7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun serial, but print is no surprize......, March 30, 2007
This review is from: Mystery of the Riverboat (Serial) (DVD)
Thanks to Serial Squadron for doing what they can with this fun Universal serial. This serial is unusual because of the occasional musical numbers! This is a single flipper disc release. The format is a little strange in that you can only play one chapter at a time....there is no "play all" option.
The print looks like it has been in a ditch for 50 years. It has a dupey quality with tons of debris and vertical lines on the image. Of course, I've never seen a better print available for this title. As with most Universal serials, this one has fallen into the public domain and I doubt that Universal even has the negative preserved.
Despite the quality of the print, this is a fun little serial and I certainly recommend it. Of course, ANYTHING with Mantan Moreland in the cast is worth a look!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Fine Serial Squadron DVD, December 18, 2007
This review is from: Mystery of the Riverboat (Serial) (DVD)
The Serial Squadron has done it again with this release of the 1944 Universal serial. While the print is not quite as good as their Tailspin Tommy In The Great Air Mystery, it's still the best print of this serial you're likely ever to see and far better than previous VHS versions.
The serial itself is fun and fairly interesting. Mantan Moreland is a highlight of it and Robert Lowry, who went on to play Batman in 1949, is always a fun serial hero to watch.
Both the movie and the DVD are very highly recommended. Here's hoping The Serial Squadron puts out more great DVDs just like this!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The King of Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ The Mystery of the Riverboat (1944)", October 14, 2005
VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "The Mystery of the Riverboat" (1944) (Dolby digitally remastered), with 13 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line takes us into an adventure on "The Morning Glory" a Riverboat that will survive fires, explosions from a boiler, broken levee with floods, plus shanty boats up and down the Mississippi being run down...who really owns the swamp land in the bayou, is it the Duvals, Langtrys or Perrins, perhaps all three...what is the name of the rich deposits that everyone is fighting over...can Robert Lowery stay out of the Mississippi Mud long enough to get dry and put the pieces together....is there a map involved if so who has it now...the ships steward Mantan Moreland saves the day more than once in the 13 chapters...whenever there's trouble the entertainment by Marion Martin and Jimmy Dodds never seem to falter, the show must go...will the cajun boat people stand for anymore shenanigans...how many more times will Robert Lowery find himself in the water...can Lyle Talbot be the brains behind the cliffhanger episodes searching for "nitrolene" by the way watch for some wonderful character actors from Serials and B-Westerns Dick Curtis, Earle Hodgins, Anthony Warde, Francis McDonald, Eddie Waller and Tom Steele (famous stuntman), 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, original story and adaption by Ande Lamb, screenplay by Maurice Tomragel, music score by Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Milton Rosen...the cast include Robert Lowery (Steve Langtry), Eddie Quillan (Jug Jenks), Marion Martin (Celeste Eltree), Marjory Clements (Jenny Perrin), Mantan Moreland (Napoleon), Lyle Talbot (Rudolph Toller), Arthur Hohl (Paul Duval), Francis McDonald (Batiste), Oscar O'Shea (Captain Ethan Perrin), Eddy Waller (Charles Langtry), Anthony Warde (Bruno Bloch), Earle Hodgins (Jean Duval), Dick Curtis (Craig Cassard), Jack Cheatham (Policeman), Jimmie Dodd (Minstrel)...some of Universal's veteran stuntmen are John Daheim (stunt double for Robert Lowery), Carey Loftin (another stunt double for Robert Lowery), Eddie Parker (stunt double for Dick Curtis), Tom Steele (stunt double for Arthur Hohl).....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. The Tragic Crash
2. The Phantom Killer
3. The Flaming Inferno
4. The Brink of Doom
5. The Highway of Peril
6. The Fatal Plunge
7. Toll of the Storm
8. The Break in the Levee
9. Trapped in the Quicksands
10.Flaming Havoc
11.Electrocuted
12.Risking Death
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 Republic Pictures present "Dick Tracy" (1937) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Chester Gould's famous comic strip with 15 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line involves a better than average serial....can Dick Tracy survive car and boat chases, airplane death cliffhanger scenes and zeppelin crashes with fisticuffs at every turn...who is the master criminal known as the "Lame One"..can Dick Tracy's brother Gordon be rescued after being kidnapped by the Spider's henchman, as Moloch is preparing a mind altering medical procedure.....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 Mystery of the Riverboat" (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: 265 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1702 ~ (9/27/1990)
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