Unless you consider Gene Autry a major mainstream film star, I can't think of another major star besides John Wayne who did movie serials. The Duke did three of them and back then I'm sure he was grateful for the work. The first of them was The Shadow of the Eagle.
Wayne is a stunt flier for a carnival owned by former World War I ace Edward Hearn and daughter Dorothy Gulliver. Back in the war he was shot down and presumed killed. His fellow squadron members where Hearn was known as the Eagle, took the plans for something called an Aero Stabilizer and are building a factory, wouldn't you know it across the street.
But one of these dudes is looking to cut the others out and starts sending threatening messages to the others with sky writing of all things in the name of the Eagle. Talk about telegraphing your punches.
In the manner of serials, Wayne, the daughter, the Eagle, all get in trouble and rescued over and over until the real culprit and the gimmick with the sky writing is unmasked.
I'm told by the way the technology the bad guy uses for his sky writing is certainly available now, but wasn't quite perfected in 1932. What was it, that you have to sit through the serial to find out.
Serials were so frighteningly dumb back in the day. John Wayne must have shuddered if you ever mentioned this one at least.
Wayne is a stunt flier for a carnival owned by former World War I ace Edward Hearn and daughter Dorothy Gulliver. Back in the war he was shot down and presumed killed. His fellow squadron members where Hearn was known as the Eagle, took the plans for something called an Aero Stabilizer and are building a factory, wouldn't you know it across the street.
But one of these dudes is looking to cut the others out and starts sending threatening messages to the others with sky writing of all things in the name of the Eagle. Talk about telegraphing your punches.
In the manner of serials, Wayne, the daughter, the Eagle, all get in trouble and rescued over and over until the real culprit and the gimmick with the sky writing is unmasked.
I'm told by the way the technology the bad guy uses for his sky writing is certainly available now, but wasn't quite perfected in 1932. What was it, that you have to sit through the serial to find out.
Serials were so frighteningly dumb back in the day. John Wayne must have shuddered if you ever mentioned this one at least.