The Flash Gordon Serials, 1936-1940: An Illustrated Guide, 2d ed.

by Roy Kinnard, Tony Crnkovich, R.J. Vitone

Overview

Flash Gordon, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars, and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe—the most expensive and popular movie serials ever made—have been favorites of film buffs and comics fans for decades. The original 1936 serial, Flash Gordon, designated a culturally significant work, was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry in 1996. This book presents chapter—by—chapter information for the 40 episodes that compose these three films, as well as historical information, nearly 200 images, comments from cast members, select filmographies for 50 of the most prominent actors appearing in them, and a complete list of subsequent film and TV remakes. This expanded second edition includes many new details and photos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476695914
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	12/08/2025
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.47(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Roy Kinnard is the author of many books on such topics as Flash Gordon, science fiction serials, Fay Wray, horror, silent films and Willis O’Brien. His essay on the Flash Gordon serials, written at the invitation of the Library of Congress, appears on the website of the National Film Registry. He lives in Chicago. Commercial artist Tony Crnkovich lives in Chicago. The late R.J. Vitone (d. 2009) founded Chicago’s Variety Bookstore in 1975, still in operation today.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments delete vii
Preface delete 1
A Note on This 2nd Edition delete 4
A History of the Flash Gordon Serials delete 5
One: Flash Gordon (1936)
Chapter 1: “The Planet of Peril”
Chapter 2: “The Tunnel of Terror”
Chapter 3: “Captured by Shark Men”
Chapter 4: “Battling the Sea Beast”
Chapter 5: “The Destroying Ray”
Chapter 6: “Flaming Torture”
Chapter 7: “Shattering Doom”
Chapter 8: “Tournament of Death”
Chapter 9: “Fighting the Fire Dragon”
Chapter 10: “The Unseen Peril”
Chapter 11: “In the Claws of the Tigron”
Chapter 12: “Trapped in the Turret”
Chapter 13: “Rocketing to Earth”
Two: Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars (1938)
Chapter 1: “New Worlds to Conquer”
Chapter 2: “The Living Dead”
Chapter 3: “Queen of Magic”
Chapter 4: “Ancient Enemies”
Chapter 5: “The Boomerang”
Chapter 6: “­Tree—Men of Mars”
Chapter 7: “The Prisoner of Mongo”
Chapter 8: “The Black Sapphire of Kalu”
Chapter 9: “Symbol of Death”
Chapter 10: “Incense of Forgetfulness”
Chapter 11: “Human Bait”
Chapter 12: “Ming the Merciless”
Chapter 13: “The Miracle of Magic”
Chapter 14: “A Beast at Bay”
Chapter 15: “An Eye for an Eye”
Three: Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
Chapter 1: “The Purple Death”
Chapter 2: “Freezing Torture”
Chapter 3: “Walking Bombs”
Chapter 4: “The Destroying Ray”
Chapter 5: “The Palace of Terror”
Chapter 6: “Flaming Death”
Chapter 7: “The Land of the Dead”
Chapter 8: “The Fiery Abyss”
Chapter 9: “The Pool of Peril”
Chapter 10: “The Death Mist”
Chapter 11: “Stark Treachery”
Chapter 12: “Doom of the Dictator”
Appendix I: Buck Rogers (1939) delete 175
Appendix II: Filmographies delete 186
Appendix III: Flash Gordon: Other Incarnations delete 211
Index delete 223