The Phantom Empire

1935

Mascot Master Serial

Big Sky Video

R4 DVD

Matt Levine of Mascot was a troubled man in the 1930s. His lead actor for serials, John Wayne, had gone elsewhere to star in full-length films rather than Mascot’s serials and his replacement, Ken Maynard, was only proving a reliable actor when sober (and that was rare). Levine hit on the idea of using Gene Autry, a young “singing cowboy” who had played in minor parts in other Mascot serials. Autry’s first serial was The Phantom Empire, in 12 episodes.

The idea for the serial is supposed to have come to writer Wallace McDonald while he was having a tooth extracted under the anaesthetic gas nitrous oxide (better known as laughing gas). This story is plausible as I can’t think of anyone who could write such a dreadful script and storyline while sober. It went into a very low-budget production and was a success.

In the serial Autry is part owner of a dude ranch, Radio Ranch, from which he makes a daily broadcast. Thus we get to hear Autry sing at least one corny song per episode. Despite Autry being billed as “the Singing Cowboy” the ranch is free of those annoying cows that might dirty Gene’s boots or spoil the perfect whiteness of his hat. His ranch is sitting on top of Murania, an underground empire of the lost tribe of Mu. This empire is under the control of Queen Tika and the work is done mainly by robots. With the robots doing the work the inhabitants are free to invent the silliest costumes and hats ever seen outside a parade of archbishops. Their power is provided by a huge lode of radium ore.

Back at the dude ranch a group of evil scientists has arrived to investigate the presence of the radium ore. They realise they must take over the underground empire but they can’t do this with the dude ranch inconveniently perched on top. They must remove Autry from the scene so the ranch will become derelict and they will be free to carry out their dastardly plot.

Autry is defended by a bunch of apparently parentless kids who call themselves the “Junior Thunder Riders” and ride around with ice buckets on their heads crying “To The Rescue!”. In each episode we get an Autry song, a cliffhanger ending, and a shot of Autry mounting his horse from behind (did I phrase that right? He gets into the saddle by vaulting over the rear of the horse, risking serious injury to his sensitive parts). We have the usual comic relief sidekicks, incompetent sheriff, and a few modern touches like an aeroplane.

It very soon becomes apparent that Autry was not a great actor, but he didn’t have much to work with in the inane script. What we do get is a serial so absolutely dreadful that it is hilariously funny. I guess audiences of the time weren’t so discerning, but in fairness it was aimed at the Saturday matinee crowd and probably met their expectations quite well. The serial is a piece of film history and has been lovingly restored, so get your popcorn, sit back, and enjoy The Phantom Empire.

There is a nice range of extras in the 2-DVD set, ranging from a brief biography of Gene Autry to a couple of his other films. Boots and Sadles (yes, that’s how they spelled it on the poster) is about turning a smug little English kid into a cowboy. Gene Autry Doe C Does is better unmentioned.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 4 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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