CTVA US Sci-Fi - Flash Gordon (1936-40) Buster Crabbe / (1954-55) Steve Holland

CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US Sci-Fi series
Movie Archive - US Cliffhanger Serials

"Universal Pictures"
Sci-Fi / Super-Hero Cliffhanger Serials
(1934-46)

Universal Serial #91: The Vanishing Shadow (1934)
(12 chapters) Genre: Science fiction
Directed by Lew Landers
Starring Onslow Stevens

Universal Serial #111: Buck Rogers (1939)
(12 chapters) Genre: Science fiction
Directed by Ford Beebe and Saul A. Goodkind
Starring Buster Crabbe

Universal Serial #113: The Phantom Creeps (1939)
(12 chapters) Genre: Science fiction
Directed by Ford Beebe and Saul A. Goodkind
Starring Béla Lugosi

Universal Serial #138: The Mysterious Mr. M (1946) (Last Universal serial)
(13 chapters) Genre: Science fiction
Directed by Lewis D. Collins and Vernon Keays
Starring: Dennis Moore

Flash Gordon Theatrical Serials
(Universal Pictures/King Features) (1936-40)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Robert B. Huggins
references:
TV Guide
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive

King Features Presents ...
Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers (1936) (13 chapters x 20 min) [1st of 3 Flash Gordon Serials]

Universal Pictures
Produced by Henry MacRae
based on the comic strip created by Alex Raymond
written by Basil Dickey, Ella O'Neill, George H. Plympton, Frederick Stephani
Directed by Frederick Stephani

starring
Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon
Jean Rogers as Dale Arden
Charles Middleton as Emporer Ming the Merciless
Priscilla Lawson as Princess Aura
Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov
Richard Alexander .... Prince Barin
Jack 'Tiny' Lipson .... King Vultan
Theodore Lorch .... High Priest
Richard Tucker .... Professor Gordon
George Cleveland .... Professor Hensley
James Pierce .... Prince Thun
Duke York Jr. .... King Kala
Muriel Goodspeed .... Zona
Earl Askam .... Officer Torch
House Peters Jr.

Superhero Flash Gordon is summoned to rescue the Earth from a mysterious
planet which hurtles towards it on a collision course

[01] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #1: THE PLANET OF PERIL (1936)
Flash and his young companion Dale Arden set out with Professor Zarkov on a hazardous
journey to the planet Mongo, whose ruler is threatening Earth with destruction.

[02] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #2: THE TUNNEL OF TERROR (1936)
Having won his battle with the ape-like man killers, Flash finds an ally in Thun,
Prince of the Lion Men, but finds that Emporer Ming plans to marry Dale Arden by force

[03] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #3: CAPTURED BY SHARK MEN (1936)
21Dec76 BBC1 Tue (two eps back to back)
Having thwarted Emperor Ming's plan to marry Dale Arden, Flash must
face the terror of King Kala and his dreaded Shark Men.

[04] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #4: BATTLING THE SEA BEAST (1936)
21Dec76 BBC1 Tue (two eps back to back)
Having won a battle with a giant octopus, Flash faces even more
danger when King Kala's underwater palace is flooded, trapping Flash
and his friends.

[05] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #5: THE DESTROYING RAY (1936)
Flash finds an unexpected friend and ally in Prince Barin, the
usurped ruler of Mongo.

[06] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #6: FLAMING TORTURE (1936)
Flash is captured by King Vultan and sent to join Thun in the atom
furnace room. Meanwhile, Princess Aura tries to persuade Dale to
marry Vultan and save Flash.

[07] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #7: SHATTERING DOOM (1936)
Flash faces death by electrocution in King Vultan's furnace room.

[08] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #8: TOURNAMANT OF DEATH (1936)
Flash is forced into a duel with his friend Prince Barin.

[09] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #9: FIGHTING THE FIRE DRAGON (1936)
Having won his fight with the monster, Flash is given a forgetfulness
drug, and taken to the abode of the dreaded fire dragon.

[10] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #10: THE UNSEEN PERIL (1936)
Superhero Flash Gordon is rescued by Thun and Barin, and his memory
restored by Dr Zarkov. But the treacherous Emperor Ming has meanwhile
ordered his execution.

[11] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #11: IN THE CLAWS OF TIGRON (1936)
Space superhero Flash, aided by an invisibility machine, sets out to
rescue King Vultan, unaware that Princess Aura has gone on a mission
to capture his girlfriend, Dale.

[12] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #12: TRAPPED IN THE TURRET (1936)
Flash rescues Dale and prepares to return to Earth, while Emperor
Ming makes one last, desperate attempt to stop them and kill Flash.

[13] Flash Gordon - Space Soldiers #13: ROCKETING TO EARTH (1936) (last in series)
(no synopsis)

King Features Presents ...
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938) (15 chapters x 20 min) [2nd of 3 Flash Gordon Serials]
starring
Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon
Jean Rogers as Dale Arden
Charles Middleton as Emporer Ming the Merciless
Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov
Beatrice Roberts as Queen Azura

[01] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #1: NEW WORLDS TO CONQUER (1938)
Flash, with three intrepid companions, sets out in his rocket-ship
for the planet Mars where the villainous Emperor Ming is attempting
to destroy Earth with a deadly Nitron lamp.

[02] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #2: THE LIVING DEAD (1938)
Flash Gordon and his friends are forced by Ming the merciless and
accomplice Azura, Queen of Magic, to crash-land on Mars, where they
are captured by the Clay people.

[03] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #3: QUEEN OF MAGIC (1938)
The Clay people agree to release Flash Gordon and his companions
on the condition that they capture Queen Azura and the magic jewel.

[04] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #4: ANCIENT ENEMIES (1938)
Flash and Dr Zarkov are forced to fight for their lives in an aerial
spaceship battle with the forces of Ming the Merciless.

[05] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #5: BOOMERANG (1938)
Flash Gordon and Dr. Zarkov, armed with the Professor's
paralyser gun, set out to rescue Dale Arden from the Clay
People, but are attacked by one of Emporer Ming's space
bombers.

[06] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #6: TREE MEN OF MARS (1938)
Flash Gordon and his friends seek to enlist the help of the Tree
People in their war against Ming the Merciless and the evil Queen
of Magic, Azura.

[07] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #7: THE PRISONER OF MONGO (1938)
Flash Gordon learns the secret of Queen Azura's magic but is
captured by the Tree People before he can use his knowledge.

[08] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #8: THE BLACK SAPPHIRE OF KALU (1938)
Having obtained the sacred black sapphire and imprisoned Queen Azura,
Flash attempts to use his new-found magic to destroy the deadly
nitron lamp.

[09] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #9: SYMBOL OF DEATH (1938)
Flash manages to destroy the nitron lamp, but is captured by Emperor
Ming, who sends him to the disintegrating room.

[10] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #10: INCENSE OF FORGETFULNESS (1938)
Unbeknown to Flash, Dale is captured by the Tree People and forced
to take an oath to serve their great god, Kalu.

[11] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #11: HUMAN BAIT (1938)
Ming the Merciless and Queen Azura prepare a trap for Flash Gordon
and his friends, Dale Arden and Professor Zarkov.

[12] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #12: MING THE MERCILESS (1938)
Flash Gordon captures Emperor Ming and Queen Azura, only to see
Ming escape and order his fleet of rocket ships to destroy Flash
and his friends.

[13] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #13: MIRACLE OF MAGIC (1938)
Following Queen Azura's death, Flash prepares to help the Clay
People in their final battle with Ming and the Forest People.

[14] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #14: A BEAST AT BAY (1938)
With the help of a Martian spaceship pilot, Flash secretly enters
Emperor Ming's palace, and tries to prevent Ming from proclaiming
himself emperor of Mars.

[15] Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars #15: AN EYE FOR AN EYE (final episode)
Flash and his friends finally defeat Ming and head home to Earth
for a heroes' welcome.

King Features Presents ...
Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1940) (12 chapters) [3rd of 3 Flash Gordon Serials]
Directed by Ford Beebe and Robert Hill
starring
Larry "Buster" Crabbe as Flash Gordon
Carol Hughes .as Dale Arden
Charles Middleton as Emporer Ming the Merciless
Anne Gwynne as Sonja [Chs. 2, 6-12]
Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov
John Hamilton ... Prof. Gordon [Chs. 1, 4]
Herbert Rawlinson ... Dr. Frohmann [Chs. 1, 4]
Tom Chatterton ... Prof. Arden [Chs. 1, 4]
Shirley Deane ... Princess Aura
Lee Powell ... Capt. Roka
Roland Drew ... Prince Barin
Don Rowan ... Capt. Torch
Victor Zimmerman ... Lt. Thong
Edgar Edwards ... Capt. Turan
Ben Taggart ... Gen. Lupi [Chs. 1-2]

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #1: THE PURPLE DEATH (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #2: FREEZING TORTURE (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe -chapter #3: WALKING BOMBS (1940)
Flash and his companions find the antidote Polarite on the
planet Frigia, but are attacked by the 'Walking Bombs', an
army of mechanical men commanded by Emporer Ming's henchman Torch

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe- chapter #4: THE DESTROYING RAY (1940)
Flash Gordon, having escaped from the mechanical men, takes
the antidote to the Purple Death back to earth, but returns
to Mongo to find that Ming the Merciless is about to kill
Dr. Zarkov with a disintegrating ray.

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #5: THE PALACE OF TERROR (1940)
Flash Gordon recues Dr. Zarkov and Dale Gordon only to find
their rocket ship under attack from Prince Barin, who
mistakenly thinks their ship is one of Emporer Ming's.

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #6: FLAMING EARTH (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #7: THE LAND OF THE DEAD (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #8: THE FIERY ABYSS (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #9: THE POOL OF PERIL (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #10: THE DEATH MIST (1940)

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #11: STARK TREACHURY (1940)
Flash Gordon has to try and rescue Dale Arden and Princess Aura
from the room where they are held prisoner.

Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe - chapter #12: DOOM OF THE DICTATOR (1940) (final chapter)
Flash Gordon and his friends finally defeat Emporer Ming sending
him to his doom by destroying the control tower of Ming's own palace.

CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US Sci-Fi series
Flash Gordon Sci-Fi Theatrical Serials (Universal) (1936-40) - Republic Sci-Fi Theatrical Serials (1949-53)
Flash Gordon TV Series (Germany) (1954-55)   Flash Gordon (Animated)

Flash Gordon (TV Series) Episode Guide
(Germany)(1954-55)
(early episodes)(filmed 1953)
Production Supervision:
An Inter-Continental Films Corporation/ Production Consultant, Joseph Zigman
An Interwest Luedecke Production / Production Manager George Zorer
Produced by Wenzel Luedecke
*
(later episodes)
An InterContinental Television Films Co. and La Telediffusion production
Produced by Edward Gruskin
Filmed at Sainte Marthe Studios
*
All Rights owned by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Distributed by Motion Pictures for Television, Inc.
Filmed in West Berlin, Germany
for US syndication

Sci-Fi adventure series 1954-55   39 episodes x 30 min bw
Starring:
Steve Holland as Flash Gordon
Irene Champlin as Dale Arden
With:
Joe Nash as Dr. Alexis Zarkov
*
Henry Beckman as Commander Richards
Tara Birell as The Queen of Cygnii (ep 34)

Comments:
Most of the supporting cast members of this German produced series for the American market were German actors
speaking English (with, of course, German accents). I found this somewhat odd given that the series debuted in
1954, less than 10 years after the conclusion of World War II. Each episode was self-contained and the series
did not employ the cliff-hanger approach utilized in the Flash Gordon serials.

Background:
With the coming of television, many of the old serials were rerun to fill programming time, and one of the
most popular was the 1936 Flash Gordon serial. So perhaps it isn't too surprising to discover that Flash's
renewed popularity gave rise to a television series in 1954. Independently produced in West Germany by
Inter-Continental Film Productions, and broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, the Flash Gordon TV series
starred Steve Holland (perhaps better known to pulp fans as the male model used by James Bama for the Doc Savage
cover illustrations for the Bantam reprints) as Flash Gordon.
Set in the year 2203 (though the year is reported as 3063 in one episode), Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov are all
agents for the Galactic Bureau of Investigation, which operates under the authority of the Galactic Council.
Although the characters are fairly faithful to those created by Alex Raymond, Raymond's storyline has been completely
abandoned and the series is little more than a knock-off of Captain Video. As might be expected for an independent
production, the sets are cheap, the special effects aren't very special, and as an actor Steve Holland makes a pretty
good male model. The series gained some notoriety when a childrens' programming watchdog group singled it out before a
Senate subcommittee as an example of lurid and violent programming. After 39 episodes (some sources say 52), some of which
are available on tape,the show folded and was soon forgotten. It's not great TV, it's Retro-TV—and good fun for cultists.

Flash Gordon - Movie
(UK)(1980)   (111 min)
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) / Starling Films
Produced by Dino De Laurentiis
Executive Producer Bernard Williams
Directed by Mike Hodges
Characters Created by Alex Raymond
Screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. / Adapted by Michael Allin
Cast:
Sam J. Jones ... Flash Gordon
Melody Anderson ... Dale Arden
Max von Sydow ... The Emperor Ming / Ming's Floating Servant (as Max Von Sydow)
Topol ... Dr. Hans Zarkov
Ornella Muti ... Princess Aura
Timothy Dalton ... Prince Barin
Brian Blessed ... Prince Vultan
Peter Wyngarde ... Klytus
Mariangela Melato ... Kala
John Osborne ... Arborian Priest
Richard O'Brien ... Fico
John Hallam ... Luro
Philip Stone ... Zogi, the High Priest
Suzanne Danielle ... Serving Girl
William Hootkins ... Munson

Theme Song "Flash" by Queen

Filmation Production (1979-82)
Produced by Don Christenden

1.1 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter One: A PLANET IN PERIL
22 September 1979

1.2 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Two: THE MONSTERS OF MONGO
29 September 1979

1.3 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Three: VULTAN, KING OF THE HAWKMEN
6 October 1979

1.4 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Four: TO SAVE EARTH
13 October 1979

1.5 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Five: THE BEAST MEN'S PREY
20 October 1979

1.6 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Six: Into the Water World
27 October 1979

1.7 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Seven: ADVENTURE IN ARBORIA
3 November 1979
1.8 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Eight: THE FROZEN WORLD
10 November 1979
1.9 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series):Chapter Nine: Monster of the Glacier
17 November 1979
1.10 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Ten: Blue Magic
24 November 1979
1.11 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Eleven: KING FLASH
1 December 1979

1.12 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Twelve: Tournament of Death
8 December 1979

1.13 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Thirteen: Castaways in Tropica
15 December 1979

1.14 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Fourteen: The Desert Hawk
22 December 1979
1.15 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Fifteen: REVOLT OF THE POWER MEN
29 December 1979
1.16 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Chapter Sixteen: MING'S LAST BATTLE
5 January 1980

2.1 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Gremlin the Dragon/Royal Wedding
18 September 1982
2.2 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Sir Gremlin/Deadly Double
25 September 1982
2.3 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): The Game/The Seed
2 October 1982
2.4 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Witch Woman/Micro Menace
9 October 1982
2.5 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Flash Back/The Warrior
16 October 1982
2.6 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): The Freedom Balloon/Sacrifice of the Volcano Men
23 October 1982
2.7 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Beware of Gifts/The Memory Bank of Ming
30 October 1982
2.8 [--] Flash Gordon (animated series): Survival Game/Gremlin's Finest Hour
6 November 1982

Flash Gordon (Ep01) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep02) "Jaws of the jungle"
Flash Gordon (Ep03) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep04) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep05) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep06) "Terror beneath the waves"
Flash Gordon (Ep07) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep08) "The Invisible Claw"
Flash Gordon (Ep09) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep10) "Cry of the Pantheron"
Flash Gordon (Ep11) "The Dragon Strikes"
Flash Gordon (Ep12) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep13) "Rocket to Oblivion"
Flash Gordon (Ep14) "Ambush on Arboria"
Flash Gordon (Ep15) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep16) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep17) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep18) "The Fiendish Experiment"
Flash Gordon (Ep19) - No Details
Flash Gordon (Ep20) "Fortress of fear"
Flash Gordon (Ep21) "Palace of Peril"
Flash Gordon (Ep22) "Shadow of the Shark"
Flash Gordon (Ep23) "Double disaster"
Flash Gordon (Ep24) "The Fur Flies"
Flash Gordon - TV Series
(US)(SciFiChannel)(2007-08) (live action)

Flash Films/ Reunion Pictures for The SciFi Channel
US SciFi Series 2007-08 21 episodes
Cast:
Eric Johnson ... Steven 'Flash' Gordon
Gina Holden ... Dale Arden
Karen Cliche ... Baylin
Jody Racicot ... Dr. Hans Zarkov
John Ralston ... Ming

1.1 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Pilot
10 August 2007 SciFi Channel

1.2 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Pride
17 August 2007 SciFi Channel

1.3 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Infestation
24 August 2007 SciFi Channel

1.4 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Assassin
7 September 2007 SciFi Channel

1.5 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Ascension
14 September 2007 SciFi Channel

1.6 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Life Source
21 September 2007 SciFi Channel
Flash and Dale discover that a beautiful young woman is sucking the life out of healthy, strong men.

1.7 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Alliances
28 September 2007 SciFi Channel

1.8 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Revelations
21 April 2008 SciFi Channel
While Flash, Zarkov, and Baylen search for Ming's rift machine, Baron prepares for his wedding to Aura,
despite the fact that the water machine was restored. Meanwhile, Dale is confronted by Flash's mother
regarding his father's death, and Flash finds out the truth about his father's execution. Sam J Jones,
the original Flash Gordon from the 1980 movie has a small role as one of Zarkov's fellow inmates.

1.9 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Til Death
12 October 2007 SciFi Channel

1.10 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Conspiracy Theory
19 October 2007 SciFi Channel

1.11 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Random Access
26 October 2007 SciFi Channel

1.12 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Secrets and Lies
2 November 2007 SciFi Channel

1.13 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Sorrow
9 November 2007 SciFi Channel

1.14 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Stand and Deliver
16 November 2007 SciFi Channel

1.15 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): POSSESSION
30 November 2007 SciFi Channel

1.16 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Thicker Than Water
4 January 2008 SciFi Channel

1.17 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Ebb and Flow
11 January 2008 SciFi Channel

1.18 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Blame
18 January 2008 SciFi Channel

1.19 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Cold Day in Hell
25 January 2008 SciFi Channel

1.20 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): Revolution: Part 1
1 February 2008 SciFi Channel

1.21 [--] Flash Gordon (live action series): REVOLUTION: Part 2
8 February 2008 SciFi Channel

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