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Post by Xenorama ™ on Sept 16, 2007 12:44:06 GMT -8
Rod Cameron ... Agent Rex Bennett
Roland Got ... Agent Chang Sing
Constance Worth ... Agent Vivian Marsh
Nino Pipitone ... Oyama Haruchi
Noel Cravat ... Ranga
George J. Lewis ... Lugo
Maxine Doyle ... Marie [Ch.8]
Donald Kirke ... Pier 17 Thug [Ch.1]
Ivan Miller ... Pier 17 Customs Inspector [Ch.1]
Walter Fenner ... Williams, financial agent [Ch.1]
C. Montague Shaw ... Prof. Nicholson [Ch. 3-4]
Harry Burns ... Tony Mills [Ch. 4, 12-13]
Forbes Murray ... James Kennedy [Ch. 12]
Hooper Atchley ... Harrison J. Caldwell [Ch.5]
Robert Homans ... Captain Gorman [Ch. 12-13]
this is highly regarded as one of the best serials ever made. the cliffhangers are said to be very well integrated into the story.
i saw parts of this in the afternoon on Channel 4, but was never home enough to see entire serial. and that's been 30 years or more!
plot: American, British and Chinese secret agents battle the Japanese Black Dragon Society, a secretive ring that smuggles enemy agents into the U.S. disguised as mummies.
CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Yellow Peril
2. Japanese Inquistion
3. Arsenal of Doom
4. Deadly Sorcery
5. Celestial Murder
6. Death and Destruction
7. The Iron Monster
8. Beast of Tokyo
9. Watery Grave
10.The Dragon Strikes
11.Suicide Mssion
12.Dead on Arrival
13.Condemned Cargo
14.Flaming Coffin
15.Democracy in Action
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Sept 18, 2007 20:30:31 GMT -8
Japanese spies are doing some awful things in England, and they are headed to Los Angeles. Rex is assigned to the "Black Dragon Society" working on terrorism and espionage. Rex is to meet Vivian (the British agent) on the plane.
naturally, the Black Dragons get to her first, and a gunfight breaks out. Chang helps him out. they tell him Haruchi is going to enter the States and lead that arm of the Black Dragons. they arrive just in time to have a fistfight break out. Vivian runs in to help, but Haruchi uses her to get away.
the Dragons have complete control of the Pacific Marine Paint Company, which they will use to spread terror by using a chemical to make the ships catch fire. it works really well, until Rex gloms onto how the ships are burning. they set out to investigate, and Vivian gets captured. Chang and Rex show up and a fist fight breaks out. in the melee' a fire gets started. the place explodes with Vivian and Rex inside!
next~ Japanese Inquisition
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Post by Shonokin on Sept 19, 2007 11:44:31 GMT -8
Caught the first episode during lunch just now. (Thanks David!)
Nice solid intro and set up into the serial. Vivian Marsh I have a feeling is going to be very Lois Lane-like, getting her snooping self into jams all the time.
Nice tight cliffhanger at the end there, making me actually want to find out how the heck THAT will be resolved. I'm guessing Vivian has a really tough box. Man does that sound wrong! ;D
The portrayal of Japanese is not as badly stereotyped as it could be (no coke bottle glasses and buck teeth) which says something for a serial made at this time in history.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Sept 22, 2007 15:19:07 GMT -8
i also like how Chang doesn't have an accent either. Vivian is a very proper Englishwoman.
Chang breaks open the door and our heroes escape right before the explosion. Rex gets the Marine Paint shut down, and Chang volunteers to go undercover in the Black Dragons. despite helping a spy escape, Haruchi wants Chang dead. naturally, this causes a fistfight to break out (complete with some flips, rolls, kicks and even a jointlock). Chang defeats him and takes his place.
Haruchi is warned and plans a trap for Chang. Rex finds out, and the two spies get shot. he calls Vivian to tell her what's going on. Vivian also gets captured and they tie her to the saw! Rex arrives and a fistfight breaks out as Vivian gets closer and closer to the saw!
next~ Arsenal of Doom
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Sept 22, 2007 17:05:37 GMT -8
Chang gets free of his bonds, and grabbing a gun, blasts the control box which stops the saw. they head back to the store to see if there are any clues. Ranga has set a bomb there for them! Rex finds the bomb in time and pitches it out the window.
they take the listening devices and have it repaired. then Rex and Chang use it and find a Nazi sub. then they go to investigate the warehouse and a fistfight breaks out. gasoline gets spilled near all the explosives. our heroes get bested, and Ranga and Lugo lock the doors and set the place on fire, which naturally explodes!
next~ Deadly Sorcery
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Sept 26, 2007 19:48:38 GMT -8
Chang and Rex escape through a trap door that led to the water. Haruchi then sends his men to get Prof. Nicholson. Rex is guarding him, so naturally a fistfight breaks out. they manage to knock Rex out and capture the prof.
Haruchi wants to the sketches he made of the machine. they torture him to make him say where it is, and he later gets shot trying to escape.
Rex and Chang finds the late Prof's clues and it leads them to a warehouse, where another fistfight breaks out. Rex gets knocked out the window- a million floors up!
next~ Celestial Murder
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Sept 26, 2007 20:20:16 GMT -8
Rex grabs a firehose and saves himself that way. Vivian comes in with her gat blazing and they arrest Lugo. Haruchi tries to hire a lawyer to find out where Lugo is, but Caldwell tells him no. good thing Rex is following him!
Caldwell meets Haruchi who threatens his family, and then gets dropped into the pit after he tells Haruchi that Lugo is being taken to DC.
the villains have a man takeover as pilot and they rescue Lugo in the air. naturally a fistfight breaks out IN the plane. Rex gets conked out and Lugo jumps after breaking the controls. the plane crashes into the ground!
next~ Death and Destruction
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 2, 2007 21:03:29 GMT -8
Rex grabs the spare parachute and leaps to safety before the plane crashes. he sees Lugo leaving a general store in a car. when he goes in to question the mute clerk, a fight breaks out. he recovers a burnt note that tells him about the Boulder City job.
when Rex and Chang head out there, they run into the gang and a gunfight breaks out, then a fistfight. Rex heads to the top of the electric tower to cut the lines to prevent the explosions. then it explodes!
next~ The Iron Monster
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 2, 2007 21:24:57 GMT -8
Rex cuts the cord and leaps down on top of the truck, but he and Chang get knocked off as it drives off. our heroes later set up a trap for three known Black Dragon members. Rex arrests Gordon after he contacts Haruchi.
Vivian is sent in undercover. she doubles the price Gordon wanted, so Ranga will take her to the Boss. Rex and Chang follow, and then a gunfight breaks out. one of the thugs sends a truck into the shack that Rex is in!
next~ Beast of Tokyo
Vivian changes her voice in this episode, and sounds a bit like Lady Penelope
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 7, 2007 22:29:00 GMT -8
Rex leaps out a window right before the truck hits. later the Boss and Vivian parlay about her document. she wants him to go to her place to get the second half of the formula.
Haruchi gets her to give him her apartment number. when Ranga and Lugo get there, a fistfight breaks out. the gang runs, and reports back to the Boss, who then uncovers Vivian's ID.
Rex and Chang are on the way, and naturally a fistfight breaks out while Vivian is facing doom from two globes!
next~ Watery Grave
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 7, 2007 23:07:03 GMT -8
oh, he said "spears" not "spheres"!
Rex cuts Vivian's bonds just in time for her to move her head to avoid the spear! they find a list of names and round up a ton of Axis agents. that makes Haruchi change how he signals his boats.
US Naval boats are being sunk at a tremendous rate. agent Z-24 tries to get some info to Rex, but gets shot. Rex and Chang investigate, and end up at Seamen's Laundry, where a fistfight breaks out. they figure out it's the laundry being used to send code messages out to sea.
Rex goes after the boat and when he gets there a fistfight breaks out. the guns shoot holes into the fuel lines of the sub and naturally a fire ignites and the boat explodes!
next~ The Dragon Strikes
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 21, 2007 20:36:08 GMT -8
Rex climbs out of the sub and into his little boat before the sub explodes. Haruchi then plans to send a false musical message to Rex to send him into a trap.
Rex gets to Bernell's place and a fistfight breaks out. then the Black Dragon man shows up and Bernell squeals about the real plan. Rex heads over to stop that, and a fistfight breaks out!
the train is bearing down on him as he hangs from the trestle and the plunger is pushed- kaboom!
next~ Suicide Mission
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Oct 21, 2007 20:59:14 GMT -8
Rex drops into the water below, but the train made it through safely! Haruchi wants to steal a new robot plane. the Black Dragon shows up to steal the control truck and a fistfight breaks out. Rex gets knocked into a gully and they steal the truck.
Chang goes to look for it and he finds Rex. the BD succeeds in taking the plane, but Vivian follows in another one. Rex catches up to the gang as they have loaded munitions into the robot plane and the obligatory battles break out.
Rex gets in the robot plane and then gets shot down- the plane crashes in flames!
next~ Dead on Arrival
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Nov 3, 2007 21:33:08 GMT -8
Rex leaps out in plenty of time before the plane crashes. James Kennedy is arriving from DC, and Haruchi plans to kidnap him. he impersonates Wong Ki and infiltrates the meeting.
he drugs Kennedy and Chang, and fakes his own death after he steals the plans to the television secret. Rex finally remembers that there was a raven in the room and goes to investigate.
Haruchi's men revive him. Rex finds the real Wong Ki and a fistfight breaks out between him and the "butler". after defeating him, Rex takes off after the ambulance. as Rex follows them over a bridge, the bridge explodes!
next~ Condemned Cargo
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Nov 3, 2007 22:00:17 GMT -8
Rex sees the grenade and leaps out of the car in time. by the time Rex gets back he's doped out the whole scheme of how Haruchi got the television camera plans out. Rex gets to Tony's place before Haruchi does, and a fistfight breaks out.
the raven gets out and alerts Haruchi that something has happened to Tony. he sends his gang out and they get the drop on Rex. naturally a fistfight breaks out.
Rex gets away in a boat, and the gang gives chase. Ranga pitches a harpoon that knocks Rex out and his boat goes over the dam!
next~ Flaming Coffin
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Nov 9, 2007 23:28:37 GMT -8
Rex leaps out just before the boat goes over the falls and swims to safety. they decide to let Haruchi think Rex is dead and the camera controls are lost. they then plant a story about Rex being found unconscious at Glenn Falls.
naturally, Hugo and Ranga show up to get Rex. and of course, a fistfight breaks out in the hospital room. they overpower Rex and take him hostage to escape. Vivian follows them in her car. before they can kill Rex, Chang shows up to make the save. guess what happens then?
after the melee, Rex gives chase to Ranga, who peppers the road with grenades. one hits Rex' car and explodes!
last chapter: Democracy in Action
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Nov 9, 2007 23:52:04 GMT -8
Rex sees the burning fuse in the rear view mirror and leaps out of the car just in time and also shoots Hugo dead. Rex runs after the truck, while Vivian and Chang follow in their car.
he gets to a warehouse and a fistfight breaks out. Rex gets knocked out and captured. Haruchi plans on leaving the base in case Rex has told anyone else. before he can kill Rex, Chang appears. he kills Ranga and frees Rex, and they follow Haruchi out to the sub. Rex jumps on the boat (with all the TNT) and gets into a fight with Haruchi. the sub surfaces, Rex knocks Haruchi out and it crashes into the sub and explodes, blasting the villains away!
Vivian and Chang return to their respective countries and all is well!
notes: this really does deserve it's reputation. the fights never feel tacked on at all. Cameron does a great job as Rex, and Chang is never treated poorly either.
the action is all really well done, and we get some judo throws and interesting stuff in here. i would have loved a kung fu serial, that's for sure. i'd love to see this get a quality release.
i'm surprised the patriotism is so muted here. it's present, as it should be, but never overplayed. and Vivian doesn't fall in love with Rex!
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