The Phantom Foe

The Artificial Man

August 1916 •German

Part of the artificial-creature series encompassing Der Golem (1914 and 1920), Alraune (1918, 1928, 1930) and Metropolis (1926), 'Homunculus' was the most popular serial in Germany during World War I even influencing the dress of fashionable Berlin. Foenss, a Danish star, is the perfect creature manufactured in a laboratory by Kuehne. Having discovered his origins, that he has no 'soul' and is incapable of love, he revenges himself on mankind, instigating revolutions and becoming a monstrous but beautiful tyrant, relentlessly pursued by his creator-father who seeks to rectify his mistake.

Flash Gordon

April 1936 •English

Disaster seems imminent when scientists discover that the planet Mongo is about to crash into Earth. Luckily, heroic young Flash Gordon is on hand to lead an investigative mission into outer space and onto the speedily approaching planet. There, he and his best girl, Dale, who is along for the ride, learn that Ming, the devious ruler of Mongo, has purposely put the planet on a collision course with Earth, and only Flash can stop him.

Drums of Fu Manchu

March 1940 •English

The nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu searches for the keys to the tomb of Genghis Khan, in order to fulfill a prophecy that will enable him to conquer the world. His nemesi, Dr. Nayland Smith and his associates fight to keep the evil doctor from getting his hands on the keys. In 1943 the serial was edited together into a feature movie also called Drums of Fu Manchu.

The Adventures of Kathlyn

December 1913 •English

The serial detailed the experiences of Kathlyn Hare, the pretty daughter of an explorer. Kathlyn resided in a mythical India, fighting off unwanted advances from a handsome native, Umballah, when not battling an endless array of ferocious jungle fauna.

The Adventures of Smilin' Jack

January 1943 •English

A movie serial in 12 chapters: The famous comic strip character is on a mission to protect a secret tunnel passage between China and India.

The New Adventures of Tarzan

May 1935 •English

A serial in 12 chapters. Tarzan goes to Guatemala to find his lost friend, D'Arnot. On the way he helps Major Matling search Mayan ruins for hidden jewels and an idol containing the formula for a powerful explosive. D'Arnot and the idol are rescued, but the idol falls into the clutches of the explorer Raglan.

The Perils of Pauline

March 1914 •English

The Perils of Pauline is a motion picture serial shown in weekly installments featuring the actress Pearl White playing the title character. Pauline has often been cited as a famous example of a damsel-in-distress, although viewers will find her character more resourceful and less helpless than the classic 'damsel' stereotype. Nine episodes (from a condensed 1916 re-release) survive to this day.

The Fortieth Door

May 1924 •English

Aimee is a young girl betrothed to a rascal, Hamid Bey. An American archeologist, Jack Ryder, arrives to help the girl escape ending up in Bey's harem, but it takes the boy ten episodes to finally succeed.

The Railroad Raiders

April 1917 •English

A silent movie serial now lost. CHAPTER TITLES: 1. Circumstantial Evidence; 2. A Double Steal; 3. Inside Treachery; 4. A Race for a Fortune; 5. A Woman's Wit; 6. The Overland Disaster; 7. Mistaken Identity; 8. A Knotted Cord; 9. A Leap for Life; 10. A Watery Grave; 11. A Desperate Deed; 12. A Fight for a Franchise; 13. The Road Wrecker; 14. The Trap; 15. The Mystery of the Counterfeit Tickets.

Vultures of the Sea

March 1928 •English

When his father is falsely convicted and sentenced to die for a murder committed aboard ship, the man's son signs on as a crewman to discover the real killer and clear his father.

The Midnight Man

September 1919 •English

Bob Gilmore, a young clubman, is called by telephone to his home, where his parents are giving him a birthday party. He overhears one of the men guests make a slurring remark about his mother's appearance, and proceeds to punish him then and there, throwing the entire gathering into an uproar. Later in the evening he assumes guilt for a check which had been in reality forged by his foster father, in order to save the mother's feelings, but obtains a written confession from the guilty man for future use if necessary. Learning that he had been adopted from a foundling asylum in infancy, Bob decides to go to New York to see if he cannot learn his real name, which he understands begins with "Mor."

The Master Key

November 1914 •English

A movie serial from 1914

Young Eagles

June 1934 •English

Two Boy Scouts win an around-the-world trip with a crack aviator, and find themselves crash-landed in the South American jungles after the ace forgets to refuel in Ecuador.

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

March 1922 •English

An 18-part silent American adventure film serial now considered to be lost. Chapter Titles: 1. The Sea Raiders 2. Shipwrecked 3. The Cannibals' Captives 4. Hidden Gold 5. The Ship of Despair 6. Friday's Faith 7. The Swamp of Terror 8. Marooned 9. The Jaguar Trap 10. A Prisoner of the Sun 11. No Greater Love 12. The Island of Happiness 13. The Sword of Courage 14. The Buccaneers 15. The Jolly Roger 16. The Idol's Bride 17. When the Heart Calls 18. Back to the Primitive

The Broken Coin

June 1915 •English

A movie serial directed by Francis Ford.

The Timber Queen

July 1922 •English

The Timber Queen follows Ruth Rowland as the inheritor of a wealthy timber business who tries to stay independent of a cruel man who wants to marry her and steal her wealth. The UCLA Film and Television Archive has preserved episodes one, four, eight and nine, and distributor Harpodeon has preserved episode twelve.

The Hurricane Express

August 1932 •English

The Wrecker wrecks trains on the L & R Railroad. One of his victims is Larry Baker's father. Baker wants to find the evildoer, among a host of suspects, but it will be difficult since the Wrecker can disguise himself to look like almost anyone

The Third Eye

May 1920 •English

A pretty movie star is stalked by a strange gang whose leader is infatuated with her in this superior Pathé serial written by genre specialist H.H. van Loan. Released in 15 chapters between May and August of 1920, the serial offered a glimpse into the still mysterious world of movie-making

Pirate Gold

August 1920 •English

King of the Wild

March 1931 •English

Richard Grant, imprisoned in India for a crime he did not commit, escapes and makes his way to Africa.