I am always surprised and happy when someone comes out with a new book on serials, like classic horror or westerns, just when you think there is nothing new to be said someone proves you wrong. I honestly thought that Hank Davis’ two volume set Classic Cliffhangers would be the last book written on the subject for a long while, but Anthony Fletcher recently came out with a new book on our favorite film genre, Don’t Dare Miss the Next Thrilling Chapter. I discovered it like I do everything else, surfing around Amazon.com, and a brief look at it shows it to have an interesting take on serials. While he doesn’t examine every sound serial, he does offer some new categorization for serials. Most fans follow the designations that William Cline sited in his book In the Nick of Time; Western, Jungle, Mystery, Science Fiction, Aviation and Costume Adventure (this last one is for serials like Son of the Guardsman and Adventures of Sir Galahad). Fletcher offers these alternate designations; Jungle, Armed Forces, Science Fiction, Aviation, Masked Heroes and Costumed Heroes. While Westerns, the most prolific serial sub-genre are not given their own section they are somewhat represented in Masked Heroes, and of course Phantom Empire is in the Science Fiction section. Unfortunately such fan favorites like the Dick Tracy serials and Gangbusters are missing, maybe later on down the line Fletcher may make a seventh and eighth sections for Cops and Robbers and Cowboys. I kind of find it hard to believe that Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc. didn’t get into the Science Fiction section when The Crimson Ghost did. Then again The Secret Code and the Desert Hawk are in the Masked Hero section instead of Costumed Hero section. The one section I do find interesting is the Armed Forces, I don’t think anyone ever thought to put serials featuring soldiers and sailors into their own category, though I really think Captain Midnight should have gone in either Aviation or Masked Hero instead of Armed Forces. Oh well, what does such quibbling matter, especially when there is a new serial book out to help expand people’s interest in this still mostly overlooked classic film genre.
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