THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE/ICONIC/OUTRAGEOUS VILLANS IN MOVIE SERIALS
by Tony-Scheinman | created - 03 Oct 2021 | updated - 06 Oct 2021 | PublicThe old motion picture chapter serials, or "cliffhangers", of the 1930's and '40's may seem slow and dated today, but whether they cam from Republic, Universal or Columbia they could provide not only heroes/heroines to cheer but also incre3dible costumed villains to hiss! This is a list (in no apparent order) of the serials I consider to contain the most unforgettable bad guys of the cliffhanger chapterplays.
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1. Flash Gordon (1936)
Passed | 245 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Alexis Zarkov visit the planet Mongo to thwart the evil schemes of Emperor Ming the Merciless, who has set his planet on a collision course with Earth.
Directors: Frederick Stephani, Ray Taylor | Stars: Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson
Votes: 2,659
Charles Middleton's "Ming the Merciless"" has to top the list for sheer evil and presence in all three Flash Gordon serials!
2. The Crimson Ghost (1946)
Approved | 167 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A criminal mastermind known as the Crimson Ghost is out to steal a device called the Cyclotrode, which can short-circuit every electrical current on the planet.
Directors: Fred C. Brannon, William Witney | Stars: Charles Quigley, Linda Stirling, Clayton Moore, I. Stanford Jolley
Votes: 527
Another example of the "which one of the group is the costumed villain", "The Crimson Ghost"'s skull mask is unforgettable.
3. Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)
Passed | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The masked hero leads a fighting force to fight a villian who plots the conquest of The Republic of Mexico.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Reed Hadley, Sheila Darcy, William Corson, Leander De Cordova
Votes: 464
In his suit of golden armor, "Don del Oro" and his dreams of conquest are a pleasure to watch (his dubbed voice is supposedly that of Billy Bletcher, the original voice of the radio Lone Ranger).
4. The Shadow (1940)
Passed | 285 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The Shadow battles a villain known as The Black Tiger, who has the power to make himself invisible and is trying to take over the world with his death ray.
Director: James W. Horne | Stars: Victor Jory, Veda Ann Borg, Roger Moore, Robert Fiske
Votes: 376
"The Black Tiger" is the one with the power of invisibility here (The Shadow in the serial was based on the original pulp fiction version, not the mind-clouding radio version), but his snarling voice "full of sound and fury" makes up for his being unseen.
5. Manhunt of Mystery Island (1945)
Passed | 219 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
The creator of a scientific device is kidnapped, and his daughter enlists the help of a private detective whose investigations lead them to a remote Pacific isle where they confront the evil and shocking descendants of a long-dead pirate.
Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet, Yakima Canutt, Wallace Grissell | Stars: Richard Bailey, Linda Stirling, Roy Barcroft, Kenne Duncan
Votes: 185
The villain in this one uses a machine to periodically transform himself into the physical form of "Captain Mephisto" (played by perennial serial villain Roy Barcroft).
6. Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941)
Passed | 263 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Dick Tracy goes up against a villain known as The Ghost, who can turn himself invisible.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Ralph Byrd, Michael Owen, Jan Wiley, John Davidson
Votes: 324
The leather-head-masked "Ghost" in this serial is considered by some film historians to be one of the finest masked serial villains.
7. The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938)
Approved | 204 min | Adventure
The US marine corps must battle a would-be world conqueror who uses electricity as a weapon.
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Lee Powell, Bruce Bennett, Eleanor Stewart, Montagu Love
Votes: 126
"The Lightning"'s Flying Wing was certainly one of the most impressive modes of transportation.
8. The Phantom Creeps (1939)
Approved | 265 min | Action, Family, Horror
A military intelligence officer and a pretty reporter try to find a scientist whose inventions can destroy the world.
Directors: Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Robert Kent, Dorothy Arnold, Edwin Stanley
Votes: 1,121
Bela Lugosi's "Dr. Alex Zorka", the villain of this serial, at least had a more plausible reason to want to destroy the world ... revenge for the death of his wife.
9. Drums of Fu Manchu (1940)
Passed | 269 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu searches for the keys to the tomb of Genghis Khan, in order to fulfill a prophecy that will enable him to conquer the world. His nemesis, Dr. Nayland Smith, and ... See full summary »
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Henry Brandon, William Royle, Robert Kellard, Gloria Franklin
Votes: 334
Henry Brandon played the Oriental mastermind "Dr. Fu Manchu".
10. The Purple Monster Strikes (1945)
Passed | 201 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A Martian spacecraft crash-lands near the observatory of Cyrus Layton, designer of Earth's first spaceship. The survivor, forerunner of an invasion, can assume the form of any earthman. ... See full summary »
Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet, Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Dennis Moore, Linda Stirling, Roy Barcroft, James Craven
Votes: 208
Roy Barcroft played "The Purple Monster" in one of the best of the sci-fi serials.
11. King of the Rocket Men (1949)
Passed | 167 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Jeff King in his experimental rocket suit battles the evil Dr. Vulcan.
Director: Fred C. Brannon | Stars: Tristram Coffin, Mae Clarke, Don Haggerty, House Peters Jr.
Votes: 965
While Tristram Coffin (who usually played villains in serials) played the hero, the mysterious "Dr. Vulcan" (who's only seen as a shadow against a wall) actually managed to destroy New York City.
12. Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
Passed | 216 min | Action, Adventure, Family
To protect a magic talisman from being used for evil, a teenage boy named Billy Batson is given the power to become an adult superhero, Captain Marvel, with a single magic word: "Shazam!"
Directors: John English, William Witney | Stars: Tom Tyler, Frank Coghlan Jr., William 'Billy' Benedict, Louise Currie
Votes: 1,522
"The Scorpion" is considered one of he most colorful of the movie serial masked villains.
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