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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 25, 2005 21:54:35 GMT -8
chapter 1- The Chosen Victim
Princess Nadji is being introduced to high society, in California. two men show up claiming to know Mr. Frank Chandler (aka Chandu), but he's not in from Chicago yet. the Princess senses danger in the house.
the house boy (who looks like Fez!) has been put under some kind of spell. he is to give the Princess a special glass of wine.
Chandu gets off the plane and phones the house, warning the Princess to not be alone. two men are prepared to attack Chandu, but he uses his magic to vanish!
Bob hassles his mom and the Princess about her feelings toward Chandu. Fez gives Nadji the special wine glass, but Chandu stops her from drinking- just in time! he also realizes Fex is under a spell.
Chandu tells Nadji that the Lemurians need her to bring Ossana back to life, to restore their lost continent to power. he then goes to question Fez, and finds out that the Lemurians are about in CA. but before Fez can tell Chandu where the villains are, he gets shot with a poison dart, then Chandu does as well!
next episode - The House in the Hills
wow, Bela is so young and cuts the dashing heroic figure! i would not have believed it. this seems to be tied in to the first serial, but i've not ever seen it, nor really heard of it.
his name is pronounced "Shan-doo" not Chan like Jackie.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 26, 2005 9:05:12 GMT -8
Chandu ducks to the side and the dart misses him completely. but Fez is dead.
the cult of Ubasti do some praying and gazing into fire. Chandu has the mummy case in his house- that's the one holding Ossana. he tells Bobby to keep an eye on Nadji and only admit the men from the museum. he is going to prepare an ocean voyage to take Nadji away.
the Ubastis hide in the back of the museum truck and take the place of the drivers. the gardner, also an Ubasti, gives Nadji a special rose which knocks her out.
Chandu arrives just as the "museum" people leave. Chandu finds the drugged flower and the mummy, so we know where Nadji is- in the sarcophagus! off they go in pursuit, but their car gets wrecked!
next- On The High Seas
i did some research, and the first movie was a real movie, released in '32 with Bela as the villain. i think most of the rest of the cast is the same. and the serial takes place right after the movie.
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Post by Shonokin on Jun 28, 2005 8:56:31 GMT -8
Sounds pretty interesting with the whole Lemurian thing. I'd never considered seeing this serial, but now my interest is piqued.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 28, 2005 20:17:37 GMT -8
you know, i have an extra copy of this (thanks, Chris!) so if you want it let me know (PM or e-mail).
Chandu stops the car just in time. he then calls his teacher, who councils him about his fears. Frank and Bobby then hear the evil drums of black magic. doesn't deter them, since the yogi says "have faith". so they drive to the villains lair, where he finds Nadji and overhears their plans.
Chandu uses his magic to mesmerize the henchmen and retrieve Nadji. fun to hear Bela say "step on it"! head villain is annoyed that Chandu rescued her.
on the boat, Chandu's powers have failed to awaken Nadji. it must mean BLACK magic. naturally there is a villain aboard. the captain has a word with Chandu. Betty and Frank see a light in the middle of the ocean, but fail to tell Chandu (this is Betty's fault). Vindhyan (the high priest) signals the boat and they come to get Nadji. our heroes rush out, but he pulls a knife and threatens Nadji's life!
next chapter: the Evil Eye
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jun 30, 2005 23:22:07 GMT -8
Chandu uses his hypnosis powers to save Nadji's life, but Vindhyan leaps overboard. the engine has been wrecked, so they need to dock at a port for repairs.
while in port Nadji is summoned by the police so she can answer some questions about Prince Andros' death. Nadji suspects a trap, and she's right, of course.
Chandu returns to the hotel and finds the forged note. Vindhyan will sacrifice Nadji himself, and kill Chandu's sister as well. Chandu and Bobby follow the drums around to see if they can get info.
the sacrificial ceremony starts! Chandu finds one of the cultists and places him under his power so he can find out where the women are.
Chandu stops the ceremony and sets the temple aflame as the local constabulary join in the battle. everyone escapes though.
Bobby takes a phone call and doesn't want to interupt Chandu and Nadji in a tender moment. Nadji thinks her troubles are all over, but at the wall of Kong (this is so cool to see) the cultists prepare again. Vitras sends more people to get Nadji.
next- the Invisible Circle
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Post by Shonokin on Jul 1, 2005 5:56:08 GMT -8
you know, i have an extra copy of this (thanks, Chris!) so if you want it let me know (PM or e-mail). Thanks for asking... I got it in the mail yesterday... for like $4. I'll have to make a list of what I have so far, in case you'd like a dub.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 2, 2005 22:33:18 GMT -8
that's cool, let us know how you like it! i can see the first four chapters would make the "feature" film up. Chandu and Nadji discuss their future. she's seen a vision of herself in Lemuria. they then recap the legend of the priestess and the conflict that threatens Nadji.
Chandu plans to destroy the mummy of Osanna so he and Nadji can be happy together. he heads out, and leaves his family to watch Nadji.
meanwhile, in Lemuria at Kong's wall, the priests want Nadji brought to them. they use the spell previously cast on her to get her to come to them. the family won't let her go out alone in this place.
Chandu contacts Yogi. he gets confirmation Nadji is in danger and wants the captain to return to port. too late! Chandu and the forces of good arrive, but the villain has taken her to Lemuria!next- Chandu's False Step
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 3, 2005 21:05:30 GMT -8
Chandu is sure Nadji is a prisoner in the Temple of Lemuria. the Circle of Ola prevents her from communicating with him. he is leaving for Lemuria at once.
Chandu doesn't want his family going, but they won't feel safe on the island without him. meanwhile, on Lemuria the priest (Visna or something) is bragging that once Nadji is dead they will rule the world again. naturally, it can only happen at a special time. since they are using Kong's Wall, i wonder if she will be placed on his sacrificial stone as well? Nadji is sure Chandu will rescue her.
on the boat, Chandu seeks aid from Yogi. all Yogi tells him is to "have faith" (some help! ). then the ship's compass goes mental, due to the spellbound henchman on the ship. he also opens the water pumps to flood the ship. Chandu and family then hear the drums! next- Mysterious Magic
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 5, 2005 14:35:17 GMT -8
the water breaks down the door, allowing the family to escape. Chandu bumps his head on the raft and has to be rescued.
Nadji senses Chandu's presence, but thinks she is only dreaming.
Chandu charges the Captain with watching the family whilst he and Bobby search for water. when they find it they also find footprints, which Chandu says are made by Lemurian Warriors! he decides to follow the tracks to the temple.
the warriors attempt to kidnap Nadji, but the priest stops them. they've also got the rest of the party, but Chandu comes along and the captain tells him what happened.
they get to the city when Chandu falls into a pit!
next- The Edge of the Pit
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 5, 2005 23:24:46 GMT -8
Chandu looks about the pit he's in while the captain is put with the other prisoners. the priests think Chandu is deprived of his power because he is in the presence of Ubasti.
the head priest tells Nadji that Chandu and the others are in the dungeons with the savages. he does some kind of ritual of the Invisible Circle so Chandu can't get to her. but Chandu has been spying and tells her it's an old trick. she warns him the others are in danger and he goes to get them.
Chandu contacts Yogi again, but instead he finds the Leader of the White Magicians who used to rule all Lemuria. they go over some plot points and he tells Chandu where his family will be.
he and the yogi go to rescue the family, but find a tiger pit! with a live tiger in it! the yogi swings across, but when Chandu tries, the bolt comes loose and down into the tiger pit he goes!
next- the Terror Invisible
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Post by celamowari on Jul 8, 2005 16:58:41 GMT -8
I was impressed by how good Bela was as a hero. Too bad he didn't get the chance to do it more. Of course, I didn't buy the story of him being an American for one second.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 15, 2005 23:23:26 GMT -8
Bela wasn't American? lies, damnable lies! Chandu falls to the lip of the pit on the other side, where the yogi helps him up. they go up a passage to the arena. surprise surprise, the rest of the family is there!
the prisoners are taken to the temple, saved from the savages. yogi 2 takes Chandu to the sacred shrine of his people so they can communicate with Yogi 1. the villains have discovered Chandu has escaped. the head priest send Chandu a telepathic message about his friends and family.
Chandu hears from Yogi 1, who tells him Ubasti mus be destroyed and Nadji must not be sacrificed. there's a big duh... Chandu has to use the "High Incantation", but Yogi 2 has another way!
Bobby is being threatened by a giant simitar going back and forth. Yogi 2 bestows the power of Ra on Chandu to make him invisible, but he has a time limit. he goes to get Nadji first. the priests come to ask her where Chandu is, so he drops a kettle on them. this is followed by a bunch of invisible silliness, part of which entails lifting Bob right off the alter.
suddenly, the invisibility wears off and Chandu is siezed!next: the Crushing Rock
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 17, 2005 10:43:10 GMT -8
what say we finish this up today?
wow, this has a really long recap...
Chandu is seized! Tyba (yogi 2) finds Bob, and they go off to help. Chandu has to endure another recap from the earlier episodes about his fate, these Lemurian priests are vengeful! they want him to catpitulate (hee hee, clever) and worship Ubasti.
naturally, he refuses, and is placed under a rock. Tyba takes Bob to the shrine and his crystal ball shows where Chandu has been placed- under the crushing stone, which is slowly lowering itself on him!
Bob and Tyba are racing to help him, but are in a maze. they find the henchman lowering the rock and attack him, which causes the stone to fall! next- the Uplifted Knife
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 17, 2005 13:10:26 GMT -8
Bob grabs the chain holding the rock and Tyba saves Chandu. Bob battles some henchlings in a poorly done fight scene and gets away. Chandu is worried Nadji has already been sacrificed. Chandu goes to help, and another fight scene occurs.
Tyba finds Bob and head toward the Alter Room as well. the Chandler family and Nadji are all gathered there, which is quite convinient. Head Villain wants them all to renounce Chandu.
Nadji bargains for the release of the others by renouncing Chandu. the Head Villain keeps his word and lets them leave Lemuria in peace. or does he?
suddenly the savages attack Kong's Wall but are driven back. they then attack our heroes and drag them away!
last chapter- The Knife Descends
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 17, 2005 18:24:23 GMT -8
Tyba follows the savages. the priests prepare Nadji for the sacrifice.
the captain makes a break for it and the savages do him in. Tyba runs back to his temple. he then appears in front of the savages and freeing our heroes.
then Yogi tells Chandu to renounce his love for Nadji and go rescue her (huh?). the savages go and attack Kong's wall again.
the ceremony begins and Ossana rises from the dead. Chamdu appears and stops the ceremony in a neat display of effects and destroys the temple and rescues Nadji!
back aboard the steamer Octuros Bob handles the press (ineptly) and they try to take pictures of the new Mr and Mrs. Chandler but the happy couple fades from site.
the end
this really was an odd serial. there are some unusual chapter breaks, and the previous episode was one long flashback- perhaps so they could get 12 chapters?- but it was nice to see Bela as a hero. it really doesn't have a lot of slam bang action in it though.
i'd kind of like to see the movie now, but this was pretty creaky all in all. this is the Vintage presentation of the serial, and the sound is a bit murky overall. picture is OK.
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Post by Shonokin on Jul 19, 2005 13:30:41 GMT -8
It's true that Bela made for a good protagonist. He's also great as an ambivalent shady/sympathetic character in The Phantom Ship. It's too bad he didn't get to do a broader spectrum of roles.
Was that his choice or was he typecast since Dracula?
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Post by celamowari on Jul 28, 2005 19:50:37 GMT -8
I think it was probably a bit of both. From the looks of his filmography, Bela took just about any role he was offered. That kind of thing will eventually get you typecase as someone who will appear in all sorts of awful movies.
It's worth noting that he only played Dracula (in name, anyway) on the big screen one more time and that was in the Abbot and Costello movie.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Jul 28, 2005 21:35:56 GMT -8
it is too bad Bela wasn't a little more circumspect about his roles. perhaps turning down Frankenstein scarred him. it's too bad, since he is almost always good in everything he is in.
David
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Post by Shonokin on Jun 18, 2008 8:57:11 GMT -8
Good news! The movie CHANDU THE MAGICIAN with Bela as Roxor, is coming out soon with a restored print and even some extras! This is really a great movie, very entertaining and excellent production values.
From a Fox press release:
FOX HORROR CLASSICS: VOLUME TWO CHANDU THE MAGICIAN DRAGONWYCK DR. RENAULT’S SECRET Fox Home Entertainment Presents A Terrifying Trilogy Of Terror, Newly Restored And Remastered On A Three-Disc DVD Collection, Debuting On September 9th Just In Time For Halloween
Based on the addictively popular radio serial, Chandu The Magician (1932) stars the legendary Lugosi in a stunningly photographed thriller about an ingenious inventor with plans to dominate the human race – at all costs. In Dr. Renault’s Secret (1942), a scientist’s remote villa in the French countryside leads to a forbidden terror for anyone who encounters it. And lastly, multiple Academy® Award-winner* Joseph Mankiewicz directs an all-star cast of Hollywood legends, including Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and the original master of horror Vincent Price in Dragonwyck (1946), a riveting, atmospheric tale of gothic secrets and forbidden love. The spine-tingling Fox Horror Classics Volume Two DVD collection will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.98 U.S. / $21.98 Canada.
Chandu The Magician - Synopsis: Megalomaniac and would-be world dominator Roxor has kidnapped Robert Regent, along with his death ray invention, in hopes of using it to degenerate humanity into mindless brutes, leaving himself as Earth’s supreme intelligence. Faced with revealing the machine’s secrets or allowing his family to die a horrible death at the hands of Roxor, Regent’s only hope lies with the intervention of his brother-in-law, the be-turbaned yogi and magician Chandu, who has the power to make men see what is not there.
Chandu The Magician - DVD Features: · Commentary by Author Gregory William Mank · Masters of Magic: The World of Chandu featurette · Restoration Comparison · Still Gallery
Dr. Renault’s Secret – Synopsis: A young man visits his fiancée in a remote French villa where her scientist father (George Zucco) resides. There he meets Noel (J. Carrol Naish), Dr. Renault’s mysterious assistant, who has a strange attraction to Renault’s daughter. Soon he learns Noel’s true identity: he is an ape that was turned into a man by Renault’s bizarre experiments!
Dr. Renault’s Secret – DVD Features: · By the Book: Horror, Suspense, and Literary Inspiration featurette · Restoration Comparison · Trailer · Still Gallery
Dragonwyck - Synopsis: When Miranda Wells was invited to live with her dark and charming distant cousin Nicholas Van Ryan in order to school his daughter at Dragonwyck manor she was a naive farm girl. As she watches the dark secrets of the house unfold, she becomes more aware of selfishness, desire, and insanity while becoming more involved with Nicholas. The closer Miranda grows to the community and the Van Ryan’s, the more she wishes she had never come to Dragonwyck.
Dragonwyck DVD Features: · A House of Secrets: Exploring Dragonwyck featurette · “Dragonwyck” Radio Show Performed by Vincent Price and Gene Tierney – October 7, 1946 · Isolated Score Track · Restoration Comparison · Trailer · Still Galleries
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