Flash Gordon (serial)
Encyclopedia
Flash Gordon is a 1936 science fiction
film serial. Told in 13 installments, it was the first screen adventure for the comic-strip character Flash Gordon, and tells the story of his first visit to the planet Mongo
and his encounter with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless
. Buster Crabbe
, Jean Rogers
, Charles B. Middleton
, Priscilla Lawson
and Frank Shannon
played the central roles. In 1996, Flash Gordon was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
A lot of props and other elements were recycled from earlier Universal productions. The watchtower from Frankenstein
(1931) appeared as Zarkov's base. The Egyptian idol from The Mummy
(1932) became the idol of the Great God Tao. Shots of Earth from space came from The Invisible Ray (1936). The Rocket Ships were reused from Just Imagine
(1930). Ming's attack on Earth used footage from old silent newsreels. An entire dance segment from The Midnight Sun (1927) was used. A laboratory comes from Bride of Frankenstein
. The music was recycled from several other films.
Exterior shots, such as the crew from Earth's first steps on Mongo, were filmed at Bronson Canyon
.
Crash Corrigan, who would later be the lead in other serials, wore a modified gorilla suit as the "Orangapoid".
Flash Gordon was intended to regain an adult audience for serials. It was shown in 'A' Theaters in large cities across the United States. Many newspapers, including some not carrying the Flash Gordon comic strip, contained half and three-quarter page feature stories in their entertainment pages with Alex Raymond drawings and stills from the serial.
Flash Gordon was the first outright science fiction serial, although earlier serials had contained science fiction elements such as gadgets. Six of the fourteen science fiction serials were released within five years of Flash Gordon.
The serial film was subsequently released as a 97 minute feature named Rocket Ship. Alternate titles for this film include Spaceship to the Unknown and Atomic Rocketship. The TV version was named Space Soldiers.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film serial. Told in 13 installments, it was the first screen adventure for the comic-strip character Flash Gordon, and tells the story of his first visit to the planet Mongo
Mongo (planet)
Mongo is a fictional planet where the comic strip of Flash Gordon take place. It is ruled by a usurper named Ming the Merciless, who governs with an iron hand....
and his encounter with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless
Ming the Merciless
Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation.- First appearance :...
. Buster Crabbe
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
, Jean Rogers
Jean Rogers
Jean Rogers was an American actress. She portrayed Dale Arden in two of the three Flash Gordon serials.-Early life:...
, Charles B. Middleton
Charles B. Middleton
Charles B. Middleton was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, Charles Middleton appeared in nearly two hundred films as well as numerous plays...
, Priscilla Lawson
Priscilla Lawson
Priscilla Lawson , born Priscilla Shortridge, was an American actress known for her role as Princess Aura in the original Flash Gordon serial ....
and Frank Shannon
Frank Shannon
Francis Connolly Shannon , better known as Frank Shannon, was an Irish-born actor and writer.A stage actor and silent film pioneer, Shannon made his screen debut in 1913's The Artist's Joke. He later appeared in dozens of films through the mid-1920s, including The Prisoner of Zenda and Monsieur...
played the central roles. In 1996, Flash Gordon was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Synopsis
- The Planet of Peril
- The planet Mongo is on a collision course with Earth. Dr. Alexis Zarkov takes off in a rocket ship to Mongo, with Flash Gordon and Dale Arden as his assistants. They find that the planet is ruled by the cruel Emperor Ming, who lusts after Dale and sends Flash to fight in the arena. Ming's daughter, Princess Aura, tries to spare Flash's life.
- The Tunnel of Terror
- Aura helps Flash to escape as Zarkov is put to work in Ming's laboratory and Dale is prepared for her wedding to Ming. Flash meets Prince Thun, leader of the Lion Men, and the pair return to the palace to rescue Dale.
- Captured by Shark Men
- Flash stops the wedding ceremony, but he and Dale are captured by King Kala, ruler of the Shark Men and a loyal follower of Ming. At Ming's order, Kala forces Flash to fight with a giant octosak in a chamber filling with water.
- Battling the Sea Beast
- Aura and Thun rescue Flash from the octosak. Trying to keep Flash away from Dale, Aura destroys the mechanisms that regulate the underwater city.
- The Destroying Ray
- Flash, Dale, Aura and Thun escape from the underwater city, but are captured by King Vultan and the Hawkmen. Dr. Zarkov befriends Prince Barin, and they race to the rescue.
- Flaming Torture
- Dale pretends to fall in love with King Vultan in order to save Flash, Barin and Thun, who are put to work in the Hawkmen's Atom Furnaces.
- Shattering Doom
- Flash, Barin, Thun and Zarkov create an explosion in the atomic furnaces.
- Tournament of Death
- Dr. Zarkov saves the Hawkmen's city from falling, earning Flash and his friends King Vultan's gratitude. Ming insists that Flash fight a Tournament of Death against a masked opponent, revealed to be Barin, and then a vicious orangopoid.
- Fighting the Fire Dragon
- Flash survives the tournament with Aura's help, after she discovers the weak point of the orangopoid. Still determined to win Flash, Aura has him drugged to make him lose his memory.
- The Unseen Peril
- Flash recovers his memory. Ming is determined to have Flash executed.
- In the Claws of the Tigron
- Zarkov invents a machine that makes Flash invisible. Flash torments Ming and his guards. Barin hides Dale in the catacombs, but Aura has her tracked by a tigron.
- Trapped in the Turret
- Aura realizes the error of her ways, and falls in love with Barin. She tries to help Flash and his friends to return to Earth — but Ming plots to kill them.
- Rocketing to Earth
- Ming orders that the Earth people be caught and killed, but Flash and his friends escape from the emperor's clutches, and Ming is apparently killed in a crematorium. Flash, Dale and Zarkov make a triumphant return to Earth.
Cast
- Buster CrabbeBuster CrabbeClarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
as Flash GordonFlash GordonFlash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
. Crabbe had his hair dyed blond in order to appear more like the comic strip Flash Gordon. He was very self conscious about this and kept his hat on in public at all times, even with women present. He did not like men whistling at him. - Jean RogersJean RogersJean Rogers was an American actress. She portrayed Dale Arden in two of the three Flash Gordon serials.-Early life:...
as Dale ArdenDale ArdenDale Arden is a fictional character, the fellow-adventurer and love interest of Flash Gordon and a prototypic heroine for later female characters, including Princess Leia Organa and Padme Amidala in Star Wars. Flash, Dale and Dr...
. Rogers also had her hair dyed blonde, "apparently to capitalise on the popularity of Jean HarlowJean HarlowJean Harlow was an American film actress and sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde" , Harlow was ranked as one of the greatest movie stars of all time by the American Film Institute...
". Both the actress and the character were normally brunettes. - Charles B. MiddletonCharles B. MiddletonCharles B. Middleton was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, Charles Middleton appeared in nearly two hundred films as well as numerous plays...
as Ming the MercilessMing the MercilessMing the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation.- First appearance :...
. Ming is characterised in the mould of Fu ManchuFu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...
in this serial. - Priscilla LawsonPriscilla LawsonPriscilla Lawson , born Priscilla Shortridge, was an American actress known for her role as Princess Aura in the original Flash Gordon serial ....
as Princess AuraPrincess AuraPrincess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She is the daughter of the series' villain, Ming the Merciless, and the lover of Prince Barin, the rightful heir to the throne of Mongo, and is banished with him to the forest world of Arboria.In 1936, Princess... - Frank ShannonFrank ShannonFrancis Connolly Shannon , better known as Frank Shannon, was an Irish-born actor and writer.A stage actor and silent film pioneer, Shannon made his screen debut in 1913's The Artist's Joke. He later appeared in dozens of films through the mid-1920s, including The Prisoner of Zenda and Monsieur...
as Dr. Alexis ZarkovHans ZarkovDr. Hans Zarkov is a fictional character appearing in the Flash Gordon comic strip. Zarkov is a brilliant scientist who creates a rocket and forces Flash and Dale Arden to come with him to the planet Mongo, and fight against Ming the Merciless... - Richard AlexanderRichard Alexander (actor)Richard Alexander was an American character actor. Born in Dallas, Texas, Alexander appeared in numerous film serials such as Flash Gordon and Zorro Rides Again, as well as a leading role in All Quiet on the Western Front. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.-References:...
as Prince BarinPrince BarinPrince Barin is a character in the Flash Gordon stories. He is king of a region of Mongo called Arboria. Barin becomes one of Flash's best friends, and is deeply in love with Princess Aura....
. Alexander helped to design his own costume, which included a leather chest plate painted gold. - Jack 'Tiny' Lipson as Prince VultanPrince VultanPrince Vultan is the prince of the bird-like Hawkmen in the Flash Gordon comic strip and its adaptations. Prince Vultan starts his career as a half-villain with a lecherous side , but soon reforms into one of Flash Gordon's greatest allies...
- Theodore LorchTheodore LorchTheodore Lorch was an American film actor. He appeared in 146 films between 1908 and 1947.Lorch is notable for his commanding performances in several Three Stooges comedies...
as Second High Priest - James PierceJames PierceJames Hubert Pierce , of Shelbyville, Indiana, was the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film.-Early life/College/Early film career:...
as Prince ThunPrince ThunPrince Thun is a fictional character who appeared in various forms of the Flash Gordon comic strip and film productions. He is a Lion Man of Mongo and one of Flash's most trusted friends....
. "Big Jim" Pierce played TarzanTarzanTarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
in Tarzan and the Golden LionTarzan and the Golden LionTarzan and the Golden Lion is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in Argosy All-Story Weekly beginning in December 1922; and then as a complete novel by A.C. McClurg & Co...
. According to Tarzan creator Edgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice BurroughsEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
he was the perfect portrayal of Tarzan. He married Burroughs' daughter Joan Burroughs on 8 August 1928 after meeting her on the set of that film. As a wedding present, Burroughs included a clause in his next contract that stated that Pierce must play Tarzan. This contract later led to the filming of the serial Tarzan the FearlessTarzan the FearlessTarzan the Fearless is a 12 chapter film serial starring Buster Crabbe in his only appearance as Tarzan. It was also released as a 71-minute feature film which comprised the first four chapters of the serial version. Co-starring was actress Jacqueline Wells, who later changed her name to Julie...
. Despite the contract Pierce did not star after he was tricked into stepping aside in favor of fellow Flash Gordon actor Buster Crabbe (the first serial role for the future "King of the Serials"). - Duke YorkDuke YorkDuke York was an American film actor. Born in Danby, New York, York was born Charles Everest Sinsabaugh...
as King Kala - Earl Askam as Officer Torch
- Lon Poff as First High Priest
- Richard TuckerRichard Tucker (actor)Richard Tucker was an American actor. He appeared in 266 films between 1911 and 1940.He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was the first official member of the Screen Actors Guild and a founding member of SAG's Board of Directors...
as Professor Gordon - George ClevelandGeorge ClevelandGeorge Alan Cleveland was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in over 180 films between 1933 and 1954.-Career:...
as Professor Hensley - Muriel Goodspeed as Zona
Production
According to Harmon and Glut, Flash Gordon had a budget of over a million dollars. Stedman, however, writes that it was "reportedly" $350,000.A lot of props and other elements were recycled from earlier Universal productions. The watchtower from Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
(1931) appeared as Zarkov's base. The Egyptian idol from The Mummy
The Mummy (1932 film)
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff as a revived ancient Egyptian priest. The movie also features Zita Johann, David Manners and Edward Van Sloan...
(1932) became the idol of the Great God Tao. Shots of Earth from space came from The Invisible Ray (1936). The Rocket Ships were reused from Just Imagine
Just Imagine
Just Imagine is a 1930 science-fiction musical comedy directed by David Butler, to console audiences distressed by the Great Depression. The film is probably best known for its art direction and special effects in its portrayal of New York City in an imagined 1980...
(1930). Ming's attack on Earth used footage from old silent newsreels. An entire dance segment from The Midnight Sun (1927) was used. A laboratory comes from Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
. The music was recycled from several other films.
Exterior shots, such as the crew from Earth's first steps on Mongo, were filmed at Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon
Bronson Canyon, or Bronson Caves, is a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California that has become famous as a filming location for a very large number of movies and TV shows, especially westerns and science fiction, from the early days of motion pictures to the present...
.
Crash Corrigan, who would later be the lead in other serials, wore a modified gorilla suit as the "Orangapoid".
Flash Gordon was intended to regain an adult audience for serials. It was shown in 'A' Theaters in large cities across the United States. Many newspapers, including some not carrying the Flash Gordon comic strip, contained half and three-quarter page feature stories in their entertainment pages with Alex Raymond drawings and stills from the serial.
Flash Gordon was the first outright science fiction serial, although earlier serials had contained science fiction elements such as gadgets. Six of the fourteen science fiction serials were released within five years of Flash Gordon.
The serial film was subsequently released as a 97 minute feature named Rocket Ship. Alternate titles for this film include Spaceship to the Unknown and Atomic Rocketship. The TV version was named Space Soldiers.