The sequence ends rather anti-climatically with Buster Crabbe feigning combat with a none-too-convincing prop tiger, which he successfully kills with his bare hands while suffering nary a scratch. (Apparently Mongo’s tigerons aren’t as sturdily built as their counterparts on earth!) If you can remember all the excitement caused by the original Star Wars film when it came out in 1977, then you’ll have some idea of how Flash Gordon was received by movie-goers in 1936. In spite of special effects that are very primitive by today’s standards, it is still an enjoyable film, thanks to a good script and cast of memorable characters that have personality and individuality. Not only was it the most commercially successful serial of all time, but it is also one of the best-remembered films from the 1930s. |
Monday, February 11, 2013
Flash Gordon #10
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2 comments:
STAR WARS was originally supposed to be a remake of FLASH GORDON. Perhaps the rights to the character weren’t available or priced too high, which might explain why George Lucas ended up creating his own original story and characters. Based on all the hoopla caused by STAR WARS, someone did do a remake of FLASH GORDON a few years later. That film is largely forgotten today while STAR WARS is still going strong.
If you don’t have time to sit through all 13 chapters, there is very good feature film version of the original FLASH GORDON serial that has all of the best sequences, including the one featuring the tigeron. Here is a link to an outfit that is offering a good quality DVD copy:
http://www.mediaoutlet.com/flash-gordon-rocket-ship-dvd-1936-feature-film-buster-crabbe-p-1178.html
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