Peril from the Planet Mongo (1966) (TV)

Writers:

Basil Dickey (archive footage)
George H. Plympton (archive footage)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

An edited version of the 1940 Universal serial "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe," which was released to TV in a syndication package in 1966.

Cast

Buster Crabbe	...	Flash Gordon (archive footage) (as Larry 'Buster' Crabbe)
Carol Hughes	...	Dale Arden (archive footage)
Charles Middleton	...	Ming the Merciless (archive footage)
Anne Gwynne	...	Sonja (archive footage)
Frank Shannon	...	Dr. Zarkov (archive footage)
Shirley Deane	...	Princess Aura (archive footage)
Lee Powell	...	Roka (an Arborian) (archive footage)
Roland Drew	...	Prince Barin (archive footage)
Michael Mark	...	Prof. Karm (archive footage)
Don Rowan	...	Capt. Torch (archive footage)
Victor Zimmerman	...	Lt. Thong (archive footage)
Edgar Edwards	...	Turan (an Arborian) (archive footage)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Prof. Keedish (archive footage)
Byron Foulger	...	Prof. Druk (archive footage)
William Royle	...	Capt. Sudan (archive footage)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Hearst Entertainment Productions

Movie Connections:

Edited from Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)

Don't lose count of the captives and prison exchanges.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The 1940 twelve part serial, "Flash Gordon conquers the universe" (aka "Space soldiers conquer the universe") was long enough to be edited into two separate TV movies, but it seems this half got all the leftovers. The whole Purple Death plot, Queen Fria's frozen kingdom (Queendom?) and the business with the backwards talking Rock men all went into "Purple Death from Outer Space". So, after a brief landing sequence from episode one, we jump right into chapter 6. Quickly Flash and friends discard their baggy trousers in favor of sexy Robin Hood costumes (Dale's skirt is unbelievably short, but then again so are the men's).

After a great amount of exposition in the first five minutes concerning Ming's new Zontranillium missiles (that start unstoppable fires), Flash almost burns to a crisp trying out Zarkoff's antidote fire extinguishers (Dr. Z has an answer for everything). But of course the impact of the cliffhangers is mostly lost in compilations like these. Meanwhile, Ming has not forgiven his daughter Aura for marrying an enemy of his (then again, he has no friends), and has that slinking cat Sonya organize a kidnapping. However, Sonya and Ming's most loyal Captain Torch are soon capture after their Rocket ship crashes.

Next Zarkoff devises an N (for neutralize) Ray, which is never mentioned again as we move on to chapter 9. In doing so we only miss one semi-important plot point: Ming finds out his favorite scientist Karm is working against him (as indeed are most of Ming's staff). Sonya escapes Barin's prison by pretending to hang herself (there's something you wont see these days) and has a cat fight with Dale in the radio room. Meanwhile Flash and Torch's unconvincing body doubles (even in black and white the difference in hair color is obvious) duke it out on top of a tower, before hilariously turning into dummies and plummeting over the edge.

Now begins a game of cat and mouse the likes of which could only have originated in a newspaper strip: Torch is recaptured, but Sonja & Dale are carried off by Ming's men. Ming swaps Dale for Torch, but has poisoned her so Zarkoff must go back to the antidote for the death sleep. No matter where they travel on planet Mongo, each rocket-ship lands on the same miniature set anyway.

As usual, Ming wants Dale is to be his wife and gives her a nice new dress, before locking her and Aura in a room with an electrocuted rug. Flash and Baren dress up in those handy Mongolian uniforms that fit all sizes and cover the entire face. They run through the same wobbly walled corridors and caves again, before Flash takes the deadly Z-O (solarite) ship to attack Ming's tower and conquer the universe. And after all that, Dale and Flash still don't get to kiss, just gently brush a hand against the others sleeve. The sexual repression is more than made up for by those sexy Robin Hood costumes, though.

7 out of 10