FIGHTING DEVIL DOGS (1938 serial)

This adventure serial tries to pass itself off as full of military action–in addition to the title, it's dedicated to the United States Marines, "vigilant guardians of our flag"—but though the two heroes are Marines, they might as well be private eyes or soldiers of fortune for all it matters to the plot. In China, Lt. Corby (Herman Brix, later known as Bruce Bennett) and Lt. Grayson (Lee Powell, both pictured at right) are sent to save some Americans stuck in Lingchuria during an attack by the Japanese. On the way, in the serial's most effective scene, they come across a fort filled with dead bodies (think the opening of Beau Geste or the 1994 miniseries of The Stand). Even the flies are dead. It would appear that everyone died of electrocution, but how? Soon they find out: massive fireballs come out of the sky, hitting the building and killing the Marines still inside. Back in the States, Grayson winds up charged with negligence in their deaths, but a similar attack occurs in San Diego at the laboratory of Dr. Warfield. Warfield escapes but Grayson's father is killed. Now the search for the villain who is using these electrified torpedoes known as Thunderbolts is personal… This 12-chapter serial is slightly better than average, mostly due to an interesting story and the changes of locale, from China to San Diego to Gehorda Island, out past Hawaii. The costumed villain, the Lightning (pictured below) is nothing special, but it has often been speculated that his costume may have inspired George Lucas in the creation of Darth Vader. There are way too many lurking background characters who might be the Lightning, and they're all too obviously red herrings, but when he is unmasked in the last chapter, it's a good reveal. 

It takes eleven chapters for someone to finally state the obvious: that with all the leaks of information, someone in the inner circle of good guys must be a bad guy. There's a variety of cliffhangers: a car chase on a cliff, a flaming torpedo headed for a dirigible, a building on fire, a shark in the ocean, and a locked room filling up with carbon monoxide. A few too many scenes consist obviously of stock footage or scenes from other Republic serials, including the flying Wing plane which is right out of a Dick Tracy serial. Two of the twelve chapters are mostly recaps, equivalent to TV series clip shows. Serials are no better than their heroes and these two are pretty good. Lee Powell (Grayson) and Herman Brix, later known as Bruce Bennett (Corby) are handsome and energetic, with Powell–who died in the war–more the focus than Brix. You may notice I haven’t mentioned a femme interest yet. That’s because Eleanor Stewart is terrible as Warfield's daughter; thankfully, she hasn't much to do, never becoming integral to the plot, and never striking sparks with either hero. Of the large supporting cast, only Perry Ivins stands out as a scientist named Crenshaw—he is so very creepy and suspicious, you know he can't possibly be a bad guy. He also, in a very deus ex machina move, comes up with a weapon in Chapter 11 to stop the Thunderbolts. A little shaggy around the edges but mostly good fun (and good fisticuffs). [DVD]