"The Phantom Creeps (1939) ... Bela Lugosi ... VCI Ent. (2008)"
VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures presents "THE PHANTOM CREEPS" (1939) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film --- Known as "chapter plays," they were extended motion pictures broken into a number of segments called "chapters" or "episodes." --- Each chapter (a typical serial usually had as many as 15 of them) would be screened at the same theater for one week --- The serial would end with a cliffhanger, as the hero and heroine would find themselves in the latest perilous situation from which there could be no escape --- The audience would have to return the next week (and pay admission) to find out how the hero and heroine would escape and battle the villain once again --- Serials were especially popular with children, and for many youths in the first half of the 20th century, a typical Saturday at the movies included a chapter of at least one serial, along with animated cartoons, newsreels, and two feature films.

The Movie studios of Universal, Columbia and Republic, with Republic quickly becoming the acknowledged leader in quality serial product --- Each company turned out four to five serials per year, of 12 to 15 episodes each, a pace which they all kept up until the end of World War II when, in 1946, Universal dropped its serial unit along with its B-picture unit and renamed its production department Universal-International Pictures -- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

12 Spine Shivering Action Chapters starring Bela Lugosi in "THE PHANTOM CREEPS" (7 January 1939) (240 mins/B&W) --- A Universal Chapter Play --- Under Ford Beebe (Director), Saul A. Goodkind (Director), Wyllis Cooper (Story), George H. Plympton (Screenwriter), Basil Dickey (Screenwriter), Mildred Barish (Screenwriter), Henry MacRae (Producer), Charles Previn (Original Score) - - - - a 12 Chapter cliffhanger from a thrilling suspenseful Universal serial featuring a good cast, but Bela Lugosi is at his very best in this twist and turn original story, Lugosi keeps the adrenaline going and makes this mediocre serial a top notch flick --- story line asks these questions, what strange experiments is Dr. Alex Zorka (Bela Lugosi) performing in his very secret laboratory and to what end will this bring to the world as we know it...can assistant Monk (Jack C. Smith) keep the fine Zorka from releasing his eight foot giant robot friend upon the entire cast and crew of Universal Pictures --- is there such a thing as inivisiblity, suspended animation and weapons of mass-destruction, well only Lugosi can answer all these questions --- will our hero Captain Bob West (Robert Kent) and girl report Jean Drew (Dorothy Arnold) be able to cope will all the ins and outs of Lugosi's villianous plans --- why is Zorka planning to carry onboard deadley explosives then chart his travel log over the ocean --- doesn't sound good to me, an you're correct there's trouble afoot --- don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "To Destroy the World" --- don't miss a single spine thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

the cast includes:
Bela Lugosi ... Dr. Alex Zorka
Robert Kent ... Capt. Bob West
Dorothy Arnold ... Jean Drew
Edwin Stanley ... Dr. Fred Mallory
Regis Toomey ... Lt. Jim Daley
Jack C. Smith ... Monk
Edward Van Sloan ... Jarvis (spy chief)
Dora Clement ... Ann Zorka [Chs. 1-2] (as Dora Clemant)
Anthony Averill ... Rankin (henchman)
Hugh Huntley ... Perkins (Mallory's lab assistant)
Monte Vandergrift ... Henchman
Frank Mayo ... AMI chief [Ch. 12]
Jim Farley ... Harbornaster [Ch. 7] (as James Farley)
Eddie Acuff ... Mac (AMI agent)
Reed Howes ... Airplane mechanic [Ch. 9, 12]
Ed Wolff ... The Robot (as Edw. Wolff)
Hooper Atchley ... Experimental lab tech
Roy Barcroft ... Parker (AMI agent)
Robert Blair ... Smith (thug)
Al Bridge ... White Rose sailor
Lane Chandler ... Henchman with Rankin
Edmund Cobb ... Army sergeant
Lee J. Cobb ... Road crew foreman
Karl Hackett ... Brown (henchman-secretary)
Charles King ... Policeman
Monte Montague ... Signal tower operator
Pat O'Malley ... Train engineer
David Sharpe ... Schooner sailor
Tom Steele ... Train conductor [Ch. 10] / Radio truck driver
Forrest Taylor ... Black (henchman)

Special footnote, to many collectors this serial reunites Bela Lugosi and Edwin Stanley from their first meeting in the film "Dracula" (1931), all serial-buffs should find "The Phantom Creeps" very rewarding and entertaining --- Lugosi gained fame when he played "Count Dracula" in the legendary 1927 Broadway stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, continued for three years, and was subsequently, and memorably, filmed by Tod Browning in 1931, establishing Lugosi as one of the screen's greatest personifications of pure evil --- meanwhile back to our Universal Serial which is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there --- all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

BIOS:
1. Bela Lugosi (aka: Be'la Ferenc Dezso Blasko)
Birth Date: October 20, 1882 - Lugos, Hungary.
Died: August, 16 1956 - Los Angeles, California, USA. (heart attack)

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. The Menacing Power
2. Death Stalks the Highway
3. Crashing Towers
4. Invisible error
5. Thundering Rails
6. The Iron Monster
7. The Menacing Mist
8. Trapped in the Flames
9. Speeding Doom
10.Phantom Footprints
11.The Blast
12.To Destroy the World

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
1. Porky Pig Cartoon - "Porky's Midnight Matinee" (1941) (Chuck Jones)
Working backstage at a theater, Porky frees a little ant he finds in a cage,
only to learn that it's a rare and valuable trained pygmy ant.
2. Other Serials Available from VCI - Trailers.

Hats off to VCI Entertainment, President Robert A. Blair and his staff -- for the wonderful restored versions featuring some of the best classic cliffhangers of the big silver screen --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 240 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment ~ (2/05/2008)

"The King of Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ The Phantom Creeps (1939)"
VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present..."The Phantom Creeps" (1939) (Dolby digitally remastered), a 12 Chapter cliffhanger from a thrilling suspenseful Universal serial featuring a good cast, but Bela Lugosi is at his very best in this twist and turn original story, Lugosi keeps the adrenaline going and makes this mediocre serial a top notch flick....story line asks these questions, what strange experiments is Dr. Alex Zorka (Bela Lugosi) performing in his very secret laboratory and to what end will this bring to the world as we know it...can assistant Monk (Jack C. Smith) keep the fine Zorka from releasing his eight foot giant robot friend upon the entire cast and crew of Universal Pictures...is there such a thing as inivisiblity, suspended animation and weapons of mass-destruction, well only Lugosi can answer all these questions...will our hero Captain Bob West (Robert Kent) and girl report Jean Drew (Dorothy Arnold) be able to cope will all the ins and outs of Lugosi's villianous plans...why is Zorka planning to carry onboard deadley explosives then chart his travel log over the ocean....doesn't sound good to me, an you're correct there's trouble afoot.....don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with "To Destroy the World"....just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...don't miss a single spine thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Ford Beebe and Saul A. Goodkind, associate producer Henry MacRae, supervised by J. Laurence Wickland, screenplay by George Pympton, Basil Dickey and Mildred Barish, original story by Willis Cooper, dialogue director Lyonel Margolies, musical score by Charles Previn, Franz Waxman, Frank Skinner, stunts by David Sharpe, Tom Steele and Bud Wolfe...the cast includes Bela Lugosi (Dr. Alex Zorka), Robert Kent (Capt. Bob West), Dorothy Arnold (Jean Drew), Edwin Stanley (Dr. Fred Mallory), Regis Toomey (Lt. Jim Daley), Jack C. Smith (Monk), Edward Van Sloan (Jarvis-spy chief), Dora Clement (Ann Zorka), Anthony Averill (Rankin/henchman), Hugh Huntley (Perkins/Mallory's lab assistant), Eddie Acuff (Mac/AMI agent), Roy Barcroft (Parker/AMI agent), Al Bridge (White Rose sailor), Lane Chandler (Henchman with Rankin), Edmund Cobb (Army sergeant), Lee J. Cobb (Road crew foreman), Karl Hackett (Brown/henchman-secretary), Charles King (Policeman), Monte Montague (Signal tower operator), David Sharpe (Schooner sailor), Tom Steele (Train conductor), Forrest Taylor (Black/henchman), George Magrill (Thug-Pilot)..........special footnote, to many collectors this serial reunites Bela Lugosi and Edwin Stanley from their first meeting in the film "Dracula" (1931), all serial-buffs should find "The Phantom Creeps" very rewarding and entertaining, Lugosi gained fame when he played "Count Dracula" in the legendary 1927 Broadway stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, continued for three years, and was subsequently, and memorably, filmed by Tod Browning in 1931, establishing Lugosi as one of the screen's greatest personifications of pure evil.........meanwhile back to our Universal Serial which is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

BIOS:
1. Bela Lugosi (aka: Be'la Ferenc Dezso Blasko)
Birth Date: October 20, 1882 - Lugos, Hungary.
Died: August, 16 1956 - Los Angeles, California, USA. (heart attack)

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. The Menacing Power
2. Death Stalks the Highway
3. Crashing Towers
4. Invisible error
5. Thundering Rails
6. The Iron Monster
7. The Menacing Mist
8. Trapped in the Flames
9. Speeding Doom
10.Phantom Footprints
11.The Blast
12.To Destroy the World

If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:
VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
1. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
4. Captain Midnight (Dave O'Brien)
5. Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere (Judd Holdren & I. Stanford Jolley)
6. Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
7. Don Winslow of the Navy (Don Terry)
8. Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (Don Terry)
9. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
10.Fighting Kit Carson (Johnny Mack Brown)
11.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
12.The Green Archer (Victory Jory)
13.Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
14.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
15.Lost City of the Jungle (Russell Hayden & Keye Luke)
16.Mandrake the Magician (Warren Hull & Dick Curtis)
17.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)
18.The Painted Stallion (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
19.The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
20.The Return of Chandu (Bela Lugosi)
21.Riders of Death Valley (Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo & Buck Jones)
22.Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
23.Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
24.Sky Raiders (Donald Woods & Billy Halop)
25.Undersea Kingdom (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
26.Winners of the West (Dick Foran, Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft & Charles Stevens)
27.Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
28.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "The Phantom Creeps" (1939), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em

Total Time: 265 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1723 ~ (11/01/2000)

Lugosi Destroys the Hindenburg!
"The Phantom Creeps" (1939) is 12 chapters of Universal serial hokum. In other words, it's a lot of fun. Bela Lugosi plays Dr. Zorka to the hilt - assisted by Universal's vast catalog of stock footage and classic music scores. The final chapter is particularly memorable, as mad scientist Lugosi gleefully brings down the Hindenburg. Universal did not make the finest serials, but "The Phantom Creeps" remains one of the studio's better efforts.

wacky editing mania
This tape is nuts. When it arriaved at my house I was very dissapointed to find that it was only 80minutes long. The other version said that all the twelve episodes fill about 200 minutes. So i was bummed that i only got volume one out of 3 or something. But It turns out that this tape is a compilation of the best moments throughout the serial. This procedure of turning 200 and something minutes into 80 minutes a fun and wacky ride. There are so many jambled up plot lines, people running into scenes then back out in a cut, and then peopleliving through speeding plane wrecks and car explosions (With no explination). Over all the tape is rockin and I highly recommend it. A Cheasy Good Time!

Creepy Bela
The Phantom Creeps was Bela Lugosi's last serial. Lugosi is Dr. Zorka another mad scientist looking to take over and control the world. He tries to achieve this World domination with a number of gadgets. He has built an 8-foot robot, a belt that makes him invisible, and a gas that suspends animation, which he delivers with mechanical spiders. Through the 12 episodes an Army intelligence officer and a newspaperwoman chase him.

The 12 episodes are:

1) The menacing Power
2) Death Stalks the Highway
3) Crashing Timbers
4) Invisible Terror
5) Thundering Rails
6) The Iron Monster
7) The Menacing Mist
8) Trapped in the Flames
9) Speeding Doom
10) Phantom Footprints
11) The Blast
12) To Destroy the World

I purchased this DVD because Bela Lugosi was in it. I was not disappointed - I have really enjoyed it. The quality is not bad. There are options to play each episode or play all 12 continuously.