Trader Tom of the China Seas

Last updated

Trader Tom of the China Seas
Tradertomposter.JPG
Directed by Franklin Adreon
Written by Ronald Davidson
Produced by Franklin Adreon
Starring Harry Lauter
Aline Towne
Lyle Talbot
Robert Shayne
Fred Graham
Richard Reeves
John Crawford
George Selk
Cinematography Bud Thackery
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release dates
  • January 6, 1954 (1954-01-06)(U.S. serial) [1]
  • 1966 (1966)(U.S. TV) [1]
Running time
12 chapters (167 minutes (serial) [1]
100 minutes (TV) [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$172,789 (negative cost: $169,248) [1]

Trader Tom of the China Seas is a 1954 Republic film serial directed by Franklin Adreon and starring Harry Lauter, Aline Towne, Lyle Talbot, Robert Shayne, Fred Graham, and Richard Reeves. In 1966 the serial was edited into Century 66 100-minute television film with the new title Target: Sea of China.

Contents

Plot

The United Nations has island trader Tom Rogers and Vivian Wells, daughter of a schooner captain, spearheading the effort to keep subversive native groups from starting revolutions in Burmatra and neighboring Asian countries.

Cast

Production

Trader Tom of the China Seas was budgeted at $172,789 although the final negative cost was $169,248 (a $3,541, or 2%, under spend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1954. [1] It was filmed between 8 September and 28 September 1953. [1] The serial's production number was 1937. [1]

Stunts

Special Effects

Special effects were created by the Lydecker brothers.

Release

Theatrical

Trader Tom of the China Seas's official release date is 11 January 1954, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. [1] This was followed by a re-release of Secret Service in Darkest Africa , re-titled as Manhunt in the African Jungles, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Man with the Steel Whip , followed in the summer. [1]

Television

Trader Tom of the China Seas was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a Century 66 film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Target: Sea of China. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length. [1]

Critical reception

Cline describes this serial as just a "quickie." [2]

Chapter titles

  1. Sea Saboteurs (20min)
  2. Death Takes the Deck (13min 20s)
  3. Five Fathoms Down (13min 20s)
  4. On Target (13min 20s)
  5. The Fire Ship (13min 20s)
  6. Collision (13min 20s)
  7. War in the Hills (13min 20s)
  8. Native Execution (13min 20s)
  9. Mass Attack (13min 20s)
  10. Machine Murder (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
  11. Underwater Ambush (13min 20s)
  12. Twisted Vengeance (13min 20s)

Source: [1] [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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>Zombies of the Stratosphere</i> 1952 serial film directed by Fred C. Brannon

Zombies of the Stratosphere is a 1952 black and white Republic Studios serial directed by Fred C. Brannon, with a screenplay by Ronald Davidson, and special effects by Republic's Lydecker brothers. It was intended to be Republic's second serial featuring "new hero" Commando Cody and the third 12-chapter serial featuring the rocket-powered flying jacket and helmet introduced in King of the Rocket Men (1949). Instead, for reasons unknown, the hero was renamed "Larry Martin", who must prevent Martian invaders from using a hydrogen bomb to blow Earth out of its orbit, so that the Martians can move a dying Mars into a much closer orbital position to the Sun. As in Radar Men from the Moon, much of the screen time for each of the dozen chapters is spent on fistfights and car chases between the heroes and a gang of earthly crooks hired by renegade scientist Dr. Harding and his extraterrestrial colleague Marex to steal and stockpile the Atomic supplies needed for construction of the H-bomb.

<i>Manhunt of Mystery Island</i> 1945 film

Manhunt of Mystery Island is a 1945 science fiction movie serial. It was the thirty-sixth serial produced by Republic Pictures and the first released in 1945.

<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>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>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>The Black Widow</i> (serial) 1947 serial film by Fred C. Brannon and Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Black Widow (1947) is a thirteen-chapter Republic serial film.

<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>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>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>The Invisible Monster</i> 1950 film by Fred C. Brannon

The Invisible Monster is a 1950 Republic film serial, starring Richard Webb and Aline Towne.

<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>Jungle Drums of Africa</i> 1953 film by Fred C. Brannon

Jungle Drums of Africa is a 1953 12-episode American serial film shot in black-and-white. It was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic Pictures. The story is set in Kenya, and involves the efforts of an American uranium processing company's representative and a woman medical missionary, to thwart the efforts of agents of a "foreign power", abetted by a disaffected native witchdoctor, to gain control of a large uranium deposit on lands owned by the latter's tribe. This serial features black American actors in major roles, including that of a college-educated chieftain.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 136–137. ISBN   0-9632878-1-8.
  2. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "5. A Cheer for the Champions (The Heroes and Heroines)". In the Nick of Time . McFarland & Company, Inc. pp.  91. ISBN   0-7864-0471-X.
  3. ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time . McFarland & Company, Inc. pp.  255–256. 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.