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I saw The Adventures of Captain Marvel, one chapter per week, when it was re-released to theaters in 1954. Then I purchased the VHS in 1988, the first time I ever purchased a serial in this format, to be viewed and re-viewed in the convenience of home.
This is one of the best serials I have ever seen as far as plot development and suspense go. Little by little, over the 12 chapters, the scientists get killed as you try to figure out which one is The Scorpion-- the evil mastermind. The camera pans along and stops at each suspicious looking face. Finally, the identity is revealed in the last chapter.
I remember seeing the last chapter one Friday night. When I got home sometime between 10:00 and midnight, I had to restrain myself from calling a couple of friends to tell them who The Scorpion really was. (I was able to wait till Monday morning.)
So now I know the identity, and when I re-watch this serial every couple of years or so, I look for the early hints. There is one in one of the middle chapters.
This is a must for serial fans, and for introducing our younger friends and descendants to the world of serials, mid twentieth century.
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It's not exactly like the 40's comics but the costume of Marvel is how he looked in the early comic books and very well done as is the Scorpion's costume. Tom Tyler was the perfect choice for Cap who later was THE PHANTOM, the Batman like character (and likely one of the inspirations for Batman) the purple tights clad jungle hero in another serial. The use of a 'flying' mannequin ala Commander Cody's flying effects were first used in this serial which look pretty effective most of the time compared to the Kirk Alyn SUPERMAN serials cartooned figure flying. This is the one source to see Marvel wreak havok on the villains....This Cap does'nt sissy around with the punishment! In the serial, teen Billy Batson is given the power to become Captain Marvel for the sole purpose of guarding and keeping out of the hands of the evil, the awesome SCORPION statue, an ancient relic that can be used to produce gold and create death rays, etc.! Jackson Bostwick and Jon Davey may've delivered a more easy feel as a Cap who's been at fighting evil for awhile in the 70's SHAZAM! tv series but Tyler is pretty good as a Cap who discovers his powers on the job. Non super hero buffs or those who only want modern blockbuster effects can forget this serial but if you're into classic versions of Tarzan, Superman, Batman, THE SHADOW and THE GREEN HORNET, this is a real gem.
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After the Superman serials, Captain Marvel ranks up there among my favorite serials, dispite the few differences from the comic on which it was based [if you're looking for Mary, Silvania and Black Adam they are absent], but it is still an enjoyable and campy romp through the world of Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel wasn't as elaborately done with the flying sequences as the Superman serials, wich had a blend of live action and animation, but the spirit is still there.
Rating:  -
Captain Marvel makes a great platform for a writing program in elementary school. A child from 1941 is a lot like a child from 2002. What excited an elementary school child in 1941 still excites the 2002 elementary school child. Captain Marvel is an interesting topic for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to write about, and it is a lot more fun to write when the topic is of interest to the writer.
I've used Captain Marvel as a basis for a good portion of my writing program for the past several years. We watch and discuss segments of the episodes, perhaps 5 minutes, what ever is appropriate to the story line and writing assignment, then the students write. At various times students write narratives in the first or third person, telling the story from the different perspectives' of the characters. They write news stories, telling what happened in a given segment as it would be written in a newspaper. They write obituaries for characters that are killed, filling in the unknown details of the characters lives' from evidence of their actions in the story. They write persuasive essays and editorials commenting on the actions of Captain Marvel and the other characters, and on the identity of the Scorpion. They write parallel stories that have the same plot or story line as a particular Captain Marvel story segment. They even write poetry about Captain Marvel.
On our weekly writing day several mothers come into the class to help. We start out by returning the students' writing portfolios so they can read the comments and grade on last week's assignment. Using an overhead projector I show the class two or three examples of good writing from last week, pointing out the specific elements that made that writing good.
Then I tell the class what their assignment will be this week: first person narrative, obituary, news story, etc. We usually work on one specific genra several weeks in a row, then revisit it later in the year. We watch the episode segment, discuss it, and watch the same segment again; then the students write about it. The mother helpers and I assist students as needed. Students spend anywhere from an hour to three days on their work, writing and re-writing.
There are a lot of other opportunities to write in school in literature, social studies, science, personal journals, math, and the like, but as a basis for teaching the basics of writing, this serial of Captain Marvel has outstanding potential.
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This serial collection is really nice. A must have for any super hero fan. The effects were nice, considering the time it was released. Nice story line.
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