In the smoky vastness of space, a strange planet rushes towards Earth on a collision course. Scientific genius Dr. Alexis Zarkov (Frank Shannon) has built a rocket ship in which he intends to travel to the speeding planet and somehow alter its trajectory, but is unexpectedly joined on his mission by American football player 'Flash' Gordon (Larry 'Buster' Crabbe) and his blonde travelling companion Dale Arden (the absolutely gorgeous Jean Rogers), whose plane has been forced out of the sky by an electrical storm.
Flash Gordon was, in its day, the most expensive serial ever produced, and wowed audiences so much that two further serials were made in quick succession (Trip to Mars in 1938 and Conquers the Universe in 1940). These days the crude special effects, bizarre costumes, stilted acting, meandering scripts and static direction seem extremely primitive, but it is for precisely these reasons that I enjoy the serial so much—it's all just so much cheesy fun (there's also an element of nostalgia: they used to air these on Saturday mornings during my school holidays).
Space Soldiers, the first adventure for Buster Crabbe's daring space explorer, is divided into 13 chapters packed with punch-ups and sword fights, imaginative settings, crazy creatures (Orangopoids, Tigrons and Fire Dragons, oh my!) and silly sci-fi contraptions, each ending on a 'thrilling' cliffhanger that leaves the hero in mortal danger (although each successive chapter would see Flash easily escaping peril to fight another day).
Flash Gordon was, in its day, the most expensive serial ever produced, and wowed audiences so much that two further serials were made in quick succession (Trip to Mars in 1938 and Conquers the Universe in 1940). These days the crude special effects, bizarre costumes, stilted acting, meandering scripts and static direction seem extremely primitive, but it is for precisely these reasons that I enjoy the serial so much—it's all just so much cheesy fun (there's also an element of nostalgia: they used to air these on Saturday mornings during my school holidays).
Space Soldiers, the first adventure for Buster Crabbe's daring space explorer, is divided into 13 chapters packed with punch-ups and sword fights, imaginative settings, crazy creatures (Orangopoids, Tigrons and Fire Dragons, oh my!) and silly sci-fi contraptions, each ending on a 'thrilling' cliffhanger that leaves the hero in mortal danger (although each successive chapter would see Flash easily escaping peril to fight another day).