The Serial Squadron Cinema Cliffhanger Archive

OCCULT AND HORROR SERIALS

Stacks Image 1009
The Trail of the Octopus
✦✦✦+ (Hallmark, 15 Episodes)
Ben Wilson, Neva Gerber D: Ben Wilson
DVD Release Sponsored by Henry Miyamoto
Restoration by Eric Stedman
Musical Score by Kevin McLeod

Seven daggers, when inserted into a cliffside cave wall, will reveal the ancient magic talisman called The Devil’s Trademark. Detective Carter Holmes tries to prevent it from falling into the hands of Asian mastermind Wang Foo or the mysterious masked Monsieur X.

View Online Video: Carter Holmes Trapped
Episode 2: The Purple Dagger

Transfer Quality: Transferred from the original 35mm print, with full score and occasional color tints and audio effects
DVD Contents: 14 Half-hour Episodes + 1 10-minute Re-created Episode, about 7 hours



Order Dual-Layer DVD
(Entire serial on 1 disk, full quality)


Order 2-DVD Set
Add to CartView Cart
Released Oct. 1, 2012
Stacks Image 1616
The Hope Diamond Mystery
✦✦✦ (Kleine/Kosmik, 15 Episodes)
Grace Darmond, Boris Karloff
D: Stuart Paton

Featuring Boris Karloff as / Dakar / High Priest of Sita
Grace Darmond as Mary Hilton / Bibi
George Chesebro as John Gregg / Jean-Baptiste Tavanier
Harry Carter as Sidney Atherton / Nang Fu / Ghung

The actors in this weird story of an ancient curse play dual roles and in 16th and 20th century characters based on real and historical figures battle to possess the jewel Boris Karloff’s character Dakar, the apparent reincarnation of the priest of the cult from which the jewel was stolen, tries to return it to its rightful home. Karloff's role here resembles his Im-ho-tep in
The Mummy and his presence, sometimes sinister and sometimes heroic, is the highlight of the serial. Introduced by the real former Lady Frances Hope, ex-wife of the diamond’s real-life owner. Slideshow

View Online Video: / Ep. 1 / Ep. 8/9 Combined
View EPISODES 1-5 On Demand Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
View EPISODES 6-10 On Demand Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
View EPISODES 11-15 On Demand Runtime: 1 hours, 37 minutes

Transfer Quality and Content: Excellent, from 35mm original reels (3 episodes), and B/W 16mm printdown from the 35mm original. Many splices and defects have been digitally eliminated. The entire serial has been stabilized and color tinted as was the original, with occasional special color effects added, mostly in scenes involving the diamond, as were said to have also appeared in the original.
DVD Contents: 15 Chapters, approximately 5 hours; Black and white with color tints & effects & new musical score

Order Dual-Layer DVD
(Entire serial on 1 disk, full quality)

Order 2-DVD Set
Add to CartView Cart
Stacks Image 1603
The Mysteries of Myra
✦✦✦ (Wharton, 15 Episodes)
Jean Sothern, Howard Estabrook
D: Theodore/Leo Wharton
Restored by Eric Stedman
Historical Consultant Terry Harbin
Music by Kevin McLeod

Dr. Payson Alden, expert on psychic phenomena, defends young Myra Maynard from supernatural menaces dispatched by the Master of the secret and powerful devil-cult known as the Black Order.
The Mysteries of Myra, the first "paranormal-investigation" series, was extremely influential and the first to portray occult and supernatural phenomena in an up-to-date and realistic fashion, and to feature a black-robed devil-cult and included one of the earliest appearances of a Frankenstein-like monster. DVD includes:

Episodes 1- 6 RECONSTRUCTED with footage from
Episode 5: THE FUMES OF FEAR
The Master puts a spell on Myra, who discovers a secret chamber in the basement of her house. Professor Haji and Dr. Alden search for the Black Order and infiltrate their lair and Myra allows herself to be hypnotized to release her astral body. 18:52
Episode 12: THE ELIXIR OF YOUTH The Master gives an aging couple a magic elixir in exchange for their promise to kill Myra and Dr. Alden. 13:57
Episode 15: THE THOUGHT MONSTER The Black Order creates a monster from their combined evil thoughts which Dr. Alden then hypnotizes and turns against them. 20:41
Squadron-produced Trailer

Transfer Quality: From 35mm HD. The transfer of the original footage is excellent in quality, sometimes exhibiting signs of decomposition.

DVD Contents: 1-DVD Set. English - 1:33:1 - Full Screen - Black and White with color tinting - 1916 - 3+ Episodes restored with video footage and animated stills

Order DVD
Originally released October 2015
Second Edition UPGRADED December 2018


Order
Hardcover Book or
Paperback Book from Lulu.com
Printed very high quality hardback or paperback book

For much more information on the serial, visit www.mysteriesofmyra.com
Stacks Image 996
Seven Footprints to Satan
✦✦✦+ (Feature Film)
Creighton Hale, Thelma Todd

Another long-thought-lost epic found again and restored by the Squadron! James Kirkham inherited a lot of money and wants a life of adventure, exploring in darkest Africa, but instead, after a robbery at an antiquities auction, finds himself and his fiance Eve kidnapped by parties unknown and taken to a macabre mansion of horrors such as the world has never known, inhabited by demonic-looking freaks, torturers, and killers. He and Eve will be granted freedom only if he agrees to the "ordeal of seven steps" presided over by the mansion's owner -- apparently Satan himself! Color tinted, in a new English translation, with new score and sound effects! This one is really not to be missed, and a hell of a lot better than LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT! 116 min.

View Online Video: Feature

Source Material: Low quality video transfer with Italian subtitles, so will not blow up well to large-screen TVs, and is therefore recommended for laptop PC, tablet, or other small-screen viewing. Stabilized. Titles entirely redone in new English translation. Color tints, sound effects (as appeared in the original) and new musical score.
DVD Contents: Complete feature

Order DVD
Add to CartView Cart
Stacks Image 2468
Masters of Horror/Monsters
Fantastic Double Audio DVD Set
With “flip-over” cover insert; 2 DVDs in 1 case

You get both the Masters of Horror Collection and Frankenstein/Monster Stories Audio DVDs in the double DVD set.

MASTERS OF HORROR is a HUGE double-size collection with 128 Stories and about 55 Hours of content
Featuring performances by Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre and stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Add to CartView Cart


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! This is an absolutely terrific collection and a must-have for all fans of the greatest horror actors who ever lived. Tracks include plenty of scary stories, and also some very funny appearances on radio comedy programs and interviews. Ever hear Basil Rathbone as the Phantom of the Opera, Ebenezer Scrooge or Sinbad the Sailor? Heard Karloff's "Tell-Tale Heart" or Vincent Price's "Pit and the Pendulum?" Want to hear Fred Allen as famous oriental detective Wun Long Pan annoy Basil Rathbone and duel Mr. Moto to the death to prove who's greater? Well, now's your chance. This disk also includes various versions of stories by Poe, whether our stars were featured in them or not. Hurry up and order this collection before Halloween -- it's just great!

BORIS KARLOFF With Spike Jones - The Tell-tale Heart - With Martin & Lewis - Angel Street - Bird-song for a Murderer - With Al Jolson - Cat Wife - Corridor of Doom - Fred Allen Renting a Room - Death Robbery - Death for Sale - The Dream - Drury's Bones - With Bing Crosby - The Final Reckoning - The Hunt - With Jack Benny - Study for Murder - Arsenic and Old Lace - The Wailing Wall - Sealtest: Happy Halloween - David Copperfield - The Emperor Jones - With Jimmy Durante - The History of Mr. Polly - Sealtest: Stranger Arrives - Shakespeare's Home Town - Shell Chateau - Duffy's Tavern Frankenstein - Where the Cross is Made - Who Killed Chung Ling Soo?

BELA LUGOSI The Thirsty Death - 1930s Interview - The Doctor Prescribed Death - With Abbott and Costello - Texaco Interview - Gasoline Cocktail - People - With Fred Allen - Things Unknown - Candid Microphone Curio Shop - Pull da Stringk! - 1950s Interview - Bevare!

VINCENT PRICE Pit and the Pendulum - Blood Bath - Cat's Cradle - An Eye for an Eye - Fugue in C Minor - Present Tense - Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge - Rave Notice - Strange Death of Charles Umberstein - Waxwork - Dragonwyck - Duffy's Tavern - Hands of Mr. Ottermole - The Happy Prince - Hunting Trip - Jane Eyre - Laura - Leona's Room - The Letter - Name of the Beast - On Borrowed Time - The Orchid and the Skull - Remains to be Seen - Three Skeleton Key - With Jack Benny - With Bob and Ray

PETER LORRE The Lodger - With Abbott and Costello - Back for Christmas - With Bing Crosby - The Black Cat - The Black Seagull - Beyond Good and Evil - With Bob Hope - Cask of Amontillado - Crime and Punishment - Death is a Joker (with Karloff) - The Devil's Saint - With Dinah Shore - The Horla - With Jack Benny - The Locked Trunk's Secret - With Martin and Lewis - The Maltese Falcon - The Marvelous Barrastro - The Mask of Medusa - The Missing Salami Sandwich - A Moment of Darkness - Nobody Loves Me - Of Maestro and Men - With Spike Jones - The Queen of Spades - Till Death Do Us Part - Wun Long Pan vs. Mr. Moto

BASIL RATHBONE Phantom of the Opera - Halloween with Jack Benny - Pit and the Pendulum - With Fred Allen as Wun Long Pan #1 - Suspicion - With Jack Benny - Academy Award - Sinbad the Sailor - With Bob Hope - With Edgar Bergen - A Christmas Carol - With Fred Allen as Wun Long Pan #2 - The Hated Hero of 1776 - Jack Benny Wants a Part - With Spike Jones

STORIES BY EDGAR ALLAN POE Case of M. Valdemar - Cask of Amontillado (3 Versions in addition to Lorre's) - House of Usher (3 Versions) - Murders in the Rue Morgue - Arthur Gordon Pym - The Pit and the Pendulum - (2 Versions in addition to Price's and Rathbone's, one with Henry "Werewolf of London" Hull) - Tales of Poe - The Tell-tale Heart (2 Versions in addition to Karloff's) - The Gold Bug - The Oblong Box
Stacks Image 2482
Frankenstein Serial/Monsters
A frightening collection including 58 Stories and about 30 Hours of content
Featuring the complete FRANKENSTEIN SERIAL

This very scary collection includes multiple versions of classic tales of Frankenstein, Dracula (featuring a restored version of Orson Welles' version), werewolves, mummies, and lots of other monsters, including a restored version of the radio adaptation of KING KONG which kinda misses the mark, but other stories such as "Three Skeleton Key," "The Golem," and "Spider" really score and give a good scare. The entire 13 chapter FRANKENSTEIN radio serial, which has a strong script, somewhat influenced by 19th century stage versions of the story as well as the novel, is included on this audio DVD, sounding better than it does elsewhere as it has been restored to remove hum and improve clarity. A rare H. P. Lovecraft radio adaptation, "The Dunwich Horror" is also included in this collection. (Note: One track, "The Werewolf," is included even though sound quality is very rough even after restoration. For some reason I still find it intriguing, you can hear bits and pieces of scary dialogue which make you want to listen even closer. Anyway I didn't want to leave it out so there it is.)

Order 2-Audio DVD Set
Add to CartView Cart



Track Titles

The Complete Frankenstein Serial Chapters 1-13
(All chapters restored to remove hum & improve clarity)

FRANKENSTEIN Frankenstein (FS) (restored), The Automaton, Frankenstein (WC), If You Believe, Frankenstein (WT), Frankenstein (NBCSS), Frankenstein - Harris, Donovan's Brain Pt. 1 & 2, Frankenstein Revisited

VAMPIRES Dracula - Orson Welles (restored), Graveyard Mansion, Bat Boy, Dracula (CBS), The Vampire's Desire, Wings of the Vampire, Carmilla, Vampires from the Deep

WEREWOLVES The Werewolf (restored), The House in Cypress Canyon, The Werewolf (Dragnet), The Werewolf (WC), W is for Werewolf, Werewolf of Hamilton Mansion, The Loup-garou, Taboo, The Werewolf (WT) (This rare program has been heavily restored but is still hard to understand sometimes)

MUMMIES The Golden Bracelet of Amoniris, The Ring of Thoth, Whence Came You?

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (FS), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (NBCSS), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (WC), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (CBS) (restored)

MORE MONSTERS Behind the Locked Door - King Kong (restored), The Spider, The Meteor Man, The Hand of Botar, The Jewels of Kali, Revolt of the Worms, The Thing on the Fourble Board, The Dunwich Horror (restored), Three Skeleton Key, The Crawling Terror, The Gibbering Things, The Dark (short version), Phantom of the Opera (restored), The Beast of Darrow House, Case of the Bayou Monster, The Crawling Thing (restored),The Golem, The Hairy Monster (restored),The Thing in the Cage, The Horla, The Terror Out of Space, The Thing in the Tunnel, The Chicken Heart (short version)

Stacks Image 2732
The Mystery Mind
A Squadron re-creation of a lost 1920 serial
In Post-Production


A telepathic young heiress is marked for death by a murderous gang of weird killers, led by the disembodied voice known only as “The Mystery Mind.” Her hypnotist fiance must rescue her and stop them from finding the Treasure of Atlantis. More villains than any other serial has ever contained; this serial was an attempt to outdo THE MYSTERIES OF MYRA with its cast of bizarre characters and it gets over the top early on as Violet, the heroine escapes numerous murder attempts and just doesn’t stop going from there until the cast ends up in a remote jungle temple where an unspeakable ritual is about to be led by black magician Evil Eye, a creature up to this point conceived by Violet only in nightmares.

A fully dramatized re-creation of the lost 1922 serial, as created for and performed over 4 years at SerialFest events, and featuring
ADRIAN BOOTH as the villainess, Vera “the Snake” Collins in her final serial performance.

The original stars of the serial were real-life hypnotist J. Robert Pauline, Violet MacMillan (best known for her appearances in the Frank Baum Oz films) and veteran serial villain Paul Panzer of THE PERILS OF PAULINE and THE MASKED RIDER.

CAST

ALLYSON MALANDRA
as VIOLET BRONSON, 18 year old heiress and psychic

ADRIAN BOOTH
as VERA COLLINS "THE SNAKE," a sneaky villainess

DAVID WHITEMAN
as ROBERT DUPONT, a scientist studying hypnotism

MATT HUTT as CANFIELD "THE WOLF," a lusting egomaniac
MATTHEW IMPARATO as MR. CASE, a sadistic hunchback
JEREMY SCOTT-CAMPBELL as DACCA, Dominican servant of Dr. Sutton
ERIC STEDMAN as DR. SUTTON, M. D., Violet's guardian
APRIEL STARKWEATHER as NERVA, a professional psychic
JEAN BRENNER as MESMA, a clairvoyant
ANDREW SPOSATO as PAUL NOYES, an artist
RICK DEACON as CHESTER RANDOLPH, Dupont's pilot friend
RICH SYMES as Luis, Haitian coffee shop owner
THE MYSTERY MIND, a spooky disembodied voice
EVIL EYE, high priest of a death-cult
PHANTOM FACE, a mysterious faceless man
STRANGLER, an assassin