With some of the best fight scenes Hollywood ever produced, a viewer can only marvel at the quality of this excellent serial, called by many the best, or at least one of the best, ever.
With both Dave Sharpe and Yakima Canutt present, although un-billed and credited only here at IMDb and among knowledgeable movie fans, we have to expect the very best in stunt work. And we get it.
To repeat: Some of the best fight scenes ever produced in Hollywood.
From the very beginning, we get a beautifully effective use of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, with the "V" motif, "V for Victory," which is perfect for 1942.
It's very important to remember that 1942 context. Modern audiences are probably more used to pyrotechnics and glitz, of which there is none or very little.
But what we get is a great story, with some truth in the basic premise of the bad guys' plot: An intention to ruin the U.S. economy by flooding the country with counterfeit money. (This has a truthful basis: Several times in the last 100 years, warring nations, or cold-warring nations, have attempted to subvert an enemy's economy just that way. For example, the Germans during World War II, and North Korea more recently. They didn't succeed, but at least a couple of U.S. administrations took over and flooded the economy with pretty-nearly worthless Federal Reserve notes in such numbers, prices soared as much as 20 percent!)
We also get some good acting, some great directing, and some very great special effects from Republic's master, Howard Lydecker.
The good acting comes not only from the listed stars and "withs," but from all the stunt-men-bad-guys and from the good guys who might eventually get killed by the nefarious bad guys.
All in all, this is one great, one astonishingly great serial, available for home ownership, for rental from various sources, and for free at YouTube. Try to pick carefully. One uploader says his version is from a not-very-good VHS.
But this is one great adventure, one exciting serial, one thoroughly entertaining, even enthralling, movie experience. From Republic. I like the sound of that word. And I highly recommend "Spy Smasher."
With both Dave Sharpe and Yakima Canutt present, although un-billed and credited only here at IMDb and among knowledgeable movie fans, we have to expect the very best in stunt work. And we get it.
To repeat: Some of the best fight scenes ever produced in Hollywood.
From the very beginning, we get a beautifully effective use of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, with the "V" motif, "V for Victory," which is perfect for 1942.
It's very important to remember that 1942 context. Modern audiences are probably more used to pyrotechnics and glitz, of which there is none or very little.
But what we get is a great story, with some truth in the basic premise of the bad guys' plot: An intention to ruin the U.S. economy by flooding the country with counterfeit money. (This has a truthful basis: Several times in the last 100 years, warring nations, or cold-warring nations, have attempted to subvert an enemy's economy just that way. For example, the Germans during World War II, and North Korea more recently. They didn't succeed, but at least a couple of U.S. administrations took over and flooded the economy with pretty-nearly worthless Federal Reserve notes in such numbers, prices soared as much as 20 percent!)
We also get some good acting, some great directing, and some very great special effects from Republic's master, Howard Lydecker.
The good acting comes not only from the listed stars and "withs," but from all the stunt-men-bad-guys and from the good guys who might eventually get killed by the nefarious bad guys.
All in all, this is one great, one astonishingly great serial, available for home ownership, for rental from various sources, and for free at YouTube. Try to pick carefully. One uploader says his version is from a not-very-good VHS.
But this is one great adventure, one exciting serial, one thoroughly entertaining, even enthralling, movie experience. From Republic. I like the sound of that word. And I highly recommend "Spy Smasher."