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Customer Reviews of The Green Archer

Humor on the Set
Egads, a serial with an underlying current of humor! Not that it's a comedy; in fact it's a prototypical movie serial with fights, chases, a sprawling gothic castle with dungeons and deathtraps in every corner, secret passages, medieval treasure, and a mysterious masked hero running around doing all kinds of mysterioua things. Director James Horne was known not for great serials, but for his lighthearted approach to them. Once I realized the crooks were playing it for laughs, I started to really enjoy it. <
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>James Craven ("The Purple Monster Strikes") plays Abel Bellamy, who has tuned the family castle into a den of thieves and framed his brother to a long prison term. His nefarious plot might have succeeded if only he had hired competent henchmen; instead, they fall all over one another trying to carry out his orders. His reaction to their botched jobs is hilarious--by Chapter 8 or 9 he's about to have a stroke at the antics of his idiot gang. The confusion between the good and bad Green Archers is also funny, and Fred Kelsey is a hoot as the bumbling police inspector Captain Thompson, who looks like a refugee from a Three Stooges comedy. Another humorous bit is the performance of Kit Guard, the little guy who plays Dinky with his continuous malapropisms. <
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>Craven is really the star of this serial, but Victor Jory as the hero, ace insurance investigator Spike Holland, is more than competent. Jory is in perpetual motion as he runs around fighting the bad guys and saving the good guys. The ultra-hot Iris Meredith ("The Spider's Web") plays the sister of the woman whom Abel Bellamy is holding prisoner in the castle. Two of the leading actors from "Manhunt of Mystery Island" are also present, Forrest Taylor as the father of the two women, and Kenne Duncan ("The Spider's Web", "Haunted Harbor") as Mike Bellamy, sent to prison via his brother Abel Bellamy's frame-up. <
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>James W. Horne was a real staple at Columbia, directing every one of their serials, without a co-director, from late 1939 until his death in mid-1942--that's ten consecutive serials. <
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>The humor lifts this above the ordinary. And there are enough surprises and cases of mistaken identity along the way to make this a most enjoyable serial.

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" the King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ The Green Archer (1940)"
VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "The Green Archer" (1940) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Edgar Wallace novel with 15 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line involves not one Green Archer, but two in this better than average serial...don't look now but there are secret doors, passageways in an old castle plus an underground hideaway for automobiles...more action you'd ever want with bows & arrows, poison gas, bombs and plenty of shootouts...will private detective Spike Holland figure out the plans of Abel Bellamy with his stealing diamond operation...who would think that Garr Castle is a front for criminals that are up to no good and their leader Bellamy has his work cut out for him with stolen diamond...is this a family affair with Elaine Bellamy (married to Abel Bellamy's deceased brother) missing in the castle and her sister Valerie Howett and father Parker Howett along with Spike determined to help with this case of jewel thieves hiding in Garr Castle...can you guess before the final chapter "The Green Archer Exposed", who the second archer is...double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter. <
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>Under director James W. Horne, producer Larry Darmour, screenplay by Morgan B. Cox, John Cutting, Jesse A. Duffy, music score by Lee Zahler...the cast include Victor Jory (Spike Holland), Iris Meredith (Valerie Howett), James Craven (Abel Bellamy), Dorothy Fay (Elaine Bellamy), Robert Fiske (Savini), Forrest Taylor (Howett), Jack Ingram (Brad-henchman), Joseph W. Girard (Insp. Ross), Fred Kelsey (Insp. Ross), Kit Guard (Radio Man Dinky), Kenne Duncan (Michael Bellamy), Edmund Cobb (Stevens, Agent 4-X, henchman pilot), Charles King (Tardoni-henchman), Tom London (Detective), Bud Osborne (Lanton-garage henchman), Jack Perrin (Charlie, the Theater Attendant), Jack Cheatham (Policeman), George Lloyd (Henchman)...now back to the feature at hand Eddie Parker (stunt double for Victor Jory)...special behind the scenes note that actor Victor Jory was the perfect villain in many Hopalong Cassidy films and would appear as a hero in "The Shadow" and "The Green Archer" serials during the '40s, all in all he became a wonderful character actor and was in constant demand with over 150 films to his credit and numerous television appearances...back to the feature as Columbia Pictures is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features. <
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>CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One) <
>1. Prison Bars Beckon <
>2. The Face at the Window <
>3. The Devil's Dictograph <
>4. Vanishing Jewels <
>5. The Fatal Spark <
>6. The Necklace of Treachery <
>7. The Secret Passage <
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>SERIAL TRAILERS: (Disc One) <
>1. "Blackhawk" (Kirk Alyn & Carol Forman <
>2. "Iron Claw" (Charles Quigle & Joyce Bryant) <
>3. "Pirates of the High Seas" (Buster Crabbe, Lois Hall & Tristram Coffin) <
>4. "The Green Archer" (original theatrical trailer) (Victor Jory, Iris Meredith, James Craven and Jack Ingram) <
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>BIOS: (Disc One) <
>1. Victor Jory <
>Birth Date: 11/23/1902 - Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada <
>Died: 2/12/1982 - Santa Monica, CA <
>2. Iris Meredith (aka Iris Shunn) <
>Birth Date: 6/03/1915 - Sioux City, Iowa <
>Died: 1/22/1980 - Northridge, CA <
>3. James W. Horne <
>Birth Date: 12/14/1880 - San Francisco, CA <
>Died: 6/29/1942 - Hollywood, CA <
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>CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two) <
>8. Garr Castle is Robbed <
>9. The Mirror of Treachery <
>10.The Dagger That Failed <
>11.The Flaming Arrow <
>12.The Devil Dogs <
>13.The Deceiving Microphone <
>14.End of Hope <
>15.The Green Archer Exposed <
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>SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Two) <
>VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS: <
>1. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe) <
>2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan) <
>3. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon) <
>4. Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford) <
>5. The Phantom (Tom Tyler) <
>6. Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane) <
>7. Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke) <
>8. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry) <
>9. Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon) <
>10.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling) <
>11.Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd) <
>12.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe) <
>13.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton) <
>14.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr) <
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>If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s...get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for. <
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>Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "The Green Archer" (1940), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em! <
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>Total Time: 302 mins on 2 DVD's ~ VCI Entertainment 8317 ~ (4/27/2004)

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Over-the-top fun. 3 stars if you like your serials straight
THE GREEN ARCHER is based on an Edgar Wallace mystery, concerning a gentleman thief operating from his mob's castle headquarters, and an elusive figure who sends warnings by shooting arrows. This 15-chapter serial of 1940 was intended not just for kids but for a more adult audience. However, the film is about as sophisticated as a Three Stooges movie (with some of the same Columbia contract players!). The local law enforcement is represented by Laurel & Hardy/Stooges foil Fred Kelsey, which tells you how serious this enterprise is. <
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>Serial producers used the first three chapters to sell the film to exhibitors, so director James W. Horne exercises relative restraint for these early episodes. Stay with it, because starting with Chapter 4, Horne plants the tongue firmly in cheek and lets the whole project slide. Hero and villains indulge in over-the-top dramatics. Narrator Knox Manning gets into the spirit, too (the announcer in the 1960s "Batman" TV series must have been exposed to Manning's urgent recitations). <
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>Horne gives the serial fans some well-staged thrills (sample: hero and friends are trapped on a high ledge as the building collapses beneath them), but he refuses to take things TOO seriously (sample: the villains play tiddly-winks in their hideout!). Horne also gets screen credit as one of the writers. <
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>The earnest Victor Jory is fine as the rock-jawed hero (an insurance investigator; he's not the leotard-clad Green Archer). The refined James Craven is magnificent as Jory's urbane nemesis. Craven is the Wile E. Coyote of serial villains: he plans intricate death traps, but he EXPECTS his henchmen to fail! Like the coyote, Craven never gives up. The goon squad has the usual Columbia serial faces: Jack Ingram and Kit Guard are most memorable, with Al Ferguson, Cy Schindell, and Eddie Fetherston among the others. <
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>If you can take your serials less than 100% seriously, you'll enjoy this fascinatingly bizarre cliffhanger. Never mind the plot; you'll probably guess the outcome during Chapter 1. By the two-thirds mark, you'll be well accustomed to the mock-serious tone. Just keep your eye on Jory and Craven, and watch the fun. The source print is a fine 16mm print, and picture and sound quality are good. <
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