The Flash Gordon Serials, 1936-1940

Flash Gordon, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, the most expensive and popular movie serials ever made, have been favorites of movie and comic fans for decades. The first serial was even designated a cultural treasure after being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1996.This is the first book-length guide to the serials. Arranged in a chapter-by-chapter format conforming to the structure of the three original films, the work provides full cast and crew information, plot synopses, and production notes for each film. The work also includes a wealth of background information on the films and more than 150 photographs, along with interview quotations from cast members Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, and Caroll Borland. Three appendices provide an overview of the serial film Buck Rogers (1939), select filmographies for 50 of the most prominent Flash Gordon cast and crew members, a complete list of the serials' film and television remakes.

Roy Kinnard is the author of numerous books on such topics as Flash Gordon, science fiction serials, Fay Wray, horror, silent films and Willis O'Brien. Commercial artist Tony Crnkovich is coauthor (with Kinnard) of The Films of Fay Wray (McFarland, 2005). R.J. Vitone owns and operates a variety store that deals in comic books and comics-related memorabilia. All three reside in Chicago.