| Spy Smasher | |
|---|---|
Poster for Chapter 7, "Secret Weapon"
| |
| Directed by | William Witney |
| Written by | Ronald Davidson Norman S. Hall William Lively Joseph O'Donnell Joseph Poland |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | William J. O'Sullivan |
| Starring | Kane Richmond Marguerite Chapman Sam Flint Hans Schumm Tris Coffin |
| Cinematography | Reggie Lanning |
| Edited by | Tony Martinelli Edward Todd |
| Music by | Mort Glickman |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 12 chapters (214 minutes) (serial)[1] 100 minutes (TV)[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $153,682 (negative cost: $156,431)[1] |
Spy Smasher is a 12-episode 1942 Republic serial film based on the Fawcett Comics character Spy Smasher which is now a part of DC Comics. It was the 25th of the 66 serials produced by Republic. The serial was directed by William Witney with Kane Richmond and Marguerite Chapman as the leads.[2] The serial was Chapman's big break into a career in film and television. Spy Smasher is a very highly regarded serial. In 1966, a television film was made from the serial footage under the title Spy Smasher Returns.
Alan Armstrong (Kane Richmond) as the Spy Smasher is a costumed vigilante and freelance agent, not associated with the US government as the country has not yet joined its allies in World War II. After discovering information about Nazi activities in occupied France, he is captured and ordered to be executed. However, with the help of Pierre Durand (Franco Corsaro), he escapes back to the United States, meeting with his twin brother Jack (Kane Richmond). Jack is incorrectly recognized and attacked by a Nazi agent on American soil. The agent works for a sabotage leader codenamed The Mask (Hans Schumm), who operates a U-boat near the coast. Eve Corby (Marguerite Chapman) plays Jack's fiancé.
The Mask's attacks on the United States begin with an attempt to flood the country with forged money and destroy the economy. When this is defeated, he continues with other attacks including destroying aircraft, oil and munitions intended for Britain. Constant defeats at the hands of Spy Smasher, with support from Jack Armstrong and Admiral Corby (Sam Flint), also leads the villain to take the fight back to the masked hero. In the end, the villain is killed aboard his own U-boat in a sea of flaming oil.
Chapter 11 has what film historians Harmon and Glut consider to be the "most unique chapter ending of them all": Spy Smasher is gunned down by enemy agents at point blank range and falls from the top of an office building to crash into the pavement below. In the resolution, the audience discover that Jack, Spy Smasher's brother, has knocked him out and stolen his costume. The real Spy Smasher turns up too late to save his twin.[4] This is notable because in nearly every other chapter ending ever produced the person in danger manages to somehow survive.
Spy Smasher was budgeted at $153,682 although the final negative cost was $156,431 (a $2,749, or 1.8%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1942.[1] Spy Smasher was filmed between December 22, 1941 and January 29, 1942.[1] The serial's production number was 1196.[1]
Spy Smasher's aircraft from the comic, the Gyrosub, was changed for the serial to be a secret Nazi aircraft called The Bat Plane.[4] Mort Glickman echoed the "V for Victory" theme from Beethoven's 5th symphony in the Spy Smasher theme song. Both pieces of music include the "..._" Morse code for the letter V.[4]
Columbia's The Secret Code, released later in 1942, was patterned after Spy Smasher. Adverts for the Columbia serial included the phrases "Smash spies with the Secret Service" and "Thrill again to spy smashers' biggest chase!"[4]
Kane Richmond did some of his own stunts but the most spectacular were performed by Dave Sharpe and Carey Loftin. Sharp for example rolled from an overturning motorcycle to leap atop a careening auto that plunged from a cliff.[4] Loftin showed what a motorcycle could do in the hands of an expert.[5]
All the special effects in Spy Smasher were created by Republic's in-house effects duo, the Lydecker brothers.
Spy Smasher's official release date is April 4, 1942, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1]
Spy Smasher was one of 26 Republic serials re-released as a Century 66 film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Spy Smasher Returns. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.[1]
In the opinion of film historians Harmon and Glut, Spy Smasher is the best serial in terms of special effects and stunts, and one of the best in general; they described it as the foremost cliffhanger example of a whole school of Hollywood filmmaking of the 40s. The script is consistently logical and well constructed with credible dialogue and good characterization. The cinematography is atmospheric and often artistic.[4] According to Cline, Spy Smasher had a "very tight" and "fast-moving" screenplay.[6] Grant Tracey, writing on the Images Journal website, called Spy Smasher one of the best serials of all time due its stunning cliffhangers and unique innovations.[7]
In the 2005 episode of the animated series Justice League Unlimited entitled "Patriot Act", Spy Smasher appears in a World War II flashback. The plot is unconnected to this serial, as Spy Smasher is shown preventing the creation of Fawcett Comics supervillain, Captain Nazi. The style of the scene is based on a movie serial - it is drawn in black and white with similar action and background music.[8]
| Preceded by Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (1941) |
Republic Serial Spy Smasher (1942) |
Succeeded by Perils of Nyoka (1942) |
