Cheap Mandrake (DVD) (Harry Falk) Price

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Customer Reviews of Mandrake

Ace Columbia cliffhanger; top print but repairs in Chapter 1
Columbia's cliffhangers tend to be campy or silly by serial standards, but this early effort (1939) is a very enjoyable adventure. The personable Warren Hull is excellent in the title role. Movie buffs will recognize many of the cast members from Columbia's "B" pictures and Three Stooges movies. Slick production and good direction by Sam Nelson and Norman Deming (who were usually assistant directors) push this one head and shoulders above the general run of Columbia serials. (Watch for a beautifully staged wrap-up in the last chapter, when the masked villain finally gets his!) A note about this video edition: the soundtrack of Chapter 1 was damaged, so the video producers hired actors and technicians to fake a new synchronized soundtrack. The repair job is rather distracting (the suave, pencil-mustached Kenneth MacDonald suddenly has a twangy Texas tenor), but it only lasts a few minutes; the rest of the serial is fully intact and the source print is in top shape. Picture and sound are excellent. The 2-DVD set also includes a selection of trailers from Mascot, Republic, and Universal serials. Highly typical of Saturday-matinee adventures, and a fine choice for first-time serial viewers or for fans who've never seen this long-unavailable film. (Let's hope VCI or Columbia will release the even better "Spider's Web" serial to home video.)