Captain America was a 1944 Republic black-and-white serial loosely based on the Timely Comics (today known as Marvel Comics) character Captain America. It was the last Republic serial made about a superhero. It also has the distinction of being the most expensive serial that Republic ever made. It also stands as the first theatrical release connected to a Marvel character; the next theatrical release featuring a Marvel hero would not occur for more than 40 years!
The serial sees Captain America, really District Attorney Grant Gardner (played by Dick Purcell), trying to thwart the plans of The Scarab, really museum curator Dr. Cyrus Maldor (played by Lionel Atwill) – especially regarding his attempts to acquire the “Dynamic Vibrator” and “Electronic Firebolt”, devices that could be used as super-weapons.
Republic changed the usual plot element with regards to the villain of Captain America. The studio’s usual approach was the use of a mystery villain who was only unmasked (as someone we would know from the serial) in the final chapter. Instead the secret identity of the villain was known to the audience from the beginning, thus adding more tension for the audience.
The plot opens with news of multiple suspicious suicides among scientists and businessmen, all found holding a small scarab, gets the attention of Mayor Randolph. He demands that Police Commissioner Dryden and District Attorney Grant Gardner get to the bottom of the case, while openly wishing that Captain America, a masked man who has helped defeat crime in the past, were around to solve the mystery. Gail Richards, Grant Gardner’s secretary, investigates and realises someone knows of the “Purple Death”, a hypnotic chemical responsible for the suicides. However he then pulls out a gun and takes her into another room. He then orders an associate to tie her up. The D.A. realises she is there and forces the man to take him to her. He finds her tied up and gagged. He frees her but it is threatened that the purple death will be dropped killing them all. But the D.A. shoots him then gets out of the room with Gail.
All of the suicides were members of an expedition to some Mayan ruins. One of the few remaining survivors, Professor Lyman, turns to his friend Dr. Maldor for support. Dr. Maldor, however, reveals that he is the man responsible for the deaths. He wants revenge because he planned and organised the expedition but everyone else claimed the fame and fortune. However, Lyman has developed the “Dynamic Vibrator” – a device intended for mining operations but one that can be amplified into a devastating weapon. Using his purple death Dr. Maldor forces Lyman to disclose the location of his plans.
Captain America intervenes as the Scarab’s heavies attempt to steal the plans and this leads to a sequence of plots by the Scarab to acquire a working version, as well as other devices, while trying to eliminate the interfering Captain before he succeeds in discovering Dr. Maldor’s true identity or defeats him!
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger was Toei Company's 37th entry in its long-running Super Sentai Series. It aired from February 17th 2013 to February 9th 2014 for 49 episodes. Long ago in the Read more
Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley as Zorro. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against Read more
Zone Fighter was a tokusatsu science fiction/superhero television series produced by Toho Company Ltd. It aired from April 2nd 1973 to September 24th 1973, with a total of 26 episodes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdhcjsVLDQY The series follows Read more
Zapped is a British sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that takes place in both in the real world and in a town called Munty which exists in a medieval fantasy world. The series Read more
Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan was a Philippine fantasy-drama television that span off from Space Sheriff Shaider. Originally it was conceived as a Filipino remake of Shaider but the Toei Company rejected the Read more
Mackenzie Crook returns in a new episode of his interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge. Crook already has two episodes under his belt which debuted last Christmas- The Scarecrow Read more
In Mackenzie Crook's second episode of Worzel Gummidge a mysterious man arrival to Scatterbrook known as The Green Man (Michael Palin). Through the episode it is revealed that The Green Man Read more
Anticipation was high for Mackenzie Crook's interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's scarecrow adventures and with many seemingly already making their mind up based on the trailer it was an uphill Read more
Children's TV is no stranger to weird psychedelic visions but none have ever matched the trippy shizzle that legendary magician Paul Daniels (and wife Debbie McGee) came up with for Read more
Debuting in 1983 and running for eight episodes (of which three episodes were directed by Bill Bixby), Wizards and Warriors, was a fantasy show which focused on two neighbouring kingdoms Read more
Created by Tom Greene, Wildside debuted on March 21st 1985 and ran for six episodes. The show starred William Smith, J. Eddie Peck, Howard Rollins, Sandy McPeak, Terry Funk, John D'Aquino, Read more
Whiz Kids was created by Philip DeGuere and Bob Shayne and originally aired from October 5, 1983 to June 2, 1984, lasting one season and consisting of 18 episodes. Richie Read more
Before Spider-Man, before the Fantastic Four, before even Captain America, Marvel was creating superheroes. Sure, the publisher went by Timely rather than Marvel, but it had costumed heroes — in Read more
So Marvel's What If...? has finally arrived. The idea behind it being that following the creation of the multiverse in Loki's first season finale, we now get to explore, through the eyes of Read more
Debuting in 1998 and running for thirteen episodes, Welcome to Paradox was an anthology show where all the stories took place in the fictional future city of Betaville although the Read more
Warrior of Love Rainbowman was a tokusatsu series created by Kōhan Kawauchi. It was the first superhero TV series produced by Toho Company Ltd., and ran from October 6th 1972 to September 18th 1973 Read more
In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens, but it didn't kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now Read more
Voyagers! was a science fiction time travel-based television series that ran between 1982 and 1983. It starred Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce and lasted for one season of twenty episodes. Read more
One of my favorite science fiction shows when I was a child was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, starring Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and David Hedison Read more
Brett Summers
Founded Cult Faction in 2014. Some would describe him as a teacher, writer, dream weaver, and visionary... some would not...
1 thought on “Captain America (1944)”