Alan Armstrong, aka Spy Smasher, battles a Nazi villain known as The Mask, who heads a gang of saboteurs determined to spread destruction across America.
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Title: Spy Smasher (1942)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Kane Richmond | ... | Alan Armstrong / Spy Smasher / Jack Armstrong | |
| Marguerite Chapman | ... | Eve Corby | |
| Sam Flint | ... | Adm. Corby | |
| Hans Schumm | ... | The Mask | |
| Tristram Coffin | ... | Drake | |
| Franco Corsaro | ... | Capt. Pierre Durand [Chs. 1-4] | |
 |
Hans von Morhart | ... | Capt. Gerhardt [Chs. 1, 8, 12] (as Hans Von Morhart) |
|
|
Georges Renavent | ... | Gov. LeComte [Ch. 3] |
|
|
Rudolph Anders | ... | Dungeon Col. Von Kohr [Ch. 1] (as Robert O. Davis) |
|
|
Henry Zynda | ... | Ritter Lazar [Ch. 1] |
| Paul Bryar | ... | Lawlor | |
| Tom London | ... | Crane | |
| Richard Bond | ... | Henchman Hayes | |
|
|
Crane Whitley | ... | Hauser |
| John James | ... | Henchman Steve | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Alan Armstrong, aka Spy Smasher, battles a Nazi villain known as The Mask, who heads a gang of saboteurs determined to spread destruction across America.
Taglines:
AMERICA DECLARES ALL-OUT WAR ON SPIES AND SABOTEURS...And Spy-Smasher, the lone avenger, draws the toughest assignment of all (original print ad) See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
4 April 1942 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El terror de los espías See more »Filming Locations:
Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$156,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(12 chapters)Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Jack Armstrong: That's the third buoy they've picked up.
Spy Smasher: It's high time we got better acquainted!
See more »
based on Symphony No. 5 in C minor (Opus 67)
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Though Republic had the best stunt men in the business on hand, with the likes of Carey Loftin and David Sharpe and even Yakima Canutt, star Kane Richmond, who was quite an athlete, often insisted on doing his own stunts as "Spy Smasher" (this was back in the days when insurance issues were a lot more loose on movie sets). (This was pressbook publicity flack...Kane Richmond performed no stunts in this serial.) See more »Goofs
Chapter nine: You saw Jack puncture a hole in the "Armored Car". I don't believe it can be done, not with 1940s technology anyway. See more »Quotes
[while on patrol, Jack and Spy Smasher spot a suspicious boat]Jack Armstrong: That's the third buoy they've picked up.
Spy Smasher: It's high time we got better acquainted!
See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening credits are depicted as ...-, Morse code for V (victory), and the searchlights form a "V". See more »Soundtracks
Main Titlebased on Symphony No. 5 in C minor (Opus 67)
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
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The score for Spy Smasher, a variation on Beethoven's fifth symphony, is a fabulous reminder of the era in which this classic serial was made.
While Spy Smasher is certainly one of the top 5 adventure serials ever made at Republic, it also is a rousing WW2 propaganda film. Check out the title sequence -- three dots and a dash appear on the screen, coinciding with the first four notes of Beethoven's fifth. Three dots and a dash are Morse code for the letter "V," made famous by Churchill's hand sign as a determination to defeat the Nazis and their cronies. Twin searchlights in the title sequence freeze into another V. The coded messages abound in Spy Smasher--even on Spy Smasher's belt buckle.
The action here is top notch, the cast capable, the stunt work great (as always at Republic) and the special effects likewise. If you like Republic serials (Zorro's Fighting Legion, Adventures of Captain Marvel, etc.) you MUST take a look at this one. It is one of the very best. Kane Richmond later went on to play the Shadow in a couple of films, one of which featured a killer who pulled his victims to their deaths off of balconies using a bullwhip, a stunt which was first seen in Spy Smasher. One thing I love about this chapterplay is the acknowledgment that we would not win the war without suffering losses. Great pacing, great action, great serial!