The Adventures of Smilin' Jack - Classic Comic Book Series | Collectible Graphic Novels for Adults & Comic Enthusiasts | Perfect for Gifts, Display & Nostalgic Reading

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "The Adventures of Smilin' Jack" (1943) --- "very loosely" based on the comic strip by Zack Martin - 13 Chapters of vintage serial episodes in beautiful Black & White --- story line (from Wikipedia) In 1941, an American aviator, 'Smilin' Jack' Martin wishes to resign as an advisor to the Nationalist Chinese Army in order to return to the United States to enlist as an aviator in America's military buildup prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is delayed when the Chinese discover that the neutral Tibetan like Mandon "Province" contains a secret road from India to China crucial for the Allied war effort. Determined to obtain the secret for themselves, or equally determined to have the secret destroyed is the Japanese espionage organization "The Black Samurai" and the German intelligence agent Fräulein von Teufel who masquerades as an American newspaper reporter.Starring Tom Brown (as Smilin' Jack Martin) and Marjorie Lord (as Janet Thompson). Also in supporting roles (from the adventures of Charlie Chan) Keye Luke (as Captain Wing), Sidney Toler (as General Kai Ling), and Philip Ahn (as Wu Tan).CHAPTER TITLES:1. The High Road to Doom2. The Rising Sun Strikes3. Attacked by Bombers4. Knives of Vengeance5. A Watery Grave6. Escape by Clipper7. Fifteen Fathoms Below8. Treachery at Sea9. The Bridge of Peril10. Blackout in the Islands11. Held for Treason12. The Torture Fire Test13. Sinking the Rising SunFirst, let me say that I am a fan of Movie Serials from the 40s and 50s, especially Flash Gordon, Buck Rodgers, the Green Hornet, the Phantom, etc, but I had never heard of the "Adventures of Smilin' Jack" (and quite frankly the name kind of turned me off), but I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. Plenty of action, great sets, great cliff hangers, and the acting (well it is a movie serial from the 40s after all)......One device that I really liked was the re-cap at the beginning of each episode. On several other Movie Serials, the last 2 -3 minutes of each episode is "exactly" re-run in the first 2 - 3 minutes of the next episode. When this was run in theaters on a weekly basis I guess this was fine, but when you watch serials today (usually several chapters in a row), this gets very monotonous. However, in this serial, the beginning of each episode is a brand new scene, usually with the actors discussing / recapping what has just taken place (either explaining to another actor or talking to someone on the telephone), followed by maybe 20 to 30 second of rerun footage. While this is still a rehash of what just took place, it is a fresh new approach, and feels like the creators of the serial made a effort and spent a little extra time and effort to enhance the story.A couple of personal comments, for those not familiar with movies from the 40s, there are some references to the Japanese (and to a smaller extent the Germans) that is not exactly PC (by today's standards), but after all we were at war at the time (and I have heard and seen far worse).I am sure that someone else can explain the sound and look of the picture in much more technical detail then I could, I can only say that I had no problem viewing or hearing the film, with maybe some very minor issues (but after all it is over 70 years old).Once again great job by VCI Entertainment, keep up the great work guys....Finally, if you are not a fan of Movie Serials (or Black and White movies in general) than I cannot help you, but if you are a fan of old movies / old Movie Serials, then give this a try, you will not be disappointed.