The Best Singing Cowboy-Sci Fi-Slapstick-Thriller Ever!
Added 9/16/2009
Singing cowboy Gene Autry (in his first starring film role) plays -- singing cowboy Gene Autry, star of a daily radio broadcast which is performed live from "Radio Ranch." Autry's contract, very strangely, requires that he perform in every show without fail or he will immediately and on-the-spot lose control of the program and the ranch. Yes, it's silly, but you'll soon learn to leave most of your sense of reality behind if you want to enjoy this early genre mash-up involving Autry, his two young sidekicks (Frankie Darro and Betsy King Ross, who was advertised as "America's champion trick rider" but gets precious little trick riding to do, alas) and their team of "Junior Thunder Riders" as they try to thwart both a team of evil and greedy scientists from gaining control of the ranch so that they can exploit its radium deposits, and the underground denizens of the lost city of Murania, an advanced civilization of super-science which will stop at nothing - even mass destruction - to keep the outside world from intruding.
Also making appearances are comic duo Smiley Burnett and Peter Potter, who typically have a slapstick gag or two that frequently hinders the heroes in just about every episode; most of the chapters follow a basic pattern of Gene and company getting out of trouble with either the scientists or the Muranians at the beginning of the episode, rushing back to the ranch so that Gene can make his broadcast, a song from Gene or occasionally a western combo, and after the 2nd episode, Gene trying to make sure he doesn't get caught for the murder of his sidekicks' father, his partner (he's not guilty, of course)! This one has it all folks - Laurel & Hardy-type slapstick routines, lots of great singing cowboy music, mad scientists and fantastic inventions, gunfights - one of many ways in which the whole serial seems to exist in a parallel universe can be shown by the fact that they actually stage gunfights, bank robberies etc for the radio show, despite the lack of a live audience! There's little in the way of sex in this one - this seems to be aimed at a slightly younger crowd than Flash Gordon , the next major science-fiction serial to come along a year later. The queen of Murania (Dorothy Christy) is attractive enough but quite severe and wooden; no romance between her and the 28-year-old (but rather older looking) Autry is ever on the horizon. The scenes in the Muranian city are probably the highlights overall, with some surprisingly good sets and solid painting/matte work (keep in mind this was a very low budget affair) and some pretty advanced science fiction hardware for the day - a disintegrating ray, televisors that can show events anywhere, an aerial torpedo that can be controlled in mid-flight, a super-fast elevator, etc.
The acting is almost uniformly mediocre to poor, with Wheeler Oakton as the Muranian queen's Chancellor (and ultimately traitor) probably the most memorable, though in basically a typical 30s stock-villain way; and of course it can be fairly repetitive like a lot of serials - but overall the weirdness of the thing and the willingness to just mash up all kinds of disparate elements together and hope they stick worked for me, and I'd have to say I liked this just as much, maybe a little more even, than the Flash Gordon serials of the next few years. The copy I watched is the recent VCI edition, which is not tinted unlike the alternative edition available from The Serial Squadron, but is pretty high quality in most respects, and loaded with extras. I can't recommend this too highly to those few interested in the genre.
Included as an extra on the 2nd disc of this 2-disc set, "Boots and Saddles" is a 53-minute B-western that is apparently typical of Autry's work after the serial for the 18 years (1935-1953) that he was a regular film actor. Autry made dozens and dozens of these short features, playing himself typically and working through plots that were probably hackneyed even then.
Gene's the foreman of a ranch named - you guessed it - Gene Autry, who happens to be - are you shocked? - just as good with a guitar and yodel as with a horse and sixgun. The ranch's owner has died and his spoiled English-raised bratty adolescent kid has come to take over, and plans to sell it. After a ride on the range with Gene though the boy changes his mind, thus putting a snag in the plans of the villain of the piece, Jim Neill (Bill Elliott) who wanted to raise horses to sell to the army. Gene decides to do the same thing himself and also runs afoul of the army colonel (Guy Usher) in charge of buying horses, and his lovely daughter (Judith Allen) who of course gets some romancin'. Some decent riding sequences, a couple of very brief and bloodless gunfights, Smiley Burnett on hand for some slapstick, and lots of songs. It moves along nicely and is competently put together, but if this in fact is one of the better Autry westerns, I probably won't be seeking out a lot of the other 90 or so out there....
All in all, though, this VCI set is remarkably fun and the genre mash-up of "The Phantom Empire" in some ways seems strikingly modern, almost 75 years later. At this point, probably my favorite American serial from the classic era.
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Gene Autry's The Phantom Empire
Added 9/16/2009
This is the best print of my favorite serial This is the second of the only two serials he appeared in. hanks for the speedy delivery.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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prerunner to series lost
Added 5/4/2009
lost city of murir {atlantis }ocean dryed up now under usa ranch, hero old cowboy guitar singer could do a remake with bob dylan now , i'm sure he would do a neat soundtrack too
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Is this one better than the one at www.geneautry.com?
Added 3/23/2009
I just got this version in the mail today. I watched the first 2 chapters so far and, from what others are saying, am not too sure if this is the copy I shouldn't have bought. It says its the complete serial and others say that certain ones cut out the cliffhanger. Not being an "expert" the first 2 chapters seem to be properly done. So, for now this one gets 4 stars. The quality in the sound and transfer/remaster do seem a little off. But, so far, so good.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A Trip Down Memory Lane
Added 12/12/2008
The Phantom Empire was a light weight memory trip back to my youth. The journey was fun but also revelatory; it's amazing how memory can cloud reality. Stilted acting, repetitive childish dialogue, and funny non-special effects are all part of this campy romp. Just don't watch this serial with your wife or children; they will start questioning your sanity and seriously discuss your certain slide into dementia.
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Don't be fooled by this one
Added 3/3/2006
The only reason for two tapes in this set is
to deceive purchasers into thinking they are
obtaining all 12 episodes. The total running
time is 100 minutes, easily accommodated on
a single cassette. For shame.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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The Best Singing Cowboy-Sci Fi-Slapstick-Thriller Ever!
Added 9/16/2009
Singing cowboy Gene Autry (in his first starring film role) plays -- singing cowboy Gene Autry, star of a daily radio broadcast which is performed live from "Radio Ranch." Autry's contract, very strangely, requires that he perform in every show without fail or he will immediately and on-the-spot lose control of the program and the ranch. Yes, it's silly, but you'll soon learn to leave most of your sense of reality behind if you want to enjoy this early genre mash-up involving Autry, his two young sidekicks (Frankie Darro and Betsy King Ross, who was advertised as "America's champion trick rider" but gets precious little trick riding to do, alas) and their team of "Junior Thunder Riders" as they try to thwart both a team of evil and greedy scientists from gaining control of the ranch so that they can exploit its radium deposits, and the underground denizens of the lost city of Murania, an advanced civilization of super-science which will stop at nothing - even mass destruction - to keep the outside world from intruding.
Also making appearances are comic duo Smiley Burnett and Peter Potter, who typically have a slapstick gag or two that frequently hinders the heroes in just about every episode; most of the chapters follow a basic pattern of Gene and company getting out of trouble with either the scientists or the Muranians at the beginning of the episode, rushing back to the ranch so that Gene can make his broadcast, a song from Gene or occasionally a western combo, and after the 2nd episode, Gene trying to make sure he doesn't get caught for the murder of his sidekicks' father, his partner (he's not guilty, of course)! This one has it all folks - Laurel & Hardy-type slapstick routines, lots of great singing cowboy music, mad scientists and fantastic inventions, gunfights - one of many ways in which the whole serial seems to exist in a parallel universe can be shown by the fact that they actually stage gunfights, bank robberies etc for the radio show, despite the lack of a live audience! There's little in the way of sex in this one - this seems to be aimed at a slightly younger crowd than Flash Gordon , the next major science-fiction serial to come along a year later. The queen of Murania (Dorothy Christy) is attractive enough but quite severe and wooden; no romance between her and the 28-year-old (but rather older looking) Autry is ever on the horizon. The scenes in the Muranian city are probably the highlights overall, with some surprisingly good sets and solid painting/matte work (keep in mind this was a very low budget affair) and some pretty advanced science fiction hardware for the day - a disintegrating ray, televisors that can show events anywhere, an aerial torpedo that can be controlled in mid-flight, a super-fast elevator, etc.
The acting is almost uniformly mediocre to poor, with Wheeler Oakton as the Muranian queen's Chancellor (and ultimately traitor) probably the most memorable, though in basically a typical 30s stock-villain way; and of course it can be fairly repetitive like a lot of serials - but overall the weirdness of the thing and the willingness to just mash up all kinds of disparate elements together and hope they stick worked for me, and I'd have to say I liked this just as much, maybe a little more even, than the Flash Gordon serials of the next few years. The copy I watched is the recent VCI edition, which is not tinted unlike the alternative edition available from The Serial Squadron, but is pretty high quality in most respects, and loaded with extras. I can't recommend this too highly to those few interested in the genre.
Included as an extra on the 2nd disc of this 2-disc set, "Boots and Saddles" is a 53-minute B-western that is apparently typical of Autry's work after the serial for the 18 years (1935-1953) that he was a regular film actor. Autry made dozens and dozens of these short features, playing himself typically and working through plots that were probably hackneyed even then.
Gene's the foreman of a ranch named - you guessed it - Gene Autry, who happens to be - are you shocked? - just as good with a guitar and yodel as with a horse and sixgun. The ranch's owner has died and his spoiled English-raised bratty adolescent kid has come to take over, and plans to sell it. After a ride on the range with Gene though the boy changes his mind, thus putting a snag in the plans of the villain of the piece, Jim Neill (Bill Elliott) who wanted to raise horses to sell to the army. Gene decides to do the same thing himself and also runs afoul of the army colonel (Guy Usher) in charge of buying horses, and his lovely daughter (Judith Allen) who of course gets some romancin'. Some decent riding sequences, a couple of very brief and bloodless gunfights, Smiley Burnett on hand for some slapstick, and lots of songs. It moves along nicely and is competently put together, but if this in fact is one of the better Autry westerns, I probably won't be seeking out a lot of the other 90 or so out there....
All in all, though, this VCI set is remarkably fun and the genre mash-up of "The Phantom Empire" in some ways seems strikingly modern, almost 75 years later. At this point, probably my favorite American serial from the classic era.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Gene Autry's The Phantom Empire
Added 9/16/2009
This is the best print of my favorite serial This is the second of the only two serials he appeared in. hanks for the speedy delivery.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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