Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) @ EOFFTV

Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1941
Running Times:
Length: 12 x 25 reels serial
Format: black and white 35mm
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

CREW

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Republic Pictures Corporation
Producer: Hiram S. Brown
Associate Producer: Hiram S. Brown Jr
Production Manager: Al Wilson
Unit Manager: Mack D'Agostino

SCRIPT
Script: Ronald Davidson, Norman Shannon Hall, Arch Heath, Joseph F. Poland, Sol Shor
Based on characters in Fawcett Publications' comic books

DIRECTION
Directors: William Witney, John English
Assistant Directors: Louis Germonprez, R.G. Springsteen

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: William Nobles, John English

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Edward Todd, William P. Thompson

MUSIC
Music: Cy Feuer, Ross DiMaggio (uncredited), Mort Glickman (uncredited)
Musical Director: Cy Feuer

SOUND
Sound: Daniel J. Bloomberg, Charles L. Lootens
Sound System: RCA Sound System

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Supervisor: Bob Mark

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Howard Lydecker, Theodore Lydecker

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Set Decorator: Morris Braun

LOCATIONS
Locations: Bronson Caverns, Los Angeles, California, USA

STUNTS
Stunts: Dick Crockett (uncredited), Loren Riebe (uncredited), David Sharpe (uncredited), Ken Terrell (uncredited)

CAST

Tom Tyler (Captain Marvel)
Frank Coghlan Jr (Billy Batson)
William 'Billy' Benedict (Whitey Murphy)
Louise Currie (Betty Wallace)
Robert Strange (John Malcolm)
Harry Worth (Professor Morley (Bentley?))
Bryant Washburn (Harry (Henry?) Carlyle)
John Davidson (Tal Chotali)
George Pembroke (Dr Stephen Lang)
George Lynn (Dwight Fisher)
Reed Hadley (Rahman Bear (Rashman Bar?))
Jack Mulhall (Howell)
Kenneth Duncan (Barnett)
Nigel De Brulier (Shazam)
John Bagni (Cowan)
Carleton Young (Martin)
Leland Hodgson (Major Rawley)
Stanley Price (Owens)
Tetsu Komai (Chan Lai)
Ernest Sarracino (Akbar)
John Bagni (Cowan)
Wilson Benge (Benson - uncredited)
Ken Terrell (Hawks - uncredited)
Edward Cassidy (Dodge - uncredited)
Lynton Brent (Lefty - uncredited)
Al Kikume (native chief - uncredited)
Paul Lopez (Ali - uncredited)
Bud Geary (Pete - uncredited)
Jerry Jerome (Brandon - uncredited)
Chuck Morrison (Carlson - uncredited)
Eddie Dew (cavalry lieutenant - uncredited)
Francis Sayles (Carter - uncredited)
Frank Marlowe (Gus - uncredited)
Sam Harris (Hudson - uncredited)
Armand Cortes (Hamid - uncredited)
Dick Crockett (bridge heavy - uncredited)
Earl Bunn, George Suzanne (Betty's kidnappers - uncredited)
Loren Riebe (curio heavy/lab heavy - uncredited)
Ted Mapes (seaman - uncredited)
Duke Taylor (lab heavy - uncredited)
Augie Gomez, Al Taylor, Curley Dresden, Henry Wills, Steve Clemente (natives - all uncredited)
Marten Lamont (radio sergeant - uncredited)
Frank Wayne (Steve - uncredited)
Carl Swolsman (sentry - uncredited)
Ray Hanson (Drucker - uncredited)
Victor Cox (uncredited)
Joe Delacruz (uncredited)
Gerald Mohr (voice of Scorpion - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

In Siam, Billy Batson meets the wizard Shazam who gives him the ability to transform into Captain Marvel. But his powers are only active when the Golden Scorpion idol is under threat. The lenses in the idol's eyes are so powerful that, in the wrong hands, they could be the most destructive force on the planet. The team of scientists that travelled to Siam with Batson each take one of the lenses hoping to keep them apart and safe. But Captain marvel is soon battling the evil Scorpion who plans to combine the lenses into the ultimate weapon...

CHAPTERS

1. Curse of the Scorpion
2. The Guillotine
3. Time Bomb
4. Death Takes the Wheel
5. The Scorpion Strikes
6. Lens of Death
7. Human Targets
8. Boomerang
9. Dead Man's Trap
10. Doom Ship
11. Valley of Death
12. Captain Marvel's Secret

AVAILABILITY

UK
Theatrical Distributor: British Lion

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Republic Pictures Corporation
Video Distributor: Republic Pictures Home Video

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

UK
Rating: U

TIMELINE

1941
March
28: USA - chapter 1 theatrical release

1953
April
15: USA - chapter 1 theatrical re-release

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Captain Marvel
Return of Captain Marvel - reissue title
Aventuras del capitán Maravillas - Spanish title
Capitán Maravilla, el poderoso - Argentinian/Chilean title
Le Capitaine Marvel - Belgian title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Spider-Man (2002)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Action Heroes of the Cliffhanger Serials (1992)

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

Classic Images no.274 (April 1998) pp.36-38 (USA)
illustrated review

Comics Scene no.21 (October 1991) (USA)
interview with Louise Currie (Cliffhanger Queen by Tom Weaver)

Kinematograph Weekly no.2229 (19 January 1950) (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.17 no.193 (January - February 1950) p.7 (UK)
credits, review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.41 no.490 (November 1974) pp.29-260 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald vol.142 no.10 (8 March 1941) (USA)
review

Motion Picture Herald vol.192 no.10 (5 September 1953) p.1983 (USA)
review

Serial Quarterly vol.12 no.2 (USA)
review

Starburst no.198 (February 1995) p.35 (UK)
illustrated short article

Starlog no.199 (February 1994) (USA)
interview with Billy Benedict (Captain Marvel's Pal by Tom Weaver)

Those Enduring Matinee Idols vol.3 no.1 (February - March 1973) pp.298-304 (USA)
article

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again p.12
credits, review (by John Stanley)

The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film p.4
credits

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.16
credits, review

Psychotronic Video Guide p.5
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.3
credits

Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film and Television Credits Volume II pp.733-734
credits

Video Source Book 13th Edition (1992)
credits

KEYWORDS

comic into film; superheroes; serials; super weapons; scientists