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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Passport
Salesrank: 100050
Released: July 11, 2006 |
| Our Price: $3.89 |
| Used Price: $14.38 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Did you know the Duke made serials? This exciting 5-DVD set of cliffhangers from the early 1930s feature John Wayne in three complete serials: SHADOW OF THE EAGLE, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and HURRICANE EXPRESS, long available in an abbreviated feature-film format, but here is the complete, unedited, 12-chapter serial version of this early Wayne classic.
Curiously, none were Westerns. Wayne played pilots in all three serials - pilots being headline heroes of the age. But the future mega-star known as "The Duke" is evident in these action-packed adventures from the wild and woolly days of the cliffhanger chapter play. Young and athletic at the time these films were made, Wayne performs many of his own stunts. Can John Wayne avoid three dozen deathtraps, unmask the three mysterious master villains, win the love of three women and save the day in three complete 12-chapter serials? 690 minutes
The Shadow of the Eagle (1932) 218 min A carnival fairground and nearby airplane factory are menaced by a mysterious villain calling himself "The Eagle." Swearing revenge, he skywrites his threats against those who stole an invention. Barnstorming pilot Craig McCoy (John Wayne) is determined to uncover the truth about "The Eagle" and the disappearance of the carnival owner. Can he be "The Eagle," or is it one of the directors of the factory utilizing the invention? Bonus: Original Theatrical trailer.
The Hurricane Express (1932) 227 min A mysterious saboteur calling himself "The Wrecker" causes havoc on the L & R Railroad. After his engineer father is killed, airline pilot Larry Baker (John Wayne) vows to identify "The Wrecker" and bring him to justice. But it appears "The Wrecker" may be connected with the railroad. Worse, "The Wrecker" can disguise himself to look like anyone by putting on a lifelike mask of that person! Bonus: Original Theatrical trailer.
The Three Musketeers (1933) 210 min John Wayne as one of the Three Musketeers? Not quite. This serial takes place not in 17th century France but in modern day French Algeria. With the popularity of Beau Geste, French Foreign Legion films were all the rage, hence this Mascot serial. It has nothing to do with the Alexander Dumas novel, save that a trio of rascally legionnaires call themselves as "the Three Musketeers" with their pilot friend Tom Wayne (John Wayne) pegged as 'D'Artagnan.' They search for the mysterious leader "El Shaitan" (played by a masked Yakima Canutt, who also arranged the stunts) trying to start an Arab rebellion.
Bonus: Hollywood Remembers John Wayne, a tribute to the film career of the Duke. 25 minutes
The John Wayne Cliffhanger Collection Reviews:
John Wayne Cliffhanger Collection 
2009-06-11 - These are great 1930 serials, starring a young John Wayne.
It was always a long wait from Saturday afternoon to Saturday afternoon to go to the movie house to see the next exciting adventure.
OK But... 
2008-03-21 - Not bad as long as you don't mind the logo (bug)
printed on the lower right throughout. I do.
good
2007-01-11 - received and as expected, my grandfather loves it watching through the old movies he remembers as a kid
Early John Wayne rocks 
2007-01-09 - The early serials John Wayne did were and are a really good effort. Recommend any Duke fans be sure to get this one.
"Cliffhanger Collection (1932-33)...John Wayne ~ Passport Video"
2006-07-09 - Passport Video and Koch Entertainment Distribution present "The John Wayne Cliffhanger Collection" (1932/33)
(Dolby digitally remastered)...relive those thrilling days from the early '30s and '40s
when John Wayne took us up into the skies to exciting
adventures....some of the best cliffhangers ever to grace the Saturday Matinee
Screen...just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye
with excitement...don't miss any of the John Wayne features loaded with action that will leave
you wanting more of his high adventures
First up is "SHADOW OF THE EAGLE" (1932 - B&W) (12 Chapters), under director Ford Beebe, produced by Nat Levine, original screenplay & story by Colbert Clark, Wyndham Gittens and Forbe Beebe....the cast include John Wayne (Craig McCoy), Dorothy Gulliver( Jean Gregory), Edward Hearn (Col. Nathan B. Gregory), Richard Tucker (Maj. Evans, company owner), Lloyd Whitlock (Green, a director), Walter Miller (Danby, a director ), Edmund Burns (Clark, a director), Pat O'Malley (Ames, a director), Kenneth Harlan (Ward, a director), Little Billy' Rhodes (Billy Little, the midget), Ivan Linow (Heinie, the strongman), James Bradbury Jr. (Henry, the ventriloquist), Ernie Adams (Frederick 'Pat' Kelly, the barker), Roy D'Arcy (Henchman Gardner), Bud Osborne (Henchman Tim Moore), YakimaCanutt (Henchman Boyle), Billy West (Bob, the clown ), Monte Montague (Callahan, Policeman at circus).......our story has seversal questions will The Eagle use sky writing to make threats against a corporation...can Edward Hearn who owns a travelling fairground and is thought to be the Eagle succeed in his evil plot against all that is good...will John Wayne who is a pilot go searching for the Eagle when Hearn's turns up missing....all of this and more await your viewing pleasure in a 12 Chapter Mascot Pictures thrilling serial adventure that is action packed. . . . . . . Special footnote, actor John Wayne once said, "Every country in the world loved the folklore of the West - the music, the dress, the excitement, everything that was associated with the opening of a new territory. It took everybody out of their own little world - The cowboy lasted a hundred years, created more songs and prose and poetry than any other folk figure - The closest thing was the Japanese samurai. Now, I wonder who'll continue it...His performance as Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers" (1956) is ranked #23 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time...Of his many film roles, his personal favorite was that of Ethan Edwards from The Searchers (1956). Wayne even went so far as to name his son Ethan after that character...The inscription on the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to him in 1979 reads, simply, "John Wayne, American."...After meeting the late Superman star Christopher Reeve at the 1979 Academy Awards, Wayne turned to Cary Grant and said "This is our new man. He's taking over."...Turned down the role of Marshal Dillon on "Gunsmoke" (1955) because he did not want to commit to a weekly TV series. He recommended his friend James Arness for the role, and gave the on camera introduction in the pilot episode...I would like to be remembered, well...the Mexicans have a phrase, 'Feo fuerte y formal'. Which means; he was ugly, strong and had dignity."
Chapter Titles:
1. The Carnival Mystery
2. Pinholes
3. The Eagle Strikes
4. The Man of a Million Voices
5. The Telephone Cipher
6. Code of the Carnival
7. Eagle or Vulture?
8. On the Spot
9. When Thieves Fall Out
10.The Man Who Knew
11.The Eagle's Wings
12.The Shadow Unmasked
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. John Wayne (aka: Marion Michael Morrison)
Birth Date: 5/26/1907 - Winterset, Iowa
Died: 6/11/1979 - Los Angeles, California
Second film on the bill is "HURRICANE EXPRESS" (1932 - B&W) (12 Chapters), under director's J.P. McGowan and Armand Schaefer, produced by Nat Levine, original screenplay & story by Colbert Clark, Wyndham Gittens, J.P. McGowan, George Moran, Barney A. Sarecky and Harold Tarshis, musical score by Lee Zahler....the cast include John Wayne (Larry Baker), Tully Marshall (Howard L. Edwards, Railroad manager), Conway Tearle (Stevens, Railroad attorney),Shirley Grey (Gloria Stratton), Edmund Breese (Frank Stratton, Gloria's father), Lloyd Whitlock, (Walter Gray, Airline manage), Al Bridge (Carlson, Plainville station agent (as Alan Bridge), Matthew Betz (Tom Jordan, Railroad engineer (as Mathew Betz), Joseph W. Girard (Det. Matthews (as Joseph Girard), James P. Burtis (Det. Hemingway, Matthews, assistant (as James Burtis), Ernie Adams (Henchman Barney, Machine gunner (as Ernie S. Adams), Charles King (Henchman Mike), J. Farrell MacDonald (Jim Baker, Railroad engineer), Al Ferguson (Henchman Sandy, The "Wrecker's" pilot),Glenn Strange (Henchman Jim), Victor Adamson (Train passenger), Yakima Canutt (Henchman ), Eddie Parker (Co-pilot), Fred 'Snowflake' Toones (Sam, the Train porter)........our story opens with a villain known as "The Wrecker" who wrecks only the L & R Railroad trains...who is this evil character and why is he doing this...can John Wayne see through his many disguises, will this evildoers be stopped...don't touch that dial until the final chapter "Unmasked". . . . . .veterans character actors appear as the henchmen Ernie Adams, Charlie King, Glenn Strange and Al Ferguson. . . . . .check out this and more in a new book "Best of the Badmen" by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland, available from Amazon and Empire Publishing. . . pick up your copy today. . . . .another great serial from Mascot Pictures, proves to be one of Wayne's most exciting performances.
Chapter Titles:
1. The Wrecker
2. Flying Pirates
3. The Masked Menace
4. Buried Alive
5. Danger Lights
6. The Airport Mystery
7. Sealed Lips
8. Outside the Law
9. The Invincible Army
10. The Wrecker's Secret
11. Wings of Death
12. Unmasked
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Glenn Strange (aka: George Glenn Strange)
Birth Date: 8/16/1899 - Weed, New Mexico
Died: 9/20/1973 - Los Angeles, California
2. Charles King
Birth Date: 2/21/1895 - Hillsboro. Texas
Died: 5/07/1957 - Hollywood, California
3. Al Ferguson
Birth Date:4/19/1888 - Rosslare, County Wexford, Ireland
Died: 12/04/1971 - Long Beach, Long Island, New York,
4. Ernie Adams
Birth Date: 6/18/1895 - San Francisco, California
Died: 11/26/1947 - Hollywood, California
Final serial is "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" (1933 - B&W) (12 Chapters), under directors Colbert Clark and Armand Schaefer, produced by Nat Levine, screenplay and story by Colbert Clark, Bennett Cohen, Alexandre Dumas, Wyndham Gittens, Norman S. Hall and Barney A. Sarecky, musical score by Lee Zahler...the cast include John Wayne (Lt. Tom Wayne), Jack Mulhall (Clancy), Raymond Hatton (Renard), Ralph Bushman (Schmidt (as Francis X. Bushman Jr.), Ruth Hall (Elaine Corday), Lon Chaney Jr. (Lt. Armand Corday as Creighton Chaney), Hooper Atchley (El Kadur), Gordon De Main (Col. Duval), Robert Frazer (Major Booth), Noah Beery Jr. (Noah Stubbs), Al Ferguson (Ali), Edward Peil Sr. (Ratkin (as Edward Piel) William Desmond (Capt. Boncour), George Magrill (El Maghreb), Robert Warwick (Col. Brent), Yakima Canutt (El Shaitan, when masked/Legion Officer), Frank Ellis (Legionnaire), Kermit Maynard (Legionnaire). . . . . .our story is a good one from the pages of Alexandre Dumas, only this time set in the Arabian desert...our hero John Wayne does it all rescues Jack Mulhall, Raymond Hatton and Ralph Bushman, although Wayne has fourth billing and must prove himself throughout the 12 Chapters...the action is non stop and a physical film all through the perfected stunts of ace stuntman Yakima Canutt, who also trained Wayne to do most of his own stunts in this adventure...will the musketeers stop El Shaitan (who spouts "Death to the unbeliever") who is terrorizing the entire Mascot Picture lot....don't miss a single chapter of this exciting 1933 cliffhanger. . . . . special footnote, one of my favorite character actors was Raymond Hatton (1887-1971) who worked with Buck Jones, Tim McCoy and Johnny Mack Brown as Marshall Sandy Hopkins appeared from 1943 and made 45 films for Monogram Pictures...Hatton who first appeared on film in "Tragic Love" (1909-Silent/unconfirmed), "Oliver Twist" (1917), "The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), "The Squaw Man" (1931), "Law and Order" (1932)...during the '30s & '40s he played the comical sidekick for Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Livingston...went on to join Buck Jones and Tim McCoy in the "Rough Riders" series...Hatton worked right up to his last film "In Cold Blood" (1967). . . ...check out this and more in a new book "Those Great Cowboy Sidekicks" by David Rothel, available from Amazon and Empire Publishing. . . pick up your copy today
Chapter Titles:
1. The Fiery Circle
2. One For All and All For One
3. The Master Spy
4. Pirates of the Desert
5. Rebel Rifles
6. Death's Marathon
7. Naked Steel
8. The Master Strikes
9. The Fatal Cave
10. Trapped
11. The Measure of Man
12. The Glory of Comrades
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BIOS:
1. Raymond Hatton
Birth Date: 7/07/1887 - Red Oak, Iowa
Died: 10/21/1971 - Palmdale, California
2. Jack Mulhall (aka: John Joseph Francis Mulhall)
Birth Date:10/07/1887 - Wappingers Falls, New York
Died: 6/01/1979 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
BONUS FEATURE:
1. Hollywood Remembers: John Wayne - a tribute to the film career of the Duke (25 mins)
Great job by Passport Video for releasing "The John Wayne Cliffhanger Collection (1932/33), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s...order your copy now from Amazon or Passport Video where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure...just the way we like 'em
Total Time: 700 mins on 6-DVD's ~ Passport Video DVD #5890 ~ (7/11/2006)
