So I was wondering about these serials that inspired Star Wars and Indiana Jones, they get mentioned a lot but no one ever gives titles or series.
Where could I start assuming I wanted to check out some of these? Are there any actually worth watching?
Start here:
and remember that most of them suck.
Flash Gordon played by the ridiculously named ‘Buster Crabbe’
Actually, his full name is Clarence Linden “Buster” Crabbe.
It was amazingly bad, but it was what we had.
If you watch closely, you see he never got out of the cock-a-doody CAR!
None were particularly good. They were designed for kids at a time when no one thought much about making quality stuff for kids. Most were shown at Saturday matinees, which were a place where parents would park their kids for the day.
Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers were probably the best (along with the Superman serials). They have a goofy charm (I love the buzzing spaceships), but are not good.
“Goofy charm” is an excellent description.
If you are interested in science fiction, might want to look at the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials, just to appreciate how special effects have evolved since then. “Willing suspension of disbelief” was crucial.
The Superman serials, starring Kirk Alyn, and The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler, are interesting to see how the special effects people handled the flying scenes. “Captain Marvel” also does some things that would never be allowed in a kid’s movie today.
For “charming, but mind-bendingly goofy”, may I suggest The Phantom Empire, starring Gene Autry. As a singing cowboy. In a science fiction story. (No, I am not making this up. And even more bizarre, it was re-made as a TV series in the early 1980s.)
If you are a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, try The New Adventures of Tarzan, starring Herman Brix, aka Bruce Bennett. Burroughs was one of the producers, and you get to see how the author himself envisioned the character.
For Star Wars, also see Buck Rogers.
Indiana Jones was largely inspired by The Perils of Nyoka*
Second this one. The TV version was part of a show called Cliffhangers, which tried to create the mood of the old serials, including starting the three adventures already in progress (e.g., the Phantom Empire pastiche began with Episode 3). They couldn’t recapture things though, and the show flopped.
You can watch the original serial at archive.org.