FLASH GORDON

   1. US COMIC strip created by artist Alex RAYMOND for King Features Syndicate. FG appeared in 1934, at first in Sunday, later in daily newspapers. Its elaborately shaded style and exotic storyline made it one of the most influential sf strips. It was taken over in 1944 by Austin Briggs, then in 1948 by Mac Raboy, and since then has been drawn by DanBarry (with contributions from artists Harvey Kurtzman and Wally WOOD and writer Harry HARRISON) and Al Williamson, and more recently written by Bruce Jones and illustrated by Gray MORROW. Various episodes have beenreleased in comic-book form - including a 9-part series from DC COMICS written and drawn by Dan Jurgens (1988) - and also in book form. It continues today.The scenario of FG is archetypal SPACE OPERA. Most episodes feature Flash locked in combat with the villain, Ming the Merciless of the planet Mongo. Flash's perpetual fiancee, Dale Arden, andthe mad SCIENTIST Hans Zarkov play prominent roles. (In later episodes Zarkov's craziness was played down and he became a straightforwardsidekick to Flash.) The decor shifts between the futuristic (DEATH RAYS, rocketships) and the archaic (dinosaurs, jungles, swordplay) with a fine contempt for plausibility, rather in the manner of Edgar Rice BURROUGHS's romances. Although begun quite cynically in conscious opposition to the earlier BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, FG quickly developed its own individuality, emphasizing a romantic baroque against the cool technological classicism of its predecessor, to which it is artistically very much superior.The strip was widely syndicated in Europe. When, during WWII, the arrival of various episodes was delayed, the strip was oftenwritten and drawn by Europeans. One such writer was Federico Fellini (1920-).The FG comic strip has had many repercussions in other media. Itled to a popular radio serial, to a short-lived pulp magazine (FLASH GORDON STRANGE ADVENTURE MAGAZINE), and in the late 1930s to several filmserials starring Buster Crabbe; later came a tv series and a film (see below). A full-length film parody, FLESH GORDON, appeared in 1974.The radio serial exactly paralleled the Sunday comic strip, so you could see in the paper the monsters you'd heard on the radio.An early FG novel was Flash Gordon in the Caverns of Mongo (1937) by Raymond. A paperback seriesof five FG short novels, based on the original strips, with Alex Raymond credited, consisted of Flash Gordon 1: The Lion Men of Mongo * (1974), Flash Gordon 2: The Plague of Sound * (1974), Flash Gordon 3: The SpaceCircus * (1974), Flash Gordon 4: The Time Trap of Ming XIII * (1974) and Flash Gordon 5: The Witch Queen of Mongo * (1974). The first four were "adapted by Con Steffanson", a house name; \#1-\#3 were the work of Ron GOULART; \#4 was by Carson Bingham (Bruce Bingham CASSIDAY) and \#5, also by Bingham, was published under his name.

   2. Serial film. 13 2-reel episodes (1936). Universal. Dir Frederick Stephani, starring Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Frank Shannon, Priscilla Lawson. Screenplay Stephani, George Plympton, Basil Dickey, Ella O'Neill, based on the comic strip. B/w.

   The film FG was the nearest thing to PULP-MAGAZINE space opera to appear on the screen during the 1930s. Flash, Dale and Zarkov go to the planet Mongo in Zarkov's backyard-built spaceship to find the cause of an outbreak of volcanic activity on Earth. Ming the Merciless (a wonderfully hammy performance from Middleton) is behind it all and plans to invade Earth. Our heroes spend the next 12 episodes surviving various exotichazards before outwitting Ming in the final reel. Though more lavish than the average serial (the budget was a record $350,000), FG has the cheap appearance of most: unconvincing special effects, sets and costumes borrowed from a variety of other films, and plenty of stock footage. However, it remains great fun, romantic and fantastical. Ill editedversions of the first and second halves were released theatrically as Spaceship to the Unknown (1936) (97 mins) and Perils from the Planet Mongo(1936) (91 mins).The follow-up was Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), dirs Ford Beebe, Robert F. Hill, with the same leading actors - Ming is back again - and Beatrice Roberts as the evil queen who turns humans to "clay people". 15 two-reel episodes. Screenplay Ray Trampe, Norman S.Hall, Wyndham Gittens, Herbert Dolmas. The setting is changed from Mongo to Mars. The 99min edited-down version was The Deadly Ray from Mars (1938).The final FG movie serial was Flash Gordon Conquers theUniverse(1940; vt Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe), dir Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor, with the same leadingactors except that Carol Hughes replaced Jean Rogers as Dale Arden.12 two-reel episodes. Screenplay George H. Plympton, Basil Dickey, Barry Shipman. This, the weakest of the three, kills off Ming (again) at the end. According to one account the true title shown on the original episodes was Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe; the soldiers would have been Ming's, and Flash istrying to stop him. This would explain the oddity of the usually accepted title, since Flash was not a universe-conqueror by disposition.The 87min edited-down version was Purple Death From Outer Space (1940).The three FG film serials continue to have a cult following and are regularly revived on tv and in the cinema.3. US tv series (1951) from DuMont, starring Steve Holland. It was low-budget and universally execrated, lasting only oneseason.4. Film (1980). Columbia/EMI/Warner. Prod Dino De Laurentiis. Dir Michael Hodges, starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max VonSydow, Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton. Screenplay Lorenzo Semple Jr, based on the early episodes of the comic strip by Raymond. 115 mins. Colour.

   As a producer, De Laurentiis has always had a weakness for over-the-top, fantastic parodies (sometimes successful, as in DIABOLIK (1967) and BARBARELLA (1967)) but here his instincts let him down badly. Apart from the fetishistic costumes (leather, spikes, etc.) there is little of interest in this tongue-in-cheek, lurid fantasy, which tries to make a comic-strip virtue of wooden acting. The plot is largely derived from the 1936 film serial, and the rushed special effects similarly recall theludicrousness of that film. The romantic elements are subjugated to a rather listless kinkiness.

   PN/JB

   See also: CINEMA.