The multi-installment Serial became an important part of movie theaters in the post-sound era. Movie theaters during that era didn’t merely show a movie and a few trailers. They had an entire package for the evening’s entertainment. The many theaters would have a Main Feature, a less expensive B-movie, a newsreel, a cartoon, a 20-minute live action comedy such as the Three Stooges or Our Gang, trailers and another installment of a continuing Serial. Back before the arrival of television, the serial was weekly must see viewing. Each episode ended in a life-threatening cliffhanger. You wanted to come back to see how the hero survived. A good serial could bring in folks that couldn’t care about the two main features. They had to know. The studios didn’t come close to giving them the same budget as a feature even though their complete running time could easily be 3 or 4 feature films. The serials prepared studios on how to shoot TV episodes in speed and budget. But there wasn’t any talk about television when Jack Armstrong: All American Boy started its 15-week run in 1947 at your local Bijou.
Who was Jack Armstrong? The character got his start in a radio show that began in Chicago in 1933. The show was produced by General Mills so that Jack Armstrong could sneak in references to eating his Wheaties. Jack was a high school athlete thus his All American status. He pals around with his friends, but gets into real adventures with his Uncle Jim. Turns out Uncle Jim is a wealthy industrialist who has ventures around the globe. In 1947, the radio show went to the big screen when Columbia adapted the radio show into a serial adventure. Fans were used to having tune in the radio once a week to get another installment, so the transition wasn’t too hard on them. They finally got to see Jack Armstrong (played by Blackenstein‘s Jack Hart) over the course of 15 Chapters.
Jack Armstrong (Hart) is testing out a revolutionary car invented by Vic Hardy (Canyon Ambush‘s Hugh Prosser) when bad things start to happen. Hardy ends up being kidnapped and Uncle Jim has to find his greatest scientific mind. The trail leads them to a remote Pacific Island where a criminal group led by Jason Grood (Duck Soup‘s Charles Middleton) has been hiring evil scientists to create an amazing weapon, but he needs the expertise of Hardy. Their plan is to launch a weaponized satellite to a level of space where the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Sun is equal, so it stays in orbit forever. The weapon will then be used to conquer the world. Jack and his gang don’t merely have to battle with the criminals, but the local tribe aren’t happy with newcomers on their turf. It’s an endless battle to stop the rocket from launching and terrorizing the world below. Can Jack save the world?
The serial was produced at Columbia Pictures by Sam Katzman who truly understood the low budget cinema. He made Roger Corman look extravagant. The description of the special gravity spot in the sky proved the production budget didn’t waste money on a science textbook. While Jack Armstrong doesn’t have massive sets, the action is consistent. There’s a lot of fights with fists, guns and laser guns. You want to watch one more chapter to see how Jack survives to the next reel. To get a clue as to the excitement that was spread over 15 weeks, here are the chapter titles: 1. Mystery of the Cosmic Ray 2. The Far World 3. Island of Deception 4. Into the Chasm 5. The Space Ship 6. Tunnels of Treachery 7. Cavern of Chance 8. The Secret Room 9. Human Targets 10. Battle of the Warriors 11. Cosmic Annihilator 12. The Grotto of Greed 13. Wheels of Fate 14. Journey Into Space 15. Retribution
Jack Armstrong – All American Boy was the only serial or feature film using the character. He’d remain on radio dials until 1951. The character was going to get a big comeback in the ’60s in animation, but something went wrong. Hanna-Barbera retooled the concept into Jonny Quest. The serial as a good cast. John Hart replaced Clayton Moore as the masked man on The Lone Ranger in the third of the five-season run. Charles Middleton was already a serial film superstar as Ming the Merciless in the Flash Gordon serials. They were a formidable duo facing off. Jack Armstrong – All American Boy brings back the joy of a serial in the theater without having to wait 15 weeks to see the finale. You can watch all the thrilling action while eating your Wheaties.
The Video is 1.33:1. The 4K restoration of the black and white is spectacular. I’m used to seeing transfers of serials being so grainy and nasty. Jack Armstrong shines on the screen in 1080p. If you’ve never seen a serial, this is a great way to start since you can enjoy the imagery. The audio is LPCM Mono. You’ll hear gunshots, punches and the score easily. Each chapter is subtitled.
No bonus features.
VCI Entertainment presents Jack Armstrong – All American Boy. Directed by Wallace Fox. Screenplay by Lewis Clay, Royal K. Cole, Arthur Hoerl, George H. Plympton & Leslie Swabacker. Starring John Hart, Rosemary LaPlanche, Claire James, Joe Brown, Jr., Pierre Watkin & Charles Middleton. Running Time: 270 minutes over 15 Chapters and 2 Blu-ray discs. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: August 15, 2023.
