The Mystery Squadron
| The Mystery Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Poster of chapter 2 | |
| Directed by |
Colbert Clark David Howard |
| Produced by | Nat Levine |
| Written by |
Sherman L. Lowe Al Martin Barney A. Sarecky Colbert Clark David Howard Wyndham Gittens |
| Starring |
Bob Steele Guinn "Big Boy" Williams Lucile Browne Jack Mulhall Purnell Pratt |
| Music by | Lee Zahler |
| Cinematography |
Ernest Miller William Nobles Alvin Wyckoff |
| Edited by |
Wyndham Gittens Earl Turner |
| Distributed by | Mascot Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 12 chapters (220 min) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Mystery Squadron is a 1933 American Pre-Code 12-episode Mascot movie serial, and is one of the earlier serials to feature extensive aviation sequences.
Plot
A dam being built by Stephen Gray (Lafe McKee) comes under attack from the mysterious pilot, The Black Ace (Jack Mulhall), and his "Mystery Squadron" of pilots. The identity of the Black Ace is so secret that it is even concealed from his own men in the Mystery Squadron.
Fred Cromwell (Bob Steele) and his partner Bill Cook (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams) seek to identify the Black Ace and stop his attacks on Gray's construction of the power dam, as a number of characters behave suspiciously, including Lafe Johnson (Purnell Pratt), a rival contractor to Gray, Martin (Edward Peil, Sr.), the hotel owner, Collins (J. Carrol Naish), a construction employee for Gray and Dr. Flint (Robert Frazer).
Cast
- Bob Steele as Fred Cromwell, old stunt pilot friend of Hank Davis
- Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as Bill "Jellybean" Cook, old stunt pilot friend of Hank Davis
- Lucile Browne as Dorothy Gray
- Jack Mulhall as Hank Davis, dam foreman and ex-stunt pilot
- Purnell Pratt as Lafe Johnson
- Robert Frazer as Dr Flint
- J. Carrol Naish as Collins
- Edward Peil, Sr. as Martin
- Bob Kortman as Bracken
- Lafe McKee as Stephen Gray
Production
Mascot Pictures made an impressive serial using a great deal of aerial footage to enliven the action.[1]
Stunts
Chapter titles
- The Black Ace
- The Fatal Warning
- The Black Ace Strikes
- Men of Steel
- The Death Swoop
- Doomed
- Enemy Signals
- The Canyon of Calamity
- The Secret of the Mine
- Clipped Wings
- The Beast at Bay
- The Ace of Aces
Source:[2]
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Cline, William C. "3. The Six Faces of Adventure". In the Nick of Time. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
- Cline, William C. "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
- Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. London: Routledge, 1973. ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9.
- Weiss, Ken and Ed Goodgold. To be Continued ...: A Complete Guide to Motion Picture Serials. New York: Bonanza Books, 1973. ISBN 0-517-166259.
- Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. ISBN 0-933126-85-9.
External links
| Preceded by The Wolf Dog (1933) |
Mascot Serial The Mystery Squadron (1933) |
Succeeded by The Lost Jungle (1934) |