Adventures of the Flying Cadets 1943 N/R, 170 min. Genre: Adventure
Director: Lewis D. Collins, Ray Taylor Cast: Johnny Downs, Bobby Jordan, Ward Wood, William "Billy" Benedict, Eduardo Ciannelli, Regis Toomey, Robert Armstrong, Jennifer Holt, Charles Trowbridge, Joseph Crehan, Addison Richards, Philip Van Zandt
This 13-episode war adventure centers on flying students who are suspects in a series of murders when they are set up by a Nazi agent known as "The Black Hangman." It is the agent who murdered members of an expedition in order to keep secret the location of a helium deposit in Africa. Our flying heroes are determined to clear their names, and those Nazis better watch out.
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Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie 1941 N/R, 57 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, Nell O'Day, Kathryn Adams, Lee Shumway, Harry Cording, Jack Rockwell, Ernie Adams, Ed Cassidy, Pat J. O'Brien, Jim Corey, William Desmond
After Joe's (Johnny Mack Brown) brother is murdered by a gang of claim jumpers, he sets out to extract revenge.
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Chandu on the Magic Island 1935 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Adventure
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Bela Lugosi, Maria Alba, Murdock MacQuarrie, Josef Swickard, Dean Benton, Jack Clark, Clara Kimball Young, Phyllis Ludwig, Wilfred Lucas, Louise Emmons, Jack Clark, Clarence Kolb
Chandu (Bela Lugosi) is back when an Egyptian Princess is on the verge of being sacrificed by the cult of Ubasti. While on the trail, Chandu is shipwrecked on an island where he and his group are held prisoner for eventual sacrifice. What is a magician to do?
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Dick Tracy 1937 N/R, 290 min. Genre: Action / Drama / Mystery
Director: Alan James, Ray Taylor Cast: Ralph Byrd, Carleton Young, Kay Hughes, Lee Van Atta, Smiley Burnette, Francis X. Bushman, John Holland, John Dilson, John Picorri, Richard Beach, Fred Hamilton, Wedgwood Nowell, Byron Foulger, Ed "Oscar" Platt, Lou Fulton
In this, the first of four serials, Ralph Byrd plays Dick Tracy who is on the trail of a mysterious criminal, "The Spider." The Spider has captured Tracy's brother (Carleton Young) and tries to turn the brother against Tracy. This film contains some good action sequences in its 15 episodes.
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Flaming Frontiers 1938 N/R, 225 min. Genre: Western
Director: Alan James, Ray Taylor Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Eleanor Hansen, John Archer, William Royle, Charles Stevens, Charles Middleton, James Blaine, Jack Rutherford, Eddy Waller, Ed Cassidy, Karl Hackett, Chief Thundercloud
Tom (John Archer) has found gold, and the bad guys, led by Bart (James Blaine), want it. They frame Tom for murder, and now it's up to Indian scout Tex (Johnny Mack Brown) to come to Tom's and his sister's (Eleanor Hansen) aid. Tex must deal with one problem after another in this 15-episode serial.
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Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe 1940 N/R, 225 min. Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Director: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor Cast: Buster Crabbe, Carol Hughes, Charles Middleton, Anne Gwynne, Frank Shannon, John Hamilton, Herbert Rawlinson, Shirley Deane, Lee Powell, Roland Drew, Tom Chatterton, Don Rowan, Ben Taggart, Victor Zimmerman, Edgar Edwards
Flash Gordon (Buster Crabbe) is back in action in this 12-episode serial as the "Purple Death," a lethal plague, hits Earth. Flash's nemesis, Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) of the planet Mong, is behind it. So, Flash and friends return to Mong seeking the antidote. Of course, the powers of Ming will make that difficult.
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Law of the Lash 1947 N/R, 53 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Lash La Rue, Al St. John, Lee Roberts, Mary Scott, Jack O'Shea, Charles King, Carl Mathews, John Elliott, Slim Whitaker, Richard Cramer
This film began the series of the whip-wielding, black-clad Marshal, Cheyenne (Lash La Rue), and his sidekick Fuzzy (Al St. John). In this episode, Cheyenne comes to the aid of Jane (Mary Scott) when a gang member steals her ring. Cheyenne follows the gang member and captures the rest of the gang.
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Lost City of the Jungle 1946 N/R, 175 min. Genre: Action / Adventure
Director: Lewis D. Collins, Ray Taylor Cast: Russell Hayden, Jane(2) Adams, Lionel Atwill, Keye Luke, Helen Bennett, Ted Hecht, John Eldredge, John Mylong, John Miljan, John Gallaudet, George Lynn, Dick Curtis, Arthur Space, Gene Roth
In this 13-episode serial set in the jungles of the Himalayas, Sir Eric Hazarias (Lionel Atwill) searches for the antidote for the atomic bomb that will allow him to rule the world. (Midway through the serial, the power behind Hazarias' scheme, Malborn (John Mylong), takes over since Atwill was dying of cancer.) But United Peace Foundation investigator Rod (Russell Hayden), along with his daughter (Jane Adams) and guide (Keye Luke), intends to save the world by putting an end to the scheme.
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The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen 1937 N/R, 60 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Tex Ritter, Iris Meredith, Horace Murphy, Charles King, Earl Dwire, Forrest Taylor, Joseph W. Girard, Lafe McKee, Hank Worden, Jack C. Smith
When a group of hooded outlaws terrorize the area, Tex, between songs, comes to the rescue–but not before some adventures.
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The Painted Stallion 1937 N/R, 210 min. Genre: Western
Director: Alan James, Ray Taylor, William Witney Cast: Ray Corrigan, Hoot Gibson, LeRoy Mason, Duncan Renaldo, Sammy McKim, Hal Taliaferro, Jack Perrin, Ed "Oscar" Platt, Lou Fulton, Jean Carmen, Yakima Canutt, George DeNormand
This 12-chapter Serial is entertaining, if you are into old Westerns. U.S. agent Clark Stewart (Ray Corrigan) is sent to Santa Fe to complete a trade agreement with Mexico. Meanwhile, Walter Jamison (Hoot Gibson) leads a wagon train West to Santa Fe with passengers that are hoping to take advantage of the agreement. But the evil governor of Santa Fe (Alfredo Dupray) attempts to undermine the negotiations AND stop the wagon train from arriving. Throughout the journey, a mysterious rider on a beautiful, painted stallion shoots whistling arrows to protect the wagon train passengers. Plenty of action, and old West heroes such as Kit Carson, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie add to the festivities.
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Rawhide 1938 N/R, 58 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Smith Ballew, Lou Gehrig, Evalyn Knapp, Arthur Loft, Cy Kendall, Dick Curtis, Si Jenks, Carl Stockdale, Lafe McKee, Slim Whitaker
Baseball great Lou Gehrig makes his one-and-only screen appearance as he retires from baseball in favor of the peaceful life of a rancher. But peace is not in the cards, since a dastardly group of men harass him and the other ranchers into selling their land. But Lou and lawyer Larry (Smith Ballew) lead the charge against the conniving cads. AND, along the way, Larry warbles a few songs.
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Rawhide Rangers 1941 N/R, 56 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, Kathryn Adams, Nell O'Day, Riley Hill, Harry Cording, Al Bridge, Frank Shannon, Ed Cassidy, Bob Cortman, Chester Gan, Jim Farley
A gang is successful in extorting money from the local ranchers until Brand's (Johnny Mack Brown) brother is killed by gang members. Brand quits the Texas Rangers and becomes an outlaw himself, gaining enough success to be noticed by the gang. Yes, he is actually undercover and brings the bad guys to justice.
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The Return of Chandu 1934 N/R, 65 min. Genre: Action
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Bela Lugosi, Maria Alba, Lucien Prival, Clara Kimball Young, Bryant Washburn, Dean Benton, Phyllis Ludwig, Cyril Armbrister, Elias Lazaroff, Dick Botiller
This is another episode in the low-budget exploits of Chandu the Magician as White Magic fights Black Magic. Chandu (Bela Lugosi) sets out to rescue the Egyptian Princess who is on the verge of being sacrificed by the cult of Ubasti. This feature-length film from a 12-episode serial is one of several popular in this time frame–so bad that they are actually fun to watch.
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Riders of Death Valley 1941 N/R, 280 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor Cast: Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo, Buck Jones, Charles Bickford, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Lon Chaney Jr., Noah Beery Jr., Jean Brooks, Monte Blue, Glenn Strange, Roy Barcroft, Jack Rockwell
This 15-episode serial was one of the higher-budgeted Westerns of its day, with several well-known actors of that era. A vigilante group led by Jim Benton (Dick Foran) is formed to protect miners from scheming men who want to grab their land. One long chase, it seems, with plenty of cliffhangers.
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Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island 1937 N/R, 260 min. Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance
Director: Ray Taylor, Mack V. Wright Cast: Mala, Mamo Clark, Herbert Rawlinson, William Newell, John Ward, Selmer Jackson, John Dilson, John Picorri, George Chesebro, Bob Kortman, George Cleveland, Lloyd Whitlock, Tracy Roebuck, Herbert Weber, Anthony Pawley
A U.S. Intelligence Agency sends Agent Mala (Mala) to a South Pacific island to investigate the destruction of a dirigible, which had stopped for refueling. Mala finds that spies on the island are using their technology to cause volcanic eruptions to keep the natives in line while they do their spy work. A 14-episode serial.
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Sky Raiders 1941 N/R, 230 min. Genre: Action
Director: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor Cast: Donald Woods, Billy Halop, Reed Hadley, Roy Gordon, John Holland, Irving Mitchell, Robert Armstrong, Eduardo Ciannelli, Alex Callam, Kathryn Adams, Jacqueline Dalya, Jean Fenwick
In this 12-episode serial, a new, top secret fighter plane is nearing completion and ready for testing. But there are plenty of enemy agents who have designs on the plane.
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Tailspin Tommy and the Great Air Mystery 1935 N/R, 220 min. Genre: Adventure aka: The Great Air Mystery
Director: Ray Taylor Cast: Clark Williams, Jean Rogers, Delphine Drew, Noah Beery Jr., Bryant Washburn, Pat J. O'Brien, Herbert Heywood, Matthew Betz, Harry Worth, Manuel Lopez, Charles A. Browne, James P. Burtis
Despite anti-aircraft fire, bombs, and a volcano, Tailspin Tommy Tompkins (Clark Williams) and pal Skeeter Milligan (Noah Beery Jr.) prevent rebels from taking over a Latin American country's oil reserves. A 12-part serial for the 1930s' Saturday matinees.
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The Vigilantes Are Coming 1936 N/R, 226 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ray Taylor, Mack V. Wright Cast: Robert Livingston, Fred Kohler, Kay Hughes, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Raymond Hatton, Robert Warwick, William Farnum, Bob Kortman, John Merton, Lloyd Ingraham, William Desmond, Yakima Canutt
Russians, under the leadership of General Burr (Fred Kohler), set out to colonize California using Cossack soldiers. But, there is resistance out there in the person of a church organist (Don Loring) who dons a black mask, calls himself "The Eagle," and leads a gang of misfits in pursuit of the Russians. There are plenty of cliffhangers in this 12-episode serial.
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Winners of the West 1940 N/R, 250 min. Genre: Western
Director: Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor Cast: Dick Foran, Anne Nagel, James Craig, Tom Fadden, Harry Woods, Charles Stevens, Trevor Bardette, Edward Keane, Edgar Edwards, Edmund Cobb, William Desmond, Roy Barcroft
In this 13-episode serial, railroad executive Jeff Ramsay (Dick Foran) attempts to run the rail line through Hell Gate's Pass. But there are bad guys who intend to block those efforts–including the use of Indians to raid workers' camps.
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| 1. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (1943)
2. Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie (1941)
3. Chandu on the Magic Island (1935)
4. Dick Tracy (1937)
5. Flaming Frontiers (1938)
6. Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
7. Law of the Lash (1947)
8. Lost City of the Jungle (1946)
9. The Mystery of the Hooded Horsemen (1937)
10. The Painted Stallion (1937)
11. Rawhide (1938)
12. Rawhide Rangers (1941)
13. The Return of Chandu (1934)
14. Riders of Death Valley (1941)
15. Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island (1937)
16. Sky Raiders (1941)
17. Tailspin Tommy and the Great Air Mystery (1935) aka: The Great Air Mystery
18. The Vigilantes Are Coming (1936)
19. Winners of the West (1940)
In The News
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