From the comics page to the silver screen
These are film and tv adaptations of comic strips and comic books. The sole criteria is that it had to appear in the comic page first. It's by no means a complete list. I have tried to use debuts or notable adaptations. With respect to film and tv based on manga, due to the anime boom, there are dozens of OVAs, tv series, and films. I have stuck with notable ones or those that have had influence in the West. I haven't seen enough to give the field justice. The same is true with European comics. I have included notable examples and those based on highly regarded series. I have tried to include as many others from around the world but I'm sure I have missed plenty. Comments are only my opinion; your mileage may vary.
List activity
2.2K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
390 titles
- DirectorGeorge Albert SmithMan dresses up as a woman, and the film is reversed.Very early film featuring the star of the UK proto-comics.
- Early short film featuring the little stinkers. There were several others and they would pop up in later cartoons, including a tv series in the late 80s.
- DirectorEdwin S. PorterScene I of the Buster Brown Series. The opening scene shows Bridget asleep at the kitchen-table, and Buster enters on tip-toe. After tying her apron over her head and to the back of the chair, he tries to reach a jar of jam on the top shelf of the pantry. After several futile attempts, he gives up. His attention is now attracted by a tramp at the window. Buster beckons the fellow to come in through the window, and asks "Weary Willie" to get jam for him. The tramp secures the jam, he places the jar on the table, and proceeds to enjoy the sweets, but neglects to give Buster his share. Whereupon Buster angrily gets up from the table, shakes his finger threateningly at the tramp and goes out, but almost immediately comes back with his mamma and his dog Tige. Buster's mamma is greatly shocked at the sight, while Buster now sets Tige on the tramp, and in the mêlée Bridget wakes up, and falls over backwards, chair and all. Buster's mamma releases Bridget from her predicament, and the tramp, with Tige holding on to his coat-tails, makes a hasty retreat through the window. Bridget succeeds in getting hold of her broom and helps him a little. Buster is rewarded by his mamma for getting rid of the tramp, and is given permission to eat all the jam he wants.One of several Buster Brown shorts, based on RF Outcalt's seminal strip. Buster Brown would later be associated with Children's shoes.
- 19117mNot Rated7.1 (1.9K)ShortDirectorWinsor McCayJ. Stuart BlacktonStarsWinsor McCayJohn BunnyMaurice CostelloCartoon figures announce, via comic strip balloons, that they will move - and move they do, in a wildly exaggerated style.Not so much an adaptation as McCay bringing his drawings to life, within a film. It's a key moment in animation history, that used the comic strips as a launching point.
- StarsBud DuncanMutt and Jeff decide to go to work. Automobile driving seems to appeal to their roving dispositions. Mutt and Jeff accordingly take automobile lessons. The former successfully passes the examination and poor Jeff is told to "try again." The lanky chauffeur answers an advertisement and makes a decided hit with Banker Russell and his family. Mutt appears to have settled the ticklish problem of making a living by becoming chauffeur for Mr. Russell. With little Jeff, things are quite different. He roams about the streets in an aimless fashion. Helen Russell, who owns autos of every description, is a good pedestrian. She takes a ramble in the park and for a moment rests upon a bench. When she leaves, she forgets her well-filled purse. Jeff, still wandering, finds it. The young lady's visiting card leads Jeff to her palatial home, where he is received with joy. Helen takes him for a spin in her auto, with Mutt doing the "wheeling." Fifty miles from the city limits, the snorting thing stops and Mutt makes a tour of investigation. When under the auto, Jeff decides to take the wheel in his own hands. He does and the "Yellow Dash" zig-zags away, leaving Mutt behind. Helen and Jeff reach home safe and happy. Mutt manages to reach a pole bearing the legend, "Ten miles to the city limits." and collapses.First of several short live action films based on the comic duo. The series would eventually pioneer the technique of subtitles appearing simultaneously with the pictures, rather than cuts to dialogue cards. A series of animated shorts would follow, starting in 1916.
- DirectorAlfred E. GreenStarsColleen MooreLloyd HughesVera LewisElla Cinders, oppressed and abused by her stepmother and stepsisters, wins a contest for a film role in Hollywood. When the contest turns out to be fraudulent, she determines to stay and achieve Hollywood stardom the hard way.Film version of the popular comic strip heroine.
- DirectorHobart HenleyStarsMarion DaviesMatt MooreHarry CrockerTillie the Toiler is a 1927 silent film comedy produced by Cosmopolitan Productions and released through Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios. It is based on Russ Westover's popular comic strip Tillie the Toiler. The film was directed by Hobart Henley and stars Marion Davies.Early film based on the comic strip. There was another about 20 years later. The strip's popularity was based around the latest fashions, but the theme fell out of favor after WWII and the strip came to an end.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsArthur LakeMary BrianLucien LittlefieldFarmboy Harold moves to the city and there attends high school. Soon he is very popular, his spirited nature causing much excitement on the campus. He joins a fraternity, goes out for football, and directs his class theatrical effort.Silent film, based on the popular teen strip, one of the first to focus on a teenaged character. A musical would follow in the 30s. The strip died with its creator in 1959. Star Arthur Lake would later play Dagwood in the film and tv series based on Blondie.
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsJackie CooperRobert CooganMitzi GreenSkippy, the mischievous son of a wealthy doctor, meets Sooky in poverty-ridden Shantytown, and together they try to save Sooky's pet from a cruel dogcatcher.This strip was a bit of an ancestor to Calvin and Hobbes, in terms of imagination, and was highly regarded. Wonder if the film does it justice?
- DirectorJohn S. RobertsonStarsMitzi GreenBuster PhelpsMay RobsonDaddy Warbucks has to go on a long trip, leaving Annie alone. While wandering the street, Sandy leads Annie to discover Mickey, who is crying. Mickey's grandmother recently died, and he is about to be taken away by Mrs. Berger to the orphanage. He chooses to go with Annie to the shack where she and Daddy Warbucks live. She feeds him leftover pig's feet, cream puff and assorted food, but by the next morning he has a stomach ache. Annie takes him to an orphanage where he will be taken care of, but is herself is taken into custody. While in the orphanage, Annie takes care of Mickey. One day, Mrs. Stewart (a rich dowager) appears, wanting to adopt. The children a paraded before her. Hearing of her contrary nature, Annie makes sure that Mickey catches her attention by saying bad things about him, and by the end of the interview, Mrs. Stewart adopts him. In the orphanage, Annie misses Mickey, and although she's written four letters, Mickey has not responded (because he can't write). Meanwhile, in Mrs. Stewart's home, Mickey is happy, but appears to be angry with Annie, for having said the bad things about him in the adoption process. Annie decides to visit Mickey, and appears by his window just after he's been put to bed since Mrs. Stewart is holding a dinner party. Annie tries to reconcile with Mickey who brings Annie into the house. They pass by the kitchen where Annie takes some cheese dip and Sandy makes off with the main course, a roast beef. The dinner party guests tell about their brushes with supernatural apparitions, although Mrs. Stewart doesn't believe a word of it. Meanwhile, Mickey and Annie find themselves in Mrs. Stewart's bedroom, where Sandy performs tricks for Mickey, and Annie does imitations of Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx (from the film Horse Feathers (1932)) and Mrs. Stewart. The dinner party ends with the guests humorously wondering if the missing roast beef was also a supernatural occurrence. Upon hearing them leave, Mickey quickly gets back into bed, Sandy goes into Mrs. Stewart's closet, and Annie is stuck in her room. While Mrs. Stewart reads, she sees what she think is an apparition (really just Annie trying to escape stealthily). Mrs. Stewart makes her way to her room, but as she's preparing for bed she sees a ghostly figure (Sandy in a sheet) escape from the closet it door. After a bit of rambunctious chasing, Mrs. Stewart confronts Annie asking her what she's doing in the house. Annie is ejected, but Mickey now doesn't want Annie to go. As he tries to call to her from his second floor window, Mickey falls out of the window to everyone's horror. After some doubt, the doctor declares he will survives and will be able to remove a brace by Christmas. It's Christmas, Mickey is now back to health, and Mrs. Stewart has thrown a party for all the orphans from the orphanage, including Annie. Suspecting something odd, Annie walks up to Santa and discovers it's really Daddy Warbucks. The film ends happily for all.Long before the sun would come out tomorrow was this adaptation of Harold Gray's strip. Haven't seen it, but Gray's seemingly innocent strip also bore some fairly nasty sentiments from the ultra-conservative cartoonist. The adaptations usually stuck to the adventure parts, though.
- DirectorDave FleischerSeymour KneitelStarsWilliam CostelloWilliam PennellBonnie PoePopeye begins his movie career by singing his theme song, demonstrating his strength at a carnival, dancing the hula with Betty Boop, pummeling Bluto, eating his spinach, and saving Olive Oyl from certain doom on the railroad tracks.Popeye jumped from the pages of Thimble Theater to the movie screen, launching a series of theatrical cartoons and, later, tv cartoon series. The early cartoons are great, with lots of wordplay and inventive gags, though they soon became formulaic.
- DirectorLew LandersStarsMaurice MurphyNoah Beery Jr.Patricia FarrA young mechanic gets a job with a small airline, which he helps win a mail contract. A rival airline plots to destroy it in order to get the contracts for itself.There were at least a couple of films/serials based on this aviation hero.
- DirectorBenjamin StoloffStarsJimmy DuranteLupe VelezStuart ErwinKnobby discovers young hunk Palooka and trains him to fight the reigning champ, also drunken sot, Al McSwatt.First of several films featuring Ham Fisher's boxing champ.
- DirectorFrederick StephaniRay TaylorStarsBuster CrabbeJean RogersCharles MiddletonFlash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Alexis Zarkov visit the planet Mongo to thwart the evil schemes of Emperor Ming the Merciless, who has set his planet on a collision course with Earth.Lavish movie serial from Universal that had a feature budget to do justice to the Alex Raymond strip. Buster Crabbe stars as Flash, with Jean Rogers as Dale and Charles Middleton as Ming. It looks low rent today but it was fantastic in its day. It would go on to inspire Star Wars. The serial is fairly faithful to the first few years of the strip, even in the costumes.
- DirectorFord BeebeClifford SmithStarsJohn 'Dusty' KingJean RogersNoah Beery Jr.This 13 chapter serial is based on the comic strip character Ace Drummond created by Eddie Rickenbacker. Ace is a 'G-Man of the sky' working out of Washington D.C. He is sent to Mongolia to find out why a mysterious villain known only as 'The Dragon' is trying to prevent the newly formed International Airways from setting up an airport there. Ace meets Peggy Trainor (Jean Rogers) who is searching for her archaeologist father who has disappeared. Together they search for answers to the puzzles.An early aviation hero, turned movie serial.
- DirectorAlan JamesRay TaylorStarsRalph ByrdKay HughesSmiley BurnetteA master criminal called The Spider puts the famous detective's brother under a hypnotic spell and turns him against Dick.Outstanding Republic serial, based on the comic strip, by Chester Gould. Ralph Byrd captures Tracy well and the serial has more mystery, suspense, and action than you can shake a wrist-radio at. Footage would later be recycled for the Republic serial Fighting Devil Dogs and some stunts were swiped for Indiana Jones.
- DirectorFord BeebeClifford SmithStarsGrant WithersAdrian MorrisKay HughesA young radio cop and a beautiful girl try to stop an international criminal gang from getting their hands on the formula for a new bulletproof steel.Serial based on the police strip. The strip was popular for a time, though died off in the post-WWII years. It featured a stereotyped Irish police detective pair. It was never as successful as Dick Tracy.
- DirectorFord BeebeWyndham GittensStarsFrankie ThomasFrances RobinsonJack MulhallKind-hearted boy with sturdy character visits Africa to search for his missing father and finds adventures against hard-core criminals and wild animals.Noted adventure film, based on the comic strip.
- DirectorFord BeebeClifford SmithStarsScott KolkJean RogersDavid OliverA secret agent goes after the gang that stole the crown jewels of a European monarchy.One of two films, based on the Alex Raymond strip. Dashiell Hammet wrote the strips, while Raymond handled the art chores. There was another film in 1945.
- DirectorFrank R. StrayerStarsPenny SingletonArthur LakeLarry SimmsDagwood loses his job on the eve of his and Blondie's fifth wedding anniversary.The first in the long running series of Blondie and Dagwood films, starring Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake. Lighthearted fun and fairly faithful to the characters, at the time the films were produced.
- DirectorFord BeebeRobert F. HillFrederick StephaniStarsBuster CrabbeJean RogersCharles MiddletonWhen a deadly Nitron ray strikes Earth, Flash Gordon and his friends travel to Mars to battle Ming the Merciless and his new ally Queen Azura.Second serial with Flash Gordon. The story is even more exciting than the first serial.
- DirectorFord BeebeAlan JamesStarsBuster CrabbeFrances RobinsonEdna SedgewickA famous detective sets out to discover who stole $2 million in bonds.Movie serial based on the police detective strip, King Feature Syndicate's answer to Dick Track (along with Secret Agent X-9). Actor Donald Barry would go on to be known as Red Barry after this. There was also a pro wrestler known as Wild Red Barry. The strip was dark and violent, inspired by the Warner Bros. gangster movies.
- DirectorNorman DemingSam NelsonStarsWarren HullDoris WestonAl KikumeMandrake and his assistant Lothar are working the cruise lines and make the acquaintance of Professor Houston who has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by a masked Crime Lord known as "The Wasp".Movie serial based on the polpular Lee Falk strip. Not nearly as good as The Phantom, a few years later. Mandrake's success in the comics spawned dozens of magician heroes, such as Zatara, Ibis, Sargon the Sorceror, and more; but, none held a candle to Mandrake.
- DirectorFord BeebeSaul A. GoodkindStarsBuster CrabbeConstance MooreJackie MoranA 20th Century pilot named Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade awake from 500 years in suspended animation to find that the world has been taken over by the outlaw army of Killer Kane.Buster Crabbe brings the comic hero to life in this exciting serial. A scene would later be used by George Lucas for the opening moments of THX 1138. Buck was one of the better strips, in terms of merchandising, which included a Daisy pistol, rocket skates, and a Buck uniform.
- DirectorJames W. HorneStarsWilliam TracyJeff YorkJoyce BryantDr. Herbert Lee (John Paul Jones), an archaeologist seeking to decipher ancient Mara inscriptions, is aided by his son, Terry (William Tracy), and Terry's pal, Pat Ryan (Jeff York), and Normandie Drake (Joyce Bryant). Fang (Dick Curtis), a jungle pirate and warlord, plots to kill The Dragon Lady (Sheila Darcy), Queen of the Temple of Mara, and seize the treasures of her ancestors. Both Fang and The Dragon Lady have sworn death to any foreign intruders.Movie serial based on the Milton Caniff classic. Haven't seen this one, but the comic strip defined adventure in the 30s and 40s. Caniff, along with Hal Foster and Alex Raymond, would be the primary influence upon a generation of comic book artists.