The Crimson Ghost

A creepy looking masked villain makes trouble for all in this classic 40s Republic serial.

Firstly, I have been a fan of old time B&W serials since about 1997 but only found this one in January 2020. I generally go for the serials with some sort of science fiction element and for years was misled into thinking that this was about a ghost. But yes, this has the essential sci-fi element - The Crimson Ghost is outstanding.

My all-time favourite serial came a few years later - Columbia's Batman and Robin (1949) - and the plot for "Crimson" has elements of that show (for example the constant question about the identity of the masked villain).

I have only seen the edited 93 minute colorized version of "Crimson" and before you all reject the idea of seeing it colorized - hear me out! I have seen TV shows such as Gilligan's Island colorized and it makes me sick. But they have done such a good job with the sharp colors on "Crimson" that I welcomed it with open arms (but remember I have never seen it in B&W so that might impact my reaction to the new version?).

Because serials are a film genre I have always associated with being in B&W, seeing one in color with just plain odd - but odd in good way!

Whatever the case, be it be in color or B&W, edited or not edited, "Crimson" still stands as a mighty important part of 40s entertainment. Sharp dialogue, great editing, top music cues, just a knockout serial with a great villain.

very good serial. a lot of suspense and (for the time, hey, even now they will hold up) fast paced fight scenes, and a fast paced story. Buy this serial (but try to find your copy in black and white) and have fun with this classic.

I got this for Christmas (today), and it's great. The plot doesn't make much sense, the acting is barely acceptable, and the production values are "budget", but my kids and I think that it's a hoot. The story is something about a villain in a skull mask and a ray that will disable electrical equipment, but who cares? It's really about the square-jawed scientist and his beautiful and plucky assistant dashing about risking death to bring the master criminal to justice, with constant fight scenes (filmed at a slower rate so that people move with astonishing speed onscreen) and cliffhanging endings.

There are plenty of unintentionally funny moments, too, as when the gang leader's right-hand-thug (played by Clayton Moore, eventually to be the TV version of The Lone Ranger) returns with a piece of equipment and the leader hisses that it's a "cheap decoy" (as if it looks any cheaper than anything else on the set). If you think that you might like it, you will, and if you think that you'll hate it, you're probably right about that, too.

In this 12-chapter action serial from Republic Pictures and directors William Witney & Fred Brannon, a mysterious masked villain known as the Crimson Ghost has stolen an experimental atomic weapon known as the Cyclotrode. He and his minions attempt to acquire the necessary components to make the device work, while scientific criminologist Duncan Richards (Charles Quigley) and secretary Diana Farnsworth (Linda Stirling) try to stop them.

This is another top-notch Republic serial, with great stunts, and overabundance of fight scenes, and ludicrous cliffhangers. The Crimson Ghost has been called the greatest villain in serial history, and his image is no doubt the most well-known. I like how he works with a group of standard gangster henchmen (including future Lone Ranger Clayton Moore), while he himself dresses in an elaborate costume, complete with skull mask and skeleton finger gloves. I wish there had been a scene where one of the henchmen asked him what the deal was with the costume and moniker, but that never happens. They just go along like this is typical criminal behavior. Quigley, as the hero, is good in the fight scenes but pretty bad in the acting ones. Still, all-in-all, as far as serials go, you couldn't ask for much more.

Beginning, I believe, with their far-better serial, THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, Republic Studios had a knack for disguising their criminal masterminds and leaving them masked until the last chapter (Republic probably got the idea from Fritz Lang's THE LAST TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE). Because it worked so well with CAPTAIN MARVEL, the studo would reuse it again and again (ie, DICK TRACY vs. CRIME INC., among others) and it got old fast.

However, with this one, the criminal mastermind has got the best looking mask of the bunch. He looks like a traditional, and fearsome, grim reaper incarnate and all he seems to lack is his scythe. Even this villain's name, "the Crimson Ghost," sounds like an alternate appellation that the grim reaper would call himself.

I personally dislike the action scenes the Ghost partakes in, because it almost belittles his mystical presence. He should sit majestically in a high chair, speaking orders, like Bond's Blofeld or all the other big league bad guys. He should let his minions do all the dirty work of fighting the heroes. When he puts up his dukes, smashes chairs, or even points a forty-five, he reduces his august presence and appearance. A mastermind should never belittle himself by acting like a henchman.