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IMDb > Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)

Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   338 votes
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Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Ronald Davidson (original screenplay) &
Norman S. Hall (original screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Adventures of Captain Marvel on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 March 1941 (USA) more
Tagline:
THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN CARTOONLAND BECOMES THE STRONGEST MAN ON THE SCREEN! All others pale in the light of this human fortress who finds no barrier too great in his amazing fight for justice.
Plot:
To protect a magic talisman from being used for evil, a boy is given the power to become an adult superhero with a single magic word. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Reviews:
The best chapter-play serial ever made more (24 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Tom Tyler ... Captain Marvel
Frank Coghlan Jr. ... Billy Batson (as Frank Coghlan, Jr.)
William 'Billy' Benedict ... Whitey Murphy (as William Benedict)
Louise Currie ... Betty Wallace
Robert Strange ... John Malcolm
Harry Worth ... Prof. Luther Bentley
Bryant Washburn ... Harry Carlyle [Ch. 1-3]
John Davidson ... Tal Chotali
George Pembroke ... Dr. Stephen Lang [Ch. 1-9]
George Lynn ... Prof. Dwight Fisher [Ch. 1-6] (as Peter George Lynn)
Reed Hadley ... Rahman Bar [Ch. 1,11-12]
Jack Mulhall ... Howell [Ch. 1]
Kenne Duncan ... Barnett (chief henchman) [Ch. 2-10] (as Kenneth Duncan)
Nigel De Brulier ... Shazam [Ch. 1]
John Bagni ... Henchman Cowan [Ch. 2-10]
Carleton Young ... Henchman Martin [Ch. 3-9]
Leyland Hodgson ... Maj. Rawley [Ch. 1] (as Leland Hodgson)
Stanley Price ... Owens (henchman-driver) [Ch. 3-5]
Ernest Sarracino ... Akbar [Ch. 11-12]
Tetsu Komai ... Chan Lai [Ch. 4]
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wilson Benge ... Benson (Lang's Butler) [Ch. 8] (uncredited)
Lynton Brent ... Lefty (Heavy at Lang's Estate) [Ch. 8] (uncredited)
Earle D. Bunn ... Dam Heavy 1 [Ch. 7] (uncredited)
Ed Cassidy ... Dodge, Captain of 'The Carfax' [Ch. 10] (uncredited)
Steve Clemente ... Native 5 (uncredited)
Armand Cortes ... Hamid (the Wise Man) [Ch. 12] (uncredited)
Victor Cox ... Henchman (uncredited)
Dick Crockett ... Bridge Heavy [Ch. 2] (uncredited)
Joe De La Cruz ... Native 6 (uncredited)
Eddie Dew ... Cavalry Lieutenant [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Curley Dresden ... Native 3 [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Bud Geary ... Pete (Lang's Estate Caretaker) [Ch. 8-9] (uncredited)
Augie Gomez ... Native 2 (uncredited)
Ray Hanson ... Trucker (uncredited)
Sam Harris ... British Col. Hudson [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Jerry Jerome ... Brandon (Airport Heavy) [Ch. 3] (uncredited)

Al Kikume ... Native Chief [Ch. 11] (uncredited)
Marten Lamont ... British Radio Sergeant [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Paul Lopez ... Ali (uncredited)
Stanley Mack ... Henchman at Fisher's House [Ch. 6] (uncredited)
Ted Mapes ... First 'Carfax' Seaman [Ch. 10] (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe ... Henchman Gus [Ch. 8] (uncredited)

Gerald Mohr ... Scorpion (voice) (uncredited)
Chuck Morrison ... Carlson, First Mate on 'The Carfax' [Ch.10] (uncredited)
Loren Riebe ... Curio Shop Heavy [Chs. 2-4] (uncredited)
Francis Sayles ... Carter (Truck-Rental Heavy) [Ch. 4-5] (uncredited)

George Suzanne ... Dam Heavy 2 [Ch. 7] (uncredited)
Al Taylor ... Native 3 [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Duke Taylor ... Lefty, Guillotine Heavy [Chs. 2-3] (uncredited)
Ken Terrell ... Hawks (Bentley's Butler) [Ch. 6] (uncredited)
Frank Wayne ... Steve, Third Heavy at Lang's Estate [Chs. 9-10] (uncredited)
Henry Wills ... Native 5 (uncredited)
Carl Zwolsman ... Army Sentry [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
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Directed by
John English 
William Witney 
 
Writing credits
Bill Parker (character) uncredited &
C.C. Beck (character) uncredited

Ronald Davidson (original screenplay) &
Norman S. Hall (original screenplay) &
Arch Heath (original screenplay) (as Arch B. Heath) &
Joseph F. Poland (original screenplay) (as Joseph Poland) &
Sol Shor (original screenplay)

Produced by
Hiram S. Brown Jr. .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Cy Feuer 
 
Cinematography by
William Nobles 
 
Film Editing by
William P. Thompson  (as William Thompson)
Edward Todd 
 
Set Decoration by
Morris Braun (uncredited)
 
Makeup Department
Bob Mark .... makeup supervisor (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Mack D'Agostino .... unit manager
Al Wilson .... production manager
 
Sound Department
Daniel J. Bloomberg .... sound (uncredited)
Charles L. Lootens .... sound (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Howard Lydecker .... special effects (uncredited)
Theodore Lydecker .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Dick Crockett .... stunts (uncredited)
James Fawcett .... stunt double: John Bagni (uncredited)
Bud Geary .... stunts (uncredited)
George Magrill .... stunts (uncredited)
Ted Mapes .... stunts (uncredited)
Loren Riebe .... stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe .... stunt double: Tom Tyler & Carleton Young (uncredited)
Duke Taylor .... stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell .... stunts (uncredited)
Henry Wills .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Nels Mathias .... grip (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Ross DiMaggio .... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Cy Feuer .... musical director (uncredited)
Mort Glickman .... composer: stock music (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Captain Marvel
Return of Captain Marvel (USA) (reissue title)
more
Runtime:
216 min (12 episodes)
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #6920) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16 | Argentina:13

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The effect of Captain Marvel flying was achieved by filming an over-sized dummy that was slid along a fine wire more
Goofs:
Plot holes: While a prisoner of the Scorpion, Betty manages to grab a gun and fire a shot that creases the villain's hand. Informed of this, Billy manipulates the expedition's members into showing their hands, and only one man's hand shows an injury. However, subsequent events prove he is not the Scorpion. How the real villain had no injury is never hinted at, and there's precious little said about the wound that was found: After Billy escapes a death trap at the latter man's home, the two have a conversation that is joined in progress, with Batson admitting that he could believe the scientist's story (told completely off-screen) about the cause of his injury if he could explain other things that had happened. Perhaps that trap was originally intended to be a chapter-ending cliffhanger and the explanations were lost in re-editing to eliminate a chapter here. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[sound of a huge gong omninously echoes down the valley]
Billy Batson: What's that, Mr. Howell?
Howell [Ch. 1]: I don't know, Billy - let's find out. What do you make of that cymbal, Malcolm?
John Malcolm: I don't know, Howell. Does it mean anything to you, Tal Chotali?
Tal Chotali: The men of the hills are gathering. The cymbal says that the white men are to be driven from the Valley of Tombs.
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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful.
The best chapter-play serial ever made, 6 February 1999
10/10
Author: SeñorAl from Santiago de Chile

I saw this serial for the first time in 1954 under the name of The Return of Captain Marvel. In Spanish, the title was "Capitán Maravilla, el Poderoso". I´ve seen it today as a middle-aged person and I´ve enjoyed it the same. My kids and friends who have seen it, think that the special effects are "amazing" considering that it is was made in 1941.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The first. Jjj75755
Was it shot to be 15 chapters? tbrittreid
It's amazing how much better this was than the Superman serial. Forgotten_Hero
One of the most underrated pieces of film ever made! crmfghtr
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