Junior G-Men of the Air (1942)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Directors:

Lewis D. Collins
Ray Taylor

Writers:

Paul Huston (writer)
Griffin Jay (writer)

Release Date:

4 May 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | War

Tagline:

America's youthful heroes...Smashing the Axis spies of the skies...in NEW amazing adventures..!

Plot:

A group of street kids battle a terrorist gang led by a Japanese spy.

Plot Keywords:

Little Tough Guys | Aviation | Sequel | Serial | Aviator

Cast

Billy Halop	...	Billy 'Ace' Holden
Gene Reynolds	...	Eddie Holden
Lionel Atwill	...	The Baron
Frank Albertson	...	Jerry Markham
Richard Lane	...	Agent Don Ames
Huntz Hall	...	'Bolts' Larson
Gabriel Dell	...	'Stick' Munsey
Bernard Punsly	...	'Creaseball' Plunkett
Frankie Darro	...	Jack
David Gorcey	...	Double Face Gordon
Turhan Bey	...	Henchman Araka
John Bleifer	...	Henchman Beal
Eddie Foster	...	Henchman Comora (as Edward Foster)
John Bagni	...	Henchman Augar
Noel Cravat	...	Henchman Monk

Runtime:

(12 episodes) | 225 min (12 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5162) (Chapter 1: Wings Aflame) | USA:Approved (PCA #5162) (Chapter 2: Plunge of Peril) | USA:Approved (PCA #5163) (Chapter 3: Hidden Danger) | USA:Approved (PCA #5164) (Chapter 4: The Tunnel of Terror) | USA:Approved (PCA #5165) (Chapter 5: The Black Dragon Strikes) | USA:Approved (PCA #5166) (Chapter 6: Flaming Havoc) | USA:Approved (PCA #5167) (Chapter 7: The Death Mist) | USA:Approved (PCA #5168) (Chapter 8: Satan Fires the Fuse) | USA:Approved (PCA #5169) (Chapter 9: Satanic Sabotage) | USA:Approved (PCA #5170) (Chapter 10: Trapped in a Blazing Chute) | USA:Approved (PCA #5171) (Chapter 11: Undeclared War) | USA:Approved (PCA #5172) (Chapter 12: Civilian Courage Conquers)

Company:

Serials Incorporated

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Huntz Hall, Bernard Punsly and Gabriel Dell try to hide Noel Cravat in the closet, the closet moves.

Movie Connections:

Follows Junior G-Men (1940)

Lots of action but little suspense.

The Dead End Kids vs Japanese spies, nice concept and it could have been a terrific serial. Universal did deliver some good cliffhangers like BUCK ROGERS and the FLASH GORDON franchise but generally their serials are remembered to-day as mediocre and miles behind Republic. This effort from 1942 only supports that belief.

Billy Halop is pilot-to-be "Ace" Holden and Huntz Hall is his mechanic buddy "Bolts" Larsen. By chance they discover a plot by "alien saboteurs" (as they are called by the narrator) to destroy American oil fields and airports to pave the way for an invasion. The bad guys are led by Egyptian Turhan Bey and British Lionel Atwill playing Japanese spies. The Dead End Kids don't trust the police and think they can handle this group of highly organised saboteurs on their own. If that sounds familiar it is the same plot structure as the earlier serial JUNIOR G MEN. It takes several fistfights, some explosions and a couple of car chases to convince the street kids to join up with the Junior G Men (played by the Little Tough Guys), the police and the Government agents to stop the gang.

There is plenty of action but very little suspense and the cliffhangers in many cases are just plain disappointing. The fight scenes look forced and unconvincing, At the end of chapter 6 the kids are fighting the spies in a burning warehouse. Billy Halop is kidnapped by Turhan Bey but flaming wreckage falls on the car as he tries to get away. Great right? Well in chapter 7 we see the car drive out BEFORE the ceiling collapses and Billy gets away when Turhan crashes into a streetlight. Spies fleeing from a burning garage stop to put their hats on! Want more? How about a dam explosion that looks like just what it is . . . a well built but very obvious miniature. The special effects crew did not even bother to overcrank the camera so the collapse would appear in slow motion! A few chapters like this had me howling for the much better special effects of the Lydecker Brothers over at Republic.

Oh well, we all know serials were not Universal's specialty so things like this are just fun to watch to see the Dead End Kids and the Little Tough Guys (can you tell them apart?) getting into and out of so many scrapes and actually doing a better job than the cops at rounding up the Bad Guys.