The Crimson Ghost
Encyclopedia
The Crimson Ghost is a Republic
film serial
directed by Fred C. Brannon
and William Witney
with Charles Quigley
and Linda Stirling
playing the leads. This was Witney's last serial, after a career that left him one of the most praised of all serial directors. The serial was re-released as a six-episode television series in the 1950s and as a television film called Cyclotrode "X" in 1966. In the 1990s The Crimson Ghost was one of only two Republic serials to be colorised. The villain of the serial, the Crimson Ghost of the title, is one of the most visually striking of the medium. The horror punk band Misfits adapted his visage as their skull logo, and he has appeared in the music video for the song "The Number of the Beast
" by Iron Maiden
.
, the eponymous Crimson Ghost, is determined to steal a counter atomic device known as Cyclotrode X, which can short out any electrical device.
was $161,174 (a $23,262, or 16.9%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1946 It was filmed between 28 March and 24 April 1946 under the working title The Scarlet Shadow. The serial's production number was 1597.
In order to prevent the audience deducing the identity of the Crimson Ghost, the studio cast stunt-man Bud Geary
to embody the villain while several actors supplied the voice, including I. Stanford Jolley
. Jolley's role was minor but he received fourth-billing and was therefore highly suspect. When The Crimson Ghost was unmasked in the 12th and final chapter, he proved to be yet another actor entirely, Joseph Forte, who had played a character seemingly above suspicion at that point in the serial.
Television's Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore
, played a rare villainous role in this serial as one of the Crimson Ghost's henchmen, a cold-hearted gangster named Ashe. This was director William Witney
's last serial. His first was The Painted Stallion
in 1937
and prior to this production had temporarily left the serial business to serve in World War II
.
Source:
EP , the band's third single, would be the first time that the character would appear on a release by the band. It would continue to be used as the band's mascot and its skull image continues serve as the Misfits' logo.
Iron Maiden
have also used the Crimson Ghost in their "The Number of the Beast
" music video.
In Halloween (2007 film)
a little boy (Skyler Gisondo playing Tommy Doyle) is wearing a Crimson Ghost costume.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
film serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
directed by Fred C. Brannon
Fred C. Brannon
Fred C. Brannon was an American film director of the 1940s and 1950s.He directed over 40 films between 1945 and his death.His first film The Purple Monster Strikes in 1945 was co-directed with Spencer Gordon Bennett....
and William Witney
William Witney
William Nuelsen Witney was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the movie serials he co-directed with John English for Republic Pictures such as Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu.He directed many Westerns during his career,...
with Charles Quigley
Charles Quigley
Charles Quigley , was an American actor.- Career :Born in New Britain, Connecticut, USA, Quigley He starred in many serial and movies: "Speed to Spare" - "The Shadow" - "Convicted" and "Special Inspector" with Rita Hayworth - Secret Evidence - A Woman's Face - "The Crimson Ghost" you best film....
and Linda Stirling
Linda Stirling
Linda Stirling was an American showgirl, model and actress. In her later years, she had a second career as a college English professor for more than two decades...
playing the leads. This was Witney's last serial, after a career that left him one of the most praised of all serial directors. The serial was re-released as a six-episode television series in the 1950s and as a television film called Cyclotrode "X" in 1966. In the 1990s The Crimson Ghost was one of only two Republic serials to be colorised. The villain of the serial, the Crimson Ghost of the title, is one of the most visually striking of the medium. The horror punk band Misfits adapted his visage as their skull logo, and he has appeared in the music video for the song "The Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast (song)
"The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's seventh single and the second single from Iron Maiden's 1982 album of the same name. The song is inspired by both a nightmare bandleader and bassist Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: Omen II, and the storyline of the poem Tam o' Shanter...
" by Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
.
Plot
A mysterious villainMasked Mystery Villain
A Masked Mystery Villain is a stock character in genre fiction. The Masked Mystery Villain was frequently used in the adventure stories of Pulp magazines and Movie Serials in the early twentieth century. They can also appear in Crime fiction to add to the atmosphere of suspense and suspicion...
, the eponymous Crimson Ghost, is determined to steal a counter atomic device known as Cyclotrode X, which can short out any electrical device.
Cast
- Charles QuigleyCharles QuigleyCharles Quigley , was an American actor.- Career :Born in New Britain, Connecticut, USA, Quigley He starred in many serial and movies: "Speed to Spare" - "The Shadow" - "Convicted" and "Special Inspector" with Rita Hayworth - Secret Evidence - A Woman's Face - "The Crimson Ghost" you best film....
as Duncan Richards - Linda StirlingLinda StirlingLinda Stirling was an American showgirl, model and actress. In her later years, she had a second career as a college English professor for more than two decades...
as Diana Farnsworth - Clayton MooreClayton MooreClayton Moore was an American actor best known for playing the fictional western character The Lone Ranger from 1949–1951 and 1954-1957 on the television series of the same name.-Early years:...
as Ashe - I. Stanford JolleyI. Stanford JolleyIsaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
as Doctor Blackton and the Voice of the Crimson Ghost - Kenne DuncanKenne DuncanKenne Duncan , born Kenneth Duncan MacLachlan, was a well-known B-movie character actor. Hyped professionally as "The Meanest Man in the Movies," the vast majority of his over 250 appearances on camera were Westerns, but he also did occasional forays into horror, crime drama, and science fiction...
as Professor Chambers - Forrest Taylor as Professor Van Wyck
- Emmett VoganEmmett VoganEmmett Vogan was an American actor with almost 500 film appearances from 1934–1954, making him one of the most prolific actors of all time.-External links:...
as Anderson - Sam Flint as Maxwell
- Joseph ForteJoseph ForteJoseph Xavier "Joe" Forte is an American professional basketball player.-Beginnings:Forte got his start at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. There, Forte played under the instruction of legendary high school prep coach Morgan Wootten. Forte's teammate at DeMatha, Keith Bogans,...
as Professor Parker - Stanley PriceStanley PriceStanley Price was an American film supporting actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1922 and 1956. He was born in Kansas, United States.-Career:...
as Count Fator
Production
The Crimson Ghost was budgeted at $137,912, although the final negative costNegative cost
Negative cost is the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. It does not include such costs as distribution and promotion.Low-budget movies, for example The Blair Witch Project, can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the negative cost.The term comes from the costs up to the...
was $161,174 (a $23,262, or 16.9%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1946 It was filmed between 28 March and 24 April 1946 under the working title The Scarlet Shadow. The serial's production number was 1597.
In order to prevent the audience deducing the identity of the Crimson Ghost, the studio cast stunt-man Bud Geary
Bud Geary
Bud Geary , was an American film actor. He appeared in 258 films between years 1920 and 1946.He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and died in Hollywood, California, aged 48.-Selected filmography:* Robin Hood...
to embody the villain while several actors supplied the voice, including I. Stanford Jolley
I. Stanford Jolley
Isaac Stanford Jolley, Sr., known as I. Stanford Jolley was a prolific American character actor of film and television, primarily in western roles as cowboys, law-enforcement officers, or villains...
. Jolley's role was minor but he received fourth-billing and was therefore highly suspect. When The Crimson Ghost was unmasked in the 12th and final chapter, he proved to be yet another actor entirely, Joseph Forte, who had played a character seemingly above suspicion at that point in the serial.
Television's Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore
Clayton Moore
Clayton Moore was an American actor best known for playing the fictional western character The Lone Ranger from 1949–1951 and 1954-1957 on the television series of the same name.-Early years:...
, played a rare villainous role in this serial as one of the Crimson Ghost's henchmen, a cold-hearted gangster named Ashe. This was director William Witney
William Witney
William Nuelsen Witney was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the movie serials he co-directed with John English for Republic Pictures such as Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu.He directed many Westerns during his career,...
's last serial. His first was The Painted Stallion
The Painted Stallion
The Painted Stallion is a 1937 Republic Movie serial. It was the sixth Republic serial of the sixty-six made by that company. Western serials such as this made up a third of the serials from Republic, a studio that was also heavily involved in making B-Western feature films at the time.This...
in 1937
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
and prior to this production had temporarily left the serial business to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Stunts
- Dale Van SickelDale Van SickelDale Harris Van Sickel was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years...
as Duncan Richards (doubling Charles Quigley) - Polly Burson as Diana Farnsworth (doubling Linda Stirling)
- Tom SteeleTom Steele (stuntman)Tom Steele was a stunt man and actor, best remembered for appearing in serials, especially those produced by Republic Pictures, in both capacities.-Early life:...
as Ashe (doubling Clayton MooreClayton MooreClayton Moore was an American actor best known for playing the fictional western character The Lone Ranger from 1949–1951 and 1954-1957 on the television series of the same name.-Early years:...
& I. Stanford Jolley) - Joe Yrigoyen as Duncan Richards & Count Fator (doubling Charles Quigley & Stanley Price)
Theatrical
The Crimson Ghosts official release date is 26 October 1946, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.Television
In the early 1950s, The Crimson Ghost was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes. The Crimson Ghost was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Cyclotrode "X". This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length. The Crimson Ghost was one of two Republic serials to be colorised in the 1990s.Critical reception
Cline believes that the Crimson Ghost is the most striking and visually fascinating villain in any film serial.Chapter titles
- Atomic Peril (20 min)
- Thunderbolt (13min 20s)
- The Fatal Sacrifice (13min 20s)
- The Laughing Skull (13min 20s)
- Flaming Death (13min 20s)
- Mystery of the Mountain (13min 20s)
- Electrocution (13min 20s)
- The Slave Collar (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
- Blazing Fury (13min 20s)
- The Trap that Failed (13min 20s)
- Double Murder (13min 20s)
- The Invisible Trail (13min 20s)
Source:
Influence
The poster for a March 28th, 1979 show at Max's Kansas City, featured the first use of the Crimson Ghost http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/133/crimson_ghost1.jpg by the band Misfits. The cover art for their Horror Business
Horror Business
"Horror Business" is the third single released by the horror punk band the Misfits. It was released on June 26, 1979 on singer Glenn Danzig's label Plan 9 Records....
EP , the band's third single, would be the first time that the character would appear on a release by the band. It would continue to be used as the band's mascot and its skull image continues serve as the Misfits' logo.
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
have also used the Crimson Ghost in their "The Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast (song)
"The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's seventh single and the second single from Iron Maiden's 1982 album of the same name. The song is inspired by both a nightmare bandleader and bassist Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: Omen II, and the storyline of the poem Tam o' Shanter...
" music video.
In Halloween (2007 film)
Halloween (2007 film)
Halloween is a 2007 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a remake/reimagining of the 1978 horror film of the same name, the first in the rebooted Halloween film series and the ninth Halloween film in total. The film stars Tyler Mane as the adult Michael...
a little boy (Skyler Gisondo playing Tommy Doyle) is wearing a Crimson Ghost costume.
See also
- List of film serials by year
- List of film serials by studio
- Misfits (band)