Government Agents vs Phantom Legion

Government Agents vs Phantom Legion (1951) is a 12-chapter American black-and-white film serial produced and distributed by Republic Pictures Corporation in 1951. It is an original, studio-commissioned screenplay by Ronald Davidson, produced by Franklin Adreon and directed by Fred C. Brannon, and presents a combined international intrigue-action genres story involving interstate shipments of products critical to national security being hijacked by a gang of foreign agents.

Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion Thrilling Days of Yesteryear Government Agents vs Phantom Legion

Plot

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Two US government agents, Hal Duncan and Sam Bradley, must prevent agents of a foreign power, led by Regan and Cady, from hijacking trucks and stealing defence materials being transported by truck. They are hired by an interstate trucking association whose constituent truck lines have been principal targets of the hijacking, and it becomes evident that one of the four directors of the association - Armstrong, Crandall, Thompson or Willard - is the secret leader of this gang and provides them with shipment and route information necessary for the gang's successes.

Cast

Walter Reed as Hal Duncan

Mary Ellen Kay as Kay Roberts

Dick Curtis as Regan

Fred Coby as Cady

John Pickard as Sam Bradley

Pierce Lyden as Armstrong

Arthur Space as Crandall

Mauritz Hugo as Thompson

George Meeker as Willard

Production

Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion was budgeted at $153,083 although the final negative cost was $153,612 (a $529, or 0.3%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1951.

It was filmed between May 1 and 23 1951 under the working title Government Agents vs. Underground Legion. The serial's production number was 1931.

Special Effects

All special effects in Government Agents vs Phantom Legion were produced by Republic's in-house team, the Lydecker brothers.

Stunts

Dale Van Sickel as Hal Duncan/Brice/Kern (doubling Walter Reed)

Tom Steele as Regan/Armstrong/Brandt/Warehouse Thug (doubling Dick Curtis & Pierce Lyden)

Eddie Parker as Payne

Duke Taylor as Kirk

David Sharpe

Theatrical

Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion's official release date is 4 July 1951, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.

This was followed by a re-release of Haunted Harbor, re-titled as Pirates' Harbor, instead of a new serial. The next new serial, Radar Men from the Moon, followed in 1952.

Chapter titles

River of Fire (20 min)
The Stolen Corpse (13 min 20s)
The Death Drop (13 min 20s)
Doorway to Doom (13 min 20s)
Deadline for Disaster (13 min 20s)
Mechanical Homicide (13 min 20s)
The Flaming Highway (13 min 20s)
Sea Saboteurs (13 min 20s)
Peril Underground (13 min 20s)
Execution by Accident (13 min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
Perilous Plunge (13 min 20s)
Blazing Retribution (13 min 20s)

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