Jack Armstrong: The All-American Boy

Starring:John Hart, Rosemary La Planche, Claire James, Joe Brown Jr., Pierre Watkin, Wheeler Oakman, Jack Ingram, Eddie Parker, Hugh Prosser, Stanley Blystone, Ken Terrell, Rito Punay, Russ Vincent, John Merton, Frank Ellis, Terry Frost, George DeNormand, Lane Bradford, Zon Murray, Augie Gomez
Director: Wallace Fox
Studio: Vci Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

All-American Boy Strikes Out
" the King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Jack Armstrong (1947)"
Good Columbia serial, nice print, villain's worth the price!
My grandfather's review

Jack Armstrong: The All-American Boy
Starring: John Hart , Rosemary La Planche , Claire James , Joe Brown Jr. , and Pierre Watkin
Director: Wallace Fox
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001OGV0I
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Description

A brilliant scientist working on atom-powered motors is kidnapped and taken to a mysterious island where the master villain, in usual cliffhanger form, hopes to conquer the world and gives our hero a hell of a time! Jack Armstrong, of course, thwarts these evil plans in the nick of time. Good, clean fun filled with exciting chases, fights and thrills thru 15 chapters. For those old enough to remember, you can almost hear the announcer on the old radio show saying in a hushed voice..."Well, boys and girls. You'll remember that yesterday when we left Jack, Uncle Jim, Billy and Betty they were just ready to...!" Bonus Features: Chapter Selection Menus|Bios|Bonus Serial Trailers|VCI Classic Cliffhanger Promo Reel| Slim Double Keepcase Specs: DVD9 + DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 270 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1947; SRP - $19.99.

Customer Reviews:

All-American Boy Strikes Out.......2006-01-09

This is one of many serials I saw at the Uptown Theater in Dover, NH, and one of the few I clearly remember. "Jack Armstrong" was one of my favorite radio serials for years, and I was thrilled when it was announced as the next movie serial at the Uptown. All I actually remember is the first chapter with that special car, which I thought was extremely cool at the time. The previews made us think the car was part of the story, but after the first chapter it never appears again.

The rest of the story is disappointing. It has a weak script and poor production values. The fights are not well choreographed. The chapter endings are mediocre. There's a little too much sci-fi nonsense to make this serial really enjoyable--for example in a late chapter they're going to communicate with "supersonic sound"--that would be sound that's faster than sound, excuse me? Dr. Grood's rocket ship looks suspiciously like the one in "Atom Man vs. Superman," and some of the weapons are more than faintly reminiscent of Luthor's in that same serial. Three of the bad guys resemble the Three Stooges.

John Hart looked like a movie star but he wasn't much of an actor. He played the Lone Ranger on TV from 1952 to 1953 replacing Clayton Moore for a year, after which Moore was brought back by popular demand. Rosemary LaPlanche was Miss America of 1941, and she toured extensively during the War selling war bonds. She could have been used to better advantage here, as could Claire James as Princess Alura. In fact, Miss James looks every bit as much Miss America-like as Rosemary does.

Pierre Watkin makes a fine Uncle Jim, albeit without the hair he sported as Perry White in "Superman." He may be the best actor in the film. Joe Brown, Jr. sure isn't--he can't deliver one line convincingly. As Billy, he's a pain in the arse--as an
actor, he's a complete disaster.

Columbia got really weird with the release of this film. Charles Middleton, as big a name as ever appeared in serials and who plays Dr. Grood, was not even listed in the credits. Middleton passed away only two years after this serial was made, and he's looking a little worn-out here.

" the King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Jack Armstrong (1947)".......2005-10-05

VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Jack Armstrong the All-American Boy" (1947) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from the radio feature15 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences...story line involves one of the most popular radio show dramas on the airwaves adapted to the big screen in a serial with episodes keeping you guessing all the way through all 15 Chapters...Columbia keeps this serial in tune, right down the line with the original radio serials formula and it works... Armstrong, who we all know is the "All-American Boy" has his hands full battling the no good and rotten to the core Dr.Jason Grood...is it possible there may be a death ray orbiting Earth aboard Grood's spacecraft....what advenures lie ahead for Jack, Betty and Billy Fairfield with the help of Uncle Jim (James Fairfield) owner of an aircraft company...can this very intelligent and outstanding athlete in high school foil the plans of all the henchman Jack Ingram, Eddie Parker, Terry Frost and mastermind bossman Charles Middleton who has to be the meanest man on the planet....all we need now is a full signed confession from this group of evildoers or will there trouble afoot...and who is Vic Hardy really?...keep that thought as each chapter is more exciting than the previous one...return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director Wallace W. Fox, producer Sam Katzman, associate producer Melville De Lay, story treatment by George H. Plympton, with original screenplay by Lewis Clay, Arthur Hoerl, Royal K. Cole and Leslie Swabacker, music score by Lee Zahler...the cast include John Hart (Jack Armstrong), Rosemary La Planche (Betty Fairfield), Joe Brown Jr (Billy Fairfield), Claire James (Princess Alura), Pierre Watkins (Uncle Jim Fairfield), Wheeler Oakman (Prof. Hobart Zorn), Jack Ingram (Blair, chief henchman), Eddie Parker (Slade - henchman), John Merton (Gregory Pierce), Charles Middleton (Dr. Jason Grood), Terry Frost (Jackman - henchman), George DeNormand (Traffic Cop), Hugh Prosser (Vic Hardy) and Knox Manning (Narrator-voice) ...special behind the scenes note that actor John Hart was the perfect choice for radio-comic strip hero Jack Armstrong in the 1947 Columbia Serial...Hart also was called upon in 1952 to play the "Masked Man" in 52 episodes for "The Lone Ranger" television series...television again called upon Hart to star in James Fenimore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans", his role this time was "Hawkeye"...not a bad resume when you remember Hart's beginnings was acting on the stage of the renowned Pasadena Playhouse as a young man before turning to pictures and television...now back to the feature at hand Columbia Pictures stuntwork is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One)
1. Mystery of the Cosmic Ray
2. The Far World
3. Island of Desception
4. Into the Chasm
5. The Space Ship
6. Tunnels of Treachery
7. Cavern of Chance
8. The Secret Room
9. Human Targets

BIOS: (Disc One)
1. John Hart
Birth Date: 12/13/1917 - Los Angeles, CA
Currently Living
2. Rosemary La Planche
Birth Date: 10/11/1923 - Los Angeles, CA
Died: 5/06/1979 - Glendale, CA
3. Wallace W. Fox (Director)
Birth Date: 3/09/1895 - Purcell, OK
Died: 6/30/1958 - Hollywood, CA

CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two)
11.Battle of the Warriors
11.Cosmic Annihilator
12.The Gortto of Greed
13.Wheels of Fate
14.Journey Into Space
15.Restribution

SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Two)
VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
1. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
4. Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
5. The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
6. Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
7. Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
8. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
9. Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
10.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)
11.Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
12.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
13.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
14.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s...get out there as they're going fast, this is the one you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Jack Armstrong the All-American Boy" (1947), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 270 mins on 2 DVD's ~ VCI Entertainment 8323 ~ (4/27/2004)

Good Columbia serial, nice print, villain's worth the price!.......2004-08-13

JACK ARMSTRONG is the 1947 movie version of the popular radio series. The stalwart of Hudson High looks somewhat older (in the person of John Hart, who went on to play The Lone Ranger), and you won't see much of Hudson at all -- most of this is an outdoor adventure, almost a jungle serial with its native tribes and superstitions, with an occasional hint of space-age technology. Good direction and stuntwork throughout, with some imaginative twists on stock perils (like a fistfight aboard a moving dump truck!). On the minus side, Jack's pal Billy is played in dumb-oaf fashion by Joe Brown, Jr., and his antics may become annoying. (He's always snacking on something; when we saw him with gun in hand, we thought he'd eat it.) Pierre Watkin, almost always cast in movies as distinguished bankers, attorneys, and men of distinction, is surprisingly good in the strenuous role of Jack's two-fisted uncle. Fans of Columbia serials will recognize Jack Ingram, Wheeler Oakman, John Merton, Stanley Blystone, Harold Brauer, and Don C. Harvey among the heavies.

But the unsung star of JACK ARMSTRONG is Charles Middleton, famous among serial fans as "Emperor Ming" in the Flash Gordon serials. Middleton was a last-minute addition to the cast (relieving Wheeler Oakman of some of the action), and he does not receive any billing. Middleton is terrific as the trading-post proprietor who will stop at nothing to become master of the universe. The way he gets his reward in the last chapter is one of the simplest and cleverest devices we've ever seen. Middleton's grave face and ominous voice lend some distinction to a standard adventure story.

VCI deserves a bow for releasing these seldom-seen cliffhangers on DVD. The quality of the merchandise is excellent.

My grandfather's review.......2000-11-13

I spoke with my grandfather who loved this radio series as a child. I thought he might be the best capable to give this review, I have heard him talk about it so many times. I called him and asked him to tell me about it again... he said:

"I couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old... My friend Robert and I used to run home from working (no child labor laws then.. ha!) or school lessons to listen to the adventures of Jack... Robert's parents were the only one with a radio to pick up the program. We used to love these programs. I know he wasn't the Lone Ranger, or anything.. everyone was into cowboys then...but Jack was different...and he was pretty good. You know, (laughing) Jack used to get into something every week. The problem is that every time Jack would be captured... or into the mix.. the radio would go out.. Robert would run to fix the antenna... but then they would have the advertisements for next week.. *sigh*. Cliffhangers. But we loved it then.. I think that made it even better. It would probably be a little silly now.. but, you know, I would really like to know what happened to old Jack"

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