Captain Midnight (serial)

Infobox Film
name = Captain Midnight

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image_size =
caption =
director = James W. Horne
producer = Larry Darmour
writer = Basil Dickey
George Plympton
Wyndham Gittens
Jack Stanley
Screenplay, based on the radio serial of the
"same name" created by
Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M. Burtt.
narrator = Knox Manning
starring = Dave O'Brien
Dorothy Short
James Craven
Bryant Washburn
Sam Edwards
Guy Wilkerson
music = Lee Zahler
cinematography = James S. Brown Jr.
Black and white
editing = Dwight Caldwell
Earl Turner
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = 1942
runtime = 270 minutes
15 episodes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by = "Holt of the Secret Service"
followed_by = "Perils of the Royal Mounted"
website =
amg_id = 1:124301
imdb_id = 0034577

"Captain Midnight" (1942) was the 17th serial released by Columbia Pictures. It was based upon the radio adventure serial of the "same name" broadcast from 1938 to 1949.

Plot

"Captain Midnight" was only one of the many aviation serials released in wartime whose leading characters where derived from early pulp magazines and radio favorites. In this serial, Captain Albright is an extremely skilled aviator better known as Captain Midnight, who is assigned to neutralize the sinister Ivan Shark, an evil enemy scientist who is merrily bombing major American cities. Our hero leads the Secret Squadron, which staff includes only highly-qualified specialist as Chuck Ramsay (Midnight's ward) and Ichabod 'Icky' Mudd (Squadron's chief mechanic). Shark has developed a highly efficient mercenary organization, being aided by his daughter Fury (highly intelligent and second in comand), Gardo (loyal henchman) and Fang (a strong Oriental alley). Unfortunately, Shark is after a new range finder invented by an altruistic scientist, John Edwards, who has a beautiful daughter, Joyce, who is threatened with death for fifteen thrilling episodes, only to be rescued by her own ingenuity or the skill of Captain Midnight at the appropiate last moment. Like other wartime Columbia serials, "Captain Midnight" suffered from a low budget, but the almost impossibility of the hero (or heroine) escaping tragedy at the end of each episode is all fairly enjoyable.

Cast

Chapter titles

# Mysterious Pilot
# The Stolen Range Finder
# The Captured Plane
# Mistaken Identity
# Ambushed Ambulance
# Weird Waters
# Menacing Fates
# Shells of Evil
# The Drop to Doom
# The Hidden Bomb
# Sky Terror
# Burning Bomber
# Death in the Cockpit
# Scourge of Revenge
# The Fatal Hour_Source: [cite book
last = Cline
first = William C.
title = In the Nick of Time
origyear = 1984
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc.
isbn = 078640471X
pages = pp. 232
chapter = Filmography ]

Tag line

*RADIO'S GREATEST THRILL SHOW ZOOMS TO GLORY ON THE SCREEN! Captain Midnight battles enemy plotters in the mightiest of serials!

Release

This serial was released in Latin America in November of 1942, under the title "El Capitán Medianoche", in English with Spanish subtitles.

Facts

* Actress Dorothy Short was O'Brien's wife at the time this serial was produced.
* This was Sam Edwards' first major role.

Related serials

*Ace Drummond"
*"Adventures of Smilin' Jack, The"
*"Adventures of the Flying Cadets"
*"Airmail Mystery, The"
*"Flying G-Men"
*"Hop Harrigan"
*"Junior G-Men of the Air"
*"Mysterious Pilot, The"
*"Mystery Squadron, The"
*"Phantom of the Air, The"
*"Sky Raiders"
*"Tailspin Tommy"
*"Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery"

ee also

*List of film serials by year
*List of film serials by studio

External links

* [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:124301 All-Movie.com]
* [http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/42893/ Cinefania.com]
* [http://www.emovieposter.com/imagearchive/title_info.php?id=9688 eMoviePoster.com]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034577/ IMDb.com]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Columbia Serial
before="Holt of the Secret Service" (1941)
years="Captain Midnight" (1942)
after="Perils of the Royal Mounted" (1942)