...a pity it didn't transfer like that to the big screen. Lee Falk created Mandrake in 1924 but, not trusting his own talent, he sold the strip to King Features in 1934 and bought in commercial artist Phil Davis to draw it. Mandrake always seemed to be in the papers when I was growing up - he usually hypnotized the bad guys into exposing themselves.
This serial wasn't quite how I remembered Mandrake - for a start Warren Hull looked nothing like the Mandrake I remembered. Comic strip Mandrake looked very swarthy with a pencil thin moustache, sort of like the stuntman who doubles for Hull in the fights, of which there are many. Gone also is Narda, Mandrake's very, very patient girlfriend (who after a wait of over 50 years finally wed her reluctant suitor in 1997). She is replaced by the far more conventional Betty Houston, daughter of the doctor whose ray gun invention has the crooks on his tail!! She was played by Doris Weston, whose career highlight was as Dick Powell's leading lady in "The Singing Marine" (1937), one of his lesser efforts (I thought she was quite cute in it anyway). Fortunately Lothar, Mandrake's very loyal and constant companion was not given a "make over".
Every serial had to have a hidden villain, one who wanted world domination etc and Mandrake's nemesis was "The Wasp", a quietly spoken man hidden in cloaks and the obligatory mask. He seemed to be always two steps ahead of Mandrake and caused some spectacular disasters - a dam exploding, an avalanche, a mountain skylift falling, a plummeting airplane!! Then you start to wonder who "The Wasp" is?? The two candidates are, of course, Mandrake's oldest friends - James Webster (Kenneth MacDonald) and Dr. Andre Bennett (Edward Earle) who dislike each other intensely and who are both always missing when trouble is afoot!!
As usual, with these serials, there is always an eager young kid, probably to appeal to the boys in the audience. This time it is Betty's younger brother and he has more get up and go than half the cast. At one stage he hides in the boot of the villain's car, hears just enough info to relay the plans to Mandrake, then jumps from the car - without the crooks even knowing they have had an eavesdropper!! Even though Mandrake doesn't have any super hero tricks - his magicianship is put to good use and all in all it is an enjoyable serial.
This serial wasn't quite how I remembered Mandrake - for a start Warren Hull looked nothing like the Mandrake I remembered. Comic strip Mandrake looked very swarthy with a pencil thin moustache, sort of like the stuntman who doubles for Hull in the fights, of which there are many. Gone also is Narda, Mandrake's very, very patient girlfriend (who after a wait of over 50 years finally wed her reluctant suitor in 1997). She is replaced by the far more conventional Betty Houston, daughter of the doctor whose ray gun invention has the crooks on his tail!! She was played by Doris Weston, whose career highlight was as Dick Powell's leading lady in "The Singing Marine" (1937), one of his lesser efforts (I thought she was quite cute in it anyway). Fortunately Lothar, Mandrake's very loyal and constant companion was not given a "make over".
Every serial had to have a hidden villain, one who wanted world domination etc and Mandrake's nemesis was "The Wasp", a quietly spoken man hidden in cloaks and the obligatory mask. He seemed to be always two steps ahead of Mandrake and caused some spectacular disasters - a dam exploding, an avalanche, a mountain skylift falling, a plummeting airplane!! Then you start to wonder who "The Wasp" is?? The two candidates are, of course, Mandrake's oldest friends - James Webster (Kenneth MacDonald) and Dr. Andre Bennett (Edward Earle) who dislike each other intensely and who are both always missing when trouble is afoot!!
As usual, with these serials, there is always an eager young kid, probably to appeal to the boys in the audience. This time it is Betty's younger brother and he has more get up and go than half the cast. At one stage he hides in the boot of the villain's car, hears just enough info to relay the plans to Mandrake, then jumps from the car - without the crooks even knowing they have had an eavesdropper!! Even though Mandrake doesn't have any super hero tricks - his magicianship is put to good use and all in all it is an enjoyable serial.