Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 American 12-chapter black-and-white movie serial from Republic Pictures. The serial was produced by Hiram S. Brown, Jr., directed by John English and William Witney, and stars Tom Tyler as the superhero Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan, Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson. It was adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character, who at the time appeared in the Fawcett Comics publications Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. (The character today is owned by DC Comics).
Adventures of Captain Marvel was the twenty-first of 66 film serials produced by Republic and their first comic book character adaptation (not counting comic strips). The serial featured the Fawcett Comics superhero placed within an original screen story and is considered the first theatrical film adaptation of a comic book superhero. In the serial, a young man named Billy Batson is given the power to become the superhuman Captain Marvel in order to fight a criminal mastermind called the Scorpion. The mysterious Scorpion is determined to gain control of an ancient weapon made in the form of a large metallic scorpion whose removable lenses can activate a powerful and destructive ray.
Plot[]
During an archaeological expedition to find the secret of the Scorpion Kingdom in Siam's volcanic Valley of the Tombs, a device of great power, the Golden Scorpion, is discovered hidden inside a sealed crypt. While examining it, the device's quartz lenses are aligned and a powerful energy beam is released, causing an explosion that reseals the crypt. This allows young radio broadcaster and expedition member Billy Batson, who obeyed the warning on the crypt's seal not to enter, to be chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam. The wizard grants Billy the powers of Captain Marvel whenever he repeats the wizard's name. Captain Marvel's powers can be used only to protect those in danger from the curse of the Golden Scorpion. After the crypt's entrance is quickly cleared, Captain Marvel utters "Shazam!", and returns to his previous alter ego, Billy Batson.
The Golden Scorpion's lenses are divided among the scientists of the Malcolm Archaeological Expedition so that its power can only be used by an agreement of the entire group. When the scientists return to the U.S., an all-black-garbed-and-hooded criminal mastermind, called the Scorpion, steals the ancient device and sets about stealing the distributed power lenses. Several expedition members are killed in the Scorpion's quest, despite Captain Marvel's frequent efforts thwarting his plan. Deducing that the Scorpion always seems to know what happens during the scientists' meetings, Billy later confides to his friends, Betty Wallace and Whitey Murphy, his suspicion that the Scorpion may be one of the Malcolm archaeological team.
Discovering that one of the Golden Scorpion's power lenses was purposely left behind, cleverly hidden in the very crypt where it was first discovered, Billy Batson and the surviving scientists agree it must be retrieved. They return by cargo ship to Siam where, near landfall, they barely survive a typhoon before finally being rescued by Captain Marvel. They eventually retrieve the hidden lens, but it is stolen by the Scorpion. By accident, from a distance, the Scorpion observes Captain Marvel transforming back into Billy Batson. Capturing Billy and gagging him, the Scorpion interrogates him about his secret. Billy's tape gag is removed when he agrees to talk. "Shazam"! is his only response, and he transforms in a flash of light and smoke into Captain Marvel. The Scorpion's identity is revealed to be one of the last surviving scientists. He is killed by a Siamese native who aligns the power lenses and turns the device's ray on him, vaporizing him.
Captain Marvel tosses the Golden Scorpion and its lenses into a volcano's molten lava to prevent them from ever being used for evil. Upon its destruction, Captain Marvel is instantly transformed back into Billy Batson forever, the danger from the device's curse having now been eliminated.
Cast[]
- Tom Tyler as Captain Marvel
- Frank Coghlan, Jr. as William "Billy" Batson
- William Benedict as Whitey Murphy
- Louise Currie as Betty Wallace
- Robert Strange as John Malcolm
- Harry J. Worth as Prof Luther Bentley
- Bryant Washburn as Harry Carlyle
- John Davidson as Tal Chotali
- George Pembroke as Dr. Stephen Lang
- Peter George Lynn as Prof Dwight Fisher
- Reed Hadley as Rahman Bar
- Jack Mulhall as Howell
- Kenneth Duncan as Barnett
- Nigel De Brulier as Shazam
- Tetsu Komai as Chan Lai
- Stanley Price as Owens
- Gerald Mohr as The Voice of The Scorpion (uncredited)
- Ken Terrell as Bentley's Butler (uncredited)