The Serial Squadron presents
A new digital transfer of the great comic-strip-inspired serial
Radio Patrol
Universal 1937 - 12 Chapters
Directed by Ford Beebe, Cliff Smith
Starring Grant Withers as Pat O'Hara
Adrian Morris as Sam
Catherine Hughes as Molly
Mickey Rentschler as Pinky
Frank Lackteen as Tahata
Silver Wolf as Irish
The Story: Kindly John P. Adams develops a formula for flexible, bulletproof steel and is murdered by someone who wishes to obtain the formula. At least three groups, as it turns out, are scrambling to grab the secret, but suspicion falls upon Selkirk, who is innocent. Trying to clear him is his sister Molly. Using the last name Day, she obtains a job as secretary to Harrison, one of the principal suspects. Soon Molly becomes the ally of both Pat O'Hara, the radio patrolman assigned to the case, and Pinky Adams, the inventor's young son, who, along with his dog Irish, finds shelter in the city dump. Also on the scene are a steel magnate named Wellington and a mysterious inhabitant of the city's Egyptian quarter who calls himself Tahata and uses his powers of hypnotism to control the minds of underlings.
A fast moving, unpretentious serial, made when radios in police cars were still novelties and a character could shrug off the instruments' lack of privacy by saying, "You can't put a telephone in a car." Grant Withers is pefectly cast as Pat O'Hara, but his resourceful partner from The Fighting Marines, Adrian Morris, is accorded a somewhat oafish guise as O'Hara's patrol mate. As Pinky and Molly, Mickey Rentschler and Catherine Hughes are plucky helpers to officers Pat and Sam, not just victims to be rescued. Likewise, Irish, played by Silver Wolf, is a demon at tracking suspects. While nothing very nice should be expected of Frank Lackteen, his character does fool O'Hara for a time. In fact, he fools him doubly.
This serial was based upon the King Features comic strip of the same name introduced in 1934. Writer Eddie Sullivan and artist Charlie Schmidt developed it from their Boston Daily Record feature called Pinkerton Jr.. While Pat and Sam were transferred to the chapter play with little alteration, the three other principal characters of the strip were given somewhat different orientation. Police officer Molly Day, a real go-getter, was represented in the serial by Molly Selkirk (Day). Young investigator Pinky (Pinkerton Jr.) was made the son of inventor Adams. And Pinky's Irish setter, undergoing perhaps the most serious alteration, became a German shepherd.
-- Serial
description by Raymond William
Stedman
This
DVD
includes all 12 chapters of the serial, in black and
white, with restored picture and fully restored and
hiss-free sound.
Don't miss this action-packed Saturday matinee
spectacular!
