Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders
Encyclopedia
Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders (1953) is a Republic
Movie serial starring Bill Henry
and both produced and directed by Franklin Adreon
. It was the sixty-second serial (of sixty-six) produced by Republic. Despite the title, this is not a science fiction serial. The plot is a northern
cold war
adventure involving secret missile bases and a planned invasion of the United States.
to target the United States
for their planned summer invasion. Meanwhile, acting on intelligence following the smashing of a spy ring in Montreal, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) officers Don Roberts and Kay Conway go undercover in a settling party headed for the Yukon. Marlof also has agents, Beck and Reed, in the party enroute to the site of the planned missile bases.
was $167,669 (a $5,126, or 3%, under spend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1953 and the most under budget of all Republic serials.
The next most under budget was, in fact, the preceding Jungle Drums of Africa
at $5,082 (2.9%) under budget. Those were the only two Republic serials released in 1953
, although the studio did re-release Adventures of Captain Marvel
(as Return of Captain Marvel) and Captain America
(as Return of Captain America) to pad out their release schedule, not to mention the serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
, which was originally intended to be a television series.
It was filmed between 24 March and 13 April 1953. The serial's production number was 1936.
This was followed by a re-release of Captain America, re-titled as Return of Captain America, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Trader Tom of the China Seas, followed in 1954.
Source:
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Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
Movie serial starring Bill Henry
William Henry (actor)
William Albert Henry was an American actor working in Hollywood movies. He started as a child actor, then was a hero in B-movies , and ended his career as a character actor. He also appeared in various roles on episodes of many TV series. He was a member of the John Ford Stock Company and...
and both produced and directed by Franklin Adreon
Franklin Adreon
Franklin "Pete" Adreon was an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.-Early life and career:...
. It was the sixty-second serial (of sixty-six) produced by Republic. Despite the title, this is not a science fiction serial. The plot is a northern
Northern (genre)
The Northern or Northwestern is an American and Canadian genre in literature and film made popular by the writings of Rex Beach and Zane Grey. It is similar to the Western genre but the action occurs in the Canadian North and typically features Mounties instead of, for example, cowboys or sheriffs...
cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
adventure involving secret missile bases and a planned invasion of the United States.
Plot
A foreign power, which is represented by their agent Marlof, attempts to set up secret missile bases in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to target the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for their planned summer invasion. Meanwhile, acting on intelligence following the smashing of a spy ring in Montreal, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) officers Don Roberts and Kay Conway go undercover in a settling party headed for the Yukon. Marlof also has agents, Beck and Reed, in the party enroute to the site of the planned missile bases.
Cast
- Bill HenryWilliam Henry (actor)William Albert Henry was an American actor working in Hollywood movies. He started as a child actor, then was a hero in B-movies , and ended his career as a character actor. He also appeared in various roles on episodes of many TV series. He was a member of the John Ford Stock Company and...
as Don Roberts, Sergeant in the RCMP - Susan MorrowSusan MorrowSusan Morrow was an American actress.-Personal life:Born as Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor, she was the elder sister of Judith Exner and the first wife of comedian Gary Morton. They were married on December 17, 1953; the marriage was annulled on July 11, 1957...
as Kay Conway, undercover operative of the RCMP - Arthur SpaceArthur SpaceCharles Arthur Space was an American film, television and stage actor. He was best known as Doc Weaver in the long running television series, Lassie.-Career:...
as Marlof, agent of a foreign power masquerading as Smoky Joe, a senile trapper - Dale Van SickelDale Van SickelDale Harris Van Sickel was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years...
as Beck, one of Marlof's two key henchmen. - Mike Ragan as Reed, the other of Marlof's two key henchmen.
Supporting cast
- Pierre WatkinPierre WatkinPierre Watkin was an American actor. He was a character actor in many films, serials and TV series from the 1930s through the 1950s, especially westerns...
as Morrison, Commissioner of the RCMP - Stanley AndrewsStanley AndrewsStanley Andrews was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program Little Orphan Annie and later as "The Old Ranger", the host of Death Valley Days.-Early life:...
as Anderson, lead headed for the Yukon - Edmund CobbEdmund CobbEdmund Fessenden Cobb was an American actor. He appeared in 623 films between 1912 and 1966.He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles from a heart attack...
as Warner, a settler headed for the Yukon - Jean Wright as Betty Warner, a settler headed for the Yukon
- Fred GrahamFred Graham (actor)Fred Graham was an American actor and stuntman, who performed in scores of films from the 1930s. A semi-professional baseball player, Graham appeared mainly in Westerns, doing stunts and playing opposite John Wayne among others. He also featured alongside Wayne in several films with director...
as Mason, a henchman embedded with the settlers to keep them from reaching the Yukon - Hank PattersonHank PattersonHank Patterson was an American actor and musician. He is most known for playing stableman Hank Miller on Gunsmoke and Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres....
as Jed Larson, an wizened Yukon trapper - Gayle Kellogg as Guy Sanders, a Corporal in the RCMP
- Harry LauterHarry LauterHerman Arthur "Harry" Lauter was an American character actor originally from White Plains, New York....
as Clark, a Mountie - Tom SteeleTom Steele (stuntman)Tom Steele was a stunt man and actor, best remembered for appearing in serials, especially those produced by Republic Pictures, in both capacities.-Early life:...
as Mac, Marlof's truck driving henchman
Production
Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders was budgeted at $172,795 although the final negative costNegative cost
Negative cost is the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. It does not include such costs as distribution and promotion.Low-budget movies, for example The Blair Witch Project, can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the negative cost.The term comes from the costs up to the...
was $167,669 (a $5,126, or 3%, under spend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1953 and the most under budget of all Republic serials.
The next most under budget was, in fact, the preceding Jungle Drums of Africa
Jungle Drums of Africa
Jungle Drums of Africa is a 12-episode, American serial film, shot in black-and-white, which was an original commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon for Republic Pictures...
at $5,082 (2.9%) under budget. Those were the only two Republic serials released in 1953
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
, although the studio did re-release Adventures of Captain Marvel
Adventures of Captain Marvel
Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 twelve-chapter film serial directed by John English and William Witney for Republic Pictures, adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character then appearing in Fawcett Comics publications such as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures...
(as Return of Captain Marvel) and Captain America
Captain America (serial)
Captain America is a Republic black-and-white serial film based on the comic book character Captain America. It was the last Republic serial made about a superhero...
(as Return of Captain America) to pad out their release schedule, not to mention the serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is a science fiction television series or serial. It consists of twelve 25-minute episodes. The series was filmed and intended to be broadcast as a television limited series but, due to contract restrictions, it was originally released in theaters as a...
, which was originally intended to be a television series.
It was filmed between 24 March and 13 April 1953. The serial's production number was 1936.
Stunts
- George DeNormand
- Fred GrahamFred Graham (actor)Fred Graham was an American actor and stuntman, who performed in scores of films from the 1930s. A semi-professional baseball player, Graham appeared mainly in Westerns, doing stunts and playing opposite John Wayne among others. He also featured alongside Wayne in several films with director...
- Carey LoftinCarey LoftinCarey Loftin was an American actor and stuntman. One of his most famous roles was as the truck driver in Steven Spielberg's Duel, although his face was never seen...
- Dale Van SickelDale Van SickelDale Harris Van Sickel was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years...
- Joe Yrigoyen
Theatrical
Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders' official release date is 8 July 1953, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.This was followed by a re-release of Captain America, re-titled as Return of Captain America, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Trader Tom of the China Seas, followed in 1954.
Television
Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Missile Base at Taniak. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.Chapter titles
- Arctic Intrigue (20 min 00s)
- Murder or Accident? (13 min 20s)
- Fangs of Death (13 min 20s)
- Underground Inferno (13 min 20s)
- Pursuit to Destruction (13 min 20s)
- The Boat Trap (13 min 20s)
- Flame Versus Gun (13 min 20s)
- Highway of Horror (13 min 20s)
- Doomed Cargo (13 min 20s)
- Human Quarry (13 min 20s) -- Re-cap Chapter
- Mechanical Homicide (13 min 20s)
- Cavern of Revenge (13 min 20s)
Source:
Cliffhangers
- Arctic Intrigue: Beck buries Don and Kay in an avalancheAvalancheAn avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
. - Murder or Accident?: Don is lured into a trap and falls down a concealed mineshaft.
- Fangs of Death: Beck knocks Don unconscious and commands his lead sled dog to kill.
- Underground Inferno: Don is caught in a cave full of burning ammunition as it explodes.
- Pursuit to Destruction: In a car chase, Don's tire is punctured sending it over a cliff.
- The Boat Trap: While intercepting a boat, the Mounties come under grenade attack from Beck.
- Flame Versus Gun: Beck shoots Don with a rifle, knocking the Mountie over a cliff.
- Highway of Horror: Kay is knocked unconscious in a car, which crashes and explodes.
- Doomed Cargo: Don knocks beck and Reed overboard but the boat he's on crashes into the rocks.
- Human Quarry: Don is caught in a bear trap and triggers a spiked deadfall trap as he tries to escape.
- Mechanical Homicide: Marlof rolls his car into the rock Don is using for cover, sending everything over a cliff.
Solutions
- Murder or Accident?: Don and Kay survive the avalancheAvalancheAn avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
. - Fangs of Death: Don grabs a root as he falls and climbs back out.
- Underground Inferno: Kay disperses the pack of dogs with gun shots (Don's thick coat protected him from a mauling).
- Pursuit to Destruction: Don runs out of the cave just in time.
- The Boat Trap: Don jumps clear of the car before it goes over the edge.
- Flame Versus Gun: The Mounties jump overboard before their boat explodes.
- Highway of Horror: Don lands in a river. His cartridge case caught the bullet.
- Doomed Cargo: Don rides alongside and rescues Kay.
- Human Quarry: Don dives overboard before the boat crashes.
- Mechanical Homicide: Don jams the falling trap with a piece of firewood and Kay frees him from the bear trap.
- Cavern of Revenge : Don dives safely into a river below.
External links
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