Spy Smasher

Spy Smasher (1942)

DEATH TO SPIES IN AMERICA

Prior to the United States' involvement in World War II, the masked vigilante Spy Smasher fights Nazi agents operating within the US, led by the treacherous sabotage leader codenamed The Mask.

Date of release
1942-04-04
TMDB
6.1 / 10 (7)
Runtime
3h 35m
Genres
Action, War, TV Movie, Adventure
Director
William Witney

Casting

Interesting facts

Spy Smasher is a 12-episode 1942 Republic serial film based on the Fawcett Comics character Spy Smasher which is now a part of DC Comics. It was the 25th of the 66 serials produced by Republic. The serial was directed by William Witney with Kane Richmond and Marguerite Chapman as the leads. The serial was Chapman's big break into a career in film and television. Spy Smasher is a highly regarded serial. In 1966, a television film was made from the serial footage under the title Spy Smasher Returns.

Production

Spy Smasher was budgeted at $153,682, although the final negative cost was $156,431 (a $2,749, or 1.8%, overspend). It was the most expensive Republic serial of 1942. Spy Smasher was filmed between December 22, 1941, and January 29, 1942. The serial's production number was 1196.

Spy Smasher's aircraft from the comic, the Gyrosub, was changed for the serial to be a secret Nazi aircraft called The Bat Plane. Mort Glickman echoed the "V for Victory" theme from Beethoven's 5th symphony in the Spy Smasher theme song. Both pieces of music include the "..._" Morse code for the letter V.

Columbia's The Secret Code, released later in 1942, was patterned after Spy Smasher. Adverts for the Columbia serial included the phrases "Smash spies with the Secret Service" and "Thrill again to spy smashers' biggest chase!"

Yakima Canutt - Republic's "Ram Rod" (head of the stunt team)

Carey Loftin as Alan/Jack Armstrong & Spy Smasher (doubling Kane Richmond)

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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