User reviews

From certain standpoints, this serial is superior to the 1st Flash Gordon chapter-play. The available prints are and photography are generally of better quality, some of the special effects are superior, there are certain exotic space novelties, like the Clay People's subway to the queen's palace and the light bridge, and there are some interesting and creepy visuals in the Forest Kingdom. Also, Flash and Dr. Zarkhov get to wear long pants. Dale Arden and Prince Barrin are played by the same fine actors as in the 1st serial. And one of the best highlights is the surprisingly effective special effect of showing the Clay People kind of 'ooze' out of the cave walls.

From other standpoints, however, this one is not quite as good as the 1st. This is one of the longer movie serials, and it could probably have been shortened by about 3 chapters, if some of the back-and-forth removed. Also, there are not as many fight scenes as in the 1st serial, and no sword fights. And apparently, the Hays Office must have finally gotten a look at Dale and Princess Aura's outfits from the 1st serial, because, to my dismay, Dale is fully dressed throughout every chapter. There are no bare midriffs and she appears have worn a bra in every scene. Just as sad, there is no Princess Aura, who was a wonderful character and helped amp up the sex in the 1st Flash serial.

Nonetheless, if you are one of those quirky or nostalgic types who enjoy movie serials, you will enjoy this. There certainly was no greater movie serial hero than Flash Gordon as played by Buster Crabbe, and there certainly was no greater villain than Charles Middleton's portrayal of Ming the Merciless. Besides top-notch heroism and villainy, this serial features plenty of fantasy and space opera, and something is always happening.

This serial premiered at the height of a zeitgeist peculiar to the 1930's. The concept of the super-hero had risen to the foreground of pop culture. Although the term super-hero had been coined around 1918, probably in reference to Tarzen of the Apes, the 1930's saw an explosion of super-heroes in pulp magazines, radio shows, newspaper funnies, film and serials, and finally comic magazines. The Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet, the Shadow, Flash Gordon, Doc Savage, and of course Superman, all premiered in the 1930's and all were huge commodities at the time.

The opening chapter of this serial features a newspaper headline shot referring to Flash, Zarkhov and Dale as 'Super-Men of the Century.' The term 'superman' could still be used without fear of a lawsuit by DC comics; this serial was released in March 1938, about a month before the 1st issue of Action Comics, featuring the copyrighted Superman, hit the newsstands.

Also noteworthy: the Martians and our heroes sometimes utilize Martian 'flying capes,' which look a lot like a bat's wings. The comic book character Batman premiered a year after this serial, in 1939, looking very much like our hero wearing a flying cape and helmet. (Superman himself would not actually 'fly' until about 1942 or so; in 1938 he could only take prodigious leaps.) In this serial, Flash (along with many other characters), wears a shirt with a stylized lightning bolt across the chest. This lightning bolt looked very much like the symbol adorning the chest of the comic book character Captain Marvel, whose magazines outsold those of Superman, and who would premiere in 1940. A lesser character named 'The Flash' also premiered in 1940, and he also wore a shirt with a lightning bolt insignia (this 'Flash' character would not reach his real fame until the late 1950's, however).

A few months after this serial premiered, on Halloween 1938, Orson Welles broadcast his legendary 'War of the Worlds' radio play, which panicked half the country with a realistic tale of a Martian invasion. The infamy of this play helped draw audiences to see a re-released version of this serial, albeit cut and edited into a feature length movie, that was shown in late 1938.

The fact that this serial takes place on Mars is an anomaly: the original Alex Raymond Flash Gordon story upon which it is based took place entirely on the fictional planet Mongo, which is also the setting for the other 2 Flash serials. Indeed, as of 1938, the comic strip Flash had never been to Mars. Nothing survives to inform the modern film historian as to the reason for changing the setting to Mars.

However, it is known that virtuoso animators the Fleischer Bros. were, prior to this serial, working on a full color animated version of Edgar Rice Burroughs enormously popular space opera "John Carter of Mars." Some test footage for this project survives, and if the film had been completed, the final product would have indeed been immensely spectacular. I speculate that it is possible that Universal changed the setting of the Flash Gordon story to Mars so as to place themselves in advance into a position that might favor them should they start copyright infringement litigation against the Fleischers. Indeed, in the absence of good information, this potential threat might even be the reason the Fleischers abandoned the John Carter project.

Regardless of my speculation, Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars remains a fun, interesting, well-crafted in its own way, and a fine trip into the popular consciousness of the late 1930's.

Some of my reactions to Flash Gordon serials (such as this one) are similar to my feelings about the original Star Trek series. I revel in the swashbuckling fun and the intensity of the experience. I marvel at the ingenious and original sci-fi elements, while chuckling at some of the increasingly dated technology and special effects. I roll my eyes at some of the overacting while secretly cherishing it. I question the plausibility of some of the plot elements, and wince at some of the social commentary that hasn't aged particularly well.

In Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars, many of the actors from the first serial return in their memorable roles. In particular, Buster Crabbe (Flash) and Charles Middleton (Ming) portray their characters with a great deal of flair. Jean Rogers (Dale Arden) seems more subdued and less memorable than in her previous outing. (This may reflect my disapproval of her transformation from a blonde to a short-haired brunette and her censor-demanded, conservative garb!) The new comic-relief journalist character (not present in the original comic strip), "Happy" Hapgood, seems to be a bit of a miscalculation, but his role falls far short of "Jar-Jar" level distraction.

The storyline is interesting, although things do drag a bit during the second half of the serial. The plot is primarily action-driven; the romantic story angles that percolated through the first series are virtually absent here. Although the world of Mars is not as diverse as Mongo's (Lionmen, Sharkmen, Hawkmen), the Clay People are a sad and interesting race. The acting and special effects both seem somewhat more polished than in the first serial. Although in one sense this is an improvement, it also removes some of the quirky fun. Overall, this is an enjoyable and memorable serial that fans of old sci-fi will want to seek out.

The Clay People! Who can forget that sequence in Chapter 2 when they first appear. And all to that great Waxman music. Still a good serial to watch, even in these days. Good photography, OK acting, polished script but somehow the original 1936 serial was superior. And kudos again to that great tracked musical score.

This sequel to the first serial is overlong; it's got a twelve chapter story stretched to fifteen, and Mars lacks the cultural diversity of Mongo, so you don't have Lionmen in one chapter, Sharkmen in the next, etc. However, I think Buster Crabbe's hairdo is more appropriate and he also avoids the knickers for a costume more faithful to Alex Raymond's comic strip art. Those clay people are memorable; so is the lightray bridge and the Martian wings used for parachuting from rockets. One wishes that Universal had spent more money and brought in the kind of monsters they had created in the first Flash Gordon. One can go on wishing for other changes as well, but if you liked the first one and like serials, you'll like this one.

This direct sequel to the now classic "Flash Gordon" is quite good. Polished look helps. Acting is better. But it does drag a bit once you get to Chapter 9. The tracked musical score is great. Charles Middleton made a great Ming the Merciless. All in all, fun film but not as good as the first serial. Many believe this one to be the best.

This is the sequel to the 1936 Flash Gordon serial. Flash and company go from the planet Mongo to the planet Mars. The same cast return with the addition of Frank Shannon as comic relief. Beatrice Roberts plays Queen Azura, "Queen Of Magic". I personally missed seeing Priscilla Lawson as Princess Aura. Charles Middleton is and always will be "Ming The Merciless" This serial is also Jean Rogers last portrayal of Dale Arden. This is a fun serial to watch. 15 thrilling episodes with clay people, forest people, Flash, Dale, Dr. Zarkof and, i do so love her, Beatrice Roberts. Well, girls and boys, buckle up have you're popcorn at the ready and enjoy. John R. Tracy.

First saw this serial as a child.....remembered it when I saw it as an adult......even remembered the music......how about that!

The degree to which these episodes require of the viewer a super-human suspension of belief makes them, I believe, beyond all criticism and places them in a category that defies definition--"kitsch" and "camp" do not begin to do this cinematic production justice. I do have one criticism, however, of King Entertainment's editing of the DVD. They should have left in the original breaks in the story line which corresponded to the actual viewing experience of the original audiences in the movie houses of the 30s & 40s and TV of the 60s & 70s: namely those dramatic moments at the end of a chapter when Flash & company appeared to be finished for certain. The beginning of the next sequel revealed how they managed their astonishing, breath-taking escape from the gaping jaws of death.

This is perhaps the best of the three Flash Gordon serials due to the fact that it not only was action packed, but that it also included some humorous moments provided by the character of "Happy" Hapgood. The first one was exciting, but really wasn't as action packed as this one. The third serial was good, but they had different characters playing the characters of Dale, Barin and Aura (give me Jean Rogers as Dale anytime). Also, this is the first one in which Dale takes part in the action, especially in the scene where she bombs the Forest People's temple. If you want thrills, just look at this serial.

The producers of the first Flash Gordon series rang up such a profit from its comic strip space age hero, they decided to create a follow-up serial, March 1938's "Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars." Universal Pictures, Flash Gordon's distributor, saw its original 1936's series on the space traveler as one of cinema's more profitable cliff-hangers. Its 13 chapters were inexpensive to produce, captivating viewers by the series' believable characters and situations. The studio decided to launch a second series based on Alex Raymond's 1936 book 'Flash Gordon and the Witch Queen of Mongo.' The first episode of "Trip To Mars" was Chapter One: 'New Worlds to Conquer.' Flash Gordon and his crew members return to earth after their adventures on the planet Mongo, which saw them battling its emperor Ming the Merciless. Flash Gordon (Buster Crabbe), Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) and Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) enjoy a massive New York City ticker tape parade in their honor before they're sent back on their space ship to investigate the origins of a death ray aimed at destroying earth. Accompanying the trio is wisecracking reporter Happy Hapgood (Donald Kerr), who accidentally finds himself on board. Following the beam originating from the planet Mongo, the earthlings find Ming (Charles Middleton) hasn't died after all, as the first series' conclusion implies. Ming has teamed up with Azura (Beatrice Roberts), the Witch Queen of Mars, to construct and operate a huge Nitron ray designed to end earth's existence. Among Azura's evil act is her uncanny ability to reconstitute her subjects into living clay people forced to live in dark caves.

Unlike the first 'Flash Gordon" serial, "Trip to Mars" doesn't contain the vast array of colorful characters. Critic Jeff Blake noted, "Its focused plot line surpasses the episodic story of the earlier serial. 'Trip to Mars'' script wisely spreads its plot developments over the course of the serial, instead of introducing all its ideas in the first chapter and letting them tread water until the final one." Blake complements Buster Crabbe's role as the serial hero, describing Flash "is just as tough, chipper, athletic, and likable as in the first serial-and a good deal more wise and resourceful than before, improvising strategy and coming up with plans in tough situations instead of just trying to batter his way out."

"Trip to Mars" consisted of fifteen 20-minutes long episodes, each ending in a cliff hanger. Such suspense forced viewers to return to the theaters the following week to find out if Gordon and company lived to see another day. As soon as the weekly series wrapped up in October, 1938, Orson Welles delivered his hysterical 'War of the World's' radio broadcast. Universal quickly edited the Flash Gordon chapters into an hour 40 minute feature film called "Mars Attacks The World," released a week after the Welles' broadcast in early November 1938. The feature film was a big hit with Flash Gordon fans and non-fans alike, who were suddenly caught up in the Martian frenzy. This assured a third series was a guarantee, which resulted in 1940's 'Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe.'

Uncredited, Thomas Carr is mentioned as being one of the Forest People, but he played another Role in the very beginning of this Extravaganza as the man taking the Code Messages at the Desk of the WGAB Radio Station. Thomas Carr went on to be involved in the Television Version of Superman, starring George Reeves, and many other Sci-Fi Productions.