The serial was a never ending joy for moviegoers in the first half of the 20th century. Each week another twenty minute chapter brought thrills and chills as the hero battled a never ending fight against evil. If a serial was gripping enough it maintained repeat business no matter what feature film topped the marquee. People had to know if the hero survived the disaster right before the previous end credits. Red Barry unfolds over the course of 13 installments like an HBO series with an incredibly small budget.
San Francisco police detective Red Barry (Buster Crabbe) works the mysterious and dangerous Chinatown beat. Things get interesting when he ends up on a case involving a massive amount of stolen bonds. The missing paper is vital to the Chinese War Relief. The main folks after the loot are Tong Warlord Quong Lee (Frank Lackteen) and Russian Countess Natacha (Edna Sedgewick). There’s even a traitor on Barry’s force. This leads to dozens of fist fights and chases around Oriental themed sets.
The biggest of the battles always takes place right at the end of the reel. How can he really survive having coal dropped on his head? Worse than the suspects is a snooping newspaper reporter (Frances Robinson) that provides help and screw up moments. This is classic tough guys action with bullets and fists flying. The goons are well dressed as they come hard after the law in a scramble for the bonds. It’s true two-fisted detective yarn.
Buster Crabbe plays the tough as nails lawman without worrying about the nuances of burdened on a feature film cop. He doesn’t need that emotional arc on the screen. He’s there to deliver the pain and retrieve the bonds. He secured his iconic status as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, so it is a bit disconcerting to see Crabbe sticking to a wardrobe of suit, tie and hat. He must have felt naked without a spaceman outfit and ray gun. Luckily the athletic nature of Barry allowed him to show off why he was a gold medal Olympian. He’s swimming, running and punching. Who needs inner character when Barry’s heavy lifting was tossing around goons?
The best way to watch Red Barry is to be a traditionalist. Every time you plan on watching a feature film, start off the evening with another of the 13 chapters. You don’t have to worry about getting lost. Each episode starts with a comic strip summary of the previous action. If you like the excitement of cops that have no problem being old school, Red Barry delivers.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers look exceptionally good for a low budget film made over 70 years ago. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The levels will allow you to hear all of Buster Crabbe’s busts.
Photo Gallery (2:10) is a montage for various stills and lobby cards from the original release.
Red Barry is a prime serial of a tough cop who won’t back down. Buster Crabbe looks impressive battling everyone around Chinatown. For those curious about the way they’d program old cinemas, Red Barry is a perfect example of the cliffhanger serial as the cop always came so close to death at the end of each reel.
VCI Entertainment presents Red Barry. Starring: Buster Crabbe, Frank Lackteen, Edna Sedgewick and Frances Robinson. Boxset Contents: 13 episodes on 2 DVDs. Released on DVD: June 29, 2010.
