"Flash Gordon" is another of those serials based on a popular comic strip of the time. It shows its age through the cheaply produced special effects and obvious matte paintings used as back drops. In its' defense one has to remember that this was 1936 and it WAS based on a comic strip.
The basic plot has Flash Gordon (a blond Buster Crabbe), his girlfriend Dale Arden (a blonde Jean Rogers) and brilliant scientist Dr. Zarkov (an un-blond Frank Shannon) rocketing off to the planet Mongo to try to prevent it from crashing into the earth. Once there they are captured by Emperor Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) and his sinister daughter Aura (Priscilla Lawson).
Flash battles the usual array of monsters and soldiers in his on-going battle with Ming and his men while escaping many life threatening cliff hangers in the process. Ming, meanwhile has taken a liking to the lovely Dale and Aura has set her sights on Flash for herself. Dr. Zarkoff has won the favor of Ming for his brilliant scientific discoveries. I mean, is there nothing the man cannot invent to deal with the many life threatening dangers and emergencies that occur over the course of 13 chapters?
Other characters in the story include John Lipson as the hilarious winged warrior King Vultan, Richard Alexander as Prince Barin, Theodore Lorch as the evil High Priest and James Pierce (the former Tarzan) as King Thun an ally of Flash.
Having been filmed by Universal, the production had access to the studio's large inventory of laboratory equipment and electrical apparatus that had been used in their various horror films such as "Frankenstein" (1931). The special effects, especially the flying sequences, look cheap and unconvincing. The interiors of the space ships are small and bare boned with only one apparent seat for the pilot and he is not even strapped in.
Having said all of that, "Flash Gordon" is nonetheless a fast moving entertaining serial that spawned two sequels: Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" (1938) and "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940).
The basic plot has Flash Gordon (a blond Buster Crabbe), his girlfriend Dale Arden (a blonde Jean Rogers) and brilliant scientist Dr. Zarkov (an un-blond Frank Shannon) rocketing off to the planet Mongo to try to prevent it from crashing into the earth. Once there they are captured by Emperor Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) and his sinister daughter Aura (Priscilla Lawson).
Flash battles the usual array of monsters and soldiers in his on-going battle with Ming and his men while escaping many life threatening cliff hangers in the process. Ming, meanwhile has taken a liking to the lovely Dale and Aura has set her sights on Flash for herself. Dr. Zarkoff has won the favor of Ming for his brilliant scientific discoveries. I mean, is there nothing the man cannot invent to deal with the many life threatening dangers and emergencies that occur over the course of 13 chapters?
Other characters in the story include John Lipson as the hilarious winged warrior King Vultan, Richard Alexander as Prince Barin, Theodore Lorch as the evil High Priest and James Pierce (the former Tarzan) as King Thun an ally of Flash.
Having been filmed by Universal, the production had access to the studio's large inventory of laboratory equipment and electrical apparatus that had been used in their various horror films such as "Frankenstein" (1931). The special effects, especially the flying sequences, look cheap and unconvincing. The interiors of the space ships are small and bare boned with only one apparent seat for the pilot and he is not even strapped in.
Having said all of that, "Flash Gordon" is nonetheless a fast moving entertaining serial that spawned two sequels: Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" (1938) and "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940).