Phantom Rider

VCI Entertainment struck a deal with Universal Studios to release the cliffhanger serials that we all wished were remastered, restored and released on DVD and BluRay. VCI should be commended because each of these releases are upgrades from what we collectors and fans of cliffhanger serials have had from prior releases. Truly, they do not get any better. I, for one, will continue to buy them every few months when the next release is made available. I like the fact that they numbered them on the spine to ensure we do not miss any in the series. Keep up the good work!

Not as good of a storyline as some of Buck Jones' other Western serials, but I'm giving it an extra star for production values, etc. Fantastic quality - compared to what '30s serials often look like! Way to go, VCI!

At last, after a long wait, this 1936 serial gets a proper video release. And it was worth the wait! To really enjoy this you have to put yourself in the mindset of a kid back in the Saturday movie matinee days. Buck Jones was one of the most popular western stars and this serial gave his fans everything they wanted, a little mystery, a little comedy and some great riding and action. Plus, Buck gets masked up as The Phantom in every episode. The Searchers it ain't. But it's rootin' tootin' western serial fun. Thanks VCI!

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Republic Pictures present "THE PHANTOM RIDER" (1946) (167 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- is a 12-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Robert Kent, Peggy Stewart, LeRoy Mason, George J. Lewis & Kenneth Duncan, relive those thrilling days week after week venue brought you to the theater, as you were mesmerized in your seat waiting for the final chapter ... exciting action within 12 episodes from the Republic Serial Factory, released on October 26, 1945, story thus far, the reservation's new doctor masquerades as the legendary Indian God, "The Phantom Rider", to catch a gang looting the reservation, unaware the leader is a phoney crooked Indian Agent trying to prevent the establishment of an Indian Police force for their reservation ... this Indian Police force would bring an end to the raiding and robbing of stagecoaches and freight wagons on the reservation ... our hero is Robert Kent who plays a crusading doctor must take up the guise of The Phantom Rider to aid the local Indian tribe in their fight against the evil badmen of Republic Pictures, usual array of cliff hanging situations, wagon chases, explosions and narrow escapes make this a fun for all fans and collectors of serials. Under Spencer Gordon Bennet (Director), Fred C. Brannon (Director), Ronald Davidson (Associate Producer), Albert DeMond (Screenwriter), Basil Dickey (Screenwriter), Jesse Duffy (Screenwriter), Lynn Perkins (Screenwriter), Barney A. Sarecky (Screenwriter), Mort Glickman (Original Score), Bud Thackery (Cinematographer), Cliff Bell Sr.(Editor), Harold Minter (Editor), Fred A. Ritter (Art Director), Allen Alperin (Set Decoration), John McCarthy Jr.(Set Decoration) ------ the cast includes Robert Kent (Dr. Jim Sterling/The Phantom Rider), Peggy Stewart (Doris Shannon), LeRoy Mason (Fred Carson), George J. Lewis (Blue Feather), Kenne Duncan (Ben Brady), Wally Wales (Nugget (as Hal Taliaferro), Chief Thundercloud (Chief Yellow Wolf), Tom London (Ceta), Roy Barcroft (The Marshal), Monte Hale (Cass), John Hamilton (Sen. Williams), Hugh Prosser (Keeler), Jack Kirk (Deputy Sheriff Turner), Rex Lease (Randall, Stage Driver), Tommy Coats (Tim, Henchman), Joe Yrigoyen (Blackie),Bill Yrigoyen (Indian Renegade), George Chesebro (Dalton), Art Dillard (Attacker 2), Fred Graham (Harry, the Safecracker), Cliff Lyons (Dick, Henchman), Cactus Mack (Joe), Ted Mapes (Riot Leader), Jack O'Shea (Ace, Henchman), Eddie Parker (Martin, Cabin Henchman), Post Park (Driver 1), Hal Price (Simpson), Tom Steele (Clay), Duke Taylor (Schwartz), Dale Van Sickel (Pete), Robert J. Wilke (Indian Rebel 1), Henry Wills (Deputy) ... great stunt work by the Republic stunt personnel Wayne Burson (stunts), Tommy Coats (stunts), Fred Graham (stunts), Cliff Lyons (stunts), Ted Mapes (stunts), Eddie Parker (stunts), Post Park (stunt coach), Tom Steele (fight double: Phantom Rider), Duke Taylor (horseback double: Phantom Rider), Duke Taylor (stunts), Dale Van Sickel (horseback double: Phantom Rider), Henry Wills (horseback double: Phantom Rider), Bill Yrigoyen (horseback fight double: Phantom Rider), Joe Yrigoyen (horseback fight double: Phantom Rider) --- don't leave the theater until the final chapter "The Last Stand" ... another winner from the vaults of Republic Serials --- this is a must watch for the serial buffs in all of us. CHAPTER TITLES: 1. The Avenging Spirit 2. Flaming Ambush 3. Hoofs of Doom 4. Murder Masquerade 5. Flying Fury 6. Blazing Peril 7. Gaunlet of Guns 8. Behind the Mask 9. The Captive Chief 10.Beats At Bay 11.The Death House 12.The Last Stand BIOS: 1. Robert Kent (aka: Douglas Blackley Jr.) Date of birth: 3 December 1908 - Hartford, Connecticut Date of death: 4 May 1955 - Los Angeles, California [Special footnote, appeared in "Gang Bullets (1938), "The Phantom Creeps" (1939) and "The Country Girl" (1954)] 2. Peggy Stewart (aka: Peggy O'Rourke) Date of birth: 5 June 1923 - Palm Beach, Florida Date of death: Still Living [Special footnote, Stewart signed with Republic Studios, where, starting with "Tucson Raiders" (1944), she became the leading lady for many of Republic's western stars, appeared in serials at Republic but preferred westerns, Peggy was under a term players contract at Republicfrom April, 1944 through March, 1947, she was the resident heroine at Republic to cowboy stars Wild Bill Elliott, Sunset Carson and Allan Rocky Lane] 3. Spencer Gordon Bennet (The Serial King) (Director) Date of birth: 5 January 1893 - Brooklyn, New York, New York Date of death: 8 October 1987 - Santa Monica, California [Special footnote, Spencer Gordon Bennet, was known as the "King of Serial Directors" he directed more film serials than anybody else, Bennet first entered show business as a stunt man, when he answered a newspaper ad to jump from the Palisades of the Hudson River while wearing a suit for the serial film Hurricane Hutch. The gig at that time paid $1 per foot he had to fall ... Bennet made his directorial debut in "Behold The Man" (1921), but made his serial directorial debut in with "Sunken Silver" (1925), Bennet would keep making serials, as well as B westerns features, until the very end of the genre, directing the very last two made in the United States, "Blazing the Overland Trail" (1956) and "Perils of the Wilderness" (1956). After the serials ended he directed a handful of features, his final directorial credit with "The Bounty Killer" (1965) with Dan Duryea, Bob Steele, Buster Crabbe, Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight, I. Stanford Jolley Richard Arlen and Rod Cameron, which was also the final film to feature noted cowboy star Gilbert "Broncho Billy" Anderson ... when Bennet died in 1987, his tombstone was engraved "The Final Chapter" ... over his long career Bennet directed over a hundred serials including "Atom Man vs Superman" (1950) serial, "The Adventures of Sir Galahad" (1949), "Batman and Robin" (1949), "The Tiger Woman" (1944), "Captain Video" (1951), and numerous western serials. Among his western B-features were his long running "Red Ryder" series, featuring Don "Red" Barry, Wild Bill Elliott and Allan Rocky Lane during the '40s] 4. Fred C. Brannon (Director) ("The Black Widow" (1947)/Serial) Date of birth: 26 April 1901 - Louisiana, USA Date of death: 6 April 1953 - Los Angeles, California [Special footnote, "King of the Rocket Men" has a truly amazing mid-air chase in one of its early chapters, ending with a startlingly realistic piece of stunt work as the rocket man flies in pursuit of a plane, Brannon also directed episodes of the "Commando Cody" (1953) television series] 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) Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc) and Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys! Total Time: 167 mins on VHS ~ Republic Video ~ (5/30/1995)

The Phantome Rider is a Republic theatrical serial. Otlaws are menacing the territory and the Indian reservation for their own greedy purposes. A young school teacher hearing of the Indian legend of the Phantom Rider dawns a white costume and mask, and rides a white horse becoming the mysterious Phantom Rider come to life. Followers of Marvel Comics might remember a short-lived western comic book series from teh mid-1960's by Stan Lee called "The Ghost Rider." (Teh original Ghost Rider). You may suspiciously find the comic book series to have a striking resemblance to this character in this movie serial. Well, in the 1970's when Marvel Comics came out with the new Ghost Rider series (present day motorcycle daredevil Johnny Blaze), Marvel Comics wanted to reprint the original "Ghost Rider" (Western) series. However, they had to change teh name in order to avoid confusion with the new "Ghost Rider," so they renamed the character and the title of teh book "Teh Phantom Rider." What a strange and amazing coincidence. I'm sure by that time, this movie serial had fallen into public domain by this time. But, anyway, if you like wesern masked avengers, this is a great serial. I wish they'd put it out on DVD. Also for you Marvel Comics readders who liked the original western "Ghost Rider," you'll like this serial.

Even though we never questioned it at the time this one was not as believable as others. As nieve as we were the situations and cliffhangers didn't hold up on this one. They cheated on this as well on the cliffhangers. We still enjoyed, and it belongs to entertainment of the time. A good, but thin story line. We took them for what they were.

Excellent quality transfer of this classic serial. Will be buying more of these serials. Amazon description is wrong it is Region Free.

Buck Jones made 5 solo serials, this one with Buck as a masked Western Hero is not one of his best, but still very enjoyable. Good stunts, great horsemanship, fun dialogue (not as good as either Red Rider, Gordon of Ghost City or Roaring West), Decent plot, a bit repetitive in the middle parts but that is common with most all serials. VCI, have again done a fantastic job of restoration on this one. Crisp clear video and audio.

nothing to dislike thoroughly recommend this supplier