Serials for Pulp Inspiration!

[Hafen von Schlockenberg]

As promised  (or threatened) here:

https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/forums/topic/pulp-alley-campaign-in-darkest-africa/

I’m adding a few more suggestions for serials that might serve as source material for your pulp games.

A number are available inexpensively from outlets such as Alpha Video, though the quality varies; some are scans of worn 16mm prints, or even video tapes, so be warned. I noticed that two I recommended on the above thread, “The Adventures of  Captain Marvel” and “Daredevils of the Red Circle” have been done up in high fashion by Kino Lorber, on Blu-ray, from 35mm film prints.

Of course, you can see many individual chapters, and some entire serials, on youtube. That’s certainly the cheapest way to see them, but picture quality is even more variable — it’s a good idea to check “picture quality” when you watch, and up it if possible — many of them were uploaded at 240.

One of the great things about these is the mashups of genres — you can use figures and terrain from almost any era, and area, you can think of. As an example, here’s Chapter 1 of “The Perils of Nyoka”:

And yes, that’s the future Lone Ranger fighting alongside Nyoka!

But for a really crazy mixup, you can’t beat the one that made Gene Autry a movie star. Got some cowboys (especially singing ones)? Put ’em together with your robots:

Anyone make figures for the Bucket-head Regiment?

That one,BTW, came out a year ahead of “Flash Gordon”, and so can claim the title of first sci-fi serial, as well as first sci-fi Western. All the episodes are on line, though for some reason, almost all are listed as “Episode 1”, even when they’re not.

I don’t suppose it’s even necessary to post Flash here — his are too well known — but I will mention one of my favorites, and one of the greatest  (and latest) of the wonderful Republic serials, “King of the Rocketmen”:

https://youtu.be/NH_JouoQAHE

More to come.

 

 

 

[Hafen von Schlockenberg]

Contemporaneous with “Phantom Empire” but shifting the locale to Africa, is the truly bizarre “Lost City”; sorry, I couldn’t find a trailer, but here’s Chapter 1:

https://youtu.be/ZjeF7LKHyvU

Gabby Hayes as a slave trader? What would Roy think?

Sticking with darkest Africa, there’s, well, “Darkest Africa”; Clyde Beatty facing wild animals, angry tribesmen, and “flying bat-men” (!):

Going below, there’s this:

Or we can travel to the East, and join Smilin’ Jack in his adventures among a crowd of stock footage  (no good trailer here, either — here’s the first chapter):

These are all available complete on youtube.

BTW — though Monogram Pictures, the best known of the Poverty Row companies, never, to my knowledge, made serials, they did have one of the pulpiest logos, in the early 30’s:

https://youtu.be/sMpeps_RF00

[Hafen von Schlockenberg]

More on youtube: here’s Chapter 1 of “Manhunt of Mystery Island”.

Some highlights:

7:00 Lab-destroying fight

14:00 Transformation machine

20:00 Radium gas disintegration gun!

 

 

[Mike]

I think I am plastic pulp. I much prefer what I think of as modern pulp. Things like:

Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow

King Kong – the Jack Black one

Extraordinary League of Gentlemen

Indiana Jones

That kind of stuff. Stuff that feels like it does not take itself too seriously and is ripping adventures.

Is that even pulp?

To me the above links you posted are B movies? but then I am no Mark Kermode.

[Guy Farrish]

I would have thought most of your list too mainstream, too modern and too successful to be ‘Pulp’.

Cheap detective, action, adventure and SF stories in US magazines on pulp paper (ie very poor quality) in the first half of the 20th century and films of that genre are Pulp – so Tarzan – just, and most hardboiled Private eye stuff (sub Chandler and Hammett) count plus Flash Gordon type stuff – wobbly sets and wobblier acting are the hallmarks in film

I can recommend ‘Where there’s a Will There’s a Slay’ by Frederic C Davis, pub 1945 in ‘Dime Detective Magazine’  as an example of the style and standard required (and also where you will meet the pivotal character of Guy Farrish, a solicitor who is bumped off too soon for my peace of mind).

[Hafen von Schlockenberg]

For me, part of the charm of original pulp, especially the serials, is the straight-faced seriousness with which they approached the  (mostly) ridiculous plots; “We’ve got to free Gene from the evil subterranean empire — if he doesn’t sing on the radio show, we’ll lose the ranch!”*

Michael Weldon, author of the Psychotronic Video Guide,  pointed out how often  so many megalomaniac “masterminds” seeking world domination were reduced to dropping little bombs out of biplanes.

That the producers of this kind of stuff were on to something is demonstrated, not only by its longevity, but by the success of the later works mentioned by Michael, which stole their tropes shamelessly.

*Not that today’s “pulp” movies are immune:

BTW, Guy, re detectives, all the Dick Tracy serials and feature films are on youtube.

[Author]

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