Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56610 in VHS
• Released on: 2001-09-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 2

Customer Reviews

Byrd as "Second Banana" is interesting.
I first saw this serial in the mid-forties when it was re-released and remember thinking that it was fairly well done. Some of the "suspense-grabbers" at the end of the chapters are really ludicrous but others are interesting. The "sexy" French dance will have the ERA folks up in arms but it shows us where the genere was in the 30's. All in all this is "junk" but, like comic books, baseball cards and serials in general, we really love junk!

"The Kings of Serials...VCI Entertainment ~ Blake of Scotland Yard (1937)"
VCI Entertainment, Victory Pictures and Sam Katzman present.."Blake of Scotland Yards." (1937) (Dolby digitally remastered), with 15 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with mystery, intrigue and suspense ...our story opens with the invention of a "Death Ray" by inventor Jerry Sheehan (Byrd) along with the his employer Sir James Blake (Rawlinson) who was an Scotland Yard Inspector...now there's a group of heavies lead by none other than "The Scorpion", who has aspirations of being the king of the hill...is this ray to be used for good or evil...how many hidden passage ways can be used within this 15 Chapter cliffhanger...can the "The Scorpion" a hooded mystery villain be as bad as all that, what strange power does he have over the gang members...how can Inspector Blake learn the identity of the leader, will it be through keene observation and deduction, we can hope......well "serial buffs" don't leave the theater until the final chapter "The Trap is Sprung" is over and done with ....just remember double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...hitting the bull's eye with excitement...don't miss a single spine thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director Robert F. Hill, associate producer Sam Katzman, Original story by Rock Hawkey, screen play by basil Dickey and William Buchanan, musical score by Edward Kilenyi....the cast includes Ralph Byrd (Dr. Jerry Sheehan), Herbert Rawlinson (Sir James Blake), Joan Barclay (Hope Mason), Lloyd Hughes (Dr. Marshall, 'The Scorpion'), Dickie Jones (Bobby Mason), Lucille Lund (Duchess), Nick Stuart (Julot), Sam Flint (Chief Insp. Henderson), Gail Newbury (Mimi the Policewoman), Jimmy Aubrey (The Hag/Baron Polinka), Theodore Lorch (Daggett, the Butler), George DeNormand (Pedro-henchman), Bob Terry (Peyton-henchman), William Farrell (Count Basil Segaloff), Frank Wayne (Charles, the Footman), Dick Curtis (Nicky-henchman) and Bruce Bennett (Adolph-henchman).....and how about the Republic stunt team with George DeNormand (stunt double for Ralph Byrd) ....meanwhile back to our Republic Serial which is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Mystery of the Blooming Gardenia
2. Death in the Laboratory
3. Cleared Mysteries
4. Mystery of the Silver Fox
5. Death in the River
6. The Criminal Shadow
7. Face to Face
8. The Fatal Trap
9. Parisian house Tops
10.Battle Royal
11.The Burning Fuse
12.The Roofs of Lime House
13.Sting of the Scorpion
14.The Scorpion Unmasked
15.The Trap is Sprung

BIOS:
1. Ralph Byrd (as Dick Tracy)
Birth Date: 4/22/1909 - Dayton, Ohio
Died: 8/18/1952 - Tarzana, CA
2. Herbert Rawlinson
Birth Date: 11/15/1885 - Brighton East Sussex, England UK
Died: 7/12/1953 - Los Angeles, CA
3. Dickie Jones (child actor - featured in "Range Rider" and "Buffalo Bill Jr" TV Series)
Birth Date: 2/26/1927 - Snyder, TX
(still living)
4. Joan Barclay
Birth Date: 8/31/1914 - Minnespolis, MN
Died: 11/22/2002 - Palm Desert, CA
5. Robert F. Hill (Director)
Birth Date: 4/14/1886 - Port Rohen, Ontario, Canada
Died: 3/18/1966 - Los Angeles, CA

If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:
VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
1. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
4. Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
5. The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
6. Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
7. Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
8. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
9. Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
10.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)
11.Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
12.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
13.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
14.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Republic Pictures present "Dick Tracy" (1937) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Chester Gould's famous comic strip with 15 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line involves a better than average serial....can Dick Tracy survive car and boat chases, airplane death cliffhanger scenes and zeppelin crashes with fisticuffs at every turn...who is the master criminal known as the "Lame One"..can Dick Tracy's brother Gordon be rescued after being kidnapped by the Spider's henchman, as Moloch is preparing a mind altering medical procedure...will the Spider and Moloch succeed with their evil deeds...why is it Tracy never gets his clothes dirty during these episodes....get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Blake of Scotland Yard." (1937), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em

Total Time: 300 mins on 2 VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 1766 ~ (10/27/2000)