Customer Reviews

Junior G-Men Vol. 2 [VHS]

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Billy Halop was part of the Dead End Kids gang that did many films after Broadway, starting with Dead End (1937). The Dead End Kids films lasted from 1937-1943. The cast including Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell and Bernard Punsly crossed over to be with The Little Tough Guys from 1938-1943. By 1940, Billy Halop wanted to branch out on his own. They also made Saturday matinee serials by Universal Pictures. Junior G-Men (1940), Sea Raiders (1941), Junior G-Men of the Air (1943). 12 chapters, 11 cliffhangers. Each new chapter was shown every week in the local theatre. Each episode was only 18-21 minutes long. Now on VHS and DVD, you can see all of the chapters together. With some searching you can find them in a two-tape pak or a two volume-DVD pak. Volume 1, chapters 1-6. Volume 2, chapters 7-12 or each volume may be available separatly. Alpha Video with Nina's Discount Oldies or Amazon.com may have a good deal for you. Buy both volumes so you can see all of the cliffhanger episodes together. Total running time: 3 hours and 58 minutes. The story is: Billy Barton (Billy Halop) has been looking for his father who he has not seen in five years. His father left him at the military academy. The government sent his father on a secret mission. This special medal was left in a briefcase for Billy. Billy left the academy to look for his father, but he was mugged, wallet taken and left for broke. The FBI tells Billy that his father was looking for him. Six months ago, Billy read in the newspaper that his father was dead. He blames it on the coppers. This is why Billy is so tough and has an attitude. The FBI tells Billy that his father is alive and is being held captive by a dangerous organization, The Flaming Torch. The Flaming Torch is trying to overthrow the present social order. They want the formula that Admiral Barton (Russell Hicks) has. Billy must join the Junior G-Men to help save his fathers life. In 1940, The East Side Kids was created with Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan (Huntz and Dell joined later). Billy Halop and Bernard Punsly did not join them, but continued as the Dead End Kids with The Little Tough Guys in films until 1943.
The Dead End Kids in this film are: Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell and Bernard Punsly. Kenneth Howell plays "Harry Trent". Phillip Terry plays "Jim Bradford". Florence Halop (Billy's sister) plays "Mary", the waitress. You might remember her in the NBC tv series "Night Court" in the 1980's.
Bernard Punsly's last film was MUG TOWN (1943). Bernard Punsly became a gynocologist M.D. in Torrence, California and recently passed away on January 20, 2004. He was the last surviving Dead End Kid. Huntz Hall passed away January 30, 1999.
Billy Halop said goodbye to the Dead End Kids with MUG TOWN (1943) as well. Billy Halop continued to make films, but getting parts was hard. In his final years, he became a male nurse. You may remember Billy Halop as "Bert Munson" on the CBS tv series "All in the Family". A role he played from 1972 to 1976, which ran through 1977. Billy Halop died in 1976 of a heart attack. Suddenly his career of 50 years which started in the 1920's on radio was over. But thanks to radio CD's (Radio Spirits) and films on VHS and DVD, Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Bernard Punsly, Gabriel Dell and the rest of the film gang will still be around to entertain us. Followed by Sea Raiders - Volumes 1 & 2 (Complete Serial) (2-DVD) (1941) and Junior G-Men of The Air - Volumes 1 & 2 (Complete Serial) (2-DVD) (1942).

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present..."Junior G-Men" (1940) (Dolby digitally remastered), a 12 Chapter cliffhanger from an action packed Universal serial era featuring an outstanding cast with Ford Beebe and John Rawlins at the helm....our story has to do with "The Flaming Torches" who have abducted a famous scientist Col. Barton who has just invented a powerful explosive greater than any known to man...can Billy Barton find his father with the help of the Junior G-men...is the Torch working with the Nazi's to take over the world...what evil plan is in store for G-Man Jim Bradford and the Dead End Kids...can Billy Halop, Huntz Hall and Gabe Dell make the difference in saving the world and all who are employed on this Universal Picture Serial...don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "The Power of Patriotism"....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 Ford Beebe and John Rawlins, producer Henry MacRae, original screenplay by George H. Plympton and Basil Dickey, dialogue director Jacques Jaccard, supervising editor Saul A Goodkind, musical score by Charles Previn, Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner and Franz Waxman, stunts by David Sharpe (stunt double for Billy Halop) ...the cast includes Billy Halop (Billy Barton), Huntz Hall (Gyp), Gabriel Dell (Terry), Kenneth Howell (Harry Trent), Phillip Terry (Jim Bradford), Cy Kendell (Brand), Russell Hicks (Col. Robert Barton), Bernard Punsly (Lug), Kenneth Lundy (Buck), William Desmond (Irish Cop), Jack Cheatham (First Cop at Building Collapse), Tom London (Kearney/riot squad cop), Eddie Parker (Truck Driver), Tom Steele (Bakery Truck Driver), David Sharpe (Henchman on Stairs), Lane Chandler (Second Cop at Building Collapse), Bill Cartledge (Junior G-Man), Roger Daniels (Midge), Ben Taggart (Capt. Severn), Gene Rizzi (Foster/henchman), Victor Zimmerman (Al Corey), Florence Halop (Mary)........special footnote as we showcase three actors, Billy Halop began his acting career as a teenager in the stage hit "Dead End", was brought to Hollywood in a big success went on to become serials for Universal and Monogram Pictures "The Dead End/East Side Kids", most popular in the '40s B-Picture genre....another actor Huntz Hall also from New York auditioned for a part in "Dead End", rumor has it because he could imitate a machine gun director Martin Gable and playwright Sidney Kingsley gave him the role, Hall more than any other actor appeared in a total of 81 East Side Kids and Bowery Boys films plus serials, usually billed as the character "Satch" co-starring with Leo Gorcey...the final actor is Gabriel "Gabe" Dell who made his debut in "Dead End" another juvenile cast member, Gabe appeared in East Side Kids, Dead End Kids and final in the Bowery Boys, in the later playing a cop, gangster or reporter, always gave it his best shot in every film........meanwhile back to our Universal Serial which 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.

BIOS:

1. Billy Halop (aka William Halop)

Birth Date: 2/11/1920 - New York, New York

Died: 11/09/1976 - Brentwood, California

2. Huntz Hall (aka Henry Richard Hall)

Birth Date: 8/15/1919 - New York, New York

Died: 1/30/1999 - North Hollywood, California

3. Gabriel Dell (aka Gabriel Del Vecchio)

Birth Date: 10/08/1919 - New York, New York

Died: 7/03/1988 - North Hollywood, California

CHAPTER TITLES:

1. Enemies Within

2. The Blast of Doom

3. Human Dynamite

4. Blazing Danger

5. Trapped by Traitors

6. Traitor's Treachery

7. Flaming Death

8. Hurled Through Space

9. Plunge of Peril

10.The Toll of Treason

11.Descending Doom

12.The Power of Patriotism

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. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)

2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)

3. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)

4. Captain Midnight (Dave O'Brien)

5. Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere (Judd Holdren & I. Stanford Jolley)

6. Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)

7. Don Winslow of the Navy (Don Terry)

8. Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (Don Terry)

9. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)

10.Fighting Kit Carson (Johnny Mack Brown)

11.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)

12.The Green Archer (Victory Jory)

13.Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)

14.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)

15.Lost City of the Jungle (Russell Hayden & Keye Luke)

16.Mandrake the Magician (Warren Hull & Dick Curtis)

17.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)

18.The Painted Stallion (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)

19.The Phantom (Tom Tyler)

20.The Return of Chandu (Bela Lugosi)

21.Riders of Death Valley (Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo & Buck Jones)

22.Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)

23.Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)

24.Sky Raiders (Donald Woods & Billy Halop)

25.Undersea Kingdom (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)

26.Winners of the West (Dick Foran, Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft & Charles Stevens)

27.Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)

28.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)

Coming soon January 2006 from VCI Home Video on DVD..."FLAMING FRONTIERS" (1938), Universal Serial with 15 chapters, featuring Johnny Mack Brown, Eleanor Hansen, John Archer, James Blaine and Ralph Bowman..."OREGON TRAIL" (1939), another Universal Serial with 15 exciting chapters featuring Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, Roy Barcoft and Charles King..."THE TALL TEXAN" (1953), full length feature starring Lloyd Bridges, Lee J Cobb, Luther Adler and Marie Windsor...watch for more details on VCI Entertainment and Amazon your two favorite sites for serials and B-Westerns.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Junior G-Men" (1940), 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 where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, 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: 232 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1764 ~ (9/25/2001)