Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of Freedom (1952)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Spencer Gordon Bennet
Fred F. Sears

Writers:

Royal K. Cole (writer)
Sherman L. Lowe (writer)

Release Date:

1 July 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Action

Tagline:

From the pages of America's leading comic magazine.

Plot:

Based on a successful comic book that began in 1941, the Blackhawks were seven flyers who banded together during WW II to fight the Nazis...

Plot Keywords:

Serial | Based On Comic | DC Comics | Sabotage | Character Name In Title

Cast

Kirk Alyn	...	Blackhawk
Carol Forman	...	Laska
John Crawford	...	Chuck
Michael Fox	...	Mr. Case / The Leader
Don C. Harvey	...	Olaf (as Don Harvey)
Rick Vallin	...	Stan / Boris
Larry Stewart	...	Andre
Weaver Levy	...	Chop Chop
Zon Murray	...	Bork
Nick Stuart	...	Cress
Marshall Reed	...	Aller
Pierce Lyden	...	Dyke
William Fawcett	...	Dr. J. Rolph [Chs. 4-7]
Rory Mallinson	...	Hodge [Chs. 11-14]
Frank Ellis	...	Hendrickson

Also Known As:

Blackhawk (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

242 min (15 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

French Ranch - Hidden Valley Road, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Blackhawk was a creation of the Late Will Eisner for Quality Comics, which was later bought out by DC Comics. According to the "Who's Who In The DC Universe" update, Blachawk's real name is Janos Prohaska, sometimes said to be Polish, other times said to be US-born. He's the leader of the seven-man Blackhawks team, a group of WW2 ace pilots who travel the world combating evil.

Good Action Serial from the Last Days of the Saturday Matinee

"Blackhawk" was one of the later serials released by Columbia in 1952. It was based on a popular comic book hero of the 40s and 50s. As a serial, it makes for an exciting and action packed series of adventures running 15 chapters. It contains most of the serial "cliches" such as the chief villain's identity not being revealed until the last chapter, car chases, exploding warehouses, plane crashes and of course, the endless fights.

It suffers from budgetary restraints. For example, there is no heroine, the various hide-outs are all laid out to look the same (a fact that the story never explains), there is basically only one airplane in evidence (each Blackhawk had his own plane in the comic), and Blackhawk's gang is "economy size" in comparison to the comic. Notwithstanding, the serial as directed by Spencer Bennet and Fred Sears, remains a fast-paced action packed adventure.

Heading the cast is Kirk (don't call me Superman) Alyn as Blackhawk, and the lovely Carol Forman (my favorite serial villainess) in another of her ice cold no nonsense portrayals. In the supporting cast are a number of "B" movie veterans. John Crawford, Rick Vallin (in a dual role) and Don Harvey are members of the Blackhawks and Marshall Reed, Zon Murray, Michael Fox, Pierce Lyden and Rory Mallison (unusually sadistic) are on the wrong side of the law.

The story involves the efforts of an unnamed foreign power seeking to steal a secret fuel cylinder from the U.S. for their own use and the Blackhawks efforts to thwart them. As is the case in most serials, the fuel cylinder changes hands back and forth several times over the course of the 15 chapters.

Sadly the era of serials was drawing to a close when "Blackhawk" was produced, and for Alyn and Forman this was to be their last serial. At any rate, "Blackhawk" remains one of the best of the latter day serials.