The Adventures of Smilin' Jack (1943)

Just before World War II, the Chinese and American governments mount a joint operation to prevent the Germans and Japanese from taking over the strategic island of Mandon.

Directors:

Lewis D. Collins, Ray Taylor

Writers:

Morgan Cox (original screen play) (as Morgan B. Cox), Zack Mosley (based on the newspaper feature "Smilin' Jack")

Stars:

Tom Brown, Rose Hobart, Edgar Barrier

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tom Brown	...	Jack Martin
Rose Hobart	...	Fraulein Von Teufel
Edgar Barrier	...	Tommy Thompson
Marjorie Lord	...	Janet Thompson
Keye Luke	...	Captain Wing
Sidney Toler	...	General Kai Ling
Cyril Delevanti	...	Mah Ling / Han Po
Philip Ahn	...	Wu Tan
Nigel De Brulier	...	Lo San
Turhan Bey	...	Kageyama
David Hoffman	...	Blenker [Chs. 9-11]
Rico De Montez	...	Hito
Jay Novello	...	Kushimi [Chs. 1-3, 12-13]

Storyline

Just before World War II, the Chinese and American governments mount a joint operation to prevent the Germans and Japanese from taking over the strategic island of Mandon.

---

Plot Keywords:

yellow peril | world war two | u.s. navy | u.s. army | treachery | 

---

Taglines:

13 THRILL-BLASTED CHAPTERS! (original ad - all caps)

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 January 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jack el aviador

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

265 min (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Fraulein von Teufel" translates more or less as "Devil Woman". This is alluded to in the final (13th) episode, where Kageyama's last words before dying are "Teufel. Devil."

---

Goofs

Though Mandon is supposedly located on the border between China and India, the walls of the high priest's temple are decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphics. (Universal recycled the set from The Mummy's Hand)

User Reviews

He didn't do much smiling.

Set just before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jack Martin helps the Chinese obtain the Mandon Secret, a secret route from China to India, lying in an isolated Chinese sector, which would aid the Chinese in the war effort or cause disaster if fallen into the hands of the Black Samurai, a Japanese espionage organization in partnership with the Nazis, and its leader the elusive Fraulein Von Teufel, who assumes the guise of Trudy, a press correspondent and friend of Jack. For thirteen chapters, Jack goes in and out of danger in order to assist the allied war effort. The serial's main drawback is that it didn't follow the comic strip (with a Jack Holt looking Jack, a Peter Lorre-ish villain called The Head, and aerial escapades) and its characters, which suggests that the character was tied in to the serial, just so it could be used. Its a good serial, but could have been better. A decent cast this serial has was capable of better, but at the same time kept my interest. Rating, based on serials, 6.