This is one of my all-time favorite serials...and I think one of the best overall. Sure, I'm a little bit jaded, as the Vigilante was my favorite golden age superhero when I was a kid (still is, actually), but it's a really good serial.
Of course, the identity of the villain will be obvious after the first episode, but that's pretty much the norm for 1940's serials (look at Captain America). But there is a lot of action and thrills throughout all 16 episodes. And Ralph Byrd is great in the title role...one of the few roles that he is believable in besides Dick Tracy (where he is the master, no matter what Warren Beatty may think). Lyle Talbot is fun, as always, as is the rest of the cast.
There's a little bit of everything in this one...and I think it deserves a place next to the originality of such classic chapter plays as The Adventures of Captain Marvel and The Masked Marvel.
Of course, the identity of the villain will be obvious after the first episode, but that's pretty much the norm for 1940's serials (look at Captain America). But there is a lot of action and thrills throughout all 16 episodes. And Ralph Byrd is great in the title role...one of the few roles that he is believable in besides Dick Tracy (where he is the master, no matter what Warren Beatty may think). Lyle Talbot is fun, as always, as is the rest of the cast.
There's a little bit of everything in this one...and I think it deserves a place next to the originality of such classic chapter plays as The Adventures of Captain Marvel and The Masked Marvel.