Customer Reviews

Manhunt of Mystery Island [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This serial is a good one in that it stars the great Roy Barcoft as the villian. Followers of serials know that he was one of the best and gives a first rate performance here.

Why Richard Bailey? Maybe all the good leading men hadn't come back from World War Two yet. And why that ugly checked jacket? After spending the wardrobe budget on Captain Mephisto's bellbottoms, they probably had to get Bailey's jacket at Goodwill. Heck, in most of his fights his jacket doesn't even become unbuttoned and his hat doesn't fall off!

The undistinguished Bailey plays distinguished criminologist Lance Reardon, who helps Claire Forrest, played by serial queen Linda Stirling, search the island for her scientist father. Professor Forrest is a prisoner of Captain Mephisto, an 18th century pirate who has invented a machine which turns him into one of his four descendants who inhabit an island--or maybe it's the other way around. Anyway, Mephisto is played by one of the all-time popular baddies, Roy Barcroft. Barcroft is much better in this role than he was as the title character in "The Purple Monster Strikes," which he made in the same year (maybe the bellbottoms helped). When he was a Martian occupying another man's body, I bought it; though the process is similar, here I don't. I don't know why they needed the metamorphosis, it would have been a perfectly okay serial without it, but there it is, and it doesn't work for me. Here's hoping you enjoy watching the change, because the same exact scene occurs in every chapter.

Lind Stirling ("The Crimson Ghost," Zorro's Black Whip") is her usual competent self, which is a good thing because without her Reardon is dead meat. Perhaps his most common line is, "Thank you, Claire!" every time she rescues him. In a remarkable case of "you'd-never-recognize-him," Kenne Duncan plays Mephisto's chief henchman Brand, quite a turnaround after playing the calm, almost otherworldly Ram Singh is "The Spider's Web." Yakima Canutt, the world's most honored stuntman, retired to second-unit directing after being injured in 1943, his most famous example of which was directing the chariot race in "Ben Hur" (1959); he directs the second unit in this picture as well, so you know the stunt work is good.

The final cliffhanger has a bad cheat. Claire's plane dips below the rocks and we clearly hear the plane crashing, but when the final chapter begins there is no crash, and the plane simply rises from behind the rocks. And the ending is rather weak, as if they ran out of time and had to wrap up everything in two minutes. This one was well beyond Republic's so-called golden era.

Richard Bailey didn't cut the most heroic figure among Republic's serial heroes, and his voice sounds a tad on the sissy side. But he was built like stuntman Tom Steele which is what counts, because Steele made his character look like quite a battler. Even so, heroine Linda Stirling saves the life of Bailey's criminologist character about as many times as vice versa in this exciting chapter-play, about one of a group of suspects on an island who has developed a Frankenstein-like spark-throwing transformation machine which can literally turn him into another person, the physical personification of his pirate ancestor, played by Roy Barcroft. It is said that this was one of Barcroft's favorite roles, because it was something different from western heavies. Indeed it was, and Barcroft revels in it.

Republic Pictures present "MANHUNT OF MYSTERY ISLAND" (1945) (219 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- is a 15-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Linda Stirling and Roy Barcroft, relive those thrilling days week after week venue brought you to the theater, as you were mesmerized in your seat waiting for the final chapter ... which one of the four owners of Mystery Island is really Captain Mephisto (Roy Barcroft) ... the Captain is a pirate from 200 years ago and is trying to steal the plans of the Radiatomic Power Transmitter from Linda Stirling and her father Forrest Taylor.

Under Spencer Gordon Bennet (Director), Yakima Canutt (Director), Wallace Grissell (Director), Ronald Davidson (Associate Producer), Albert DeMond (Screenwriter), Basil Dickey (Screenwriter), Jesse Duffy (Screenwriter), Alan James (Screenwriter), Grant Nelson (Screenwriter), Joseph F. Poland (Screewriter), Bud Thackery (Cinematographer), Cliff Bell Sr.(Editor), Harold Minter (Editor) ------ the cast includes Linda Stirling (Claire Forrest), Roy Barcroft (Capt. Mephisto/Higgins), Richard Bailey (Lance Reardon), Kenne Duncan (Sidney Brand), Forrest Taylor (Prof. William Forrest), Forbes Murray (Prof. Harry Hargraves), Jack Ingram (Edward Armstrong), Harry Strang (Frederick "Fred" Braley), Ed Cassidy (Paul Melton), Frank Alten (John Raymond), Lane Chandler (Police Insp. Reed), Russ Vincent (Ruga), Dale Van Sickel (Barker/Ritter/Lewis/Frazier/Sardon), Tom Steele (Thug Lyons and Bailey), Eddie Parker (Ship's Captain), Babe DeFreest (stunt double: Linda Stirling), Fred Graham (stunt double: Roy Barcroft ), Duke Green (stunt double: Kenne Duncan), Eddie Parker (stunts), Tom Steele (stunt double:Richard Bailey), Duke Taylor (stunt double: Jack Ingram), Dale Van Sickel (stunts) ------ our Republic 15 Chapter Serial features the King of Badmen Roy Barcroft as Captain Mephisto who was the governor of Mystery Island ... Mephisto wants the plans of a remote control device and has kidnapped Forrest Taylor to force him to do his biding ... the lovely Linda Stirling is the daughter of scientist Forrest Taylor, who with the help of Richard Bailey have their hands full with Barcroft ... plenty of action in this cliffhanger with Yakima Canutt choreographing the stunt work with all his ace stunt people ... don't leave the theater until the final chapter "Fatal Transformation" ... another winner from the vaults of Republic Pictures Serials.

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Secret Weapon
2. Satan's Web
3. The Murder Machine
4. The Lethal Chamber
5. Mephisto's Mantrap
6. Ocean Tomb
7. The Death Drop
8. Bombs Away
9. The Fatal Flood
10.The Sable Shroud
11.Satan's Shadow
12.Cauldron of Cremation
13.Bridge to Eternity
14.Power Dive to Doom
15.Fatal Transformation

BIOS:
1. Linda Stirling (aka: Louise Schultz)
Date of birth: 11 October 1921 - Long Beach, California
Date of death: 20 July 1997 - Studio City, Los Angeles, California

Special Footnote, Linda Stirling was the most popular action star of serials in the 1940s, she was spotted in an advertisement by executives of Republic Studios, who were looking for a beautiful but athletic woman to star in their upcoming serial, "The Tiger Woman" (1944). Despite having no experience in the kind of stunts and athletics that would be required, Stirling was able to convince not only the executives but ace stuntman Yakima Canutt of her capability. She won the role and a contract from Republic, and played hard-riding and -fighting heroines in numerous serials, Westerns, and low-budget adventure films over the next three or four years ... Stirling appeared in three other notable serials "Zorro's Black Whip" (1944), "Manhunt of Mystery Island" (1945), "The Purple Monster Strikes" (1945) and "Crimson Ghost" (1946) ... where she rapidly earned the title "Queen of the Serials." ... She married Republic screenwriter Sloan Nibley in 1946, then retired from films the following year, had a family and once her children were grown Stirling enrolled at UCLA, eventually earning an MA, a BFA and--at age 50--a PhD ... during 1960s, she began a whole new career as a teacher of college English and Drama.

BIOS:
2. Roy Barcroft (aka: Howard Harold Ravenscroft)
Date of birth: 7 September 1902 - Crab Orchard, Nebraska
Date of death: 28 November 1969 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California

Second Special Footnote, actor Roy Barcroft one of the most sought after badmen of the Saturday Matinee era --- His face appeared in more westerns than any cowboy villain who rode the range in the '40s and '50s --- an complete account of "Roy Barcroft:King of the Badmen", which is the title of Bobby J. Copeland's book on the life and times of "Republic Pictures Number One Villain". Barcroft appeared in B-Westerns and Serials - became one of the most recognized actors, when you heard that familiar voice --- you were in for it. Roy was one of the few bad guys that once you saw his name in the credits, you were going to get your money's worth. Barcroft was my first favorite and my second was Harry Woods, who in many ways reminded me of each other --- I remember watching Barcroft in a variety of Republic Serials --- "Manhunt of Mystery Island" (1945), as Captain Mephisto --- "The Purple Monster Strikes" (1945), as the invading Martian --- "G-Men Never Forget" (1948), a dual role as the honest police commissioner and the lead villain (good & bad look-alikes) --- "Don Daredevil Rides Again" (1951) --- "Radar Men from the Moon" (1952), as Retik --- My favorite B-Westerns were the casting of Wild "Bill" Elliott and Allan "Rocky" Lane vs the under handed dealings of Roy Barcroft, boss, leader of the gang or henchmen --- every frame was B-Westerns at their best --- With knock-down-drag-out fight scenes that gave you everything you ever wished for and more in an action film --- fellow actors, producers and directors all agree Roy Barcroft was as beloved as anybody else in the Motion Picture business.

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)

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 219 min on VHS ~ Republic Video ~ (5/30/1995)

Saw this serial in the movie house as a kid back in the 50s. I had forgotten about it until I saw the ad. It was fun to see it again and remember the "cliffhangers."

My husband has introduced me to the serials of his youth and this is the one that I liked the best. He met Roy Barcroft years ago and Roy told him that this was the role that he enjoyed the best. It kept me guessing right up to the end. Imagine what they did with a film budget in 1945 and what astronomical figures it would take today to even come close! The action was fun (somewhat predictable with the fight scenes) but suspenseful, who was Mafesto?