This 12 chapter Republic serial was the first depiction of a comic book superhero on film and is possibly the best serial to hit the silver screen. The 12 chapters are 1. Curse of the Scorpion; 2. The Guillotine; 3. Time Bomb; 4. Death Takes the Wheel; 5. The Scorpion Strikes; 6. Lens of Death; 7. Human Targets; 8. Boomerang; 9. Dead Man’s Trap; 10.Doom Ship; 11.Valley of Death; and 12.Captain Marvel’s Secret. With the superlative action, flying sequences and miniatures, (Howard and Theodore Lydecker provided the wonderful effects), it’s easy to understand why the film captured the minds of children (and adults), week after week when it was first released and why it has stood the test of time.
The two recent attempts of putting “Captain Marvel” on the big screen, both missed the mark and failed to entertain, especially ‘Shazam!’.
These box labels were quick and cheaply produced and it was some time before a four colour label was introduced. It richly deserves it own post.
Label courtesy of Peter Brooke at ‘SPROCKETS’
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