Universal's 1939 12-chapter serial THE PHANTOM CREEPS is another variation of the "mad scientist" theme. Bela Lugosi is Dr. Alex Zorka whose mad machinations focus on bringing the world to its knees. Add a giant robot (played by Edward Wolff), a dash of foreign spies and a sprinkle of G-Men and we've got another science-fiction/horror/crime potboiler in which Lugosi plays the menacing villain. It was the last of his serial appearances and the 112th that Universal produced.
Starring Robert Kent, Dorothy Arnold, Regis Toomey and Edward Van Sloan, a young Lee J. Cobb is also in a scene using archival footage. No info on who made the "Phantom" robot, but it's likely that Jack Pierce did the makeup considering he was still on board at Universal.
Released in January 1939, it offered theater-goers respite from the dark clouds of war forming overhead.
THE PHANTOM CREEPS was adapted in comic book form in MOVIE COMICS #6 (September-October 1939 by Picture Publications, Inc., an imprint of DC Comics. C. Elbert was editor, Max Gaines was managing editor and Sheldon Mayer was assistant editor. The scriptwriter is unknown and art is by Jack Adler and Emery Gondor using airbrush to touch-up the photos and adding additional line art. A pretty good job is done in encapsulating the 265-minute film is just seven short pages. Lugosi's first name, Alex is misnamed Alec.
Learn more about DC's MOVIE COMICS HERE.
Various one-sheet movie posters:
Pressbook:
Production stills:
Have a creepy week!
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