Tag: Man Hunt

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 7: Hideout of Terror

There’s a hideout in Hideout of Terror, but there’s no actual terror in that hideout.

Most of the chapter is kidnapped Joan Woodbury being traded between kidnappers. First it’s Jack Ingram, then he gets nabbed by Wheeler Oakman. Ingram gets most of the chapter’s action–he’s got to leave Woodbury in the Hideout to get orders from boss George Meeker–followed by doofuses Syd Saylor and Joe Devlin.

Though Saylor proves a lot smarter than Devlin, which isn’t a surprise. They’re trying to find Woodbury, but only know her car is missing. Eventually main copper Kane Richmond gets involved but he’s no more effective than anyone else. The purpose of Hideout is to stall long enough for Woodbury to get to her mark for the cliffhanger.

Eventually there a shootouts and fisticuffs and chase scenes and an abandoned mine (where Woodbury needs to get). But Woodbury gets almost no lines in the chapter and, even when she’s in the action being pursued, the chapter follows the pursuers.

Makes one forget why the serial’s called Brenda Starr, given how little Woodbury actually gets to do. But if it weren’t called Brenda Starr, it’d just be Bland Columbia Serial, so maybe not.

CREDITS

Directed by Wallace Fox; screenplay by Ande Lamb and George H. Plympton, based on the comic strip by Dale Messick; director of photography, Ira H. Morgan; edited by Charles Henkel Jr.; music by Edward J. Kay; produced by Sam Katzman; released by Columbia Pictures.

Starring Joan Woodbury (Brenda Starr), Kane Richmond (Lt. Larry Farrell), Syd Saylor (Chuck Allen), George Meeker (Frank Smith), Wheeler Oakman (Heller), Cay Forester (Vera Harvey), Marion Burns (Zelda), Lottie Harrison (Abretha), Ernie Adams (Charlie), Jack Ingram (Kruger), Anthony Warde (Muller), John Merton (Joe Schultz), William ‘Billy’ Benedict (Pesky), and Joe Devlin (Sgt. Tim Brown).

RELATED

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 6: Man Hunt

Man Hunt is exasperating. All of it. Copper Kane Richmond, who didn’t have the most fantastic part of the previous chapter’s cliffhanger, gets all the resolution. When the story gets back to Joan Woodbury, her initial shock has worn off and she’s just trying to get Wheeler Oakman to leave her alone. Oakman’s holding Woodbury and cousin Lottie Harrison captive, but he’s not too violent a guy. He just wants the information Woodbury has and it belongs to him after all.

Only he’s not too bright and lets Woodbury get a message along to Syd Saylor. Now, most of Brenda Starr to this point has established Saylor himself isn’t too bright, yet Saylor is able to save the day.

Just long enough for Woodbury to regroup and get kidnapped again.

There’s some more with Richmond, who’s getting to be even more of a yawn and he was an abject bore from chapter one, and villain George Meeker. There are hints the “Big Boss”–the one who only communicates over the radio–might have some secrets he doesn’t want his underlings to know about.

Sounds like a good story for Woodbury; too bad she’s just playing hostage, traded between various elements.

In addition to Saylor getting a moment, which works out (even if it’s Saylor the hero, not Saylor the goof), but William ‘Billy’ Benedict also gets a bit and he’s just too much.

CREDITS

Directed by Wallace Fox; screenplay by Ande Lamb and George H. Plympton, based on the comic strip by Dale Messick; director of photography, Ira H. Morgan; edited by Charles Henkel Jr.; music by Edward J. Kay; produced by Sam Katzman; released by Columbia Pictures.

Starring Joan Woodbury (Brenda Starr), Kane Richmond (Lt. Larry Farrell), Syd Saylor (Chuck Allen), George Meeker (Frank Smith), Wheeler Oakman (Heller), Cay Forester (Vera Harvey), Marion Burns (Zelda), Lottie Harrison (Abretha), Ernie Adams (Charlie), Jack Ingram (Kruger), Anthony Warde (Muller), John Merton (Joe Schultz), William ‘Billy’ Benedict (Pesky), and Joe Devlin (Sgt. Tim Brown).

RELATED

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch06 – Man Hunt

Man Hunt is exasperating. All of it. Copper Kane Richmond, who didn’t have the most fantastic part of the previous chapter’s cliffhanger, gets all the resolution. When the story gets back to Joan Woodbury, her initial shock has worn off and she’s just trying to get Wheeler Oakman to leave her alone. Oakman’s holding Woodbury and cousin Lottie Harrison captive, but he’s not too violent a guy. He just wants the information Woodbury has and it belongs to him after all.

Only he’s not too bright and lets Woodbury get a message along to Syd Saylor. Now, most of Brenda Starr to this point has established Saylor himself isn’t too bright, yet Saylor is able to save the day.

Just long enough for Woodbury to regroup and get kidnapped again.

There’s some more with Richmond, who’s getting to be even more of a yawn and he was an abject bore from chapter one, and villain George Meeker. There are hints the “Big Boss”–the one who only communicates over the radio–might have some secrets he doesn’t want his underlings to know about.

Sounds like a good story for Woodbury; too bad she’s just playing hostage, traded between various elements.

In addition to Saylor getting a moment, which works out (even if it’s Saylor the hero, not Saylor the goof), but William ‘Billy’ Benedict also gets a bit and he’s just too much.