Before Star Wars There Was Flash Gordon. A long time ago, on a planet of peril, a great adventure took place. Of course I am speaking of FLASH (ah ~ ahhh!) Gordon! For some reason this serial is one of my favorites. There are two others with Buster Crabbe but they are not as entertaining, to me, and so I’ll just write about this one.
This serial, along with the others and Buck Rogers, had a lot of influence on a young George Lucas. If you’ve read any of the original treatments for “The Star Wars” then you Know It To Be True The episodic nature of the adventure, alone, is a dead giveaway to the relationship to the adventures on the planet Mongo and the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
I know that I am always saying this, but seriously watch this if you haven’t before. You need to go in with an opened mind and as little cynicism as possible. Have fun with it. It’s like a vintage toy from a bygone era. It is very fragile and won’t hold up to too much scrutiny, but if you take it for what it was, and still is, you will be rewarded with hours of play time fun.
So, if you get a chance to watch all thirteen chapters let me know what you thought of it. I know that I am not alone in my love of this Saturday matinee serial.
