from Republic Pictures, directed by William Witney and John English and starring Don "Red" Barry and Noah Beery, Sr., based on the Western comic strip Red Ryder by Fred Harmon. This serial is the 18th of the 66 serials produced by Republic.

<i>King of the Royal Mounted</i> (serial) 1940 film by John English, William Witney

King of the Royal Mounted (1940) is a Republic Pictures northern serial based on the King of the Royal Mounted comic strip directed by William Witney and John English.

<i>Darkest Africa</i> 1936 American film

Darkest Africa (1936) is a Republic movie serial. This was the first serial produced by Republic Pictures and was a loose sequel to a Mascot Pictures serial called The Lost Jungle, also starring Clyde Beatty. Mascot, and other companies, had been taken over in 1935 by Consolidated Film Laboratories and merged to become Republic. Producer Nat Levine was formerly the owner of Mascot Pictures.

<i>Dick Tracy Returns</i> 1938 American film

Dick Tracy Returns (1938) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty-six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial Dick Tracy, with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the title character. It was successful enough that two further sequels were released in 1939 and 1941, and Byrd become so connected with the character he went on to play him in a subsequent television series.

<i>Spy Smasher</i> (serial) 1942 film by William Witney

Spy Smasher is a 12-episode 1942 Republic serial film based on the Fawcett Comics character Spy Smasher which is now a part of DC Comics. It was the 25th of the 66 serials produced by Republic. The serial was directed by William Witney with Kane Richmond and Marguerite Chapman as the leads. The serial was Chapman's big break into a career in film and television. Spy Smasher is a very highly regarded serial. In 1966, a television film was made from the serial footage under the title Spy Smasher Returns.

<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>Daredevils of the West</i> 1943 film

Daredevils of the West is an American Western movie serial consisting of 12 chapters, released by Republic Pictures in 1943 starring Allan Lane and Kay Aldridge. The plot involves a gang of land-grabbers who try to prevent safe passage of the Foster Stage Company through frontier territory. There are similarities of style with other Republic serials released during wartime, such as King of the Mounties and The Masked Marvel.

<i>Secret Service in Darkest Africa</i> 1943 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Secret Service in Darkest Africa is a 1943 Republic serial. It was Republic's 30th serial, of the 66 produced by the studio.

<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>King of the Forest Rangers</i> 1946 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet, Fred C. Brannon

King of the Forest Rangers (1946) is a Republic 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>Dangers of the Canadian Mounted</i> 1948 film by Fred C. Brannon, Yakima Canutt

Dangers of the Canadian Mounted is a 1948 Northern Republic film serial.

<i>Flying Disc Man from Mars</i> 1950 film by Fred C. Brannon

Flying Disc Man from Mars is a 1950 Republic Pictures 12-chapter black-and-white science fiction adventure film serial, produced by Franklin Adreon, directed by Fred C. Brannon, that stars Walter Reed, Lois Collier, Gregory Gaye, James Craven, Harry Lauter, and Richard Irving. Disc Man is considered a weak example of the serial medium, even compared to other post-World War II serials. In 1958 Republic edited the serial's 167 minutes of footage into a 75-minute feature, released under the new title Missile Monsters.

<i>Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders</i> 1953 film by Franklin Adreon

Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders (1953) is a Republic Movie serial starring Bill Henry and both produced and directed by Franklin Adreon. It was the sixty-second serial produced by Republic. Despite the title, this is not a science fiction serial. The plot is a northern Cold War adventure involving secret missile bases and a planned invasion of the United States.

<i>Perils of the Royal Mounted</i> 1942 American film

Perils of the Royal Mounted is a 1942 American Northern film. It was the 18th serial released by Columbia Pictures. It starred Robert Kellard as the hero, Sgt. Mack MacLane of the Royal Mounties, and Kenneth MacDonald as Mort Ramsome, the head villain. It also co-starred Nell O'Day, Iron Eyes Cody, Kermit Maynard and I. Stanford Jolley.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mathis, Jack. Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 64–65. ISBN   0-9632878-1-8.
  2. ↑ Harmon, Jim; Donald F. Glut (197). "11. New Masks for New Heroes "Get That Masked Trouble Maker"". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. Routledge. p. 283. ISBN   978-0-7130-0097-9.
  3. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "2. In Search of Ammunition". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 23. ISBN   0-7864-0471-X.
  4. ↑ "Mountie Cliffhangers".
  5. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 234. ISBN   0-7864-0471-X.
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.