Sunday, February 2, 2014

A Captain Midnight Triple Feature

Captain Midnight 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. It 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 bombing major American cities. Our hero leads the Secret Squadron, whose staff includes Chuck Ramsay who is Midnight's ward and Ichabod 'Icky' Mudd the Squadron's chief mechanic.

Shark has developed a highly efficient mercenary organization, being aided by his daughter Fury who is highly intelligent and second in command, Gardo the henchman and Fang, an Oriental ally. Unfortunately, Shark is after a new range finder invented by the altruistic scientist, John Edwards, whose beautiful daughter, Joyce the villains attempt to capture in order to blackmail the inventor.
 Captain Midnight: Menacing Fates /Shells of Evil

 

In this combined clip from chapters 7 and 8, Dorothy Short plays Joyce Edwards who is hand-gagged and pulled off screen by the hand of Ivan Shark. Afterward she's seen gagged with a large black cloth in the backseat of a car, driven by Ivan's daughter Fury Shark. Our hero gives chase as do the cops, but above the scene, Shark's agents in a plane begin bombing the road. The cops wisely give up the pursuit. Joyce struggles to free herself. A final bomb whistles down and makes a direct hit !!

Download the Clip