On a scientific expedition to Siam young Billy Batson is given the ability to change himself into the super-powered Captain Marvel by the wizard Shazam, who tells him his powers will last only as long as the Golden Scorpion idol is threatened. Finding the idol, the scientists realize it could be the most powerful weapon in the world and remove the lenses that energize it, distributing them among themselves so that no one would be able to use the idol by himself. Back in the US, Billy Batson, as Captain Marvel, wages a battle against an evil, hooded figure, the Scorpion, who hopes to accumulate all five lenses, thereby gaining control of the super-powerful weapon. Captain Marvel's is granted his powers by 6 patron deities, whose name spells his catch-phrase “Shazam.” The deities are Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. With Tom Tyler as Captain Marvel, Frank Coghlan Jr. as Billy Batson, plus William 'Billy' Benedict, Louise Currie, and Robert Strange.
Mesa of Lost Women-1953. A mad scientist named Arana is creating giant spiders and dwarfs in his lab on Zarpa Mesa in Mexico. He wants to create a master race of superwomen by injecting his female subjects with spider venom. Starring Jackie Coogan, Allan Nixon, and Richard Travis. One of those “so bad, its good” Mexican monster movies. Stay away from this mesa!
The new science teacher Dr. Julian Olcott, with a mysterious past, arrives in an institutional boarding school for female troublemakers. That night intern Mary Smith, who is blackmailing another teacher —Sir Alfred Whiteman—with some love letters, is slaughtered. The detective in charge of the investigation attributes the crime to a animal, while her mate Priscilla believes she was killed by Sir Alfred. Over the next few days, other deaths happen at the school, reducing the list of suspects. Starring Barbara Lass, Carl Schell, and Curt Lowens. This is every teacher’s nightmare! A campy monster movie from the early 60s!
Atomic scientist/pilot Doug Martin is missing after his plane crashes on an reconnaissance mission after a nuclear test. Miraculously appearing unhurt at the base later, he is given a truth serum, but authorities are skeptical of his story that he was captured by aliens determined to conquer the Earth with giant monsters and insects. Martin vows to use existing technology to destroy them. Starring Peter Graves, James Seay, and Steve Pendleton. The classic flying saucer movie of the 50s with the star of Mission Impossible!
Charles Kessler (Bela Lugosi) is plagued by homicidal urges. His wife (Betty Compson), who had left him for another man, gets into a car accident that leaves her brain damaged and is kept in a cellar in secret, by Kessler's gardener. When an innocent man is executed for a murder Kessler committed in the house, his twin brother visits and tries to unravel the mystery. He discovers that Kessler is the killer and doesn't know it. His brother subdues him and contacts the police, who arrest Kessler.
On the day of Alice Wentworth's wedding, mad scientist Dr. Lorenz sends the young bride an unusual orchid, the scent of which places the young woman in a state of suspended animation resembling death. He then spirits her body away to the basement laboratory of his isolated mansion and extracts glandular fluid from behind her ears to inject into his vain and aged wife in order to renew her youth and beauty. This is only the latest in a series of brides who appear to die at the altar and whose corpses subsequently vanish en route to the hospital or mortuary, and the police are thoroughly baffled. Starring Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters and Tristram Coffin.
An alien being with the power of invisibility lands in Santa Monica. Killing two people who attacked him due to the menacing appearance of his spacesuit, the creature takes it off while being pursued by government authorities. Starring Ted Cooper, Tom Daly, and Steve Acton. Looks like trouble!
A Japanese man claiming to be Mr. Moto, of the International Police, is abducted and murdered soon after disembarking from a ship at Port Said in Egypt. The real Mr. Moto is already in Port Said, investigating a conspiracy against the British and French governments. The dead man was his colleague, impersonating him to throw the conspirators off his scent. Mr. Moto recognizes one of the conspirators as a British Secret Service agent, and together they discover that the gang have mined the harbor in preparation for the arrival of the French fleet. Their aim is to throw the blame onto the British, which may start a second World War. Starring Peter Lorre, Ricardo Cortez, and Virginia Field. A great movie with lots of pre-WWII intrigue!
When a chemical manufacturer is killed after asking detective James Wong to help him, Wong investigates this and two subsequent murders. He uncovers a international spy ring hoping to steal the formula for a poison gas being developed by the first victim's company. Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, and Maxine Jennings. No mad scientist can out smart this detective!
Ro-Man, an alien that looks remarkably like a bigfoot in a diving helmet, has destroyed all but six people on the planet Earth. He spends the entire film trying to finish off these survivors, but complications arise when he falls for the young woman in the group. Love that bubble machine! Starring George Nader, Gregory Moffett, and Claudia Barretta. The ultimate in the Bigfoot is a Space Alien theory. Get out your ray-guns—here comes bigfoot in a space helmet!
A military intelligence officer and a pretty reporter try to find a mad scientist (Bela Lugosi) whose inventions can destroy the world. First use of a crazed robot used in the movies. Yow!
Britt Reid, publisher of The Sentinel newspaper, is secretly the vigilante crime fighter The Green Hornet. He and his Korean valet Kato investigate and expose several seemingly separate criminal rackets. This leads them into continued conflict with “the Chief,” the mastermind behind the criminal syndicate controlling those rackets. With Gordon Jones, Wade Boteler and Keye Luke. Look out Bruce Lee, here comes Keye Luke as Kato. This is a full length movie edited from the original serial.
Flash Gordon battles the Purple Death in this exciting movie edited from the serial. A mysterious plague, the Purple Death, ravages the earth. Dr. Zarkov, investigating in his spaceship, finds a ship from planet Mongo seeding the atmosphere with dust. Sure enough, Ming the Merciless is up to his old tricks. So it's back to Mongo for Flash, Dale, and Zarkov, this time with ready-made allies waiting: Prince Barin of Arboria and Queen Fria of the frozen northern land of Frigia; where, it so happens, is found polarite, antidote to the plague. But Ming will use all his forces to keep our heroes from thwarting his plans of conquest! One of the best Tesla Technology serials with electric spaceships buzzing through the Universe instead of rockets!
THE UNDERSEA KINGDOM: THE MOVIE. This great 1936 serial, now an edited and digitally enhanced movie, is the story of Ray “Crash” Corrigan, Athlete and Navy Lieutenant, who joins Professor Norton in a Rocket Submarine to inspect an enigmatic location beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Following a suspicious earthquake, and detecting a series of signals, Professor Norton leads an expedition, including Crash and reporter Diana Compton, three sailors (Briny Deep, Salty, Joe) and their pet parrot Sinbad. Unknown to the expedition until it is underway and in trouble, Billy has stowed away on the Rocket Sub as well. Finding a lost kingdom they become embroiled in an Atlantean civil war between Sharad (with his White Robes) and the usurper Unga Khan (with his Black Robes) who wishes to conquer Atlantis and then destroy the upper world with earthquakes generated by his Disintegrator. Thus he will rule the world—unless he can be stopped in time! Great 30s Tesla death rays and other weird Atlantean technology. The original movie about Atlantis! Plus period trailers.
The Shadow vs International Crime (1937) stars Rod LaRoque as The Shadow., a man with mysterious powers that he acquired in Tibet. In the radio drama, which debuted in 1937, The Shadow was an invisible avenger who had learned, while "traveling through the Orient," "the mysterious power to cloud men's minds, so they could not see him." This feature of the character was born out of necessity: time constraints of 1930s radio made it difficult to explain to listeners where The Shadow was hiding and how he was remaining concealed. Thus, the character was given the power to escape human sight. Voice effects were added to suggest The Shadow's seeming omnipresence. To explain this power, The Shadow was described as a master of hypnotism, as explicitly stated in several radio episodes.
The Shadow Strikes (1937) stars Rod LaRoque as The Shadow., a man with mysterious powers that he acquired in Tibet. In the radio drama, which debuted in 1937, The Shadow was an invisible avenger who had learned, while "traveling through the Orient," "the mysterious power to cloud men's minds, so they could not see him." This feature of the character was born out of necessity: time constraints of 1930s radio made it difficult to explain to listeners where The Shadow was hiding and how he was remaining concealed. Thus, the character was given the power to escape human sight. Voice effects were added to suggest The Shadow's seeming omnipresence. To explain this power, The Shadow was described as a master of hypnotism, as explicitly stated in several radio episodes.
This great 1952 serial, now an edited and digitally enhanced movie, is the story of George Wallace as Commando Cody, ‘Sky Marshal of the Universe,’ a civilian researcher and the owner of Cody Laboratories which has a sizable staff of employees. He works with American scientists Joan Gilbert and Ted Richards in the development of a rocket-powered flying suit and a rocket to the Moon. When the US finds itself under attack by a mysterious power that wipes out military bases and industrial complexes, government security chief Henderson suspects it’s an “atomic ray” originating from the Moon! He assigns Commando Cody with his secret flying suit to investigate the source of the atomic ray. Cody, Joan and Ted take off in a rocket to the moon and, upon arrival, Cody is captured by Moon-men. They confront the moon’s dictator Retik, who boldly announces plans to conquer our planet and move his subjects there. Cody escapes from Retik and the Moon and is soon battling a lunar native named Krog and the gang of human crooks he has hired to steal and stockpile supplies for the invasion. Cody continues making trips in his experimental rocket back to the moon, in a perilous and all but single-handed effort to thwart the planned invasion of Earth.
