THE OLD MOVIE MAVEN . . . The Website

B - MOVIES: Serials

Home
CONTACT US
A TRIBUTE TO OUR MILITARY
A CAST OF CHARACTERS
A CALENDER OF MOVIES: What to Watch When
A CALENDAR OF MOVIES: Christmas - "The King of Kings" (1927)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
ABBOTT & COSTELLO
AMERICAN CLASSIC MOVIES INTRODUCTIONS
ANIMALS AND THE MOVIES
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Sets
ARCITECTURE: Ancient Egypt
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Bernheimer Residence
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: The Ennis-Brown House
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Evan Thompson's Bottle House
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Greystone Manor
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: The Hearst Castle
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: The Hollywood Sign
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Homes of the Stars
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Jean Harlow
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Maps and Floor Plans
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Pickfair
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: The Rispin Mansion
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Royal Hawaiian Hotel
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Scotty's Castle
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Shelby House
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: West Hollywood Historical Association
ARCHITECTURE IN HOLLYWOOD: Whimsy
ARCHIVES: VOLUME 1
ARCHIVES: VOLUME 2
ARCHIVES: VOLUME 3
ASSORTED SHORT CLIPS
"B" MOVIES
B - MOVIES: Serials
B - MOVIES: Series
B - MOVIES: Television Series
THE BARRYMORE FAMILY
BIOGRAPHIES
BLOOPERS
BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT
BUSTER KEATON
CARLA LAEMMLE
CARTOONS
CHARLIE CHAN ANNEX
CHARLIE CHAN: Asian Actors in Hollywood
CHARLIE CHAN: Bloopers & Bonus Questions
CHARLIE CHAN: The Books and Their Movies!
CHARLIE CHAN: Chang Apana
CHARLIE CHAN: Charlie's Sons
CHARLIE CHAN: Chemicals
CHARLIE CHAN: Chronology
CHARLIE CHAN: Criminal?!?!*
CHARLIE CHAN: Extras
CHARLIE CHAN: Gilbert Martines and Chang Apana
CHARLIE CHAN: Hawaii Steve
CHARLIE CHAN: Maps
CHARLIE CHAN: Maven and Rush Glick's Interview in . . . "Monster Bash"!
CHARLIE CHAN: Movie Eras
CHARLIE CHAN: Movie Notes
CHARLIE CHAN: Murder Rate
CHARLIE CHAN: On The Town
CHARLIE CHAN: Puzzles and Quizzes
CHARLIE CHAN: Quiz and Puzzle Answers
CHARLIE CHAN: Radio Shows
CHARLIE CHAN: Spookies
CHARLIE CHAN: Transportation
CHARLIE CHAN: Weather
CHILDREN'S CORNER
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Holiday Crafts
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Boats and Planes and More
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Paper Dolls
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Fun Stuff to Read
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Boys' Town
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Colleen Moore's Castle
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Judy Bolton
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Nancy Drew
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Nancy Drew (For Older Fans!)
CHILDREN'S CORNER: Shirley Temple
COMEDIANS
COPPER CAPERS: FBI's and CIA's!
COSTUME DESIGNERS
DASHIELL HAMMETT
ETTA KIT
FASHIONS IN FILM
FILM NOIR
FOOD CENTRAL
FOREIGN FILMS
GENRES
GINGER ROGERS
HALLOWEEN FUN!
HALLOWEEN 2011: Movies to Watch
HALLOWEEN RECIPES
HAROLD LLOYD
HAUNTS: Hollywood and Elsewhere
HAUNTS: Winchester House
HISTORY: Hollywood and Elsewhere
HOLLYWOOD'S SCANDALS AND CRIMES
HOLLYWOOD'S . . . CRIME: Greystone Mansion Murder
HOLLYWOOD'S . . . Crime: Jean Harlow and Paul Bern's Muder?
HOLLYWOOD'S . . . CRIME: Tate/LaBianca Murders
HOLLYWOOD'S . . .CRIME: William Desmond Taylor Murder
HOLLYWOOD'S MARRY-GO-ROUNDS
HORROR - SCIENCE FICTION
HORROR - SCI FI: Annex
HORROR - SCI FI: The Atomic Submarine (1959)
HORROR - SCI FI: Bela Lugosi
HORROR - SCI FI: Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi
HORROR - SCI FI: Boris Karloff
HORROR - SCI FI: Dracula (1931)
HORROR - SCI FI: Frankenstein (1931)
HORROR - SCI FI: Gojira (1954) & Godzilla (1957)
HORROR - SCI FI: Invaders from Mars (1954)
HORROR - SCI FI: King Kong
HORROR - SCI FI: Lon Chaney
HORROR - SCI FI: Nifty Fifty's Creature Features
HORROR - SCI FI: Nightmare Theatre with Gorgon
HORROR - SCI FI: Ray Harryhausen
HORROR - SCI FI: Stephen King
HORROR - SCI FI: Universal Studios
HORROR - SCI FI: Universal Monster Genealogy
HORROR - SCI FI: Wes Davis
HORROR - SCI FI: The Witch's Dungeon
HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
HUSTON FAMILY
I LOVE LUCY
INTERVIEWS
JOHN WAYNE
JONATHAN GEFFNER
JOSEPHINE BAKER
KAY LINAKER
LEI MAKING
LOCATIONS
MDs - RNs - RNBs - OH MY!
M.D.S . . . - The Crime Doctor Series
MAGIC IN MOVIES
MAKEUP ARTISTS
MAKEUP ARTISTS: The Westmore Family
MARX BROTHERS
MARY ASTOR
MARY PICKFORD AND DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS
MAVEN'S LIBRARY
MAVEN'S WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT
MUSIC
MUSIC: Dancers
MUSIC: The Lyrics
MYSTERIES
MYSTERIES: A Warning For Those Who Give Away The Endings!
MYSTERIES: Alfred Hitchcock
MYSTERIES: The Bat
MYSTERIES: D. W. Griffith vs. Mary Roberts Rinehart
MYSTERIES: Gum Shoes
MYSTERIES: Old Dark Houses
MYSTERIES: S.S. Van Dine
MYSTERIES: S.S. Van Dine - The Kidnap Murder Case
ORSON WELLES
PERRY MASON
QUIZZES AND PUZZLES
QUIZ ANSWERS
QUOTES From Hollywood
QUOTES From Hollywood Movies
QUOTES From Dorothy Parker
QUOTES Dorothy Parkers' "The Waltz"
RADIO SHOWS: Vintage Series
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
RECIPES OF THE WEEK: More about the Recipes
RECIPES OF THE WEEK: A Rejuvenating Diet
REVIEWS
REVIEWS - Mini Mavens
RONALD REAGAN
RUDOLPH VALENTINO
SEX IN THE CINEMA
SHIRLEY TEMPLE
SILENT MOVIES
TAYLOR SCHULTZ: Hollywood Sculptor
TRANSPORTATION IN THE MOVIES: Aviation
VINCENT PRICE
VINCENT PRICE: Connoisseur
WHAT'S MY LINE?
THE WHISTLER
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

     These serials were shown at movie theatres back in the day when kids would spend all Saturday afternoon at the movies.  Why?  They'd get at least one cartoon, an episode of the current serial, news reels (the only way of seeing the news before television), the main feature and a B-Feature.
And check out:
 
and

And please check out these links at Retrovision
for a lot more goodies for free out there!
 

RETROVISION[1]:

 

All - [1] http://retrovision.tv/all-movies/

 

Browse - http://retrovision.tv/browse/

 

Adventure Movies - http://retrovision.tv/adventure-movies/

 

Cartoons - http://retrovision.tv/cartoons/

 

Comedy - http://retrovision.tv/comedy/

 

Crime - http://retrovision.tv/crime/

 

Drama - http://retrovision.tv/drama/

 

Educational - http://retrovision.tv/educational/

 

Horror Movies - http://retrovision.tv/horror-movie/

 

Sci Fi - http://retrovision.tv/scifi/

 

TV Shows - http://retrovision.tv/tv-shows/

 

War - http://retrovision.tv/war-movies/

 

Westerns - http://retrovision.tv/westerns/



[1] http://retrovision.tv/all-movies/

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack (1943) - "Daredevil pilot Smilin' Jack Martin stumbles onto a legend that could turn the tide of World War II to the allie's favor." (www.oldies.com)  It stars Tom Brown as Jack Martin, Rose Hobart and Marjorie Lord.  It also stars Sidney Toler (who took over the role of Charlie Chan in 1938); Keye Luke (Number 1 Son to the first Charlie Chan, Warner Oland) and Philip Ahn, (who was Number 1 son-in-law in Charlie Chan in Honolulu {1938] and a bad guy in Roland Winters' The Chinese Ring [1947]).

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_1

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_2

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_3

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_4

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_5

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_6

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_7

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_8

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_9

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_10

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_11

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Adventures_of_Smilin_Jack_-_Chapter_12

The Great Alaskan Mystery (1944) - An ex-marine pilot (Milburn Stone), his friend (Edgar Kennedy) and lady friend (Marjorie Weaver) fight Nazis over a super-weapon.:

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_1

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_2

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_3

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_4

 

 http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_5

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_6

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_7

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_8

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_9

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_10

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_11

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_chapter_12

 

http://www.archive.org/details/great_alaskan_mystery_13l/

The Green Hornet (1940) - Gordon Jones, Wade Boteler, Anne Negal and Keye Luke star in this serial based on a radio show where Gordon Jones is newspaper publisher Britt Reid who goes undercover as the Green Hornet to fight crime.

In this installment, he goes head on against The Leader . . . surprise! . . . who has a wide net of criminal-types to do his bidding. . . .  Hmm, sounds like a bunch of serials of the day, doesn't it?!  They rarely have such zing to them!

(WARNING:  The picture is mediocre because the quality is . . . shall we say "fuzzy"?):

Chapter  1:  The Tunnel of Terror http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  2:  Thundering Terror http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  3:  Flying Coffins http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  4:  Pillar of Flame http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  5:  The Time Bomb http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  6:  Highways of Peril http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  7:  Bridge of Disaster http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  8:  Dead or Alive http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter  9:  The Hornet Trapped  http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter 10:  Bullots and Ballots http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter 11:  Disaster Rides the Railshttp://www.archive.org/details/quigs

 

Chapter 12:  Panic in the Zoo http://www.archive.org/details/quigs


Chapter 12:  Doom of the Underworld http://www.archive.org/details/quigs

The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941) - Warren Hull, Wade Boteler, Anne Nagle and Keye Luke are up against Boss Crogan who has a wide net of crimina-types who . . . hmm, sounds familiar, doesn't it?! But you gotta love those titles!

(WARNING:  The picture is medocre at best because of fuzziness):

Chapter 1:  Flaming Havoc http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  2:  The Plunge of Peril - http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  3:  The Avenging Heavens http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  4:  A Night of Terror http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  5:  Shattering Doom http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  6:  The Fatal Flash http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  7:  Death in the Clouds http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  8:  Human Targets http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter  9:  The Tragic Crash http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter 10:  Blazing Fury http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter 11:  Thieves of the Night http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter 12:  Chrashing Barriers http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter 13:  The Flaming Inferno http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter 14:  Racketeering Vultures http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

 

Chapter 15:  Smashing the Crime Ring http://www.archive.org/details/The.Green.Hornet.Strikes.Again

The Return of Chandu (1934) - Bela Lugosi plays Frank Chandler, also known as Chandu from his years spent in the Orient studying magic.  In Return to Chandu he must protect the Egyptian Princess Nardji from the cult followers of Ubasti headed by Lucien Prival as Vindhyan.  The cult of Ubasti is on the island of Lemuria and they are trying to resurrect Ossana, their long-dead goddess, by kidnapping and sacrificing Nadji.  The serial version that Maven has is rather jerky since it is more than 75 years old but who cares when you can see Bela Lugosi in an interesting role that is so different from his faux fang films!:

The Return of Chandu - Chapter 1  - The Chosen Victim


The Return of Chandu - Chapter 2  - The House in the Hills

 

The Return of Chandu - Chapter 3  - On the High Seas


The Return of Chandu - Chapter 4  - The Evil Eye


The Return of Chandu - Chapter 5  - The Invisible Circle

 

The Return of Chandu - Chapter 6  - Chandu's False Step

 

The Return of Chandu - Chapter 7  - Mysterious Magic


The Return of Chandu - Chapter 8  - The Edge of the Pit


The Return of Chandu - Chapter 9  - The Terror Invisible

 

The Return of Chandu - Chapter 10 - The Crushing Rock

 

The Return of Chandu - Chapter 11 - The Uplifted Knife


The Return of Chandu - Chapter 12 - The Knife Descends

The Phantom (1943) - You can't get better than the way Archive.org describes this serial:  It's "a Columbia Pictures 15 chapter serial starring Tom Tyler in the title role. The serial is based on Lee Falk's comic strip The Phantom. The serial also features Jeanne Bates as the Phantom's girlfriend Diana Palmer, and Ace the Wonder Dog as the Phantom's trusty German shepherd Devil (who is a wolf in the original comic).
"Professor Davidson plans an expedition to find the Lost City of Zoloz. The location of the city is contained on seven pieces of ivory, three of which Davidson already possesses. Doctor Bremmer, however, intends to find the lost city and use it as a secret airbase for his unnamed country. To remove him as an obstacle, he kills The Phantom, only for his recently returned son, Geoffrey Prescott, to inherit the family identity and take over the mantle of The Phantom.
Three of the remaining ivory pieces are owned by Singapore Smith, who initially steals Davidson's pieces. The seventh, and most important, piece is missing at first but turns up in the possession of Tarter (which The Phantom acquires by wrestling Tarter's pet gorilla).":

Chapter  1:  The Sign of the Scull http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  2:  The Man Who Never Dies  http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  3:  A Traitor’s Code http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  4:  The Seat of Judgment  http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  5:   The Ghost Who Walks http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  6:   Jungle Whispers http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  7:   The Mystery Well http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  8:   In the Quest of the Keys http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter  9:   The Fire Princess http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter 10:   The Chamber of Death http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter 11:   The Emerald Key http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter 12:   The Fangs of the Beast http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter 13:   The Road to Zoloz http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter 14:  The Lost City http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

 

Chapter 15:   Peace in the Jungle http://www.archive.org/details/ThePhantom1943Serial-15Chapters

Phantom Empire (1935 Serial with Gene Autry) - Phantom Empire covers quite a lot of territory - besides being a serial from when kids could still go to the local movie house for all Saturday Afternoon Matinees - it was a western, musical (Gene Autry always sang in his movies), science fiction/fantasy.  Autry comes across the Continent of Mu that had become submerged underwater but somehow become located his Radio Ranch.  Its populous had developed television (yes, in 1935!), robots and ray guns.  The source of power of the ray guns came from radium deposits that the bad guys discover under Autry's ranch and want to get their hot little fists on . . . .  It gives movies and serials like this a "Huh?" moment with today's viewers wondering about radium poisoning, but it's fun to watch if you can enjoy it on the innocence of the time it was made.  This link is to the first chapter but it gives the links to the whole series.  Bon appétit!

http://www.archive.org/details/phantom_empire_chapter_1   or

 

Phantom Empire - Chapter 1: Singing Cowboy


Phantom Empire - Chapter 2: Thunder Riders


Phantom Empire - Chapter 3: Lightning Chamber


Phantom Empire - Chapter 4: Phantom Broadcast


Phantom Empire - Chapter 5: Beneath the Sky


Phantom Empire - Chapter 6: Disaster From the Sky


Phantom Empire - Chapter 7: From Death to Life


Phantom Empire - Chapter 8: Jaws of Jeopardy


Phantom Empire - Chapter 9: Prisoners of the Ray


Phantom Empire - Chapter 10: Rebellion


Phantom Empire - Chapter 11: Queen in Chains


Phantom Empire - Chapter 12: End of Murania

THE SHADOW:

The Vanishing Shadow (1934) – What’s not to love about a serial that www.imdb.com describes as "A 12-episode serial in which a son avenges the death of his father at the hands of corrupt politicians. He develops a wide variety of complex devices in his crusade . . . ray guns, robots and a 'vanishing belt.' "?!:

The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 1 - Accused of Murder


The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 2 - The Destroying Ray


The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 3 - The Avalanche
 

The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 4 - Trapped
 

The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 5 - Hurled from the Sky

 

The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 6 - Chain Lightning


The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 7 - The Tragic Crash
 

The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 8 - The Shadow of Death


The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 9 - Blazing Bulkheads
 

The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 10 - The Iron Death


The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 11 - The Juggernaut


The Vanishing Shadow: Chapter 12 - Retribution