Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island

Last updated

Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island
Poster of the movie Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island.jpg
Directed by Ray Taylor
Mack V. Wright
Written by Morgan Cox
Maurice Geraghty
Barry Shipman
Produced by Nat Levine
Sol C. Siegel
Starring Ray Mala
Mamo Clark
Herbert Rawlinson
William Newell
John Ward
John Dilson
Selmer Jackson
John Picorri
CinematographyEdgar Lyons
William Nobles
Edited byHelene Turner
William Witney
Music by Hugo Riesenfeld
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release date
  • November 14, 1936 (1936-11-14)(serial)
Running time
14 chapters (256 minutes) (serial)
71 minutes (feature)
6 26½-minute episodes (TV)
100 minutes (TV movie) [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$106,779 (negative cost: $111,848) [1]
Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island, Chapter 1: The Mysterious Island

Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (1936) is a Republic movie serial starring Ray Mala. It was the fourth of the 66 serials produced by Republic and the last (of four) to be released in 1936. Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island is notable for being the first Republic serial to contain another common aspect of serials—a Re-Cap Chapter, similar to a clipshow in modern television, whereby the events of the previous chapters are repeated via clips (in order to save money). Contrary to popular belief, this was not the invention of the concept, which had been routinely used in serial production before the release of this serial. The serial was edited into the film Robinson Crusoe of Mystery Island, which was released in 1966.

Contents

Plot

Agent Mala, an intelligence operative, investigates sabotage on the remote Clipper Island. A gang of spies causes the eruption of a volcano, for which Mala is blamed. He convinces the native Princess Melani of his innocence and helps her ward off a takeover by rival high priest and spy collaborator Porotu and discover the identity of spy ringleader H.K.

Cast

Production

The serial was budgeted at $106,779 although the final negative cost was $111,848 (a $5,069, or 4.7%, overspend). It was filmed between August 31 and September 25, 1936, under the working title Robinson Crusoe. The serial's production number was 419. This serial has very little to do with Robinson Crusoe . [1] [2]

Special effects

The special effects were created by John T. Coyle and the Lydecker brothers.

Chapter titles

Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island is the only 14-chapter sound serial. [1] [3]

  1. The Mysterious Island (31 min 21s)
  2. Flaming Danger (20 min 46s)
  3. Fathoms Below (18 min 03s)
  4. Into the Enemy's Camp (17 min 27s)
  5. Danger in the Air (17 min 41s)
  6. The God of the Volcano (17 min 19s)
  7. Trail's End (15 min 41s)
  8. The Jaws of the Beast (16 min 17s)
  9. The Cave of the Winds (17 min 22s)
  10. Wings of Fury (16 min 29s)
  11. Agents of Disaster (16 min 22s) -- Re-Cap Chapter
  12. The Sea Trap (16 min 41s)
  13. Mutiny (18 min 35s)
  14. Thunder Mountain (16 min 21s)

Source: [1] [4]

Cliffhangers

  1. The burning mainmast of the Tuloa falls on Mala.
  2. Mala is captured by natives and forced to fall into a volcano.
  3. While diving, and with the ship above being shelled by a submarine, Mala begins to suffocate.
  4. Mala and Lamar are caught in the explosion of an overheated boiler.
  5. The plane carrying Mala crashes into the Pacific Ocean.
  6. Mala and Melani are caught in a landslide caused by an earthquake.
  7. While escaping from aggressive natives, Mala and Melani slip off a cliff.
  8. With his vine cut, Mala falls into alligator-infested water.
  9. While scaling a cliff, Mala is shot at and falls.
  10. Struggling with the pilot of a biplane causes it to crash into the Pacific Ocean.
  11. Mala's car is forced off the road and over an embankment.
  12. Mala and Melani, escaping in a motorboat, are shot at by a cannon.
  13. Mala is caught by gas aboard an airship, which begins to crash.

Note: Many of the resolutions of these cliffhangers are "cheats": When the event is repeated at the start of a new chapter, there is a crucial and sometimes obvious difference from what was shown at the end of the preceding chapter.

See also

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>Undersea Kingdom</i> 1936 American film

Undersea Kingdom (1936) is a Republic Pictures 12 chapter film serial released in response to Universal's Flash Gordon. It was the second of the sixty-six serials made by Republic. In 1966, the serial was edited into a 100-minute television film titled Sharad of Atlantis.

<i>Mysterious Doctor Satan</i> 1940 film by John English, William Witney

Mysterious Doctor Satan is a 1940 American film serial directed by William Witney and John English. Produced by Republic Pictures, the serial stars Edward Ciannelli, Robert Wilcox, William Newell, C. Montague Shaw, Ella Neal, and Dorothy Herbert. The title of the serial is derived from that of its chief villain.

<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>Jungle Girl</i> (serial) 1941 film by John English, William Witney

Jungle Girl is a 1941 15-chapter Republic serial starring Frances Gifford. It was directed by William Witney and John English based on the novel Jungle Girl (1932) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the 22nd of the 66 serials produced by Republic.

<i>Dick Tracys G-Men</i> 1939 film by John English, William Witney

Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939) is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by William Witney and John English.

<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>The Lone Ranger</i> (serial) Film series

The Lone Ranger is a 1938 American Republic Pictures movie serial based on The Lone Ranger radio program. It was the ninth of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic, the fourth Western and the first Republic serial release of 1938. The following year a sequel serial The Lone Ranger Rides Again was released. The fifteen chapters of the serial were condensed into the film Hi-Yo Silver, which was released in 1940.

<i>Hawk of the Wilderness</i> 1938 American film

Hawk of the Wilderness (1938) is a Republic movie serial based on the Kioga adventure novels written by pulp writer William L. Chester (1907–1971). Kioga was a Tarzanesque white child raised on a lost island in the Arctic Circle, somewhere in northern Siberia, which was heated by thermal springs and unknown currents. Chester wrote four Kioga novels. The first, Hawk of the Wilderness (1935), was the one that was filmed as the 12-part 1938 Republic serial. (The other novels in the series were Kioga of the Wilderness, One Against a Wilderness and Kioga of the Unknown Land.

<i>The Lone Ranger Rides Again</i> 1939 film serial directed by William Witney and John English

The Lone Ranger Rides Again is a 1939 American Republic serial. It was a sequel to Republic's 1938 serial The Lone Ranger, which had been highly successful, and the thirteenth of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic.

<i>King of the Texas Rangers</i> 1941 film by John English, William Witney

King of the Texas Rangers (1941) is a Republic film serial. Set in the years prior to America entering World War II, the plot is slightly anachronistic in that the serial features a mix of period western and modern elements, which was not unknown in the B-Western films also produced by Republic. Although the serial's plot involves cowboys battling Axis agents in Texas, Nazis are never named as such, but their presence is strongly implied within the serial.

<i>Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.</i> 1941 film by John English, William Witney

Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was directed by the team of William Witney and John English with Ralph Byrd reprising his role from the earlier serials. It was the last of the four Dick Tracy serials produced by Republic, although Ralph Byrd went on to portray the character again in two features and on television.

<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>King of the Mounties</i> 1942 film by William Witney

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.

<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>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>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.

<i>Brick Bradford</i> (serial) 1947 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet, Thomas Carr

Brick Bradford (1947) was the 35th serial released by Columbia Pictures. It was based on the comic strip Brick Bradford, which was created by Clarence Gray and William Ritt.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Mathis 1995. pp. 3, 10, 18–19.
  2. 1 2 Harmon and Glut 1973, p. 327.
  3. ↑ Cline 1984, p. 37.
  4. ↑ Cline 1984. p. 216.

Bibliography

  • Cline, William C. "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. Jefferson, North Carolina" McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. ISBN   0-7864-0471-X.
  • Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. "13". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. London: Routledge, 1973. ISBN   978-0-7130-0097-9.
  • Mathis, Jack. Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Barrington, Illinois: Jack Mathis Advertising, 1995. ISBN   0-9632878-1-8.
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.