Customer Reviews

The Phantom Empire, Vol. 1

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Face it. No serial has ever become more than an 11 year-old boy's greatest fantasy. From buried treasures, to evil cloaked villains, men on Mars, Emperor Ming on the planet Mongo, or an empire beneath the earth's surface, serials engaged pre-teen boys with endless Saturday afternoon escapist fare.

When viewed today, production standards of most serials are ludicrous. And in general, the actors are just as ridiculous and rather painful to listen to. In short, serials are corny, unbelievable, and very very cheap.

But when I saw Gene Autry's 15-episode Phantom Empire in 1949 every Saturday following my swimming session at the Plainfield New Jersey YMCA while eating an egg salad sandwich that crumbled down my shirt, I was transported into another world that has never left me. The sheer idea of a huge city deep under the earth's surface, the beautiful Queen Tika lording over Murania as her evil counselors wreak havoc among the earthlings, Frankie Darro and his Thunder Riders (pail bucket on their heads and all), and hero Gene Autry singing through it all with his wonderful bouncy Oklahoma cowboy singing style, was a feast for my unformed mind and heart.

Each week for 15 weeks I breathlessly waited for another chapter in the unfolding epic. And when the final (so tragic to me then) episode ended it all, I floated home in a reverie that no amount of play could reproduce.

The only other serials that came close were the Flash Gordon series with Buster Crabbe, FG Conquers the Universe being the best. Others included Don Winslow of the Navy, the Bat Man series (Dr. Daka and his hungy crocodile in the Tunnel of Love), Tom Mix, and Rocket Man. There were so many.

I can't make anyone like these things, especially if you are already grown up and missed the serial excitement back in the pre 1950's days, But if you have a great sense of fun, and a wide imagination that can spare the corn from your skeptical overview, this is the one to start with. Glorious fun.

This review is strickly comparing this newly released 2 DVD set from ALPHA VIDEO to the 2 VHS set from VCI Home Video.

First "The Phantom Empire" (1935) starring Gene Autry the singing cowboy was the first Western/Sci-fi Saturday matinee action serial. A very elaborate and fun story of an underground hidden empire of "Murania" lying 12000 feet below Gene Autry's ranch. This is some fun stuff. 12 cliffhanging chapters originally produced by Mascot Pictures. This preceded the later serials like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. The Phantom Empire runs for 216 minutes total is Black and White and is presented in Standard Format.

Compared:

Alpha Video 2 DVD set - This is a non-restored direct transfer DVD. The results are horrible, grainy, dark and some times blurry picture. The sound is erractic and sometimes difficult to understand the dialog. The worst thing is the chapters are incomplete. Each serial ending or beginning are chopped resulting in the absense of the cliffhanger thrill of the story. If you must see this classic on DVD, Rent only!!!!!

VCI 2 VHS set - This is "The Phantom Empire" as it was ment to be seen. It is only VHS quality but so much better than the DVD set. The sound is much better and ALL 12 CHAPTERS are complete and the cliffhanging thrill is there to drive you on to next chapter. This is a fun experience and maybe a purchase but definitely a rental!!!!

This 1935 serial is a one of a kind and if you are a Gene Autry fan this could be for you. Enjoy.

For the record, please note that I am reviewing a specific version of "Phantom Empire", not the serial itself. The version I am talking about is by Digiview. Digiview makes those cheap DVDs you find at Walmart. You know, the ones that cost a dollar, and are packaged in slim cases. Like many companies of this type, Digiview specializes in public domain titles. This release is no exception. What you will get is a poor quality print with muffled sound, and no extras. Please ignore the cover which says "Digitally Remastered"; it is not. But I knew that when I bought this DVD used. What I didn't know was that this is an edited print which takes the 12 chapters of the serial and combines them into a bizarre 90 minute "movie".

So be advised, if you spot this DVD somewhere.
Maybe someday Image Entertainment will release a complete version, as they have done with the Flash Gordon serials. There is another company which has it in two volumes (six chapters per DVD), but from the reviews posted here, it appears as if that print isn't too hot either. Oh well, someday.

This is a review of the Timeless Media Group release of the 1935 Mascot Serial, "The Phantom Empire." Empire is one of my all time favorite serials. Given that, I fell hook, line, and sinker for this new overpriced 3 disc set from Timeless "Authorized By The Gene Autry Estate."

Gene Autry did not produce or own exclusive rights to this public domain serial. This set claims to use as a source his own personal print. For $35, I expected it to shoot the moon. Not so fast, though. Gene's "personal copy" was evidently a 16mm print, because that's what this looks to be sourced from. No cleanup to image or sound has been done. Dirt, scratches, and other trash are apparent throughout. Timeless, not one of my favorite distributors (remember those great old Universal TV shows they licensed, and used horrible 16mm syndication prints as sources, e.g. Checkmate)?

I'm sure that Autry's agents forced Timeless to spread this 12-chapter serial over 3 platters to avoid over-compression, with the best possible intentions. No restoration or cleanup has been done. Sad.

The Serial Squadron sells a version of EMPIRE through their site, which is superior to this. Also, VCI has their own version out that looks pretty good. Nothing will ever be perfect for this title unless a first generation source can be found, and that's unlikely to happen. The folks at Serial Squadron did clean up their version digitally and certainly looks the best.

So, if you have either the VCI or Serial Squadron versions, you can't do much better by them. Timeless' price is ridiculous for what you get. The only supplement to amount to anything is a brief intro done for Autry's Melody Ranch Theater syndicated TV show that ran his films. It's actually an intro for an edited feature version of the serial.

I have just received VCI's new digital tansfer of the wonderful 1930,s serial. It is almost as I remembered seeing the original 12 chapters in my hometown movie theater. The video quality and sound is so much better than the earlier VHS issue.
It was so much fun to relive those Saturdays of wonder and adventure. For those who never went to a Saturday matinee, this isan eye opener. The adventure was so far ahesd of it's time. It is truly amazing!!

I agree with the first reviewer. I was looking forward to watching this serial but the transfer to DVD is so poor that I gave up after the 2nd chapter.

VCI Entertainment presents "PHANTOM EMPIRE" (23 February 1935) (240 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- relive those thrilling days when the "First Singing Cowboy" Gene Autry took us down the dusty trails with hard riding and straight shooting hitting the bull's eye with excitement every time --- the Gene Autry series of B-Westerns were a staple of Saturday matinees in the 1930s and 1940s --- A classic by anybody's standard --- Combination of Western, Musical, Sci-Fi, Comedy and Adventure --- Truly imaginative --- Gene Autry's first starring vehicle -- It predates Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and all the other sci-fi Serials of the '30s and '40s --- Republic Pictures stuck to the sci-fi theme in most of their cliffhangers through to the end of their existence --- An inside joke appeared in Gene Autry's 1941 feature "Sierra Sue" wherein character actress Dorothy Christy, who plays Queen Tika in this serial, says to Autry "I have the feeling we have met somewhere before, maybe in another world" --- A true must see for film historians and fans of all ages.

Under the production staff of:
Otto Brower - Director
B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason - Director
Nat Levine - Producer
H. Freedman - Screenwriter
Gerald Geraghty - Screen Story / Screenwriter
Maurice Geraghty - Screen Story
Wallace MacDonald - Screen Story / Screenwriter
John Rathmell - Screenwriter / Continuity
Armand Schaefer - Supervisor/Manager / Screenwriter
William Bradford - Cinematographer
Ernest W. Miller - Cinematographer
William Noble - Cinematographer
William Nobles - Cinematographer
Gene Autry - Songwriter
Smiley Burnette - Songwriter
Jimmy Long - Songwriter
Lee Zahler - Composer (Music Score)
Earl Turner - Editor
Armand Shaeffer - Supervising Producer / Continuity
Jack Coyle - Special Effects / Set Designer
Mark D'Agostino - Set Designer
Ralph M. DeLacey - Set Designer
Iris Burns - Costume Designer
Terry Kellum - Sound/Sound Designer
Howard Lydecker - Special Effects
Theodore Lydecker - Special Effects
William Witney - First Assistant Director

Our story line and plot, The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy, was a 12 chapter 1935 Mascot serial that combined the western, musical, and science fiction genres --- This was Gene Autry's first starring role, playing himself as a singing cowboy --- Gene Autry plays a singing cowboy named Gene Autry, who runs Radio Ranch, a dude ranch from which he makes a daily live radio broadcast --- Gene has two kid sidekicks, Frankie Darro and Betsy King Ross, who lead a club, the "Junior Thunder Riders," in which the kids play at being armored knights of an unknown civilization, the mysterious Thunder Riders. The kids, dressing up in capes and water bucket helmets, play at riding "to the rescue!" --- A chance to be real heroes occurs when Betsy, Frankie and Gene are kidnapped by the real Thunder Riders, from the super scientific underground empire of Murania, complete with towering skyscrapers, robots, ray guns, elevators that extend miles from the surface, and an icy, evil blonde Queen, Tika. On the surface, a group of crooks plan to invade Murania and seize its mineral wealth, while in Murania, a group of revolutionaries plot to overthrow Queen Tika ----- some wonderful tunes, UNCLE NOAH'S ARK (Gene Autry) (Chapter 1), THAT SILVER HAIRED DADDY OF MINE (Gene Autry) (Chapter 1), I'M OSCAR, I'M PETE (Gene Autry) (Chapter 2), UNCLE HENRY'S VACATION (Gene Autry) (Chapter 4), I'M GETTING A MOON'S EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD (Gene Autry) (Chapter 8), UNCLE NOAH'S ARK (Gene Autry) (Chapter 12) - - - - - - some Autry fun facts, Gene always preferred his sponsor's product, Wrigley's Doublemint Gum, to smoking.

the cast includes
Gene Autry ... Gene Autry
Frankie Darro ... Frankie Baxter
Betsy King Ross ... Betsy Baxter
Smiley Burnette ... Oscar (as Lester 'Smiley' Burnett)
Dorothy Christy ... Queen Tika
Wheeler Oakman ... Argo (Muranian High Chancellor)
Charles K. French ... Mal
Warner Richmond ... Rab
J. Frank Glendon ... Professor Beetson (as Frank Glendon)
Peter Potter ... Pete (as William Moore)
Edward Peil Sr. ... Cooper (as Edward Piel, Sr.)
Jack Carlyle ... Saunders
Chuck Baldra ... Deputy
Harry Blaeholder ... Fiddle Player, Radio Ranch Band
Stanley Blystone ... Gaspar (television operator)
Don Brodie ... Radio Technician
Bob Burns ... Muranian citizen
Fred Burns ... Muranian priest
Lane Chandler ... Muranian guard
Jim Corey ... Muranian
Ray Corrigan ... Thunder Rider
Jad Dees ... Guitar Player, Radio Ranch Band
Frank Ellis ... Guard leader
Henry Hall ... High Priest
Aleth Hansen ... Mandolin Player, Radio Ranch Band
The Beverly Hillbillies ... Radio Ranch Band
Frankie Marvin ... Musician
Wally Wales ... Thunder guard
Wally West ... Muranian soldier

12 THRILLING CHAPTER TITLES:
1. The Singing Cowboy
2. The Thunder Riders
3. The Lightning Chamber
4. Phantom Broadcast
5. Beneath the Earth
6. Disaster From the Skies
7. From Death to Life
8. Jaws of Jeopardy
9. Prisoners of the Ray
10.The Rebellion
11.A Queen in Chains
12.The End of Murania

BIOS:
1. Gene Autry
Date of Birth: 29 September 1907 - Near Tioga, Texas
Date of Death: 2 October 1998 - Studio City, Los Angeles, California

2. Frankie Darro
Date of Birth: 22 December 1917 - Chicago, Illinois
Date of Death: 25 December 1976 - Huntington Beach, California

3. Betsy King Ross
Date of Birth: 14 March 1921 - St. Paul, Minnesota
Date of Death: 4 October 1989 - Los Angeles, California

4. Smiley Burnette (aka: Lester Alvin Burnette)
Date of Birth: 18 March 1911 - Summum, Illinois
Date of Death: 16 February 1967 - Encino, California

Special footnote, Orvon Gene Autry was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television --- Discovered by film producer Nat Levine in 1934, he and Burnette made their film debut for Mascot Pictures Corp. "In Old Santa Fe" as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part serial "The Phantom Empire" --- Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the formation of Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940, all B westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse Champion, had Burnette as his regular sidekick and had many opportunities to sing in each film --- Autry became the top Western star at the box-office by 1937, reaching his national peak of popularity from 1940 to 1942. His Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo show debuted in 1940 --- Gene Autry is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in each of the five categories maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce --- Radio, Films, Recordings, Television and Live Theater.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1.Gene Autry Movie: "Boots and Saddles"
2. Photo Gallery
3. Gene Autry Doe C Doe's "In Old Santa Fe"
4. "To the Rescue: The Story of the Phantom Empire" featurette by Clifford Weimer and narrated by Jonathan Webb
5. The Phantom Empire Trailer
6. VCI Serials Promo
7. Gene Autry Bio By Clifford Weimer

Check out a new book from Empire Publishing - "GENE AUTRY WESTERNS" (Hardcover) - by author Boyd Magers, like no other book on Gene Autry --- all of Gene's Mascot, Republic and Columbia westerns included, as well as his half-hour TV Episodes --- each segment contains the release date on each film ... major production credits ... complete cast (including character played) ... all songs included, songwriter and who performed them in the film ... running time of each film ... dates of the filming ... bios on the cast and major players (Smiley, Pat Buttram, Cass County Boys, Herbert J. Yates, directors, leading ladies, songwriters and various heavies, etc.) ... locations that were used ... budgets and negative cost ... stunt people involved ... analysis and synopsis on each film ... notes and comments (including film and cast background info, salaries paid, working titles, etc) ... comments from Gene and many other cast members on each film ... theater exhibitors comments at the time of the films release ...this tribute was written from the heart and it shows.

Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 240 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment ~ (2/05/2008)

This is the first film that Gene Autry made after his guest star role in Old Santa Fe with Ken Maynard. By all accounts his guest appearance wound up taking star billing over Maynard. He was then offered the role playing himself in this first western science fiction serial cliffhanger. You will see a young radio singer who he himself felt that he could not act, make a movie that set his career on fire. He is a radio star on Radio Ranch, which is a dude ranch as well. Evil scientist visit there and Gene find there is an entire world beneath the surface of the earth, called the City Of Murania. Great action and great cliff hangers. I can imagine the suspense theater goers experienced years ago as they waited from week to week to see how Gene got out of each and every dangerous ending. Autry was just learning how to act but did a terrific job of wowing the audience inspite of it all!!! He was on the way to the Top of the B western ratings and once he got there he stayed there!!! What a cowboy!!!

I mistakenly purchased this DVD (PHANTOM EMPIRE: Part 2) thinking I'd get the entire serial, but all in all, this is a pretty fun viewing. Gene Autry falls into a subterranian city named Murania, and must fight to stay alive against the wicked queen that rules there. Very silly robots about in this story, with short-brimmed cowboy hats on top of their box-like features. A rebellion is being planned, as on the surface of the earth evil scientists plot to steal radium from the Radio Ranch. On top of all this, Radio Ranch is endangered by Gene Autry's inability to make it to perform on his radio show!
Complete with horse chases, sword fights, and deadly technology, this is a fun serial to watch. The print isn't great, but it is watchable and costs little for the entire collection. A very rare entry into the science fiction/western genre and a lot of fun!

Yes, I too have fond memories of this serial,but this is a poor quality transfer, inferior even to vhs copies I have come across in the past. 'Nuff said.