NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Verity Robins Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

hwg1957-102-265704 Six writers! Three directors! And Linda Stirling! 'Manhunt On Mystery Island' is a fast moving and entertaining serial set on the eponymous island and concerns Claire Forrest looking for her kidnapped scientist father, helped by Lance Reardon. The villain of the piece is supposedly long dead Captain Mephisto who is also another character in the serial due to his ability to change his bodily form (in what looks like an electric chair!). In the usual way of serials there are lots of chases, traps, mysteries, fights and ups and downs until everything is resolved. The fist fights are great. Before they start you can guess what will be broken or upset, whether it is a table, cupboard, set of shelves, bookcases, barrels etc. and the participants fight with great gusto. Linda Stirling as Claire Forrest is splendid as usual, her character is smart, sexy and very handy with a gun. She does rescuing as well as the male lead so is definitely not the helpless female. Roy Barcroft chews the scenery as Captain Mephisto (when not breaking up the scenery in fights) and is a pleasure to watch. Kudos must also go to Dale Van Sickel who plays Barker and Ritter and Lewis and Frazier and Sardon. Talk about versatile! The rest of the cast are adequate.Some people don't like serials because of the repetition of certain things but they were not meant to be watched all at once but at intervals, so each episode had to have things to remind viewers of previous episodes. Anyway, if you like serials this is a good one.

GUENOT PHILIPPE I am not surprised when I read that the great Roy Barcroft said that his character as Captain Méphisto was his all time favourite. This is a top serial, in serial history book. One of the best Republic ones, if you consider the post William Witney era. What a serial Bill Witney would have done with such material... But this one is awesome, even without Witney. Don't forget that there were three directors in charge, three serial vets: Wallace Grissel, Yakima Canutt - the fabulous stuntman - and the best serial director ever, besides again William Witney: Spencer Gordon Bennett. A pure gem. Speaking of the serials, this one illustrates the fact that, in such features, the stuntmen were SO IMPORTANT that they were not chosen because they looked like the lead actor, but on the contrary; the actors were chosen because their resemblance to the stuntmen!!! And it seems that in some serials, the stuntmen themselves were the heroes. They were both the lead characters and their own doubles during the fights. And what fights!!! I think of Dale Van Sickel, in a serial which I don't remember the title.Back to this one, what a great moment to see the legendary Linda Stirling and Roy Barcroft together...Whao !!!

oscar-35 *Spoiler/plot- 1945, A breakthrough scientific device will revolutionize the world's energy usage if the kidnapped inventor can be found. To rescue her father, Claire Forrest enlists the help of ace sleuth Lance Reardon. Clues lead them to a Pacific isle, where the two confront sinister and astonishing forces. The descendants of a long-dead pirate, Mephisto are holding the scientist for their own nefarious gain. And one of the heirs has a 'transformation chair' that changes him into the molecular duplicate of Captain Mephisto. By the time Claire and Lance learn the truth about the pirate's plot, it maybe too late. *Special Stars- Richard Bailey, Linda Stirling, Roy Barcroft. Dir: Yakima Canutt, Spencer Gordon Bennet*Theme- Greed and crime go hand in hand.*Based on- Comic book themes of the time period.*Trivia/location/goofs- The ocean chase and beach scenes are shot in Southern California. Nice to see stuntman and stunt arranger, Yakima Canutt, get some screen credit.*Emotion- A somewhat forgettable Republic post WW2 serial with only one gimmick, the 'Transformation Chair'. Those transformation scenes become tedious and several repetitive flashback scenes near the last episode is confusing to the viewer. Suspense and excitement might build as the lead actors are lowered toward a watery doom nearly squashed like grapes, dropped off a bridge, and much more in this amazing 15 chapters theatrical serial. The pirate costume is something to be seen and only laughed at while on screen.

ratwell1 Being raised in the golden era of movie serials, this in my opinion ranks as the top of them all, the setting is on an island where there are four partners that are co-owners. One of the partners is is seeking to destroy anything or anyone who is standing in the way of his accomplishing his mission. Linda Sterling the queen of the movie serials puts on another splendid performance as a the daughter of the scientist who spurns every attempt of Captain Mephisto requesting his cooperation. I would be remiss if I omitted The king of of serials Roy Barcroft who once again excels as the prime villain. serials. I would be remiss if I omitted the chief henchman of the villainous Captain Mephisto so aptly portrayed by Kenne Duncan. . Whenever I become a little bored, I can always play one of the many tapes I possess and it will always pick up my spirits.,especially the serials