The Phantom Creeps (1939)

A military intelligence officer and a pretty reporter try to find a scientist whose inventions can destroy the world.

Directors:

Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind

Writers:

George H. Plympton (screenplay) (as George Plympton), Basil Dickey (screenplay)

Stars:

Bela Lugosi, Robert Kent, Dorothy Arnold

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bela Lugosi	...	Dr. Alex Zorka
Robert Kent	...	Capt. Bob West
Dorothy Arnold	...	Jean Drew
Edwin Stanley	...	Dr. Fred Mallory
Regis Toomey	...	Jim Daly
Jack C. Smith	...	Monk
Edward Van Sloan	...	Jarvis [Chs. 2-12]
Dora Clement	...	Ann Zorka [Chs. 1-2] (as Dora Clemant)
Anthony Averill	...	Rankin - Henchman [Chs. 2-12]
Hugh Huntley	...	Perkins - Mallory's Lab Assistant [Chs. 2-12]
Monte Vandergrift	...	Al - Guard [Ch. 5]
Frank Mayo	...	Train Engineer [Ch. 6]
Jim Farley	...	Skipper [Ch. 9] (as James Farley)
Eddie Acuff	...	Mac - AMI Agent [Chs. 2-12]
Reed Howes	...	Signalman [Ch. 10]

Storyline

"The Phantom Creeps" was Universal's 44th sound-era serial (between "The Oregon Trail" and "The Green Hornet") and was re-issued to theaters in 1949 by Commonwealth Pictures Corporation, a distribution set-up handling primarily Universal re-issues. Commonwealth had no hand at all in the production of this serial (as incorrectly shown on site) as they were a distribution company only. Some sources mistakenly identify them as the serial producer because all of the 1949 re-issue prints (and the 16mm prints sold to television circa 1952) show "Commonwealth Pictures Corp. Presents" above the title.There is a whole lot of difference between "presenting" and "producing", a fact that some sources appear to not know or don't care. The serial is of interest to some collectors as it re-unites Bela Lugosi and Edwin Stanley from 1931's "Dracula", and the crater-discovery of the meteorite fragment by Zorka in the serial is stock footage from Universal's 1936 "The Invisible Ray." The stock footage ...

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Plot Keywords:

serial | meteorite | spy | laboratory | explosion | 

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Taglines:

A BLAZE OF DYNAMITE ACTION! Crashing...smashing...dashing through 12 spine-shivering chapters!

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Shadow Creeps

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

265 min (12 episodes) 78 min (edited feature film)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Professor Zorka is lowered into a pit while wearing a protective suit is taken from the film _The Invisible Ray (1936)_ and it is actually Boris Karloff inside of the costume, not Bela Lugosi.

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Goofs

During the car chase the reporter is shown driving on the right side of the car, although before and after the chase plus in overhead shots she is shown correctly on the left side.

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Quotes

[after surviving a car crash, Zorka notices the hitch hiker they picked up, who looks like him, is dead.]
Dr. Alex Zorka: How fortunate, this will simplify everything!

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Alternate Versions

This serial was edited down to a feature film running 78 minutes and also titled "The Phantom Creeps."

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Connections

Featured in Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (1997)

User Reviews

A Saturday Afternoon Serial

Enjoyed this Classic Bela Lugosi film which was probably shown to audiences every Saturday in the afternoon and evenings along with two (2)other feature "B" movies, cartoons and a newsreel all for the cost of .35 cents in 1939 and probably less money than that amount. This film was a head of its time, with a great Sci-Fi story and robot to go along with the entire horror. There is plenty of action, airplane crashes, jumping out of planes and bombs going off and one crazy looking robot. Dorothy Arnold appeared in this film as a reporter for a newspaper who was always popping up at the wrong time. Dorothy was very attractive and with a sexy figure who was once married to Joe DiMaggio, the famous baseball player who later married Marilyn Monroe. Bela Lugosi gave an outstanding performance and was making films like three or four in one month. Enjoy a great Horror/Sci-Fi Oldie.