Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949)

The female leader of an international crime ring steals a valuable artifact that can give her the power to control men's minds. Federal agents are dispatched to get it back and stop her evil plans.

Director:

Fred C. Brannon

Writers:

Royal K. Cole (original screenplay), Basil Dickey (original screenplay),

Stars:

Kirk Alyn, Rosemary La Planche, Roy Barcroft

Cast

Cast overview:
Kirk Alyn	...	Insp. David Worth
Rosemary La Planche	...	Laura Keith
Roy Barcroft	...	Spade Gordon
Carol Forman	...	Nila
James Dale	...	Agent Steve Evans
Bruce Edwards	...	Prof. Paul Williams [Chs. 1-6]
James Craven	...	Prof. James Clayton [Chs. 1, 10-12]
Tristram Coffin	...	Frank Chambers [Ch. 8]
Tom Steele	...	Henchman Grey [Chs. 1-3] / Pilot Haskell [Chs. 4-5] / Henchman Larkin [Chs. 7-8] / Native #1[Ch. 11-12]
Dale Van Sickel	...	Henchman Mac / False Prof. Graves [Chs. 6-7] / Cave guard #1[Ch. 11]
Jack O'Shea	...	Ali [Chs. 1, 10-12]
Marshall Reed	...	Det. O'Hara [Ch. 9]
Robert J. Wilke	...	Zod, Pursuit Plane Pilot [Chs. 10-11] (as Bob Wilke)
Robert St. Angelo	...	Native #3 [Ch. 11]
Dave Anderson	...	Porter [Ch. 9]

Storyline

The female leader of an international crime ring steals a valuable artifact that can give her the power to control men's minds. Federal agents are dispatched to get it back and stop her evil plans.

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Plot Keywords:

federal agent | agent | art science | attorney | cave | 

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Taglines:

A WHIRLWIND OF ACTION-PACKED SERIAL THRILLS! (original poster - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 January 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crime Fighters vs. Underworld, Inc.

Box Office

Budget:

$156,120 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

167 min 167 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles: 1. The Golden Hands 2. Criminal's Lair 3. Death in Disguise 4. Fatal Evidence 5. The Trapped Conspirator 6. Wheels of Disaster 7. The Hidden Key 8. The Enemy's Mouthpiece 9. The Stolen Hand 10.Unmasked 11.Tombs of the Ancients 12.The Curse of Kurigal

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Connections

Edited into Golden Hands of Kurigal (1966)

User Reviews

Okay plot, great cast

The plot and action sequences of this serial are average for a latter-day Republic serial, but the nifty cast lifts it above the ordinary. Kirk "Superman" Alyn is very good in the action lead, Rosemary LaPlanche is fine as the heroine,and the dependable James Dale is a sturdy sidekick. In the villain's camp, the ubiquitous Roy Barcroft is superb, as always, and Carol Forman is menacing as the head of Underworld Inc., Nila. She also semi-reprises her role as The Spider Lady, in the Superman serial. Among the supporting cast are sometimes-serial lead Bruce Edwards (THE BLACK WIDOW), and James Craven. Marshal Reed and Tristam Coffin, who have both starred in other serials, have small parts as a police detective and a lawyer, respectively. As for the plot, which involves an Arab treasure, most of it is fairly standard stuff, but there is one unique (I think) twist that really comes as a surprise. This is a good serial, and Republic aficiandos should check it out.