The Crimson Ghost (1946)

"The Crimson Ghost" is really a hoot. There is Clayton Moore playing one of the henchmen. Then there is Kenne Duncan, a perennial henchman, playing a good guy. He did play another good guy in "The Green Archer." I was disappointed in the fact that two of the suspects behind the Ghost mask were killed off and only two remained at the end. That cut down on the suspense. I had suspected Forrest Taylor as his name was higher in the credits than the final suspect. Don't know why I. Stanford Jolley was fourth billed as he had only a couple of minutes of screen time. It might be that he was a little more known as a character actor at the time. Rex Lease, a serial star in the 1930s, was another henchman. He is probably best known for his 10-second part as the head diner in the opening scene of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Saboteur." A couple of more observations. A white car goes over a cliff at the end of the first chapter. Have seen that same scene in other serials. This is a short serial running 167 minutes. Most serials are over three hours. I wonder who really wore the Crimson Ghost outfit. Probably one of the stunt men. I will not mention the plot as that has been done very well by the other reviewers on this page.

I have fallen in love with serials as of late. You begin with the lengthier first chapter and soon cannot wait - no matter how poor the budget and performers are - to find out who the masked villain is in the last chapter. Well, The Crimson Ghost is no exception except that as far as Republic serials go this one has a slightly better budget then many and slightly better performers as well. Much of this praise can be directly attributed to directors Fred C. Brannon( a regular fixture in films and serials of this ilk), and even more so to William Whitney who worked on like material including the wonderful The Adventures of Captain Marvel. The pacing is crisp, the action plentiful, and the actors right on character. The story concerns a professor of physics creating a Cyclotrode that stops electrical engines in their tracks. A villain known as The Crimson Ghost, who is also a professor at the university(we get this info very early as it is our task to find out which one of the four men is the villain), will stop at nothing to get this so he can build an even larger model and live out his evil plans of world domination/great wealth. The Crimson Ghost created necklaces that he places over people to control them to do his bidding and if one tries to remove it - the victim dies. This serial has loads of action from innumerable fights(okay, maybe too many), electrical fires, gun fights, explosions, and even a tense operation scene. The set pieces are pretty decent as are the special effects. The story meanders here and there and the whole four or five chapters devoted to getting heavy water did get a bit tiresome at moments, but overall the suspense is maintained at a high level. The acting is all workmanlike with leads Charles Quigley as the hero Duncan Richards and Linda Stirling as his devoted pretty Friday doing well enough. The Lone Ranger himself, Clayton Moore, gets to parade around as a key henchman sans mask. He is quite good. How about the ghost himself? Well, I don't think you will be overall surprised who the ghost is despite the clumsy final chapter's resolution, but I will say that his outfit and that skull mask are awesome. I think that mask is easily one of the best of its kind I have ever seen in anything and one can see the influence it had on subsequent productions. If you have not had an opportunity to sit down to a serial, The Crimson Ghost is a good first foray.

Created in 1946, THE CRIMSON GHOST was among the last of the major serials created by Republic Studios. Like most serials, it has a formula plot that tends to be uneven from episode to episode, but in many respects GHOST proves not only entertaining but quite influential as well.The plot concerns a scientist that has developed a machine capable of neutralizing electricity. The "cyclotrode" is quickly targeted by a master criminal known as "the Crimson Ghost," an entity that hides behind a skull mask and flowing robes--and needless to say fights, thefts, torture, kidnapping, and murder is soon the order of the day.While the story line occasionally falters (one episode consists of the characters recalling incidents from previous chapters), THE CRIMSON GHOST sets a fairly smart pace and the art designs are enjoyable, particularly re the cyclotrode, remote control collars, and various other gizmos. The single most appealing thing about the show, however, is actress Linda Stirling. In an era in which most serial heroines still screamed and fainted, Stirling got into fights, jumped out of cars, and quite often took on the bad guys on equal terms. Her roles seldom allowed her to fully challenge the male leads, but you never doubt that she could have done so--and it is quite refreshing to see.All of this said, THE CRIMSON GHOST is presently available only on VHS, and it comes in two versions: a two-tape VHS, which preserves the chapter-format of the original serial, and a single tape VHS that condenses the show by knocking out chapter headings and redundant scenes. The single tape format is also colorized, and a dreadful job it is indeed. For myself, I enjoy the chapter headings and the cliff-hangers, and where THE CRIMSON GHOST is concerned, the two-tape VHS is the one I recommend.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The Crimson Ghost is a criminal mind whose identity is unknown to anyone. He attempts to acquire a 'death-ray' device known as the 'cyclotrode'. C.G. orders henchmen to take the machine, or components of it. He communicates by radio; his minions wear a 'death-collar'. The collar compels obedience or death; C.G. may send a radio signal to activate the collar killing the wearer. Death also occurs if the collar is removed; it is booby-trapped. Duncan and Diana thwart C.G's. plans in every chapter (every 20 minutes in the long version); C.G. knows every move made with the development of the cyclotrode. It all balances out. Listen carefully to the dialogue--can you detect the voice of the 'Lone Ranger'?