Raiders Of Ghost City (VCI)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Chapters: C+
VCI
continues its wide-ranging release of Western Serials with Universal’s 1944
Western Raiders Of Ghost City, in
which Prussian (read German) spies are starting to interfere with the U.S. late
in The Civil War! Yes, as silly and
crazy as that reads, that is what you get in essentially another anti-Axis WWII
propaganda piece. Lionel Atwill is the
villain and Dennis Moore the hero who intends to stop him.
As
awkward as the story might be, co-directors Lewis B. Collins and Ray Taylor
created one of the more serious serials here.
The fights might leave something to be desired and cliffhangers a bit
mixed, but it shows a sort of atypical maturing of serials that run contrary to
the audience of children they were serving.
The realities of WWII could not help but seep into even the most
unrealistic of entertainment. That does
not make this or any other serial a Noir of any kind, but it does make this one
unique and worth a look for anyone serious about a study of the long-gone
entertainment form.
The 1.33
X 1 image varies throughout in quality, but the prints VCI has here are only so
good, being at least one or two generations down. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is the same, with
dated fidelity, though these were relatively simple soundtracks to begin
with. Extras include trailers for other
Western serials and text on some of the cast and crew. Overall, an above average entry finally on
DVD.
- Nicholas Sheffo
