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VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "The Great Alaskan Mystery" (1944)(Dolby digitally remastered), with 13 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line our hero Jim Hudson (Milburn Stone) who is a wounded soldier returning home goes after Nazi spies who have a new death ray called the Peragron... can Hudson survive all the fisticuffs, bruises, almost drowned and constantly being used for target practice in all 13 Chapters...will Dr. Hauss (Martin Kosleck) make all the nasty moves to secure the death ray and use it for his own purpose...and how about Brandon (Anthony Warde) who almost steals the serial with his great performance...is there any hope for all concerned as our favorite comic Edgar Kennedy comes up with some pretty funny skits interwoven between the action sequences...watch for some wonderful character actors from Serials and B-Westerns Edmund Cobb, Jack Ingram, Tom Keene and Jack Rockwell, these veterans add a nice touch for any series...as usual the Universal stunt people have their work cut out for them....don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "The Boomerang"....just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...don't miss a single spine thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins, two of the best in the Serial genre, associate producer Henry MacRae, original story Jack Foley, screenplay by George H. Plympton and Maurice Tombragel, music score by Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Milton Rosen...the cast include Milburn Stones (Jim Hudson), Marjorie Weaver (Ruth Miller), Ralph Morgan (Dr. Miller), Edgar Kennedy (Bosun Higgins), Samuel S. Hinds (Herman Brock), Martin Kosleck (Dr. Hauss), Fuzzy Knight ('Grit' Hartman), Anthony Warde (Brandon), Tom Keene (Burger), Edmund Cobb (Miner Worker Preparing Ambush), Jack Ingram (not listed), Jack Rockwell (Mine Thug)...back to the feature as Universal Pictures is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Shipwrecked Among Icebergs
2. Thundering Doom
3. Battle in the Clouds
4. Masked Murder
5. The Bridge of Disaster
6. Shattering Doom
7. Crashing Timbers
8. In A Flaming Plane
9. Hurtling Through Space
10.Tricked By A Booby Trap
11.The Tunnel of Terror
12.Electrocuted
13.The Boomerang

If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:
VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
1. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
4. Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
5. The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
6. Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
7. Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
8. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
9. Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
10.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)
11.Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
12.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
13.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
14.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s...get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "The Great Alaskan Mystery" (1944), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 225 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1741 ~ (1/29/1996)

When it begins it is all three: Great, Alaska, and a mystery. As Universal often did its arctic scenes of ships, men, and icebergs relies heavily on old stock footage but which actually blend in with and fit the action. But once who the good guys are and the bad guys are and all are rescued from the elements, we find ourselves in an Alaska that is the same old Iverson Ranch in North LA County we have seen over a zillion times and its just another serial. There is a brief relief when our good guys are forced to cut fresh timber for their mine and we have real Alpine scenery and a big logger's truck, but only for a chapter.Baby Boomers and seniors will recognize most of the cast, all excellent, veteran players who crossed over both B movies and big budget films, so the story line and acting are first rate. But the overall effect is greatly reduced by the obvious southern California scenery and sunshine... Alaska it aint.

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