Spy Smasher (1942)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Sadly Over-hyped

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The cliffhanger to chapter eleven is one of the most unusual and bizarre in the entire history of the movie serial in that it's not resolved. There are no cheats, no last-second surprises. It actually happens just the way you see it. Unlike most serials, the final chapter sees no let-up in chase and fight action. In fact Lydecker does some of his most thrilling work. All told, "Spy Smasher" is a very cleverly made and most attractive serial which belies its rapid shooting time and modest negative cost. Full marks to solo debut director William Witney.This was one of the best of the war-time Republic serials, with some marvelous action scenes, stuntwork and Lydecker explosions, set against striking natural backgrounds. The direction has both style and flair with some fine camera set-ups and visually exciting high angle shots. The plot, too, whilst following a well-worn path, rings some surprising changes on its well-worn theme (people are actually killed and the villains actually succeed in blowing up the munitions plant) and the ingenious device of twin brothers is effectively exploited in impressively realistic special effects. The cast too is a cut above the usual average, with a fine performance by Kane Richmond in his dual role.Production values are also first-class. Most of the film was made on location, with many changes of scene and an unusual number of interior sets.The Director: William Witney is one of the kings of both the serial and "B" western. He regards his best film as Stranger at My Door (1956). Of his 88 other features and serials, the most famous are Bells of San Angelo (1947) starring Roy Rogers, Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) starring Tom Tyler, Jungle Girl (1941) starring Frances Gifford, and Perils of Nyoka (1942) starring Kay Aldridge.

There's a reason why serial fans call Spy Smasher one of the best serial movies ever made. But I don't think they go far enough. Spy Smasher is one of the best ACTION movies ever made...This movie has something which modern action/superhero movies don't. As much as I enjoyed Justice League and Captain America: Winter Soldier, the stunts and the fight scenes never feel as real as they do in the old serials. I don't believe that Henry Cavill can fly, but I know that Commandy Cody does. And I'm sorry Cap, but that's not fighting, it's dancing. Modern filmmakers are too obsessed about stunts/fights looking "cool" or "beautiful". In reality, they're just silly and predictable. And way too long.Old movie: Punch punch block punch! Villains fall down! Hero gets punched in face and falls on his butt! Punch punch! Someone picks up a chair and throws it! Punch!Modern movie: Punch block kick block slow motion punch! "Sexy" villainess head tilt! Hero wipes blood from lip! Hero jumps up in the air and spins around before kicking villain four times in a row! Blood flying through air in slow motion! CGI monsters kill CGI robots!There's no CGI, wires or slow motion in Spy Smasher. Just real people doing real stunts. It looks and feels like the hero is in actual danger and could be hurt or killed by the villains. It's more intense than any of the Die Hard movies.And best of all, there's no unnecessary sex scenes or gory violence in it. It's mostly safe to watch with the rest of the family (ages 7 and up). Now imagine if they combined the qualities of the old comic book movies (real action, no vulgar content, more heroic characters) with the modern ones (complex characters, better costumes, better writing and acting). That would be the best superhero movie ever.

One reviewer, who clearly didn't pay much attention to the serial, says that Spy Smasher falls off a building and dies...then in the last chapter DOESN'T die. Well, that's plain silly. If anyone just watches the movie (I mean, you don't even have to pay super-close attention), you will see that it is Spy Smasher's twin brother Jack, who has donned the costume, gets shot and falls off the building. He does indeed die! But he isn't Spy Smasher! His brother Alan is...and has been the entire serial. His twin brother is no last chapter reveal...he's there from Chapter One. Wake up before you write a review...or at least watch the movie.

Possible spoilers.One of the best serials of the 1940s, Spy Smasher combines action and clever cliffhangers with a superb double role for its star, Kane Richmond, as well as an enjoyable cast. Richmond stars as twin brothers Alan and Jack Armstrong during the period just before and immediately into US involvement in the Second World War. Jack is fiancé to Eve Corby, the daughter of the recently-appointed director of foreign intelligence, Admiral Corby. Alan is a former news writer who faked his death in France during the Nazi conquest in order to begin building a network within the Resistance that will help him fight the Nazis on their own ground.Now, however, he must fight them in the US, as a Nazi intelligence officer, known as the Mask for his use of a mask when communicating with collaborators in the US, has hatched a scheme to flood counterfeit money into the US, the first of a series of sabotage efforts that bring out the intervention of Spy Smasher and Jack in a series of encounters with the Mask's henchmen.The running battle with the Mask's men, however, leads to tragedy, as Eve is kidnapped and an attempt at rescue proves fatal, leading to Eve's discovery of Spy Smasher's identity and eventually to a final showdown with the Mask amid a Nazi submarine attack on a US industrial base.