Spy Smasher Chapter 1: "America Beware!" (1942)

★★★★★ · The Gold Standard for Cliffhanger Serials · Mister Curious · 2010-05-06

The film has everything a serial should: a dynamic hero, solid supporting characters, a fast-paced story, well-choreographed action scenes, and truly innovative cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. Kane Richmond delivers two charged performances in this serial, as the superheroic never-say-die Spy Smasher and as his less super but equally heroic twin brother Jack. Serials are often derided for poor acting, but Richmond was so convincing in creating two distinct personalities that I could immediately tell which brother he was portraying just by his facial expression and body language. To…