PLEASE CORRECT US if we are wrong, but if we're not mistaken, this is one of the very few stories, film or otherwise, which has the (Hiss!Boo!)Villain as the main character, being given top billing and having his name in the title. The only other ones that come to mind are those many novels and movies that feature Sax Rohmer's DR. FU MANCHU. (Hey, Schultz, since they're both Doctors, why not open a Practice together? Rememmber where you heard it first, friend reader!)
AS FOR THE story/screenplay/scenario, it has been said to have been a reworking of a script intended by Republic Pictures to be used for SUPERMAN'S Live Action screen debut of the Man of Steel. It seemed that Detective Comics,inc., Superman's copyright owners, for whatever reason balked at the idea of having that studio do the serial.*
THE 'GOOD' DR, Satan is as powerful and evil as he is mysterious. The casting of Italian-born , Opera Trained Actor Eduardo Cianelli, as the lead and villain extrodinaire is right up there with Universal Pictures bring us Charles B. Middleton as Emperor Ming, the Merciless in the three FLASH GORDON Serials.
IN THE PERSON of the Copperhead, we see a rather talented journeyman actor and sometimes Leading Man in some "B" Movies, Robert Wilcox. His portrayal of the very Batman-like masked crime fighter was excellent and quite believable. (His secret identity was even given as BOB WAYNE!) In the story, there had been a Copperhead before (we think it was his Father), as the first chapter is titled: The Return of the Copperhead.
THE CHOICE OF the very name of Copperhead is curious; as it is both a common name for a poisonous snake native to the United States, as well as a name given to Northern Democrat sympathizers to the Confederate cause in the War Between The States.
THE SERIAL FEATURED plenty of top-notch action, great stunts and the sort of story that ignored the looming entrance of America into the hostilities of World War II. They even gave us that great mechanical monster of the Post Steam Age, a 'living and breathing' Robot!
ALTHOUGH WE DO own a video copy of this one now, we remember first seeing it on the local TV Show on Channel 7, the ABC wholly owned affiliate, WBKB (now WLS). This was circa 1957.We really dug it then and find so much of that innocent, child-like enthusiasm for it now.
AS A MATTER OF fact, both Schultz and myself rate this MYSTERIOUS DR. Satan right up there with the best chapter-plays of that period; those being: HAWK OF THE WILDERNESS, THE ADVENTURES OD CAPTAIN MARVEL, ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION, SPY SMASHER and THE MASKED MARVEL.
NOTE: * Perhaps the publishers of SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS had second thoughts about granting license to Republic because of their track record in revisionism displayed in their adaptations. As examples, see the four DICK TRACY Serials, SPY SMASHER (giving him a twin brother) and especially CAPTAIN America; which was surgically changed, leaving only the name in the title.
