The Phantom Creeps (1939)

Directors:

Ford Beebe
Saul A. Goodkind

Writers:

Wyllis Cooper (story)
George H. Plympton (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

12 SPINE-SHIVERING ACTION THUNDERBOLTS! Sinister scientists...foreign spies...federal agents...and a pretty girl...crashing through amazing adventures!

Plot:

A military intelligence officer and a pretty reporter try to find a scientist whose inventions can destroy the world.

Plot Keywords:

Serial | Meteorite | Spy | Explosion | Robot

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Bela Lugosi	...	Dr. Alex Zorka
Robert Kent	...	Capt. Bob West
Dorothy Arnold	...	Jean Drew
Edwin Stanley	...	Dr. Fred Mallory
Regis Toomey	...	Lt. Jim Daley
Jack C. Smith	...	Monk
Edward Van Sloan	...	Jarvis (spy chief)
Dora Clement	...	Ann Zorka [Chs. 1-2] (as Dora Clemant)
Anthony Averill	...	Rankin (henchman)
Hugh Huntley	...	Perkins (Mallory's lab assistant)
Monte Vandergrift	...	Henchman
Frank Mayo	...	AMI chief [Ch. 12]
Jim Farley	...	Harbornaster [Ch. 7] (as James Farley)
Eddie Acuff	...	Mac (AMI agent)
Reed Howes	...	Airplane mechanic [Ch. 9, 12]

Also Known As:

The Shadow Creeps

Runtime:

265 min (12 episodes) | USA:78 min (edited feature film version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5324-5335)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The scene in which Professor Zorka is lowered into a pit while wearing a protective suit is taken from the film _The Invisible Ray (1936)_ and it is actually Boris Karloff inside of the costume, not Bela Lugosi.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the car chase the reporter is shown driving on the right side of the car, although before and after the chase plus in overhead shots she is show correctly on the left side.

Quotes:

[after surviving a car crash, Zorka notices the hitch hiker they picked up, who looks like him, is dead.]
Dr. Alex Zorka: How fortunate, this will simplify everything!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tremors: Project 4-12 (#1.8)" (2003)

Fun For Lugosi Fans

To me, this 12 part serial seemed a touch cliche, but it was still quite enjoyable. If you are not a fan of the classic horror genre or of Bela Lugosi, you may wish to pass on this one, but if you like corny old Bela films, you are in for a REAL treat.

One point of interest to me was that I can't help but think George Lucas had watched this serial in particular when he was preparing for Star Wars. The title of the series is "The Phantom Creeps" with the first Episode being titled "The Menacing Power" (Phantom Menace anyone?) Additionally, the scrolling text of Star Wars seems to owe a lot to this serial right down to the usage of capitalization. You'll have to wait for Chapter 2 to get your first glimpse of how it's used- Chapter 1 has no foreward.

This is the first serial I've seen, though, so it's possible that the scrolling text is common with most serials.