Customer Reviews

Tailspin Tommy and the Great Air Mystery

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VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures presents Hal Forrest's comic strip creation "TAILSPIN TOMMY AND THE GREAT AIR MYSTERY" (5 March 1935) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- A 12-episode serial in which Tailspin Tommy evades volcanoes, anti-aircraft shells, and time bombs as he foils a plan by corrupt profiteers to steal an island's oil reserves loaded with dozens of action sequences...

Under the production staff of:
Ray Taylor - Director
Henry MacRae - Producer
Hal Forrest - Adaptation from famous newspaper cartoon
Raymond Cannon - Screenwriter
Ella O'Neill - Screenwriter
Basil Dickey - Screenwriter
Robert Hershon - Screenwriter
George H. Plympton - Screenwriter
David Klatzkin - Original Music
Clifford Vaughan - Original Music
Oliver Wallace - Original Music
Richard Fryer - Cinematographer
Leonard Galezio - Cinematographer
John Hickson - Cinematographer
William A. Sickner - Cinematographer
Albert Akst - Film Editor
Saul A. Goodkind - Film Editor
Alvin Todd - Film Editor
Edward Todd - Film Editor
Ralph Berger - Art Director
Frank Clarke - Stunt Pilot
George DeNormand - Stuntman

The story line and plot, follows this 12 episode comic strip character Tailspin Tommy Thompkins as he gets out of some mighty tough spots, time bombs, antiaircraft shells, flooding compartments and hot lava volcanoes --- is there a plot to steal an island's oil reserve --- will Tailspin Tommy Tompkins (Clark Williams) and Skeeter Milligan (Noah Beery Jr) succeed within the confines of the rules and regulations of all cliffhanger --- .if our heroes win the fight for good over evil, is there a film career in show business waiting for them in the wings...don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "The Last Stand" --- Tailspin and his partner were my heroes on the radio too - - - - - great to see one of my favorite villains of all time Charles "Blackie" King, who appeared in hundreds of B-Westerns and Serials, King never gave a bad performance --- 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.

Clark Williams ... Tailspin Tommy Tompkins
Jean Rogers ... Betty Lou Barnes
Delphine Drew ... Inez Casmetto
Noah Beery Jr. ... Skeeter Milligan
Bryant Washburn ... Ned Curtis
Pat J. O'Brien ... Milt Howe aka The Eagle aka El Condor (as Pat O'Brien)
Herbert Heywood ... Manuel Casmetto
Matthew Betz ... Horace Raymore (as Mathew Betz)
Paul Ellis ... Enrico Garcia [Chs. 2-9]
Harry Worth ... Don Alvarado Casmetto
Manuel López ... Gomez [Chs. 3-6, 8-12]
Charles A. Browne ... Paul Smith [Chs. 1-2] (as Charles Browne)
James P. Burtis ... Bill McGuire (as Jim Burtis)
Frank Mayo ... Dirigible Captain [Ch. 1]
Frank Clarke ... Flyer (as Air Ace Frank Clark)
Don Brodie ... Three Point Radio Operator [Chs. 1-2]
Helen Brown ... Mrs. Tompkins [Ch. 1]
Fritzi Brunette ... Dinner Guest [Ch. 1]
Horace B. Carpenter ... Townsman [Ch. 1]
George DeNormand ... Crewman Smith [Chs. 11-12]
William Desmond ... Foreman Burke [Chs. 7-9,11-12]
Charles Dorety ... Dirigible Radio Operator [Ch. 1]
Lew Kelly ... Victor Martin
Charles King ... Burly Henchman in pith helmet [Chs. 3, 5, 6]
Manuel París ... Frondo, gang aviator [Ch. 2]
Buddy Roosevelt ... Nefarious Mechanic [Ch. 4]
Slim Whitaker ... Captain Larsen [Chs. 11,12]

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Wreck of the Dirigible
2. The Roaring Fire God
3. Hurled from the Skies
4. A Bolt from the Blue
5. The Torrent
6. Flying Death
7. The Crash in the Clouds
8. Wings of Disaster
9. Crossed and Double Crossed
10.The Dungeon of Doom
11.Desperate Chances
12.The Last Stand

BIOS:
1. Clark Williams
Birth Date: 5/14/1906 - Truro Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: 2/13/1989 - Carmel, CA

2. Noah Beery Jr
Birth Date: 8/10/1913 - New York New York
Died: 11/01/1994 - Tehachapi, CA

3. Jean Rogers
Birth Date: 3/25/1916 - Belmont, MA
Died: 2/24/1991 - Sherman Oaks, CA

4. Ray Taylor (Director)
Birth Date: 12/01/1888 - Perham, Minnesota
Died: 2/15/1952 - Hollywood, CA

5. Henry MacRae (Producer)
Birth Date: 8/29/1876 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died: 10/02/1944 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA

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.

Total Time: 220 mins on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 8529 ~ (4/29/2008)

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present Hal Forrest's comic strip creation "Tailspin Tommy and the Great Air Mystery" (1935) (Dolby digitally remastered), with 12 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line follows this 12 episode comic strip character Tailspin Tommy Thompkins as he gets out of some mighty tough spots, time bombs, antiaircraft shells, flooding compartments and hot lava volcanoes...is there a plot to steal an island's oil reserve...will Tommy and Skeeter succeed within the confines of the rules and regulations of all cliffhangers...if our heroes win the fight for good over evil, is there a film career in show business waiting for them in the wings...don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "The Last Stand"....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 Ray Taylor, producer Henry MacRae, Original screenplay by Raymond Cannon, Basil Dickey, Robert Hershon, Ella O'Neil, George H. Plympton and Hal Forrest (comic strip creator), musical score by David Klatzkin, Clifford Vaughan, Oliver Wallace, Sam Perry...the cast includes Clark Williams (Tailspin Tommy Tompkins), Noah Beery Jr (Skeeter Milligan), Jean Rogers (Betty Lou Barnes), Delphine Drew (Inez Casmetto), Bryant Washburn (Ned Curtis), Helen Brown (Mrs. Tompkins), Charles King (Burly-henchman), Buddy Roosevelt (Nefarious Mechanic), Pat J. O'Brien (Milt Howe aka The Eagle aka El Condor), Herbert Heywood (Manuel Casmetto), Matthew Betz (Horace Raymore), Harry Worth (Don Alvarado Casmetto), James P. Burtis (Bill McGuire), Slim Whitaker (Captain Larsen)........great to see one of my favorite villains of all time Charles "Blackie" King, who appeared in hundreds of B-Westerns and Serials, King never gave a bad performance....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.

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Wreck of the Dirigible
2. The Roaring Fire God
3. Hurled from the Skies
4. A Bolt from the Blue
5. The Torrent
6. Flying Death
7. The Crash in the Clouds
8. Wings of Disaster
9. Crossed and Double Crossed
10.The Dungeon of Doom
11.Desperate Chances
12.The Last Stand

BIOS:
1. Clark Williams
Birth Date: 5/14/1906 - Truro Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: 2/13/1989 - Carmel, CA
2. Noah Beery Jr
Birth Date: 8/10/1913 - New York New York
Died: 11/01/1994 - Tehachapi, CA
3. Jean Rogers
Birth Date: 3/25/1916 - Belmont, MA
Died: 2/24/1991 - Sherman Oaks, CA
4. Ray Taylor (Director)
Birth Date: 12/01/1888 - Perham, Minnesota
Died: 2/15/1952 - Hollywood, CA
5. Henry MacRae (Producer)
Birth Date: 8/29/1876 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died: 10/02/1944 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA

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 Zane Grey's "King of the Royal Mounted" (1940) (digitally remastered), 12 Chapters of vintage serial loaded with action sequences...is there a discovered substance called "Compound X", which may cure infantile paralysis...has Tom Merritt stumbled on such a rare find...is there a war between Canada and sources known later as the "Father Land".....get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Tailspin Tommy & The Great Air Mystery" (1935), 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: 220 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1754 ~ (10/04/1995)

"Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery" is a 1935 Universal serial, sequel to the "Tailspin Tommy" serial, with Clark Williams, Jean Rogers, Pat O'Brien and Noah Beery Jr., directed by Ray Taylor.

This time, while Milt Howe (Pat O'Brien) is off in the mountains working on a mysterious invention, Tommy and Skeeter have been hired by Betty Lou's uncle, Ned Curtis (Bryant Washburn) to do a survey for an oil pipeline across the mountains of Nazil, an island somewhere in the Pacific. Arriving late, they miss the departure of the dirigible carrying Ned Curtis, Betty Lou and her friend, Inez Casmetto (Delphine Drew) daughter of Curtis' partner, Don Alvarado Casmetto (Harry Worth). The dirigible is wrecked, but Tommy and Skeeter assist in the rescue. They eventually get to Nazil, where Don Alvarado's no-good brother Manuel (Herbert Heywood) and associate Horace Raymore (Matthew Betz) are trying to take over the oil fields, attacking from the air. Fortunately Tommy is aided by a mystery flyer, known as "El Condor" in an eagle-motif airplane that can suddenly appear, or vanish.

This serial is less-episodic than the original Tailspin Tommy of the previous year, though it is still played in an intentionally cartoon-like manner. There is a spy, Garcia (Paul Ellis) whom Don Alvarado thinks is a friend, and another, newspaper reporter and "comic relief" Bill McGuire (James P. Burtis) in the enemy camp as their cook, who gets Tommy and his friends out of several jams. The plot wears a little thin, even with an active volcano and some unfriendly natives on a nearby island for variety, and footage of one of the air battles is recycled a couple times, so it is fortunate that there are only 12 chapters. Probably owing to her best known role, in the Flash Gordon serial, Jean Rogers is a little hard to believe as Betty Lou Barnes, but she tries hard. Clark Williams is fine as Tommy, and Noah Berry Jr. is as entertaining as he was in the earlier serial. And Universal included some background music this time, fairly well integrated for a serial made in 1935.

VCI's edition, #8529 is on a single DVD. VCI got the title wrong; "and" for "in" has been seen elsewhere. Their notes also have the island as "Nazi" instead of "Nazil" -- computer spell checker at work? But of importance, the chapters have decent image quality, well-framed, reasonably sharp and clean, with good contrast. Some of the scenes have a little graininess, but this may have been in the original film. The opening titles are not as good, with rather dark background pictures, and a smearing of motion apparently from "averaging" frames to make the image look "cleaner." Fortunately this was done only in the opening credits. VCI's sound is clear, though restricted in high-frequency content, probably due to noise filtering but while a small amount of "hiss" can be heard in the quiet parts -- and there aren't too many of those -- no disruptive effects have been added. The opening titles include the Universal "airplane circling the globe" logo, and the restoration has been carefully done, though all show the same MPPDA certificate number. A more serious problem, they have the absolute worst picture I've ever seen of Jean Rogers, but that's not the fault of the restoration.

If not quite as entertaining as the first "Tailspin Tommy" serial, it has a more-traditional format with a single story line, and the background music also helps. Watched one chapter at a time, as should be done with serials, the plot holds up fairly well. Another good release from VCI, reasonably priced.