The Crimson Ghost

Plot

A mysterious villain, the eponymous Crimson Ghost, is determined to steal a counter atomic device known as Cyclotrode X, which can short out any electrical device.

Cast

Production

The Crimson Ghost was budgeted at $137,912, although the final negative cost was $161,174 (a $23,262, or 16.9%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1946. It was filmed between March 28 and April 24, 1946 under the working title The Scarlet Shadow. The serial's production number was 1597.

In order to prevent the audience deducing the identity of the Crimson Ghost, the studio (Stanford Jolley) provided the voice, and was behind the costume Jolley's role was minor but he received fourth-billing and was therefore highly suspect. When The Crimson Ghost was unmasked in the 12th and final chapter, he proved to be yet another actor entirely, Joseph Forte, who had played a character seemingly above suspicion at that point in the serial.

Television's future Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, played a rare villainous role in this serial as one of the Crimson Ghost's henchmen, a cold-hearted gangster named Ashe. This was director William Witney's last serial. His first was The Painted Stallion in 1937 and prior to this production had temporarily left the serial business to serve in World War II.

Stunts

Special effects

The special effects were produced by Republic's Lydecker brothers.

Theatrical

The Crimson Ghost's official release date is 26 October 1946, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.

Television

In the early 1950s, The Crimson Ghost was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes. The Crimson Ghost was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Cyclotrode "X". This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length. The Crimson Ghost was one of two Republic serials to be colorized in the 1990s.

Critical reception

Author William C. Cline believes that The Crimson Ghost is the most striking and visually fascinating villain in any film serial.

Chapter titles

1. Atomic Peril (20 min)
2. Thunderbolt (13min 20s)
3. The Fatal Sacrifice (13min 20s)
4. The Laughing Skull (13min 20s)
5. Flaming Death (13min 20s)
6. Mystery of the Mountain (13min 20s)
7. Electrocution (13min 20s)
8. The Slave Collar (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
9. Blazing Fury (13min 20s)
10. The Trap that Failed (13min 20s)
11. Double Murder (13min 20s)
12. The Invisible Trail (13min 20s)

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Influence

The poster for a March 28, 1979 show at Max's Kansas City featured the first use of the Crimson Ghost [1] by the band Misfits. The cover art for their Horror Business EP, the band's third single, would be the first time that the character would appear on a release by the band. It would continue to be used as the band's mascot and its skull image continues to serve as the Misfits' logo.

Iron Maiden have also used the Crimson Ghost in their "The Number of the Beast" music video.

In the 2007 remake of Halloween, a little boy (Skyler Gisondo playing Tommy Doyle) is wearing a Crimson Ghost costume.