The Masked Marvel
| The Masked Marvel | |
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Spencer Gordon Bennet |
| Produced by | William J. O'Sullivan |
| Written by |
Royal K. Cole Ronald Davidson Basil Dickey Grant Nelson George H. Plympton Joseph F. Poland |
| Starring |
William Forrest Louise Currie Johnny Arthur Richard Clarke Anthony Warde Justin Cousson David Bacon Tom Steele |
| Cinematography | Reggie Lanning |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
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Release date
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $157,110 (negative cost: $179,960) |
The Masked Marvel (1943) is a 12-chapter film serial created by Republic Pictures, who produced many of the best known of the serials. It was Republic's thirty-first serial, of the sixty-six they produced.
In the The Masked Marvel, a hero dressed in a business suit and a face mask fights the Japanese saboteur Sakima and his espionage organization. The hook of the story is that, in a reversal of the common serial "Masked Mystery Villain" , the audience doesn't know who the hero is until the final reel - all the audience is told is that The Masked Marvel is one of a group of special investigators (the same plotline is used in the Republic serial The Lone Ranger).
The Masked Marvel was budgeted at $157,110 although the final negative cost was $179,960 (a $22,850, or 14.5%, overspend).
It was filmed between 14 July and 18 August 1943. In terms of cost per chapter, this was Republic's third most expensive serial, behind Radar Men from the Moon and The Tiger Woman. The serial's production number was 1296.
The Masked Marvel is a reverse of the "old mystery villain theme." The identity of the Masked Marvel is kept secret from the audience until the last chapter. Clues and red herrings about the hero's identity are unveiled throughout the serial. Four possible candidates are shown: Bob Barton (David Bacon), Frank Jeffers (Richard Clarke), Terry Morton (Bill Healy) and Jim Arnold (Rob Bacon).
The Masked Marvel is really stuntman Tom Steele throughout the serial except the very final shot, in which he removes his mask. The mask was directly moulded from Steele's face. Despite this, Tom Steele was given no screen credit at all, even for the bit parts and stunts he performed in addition to the title role. The voice of the Masked marvel was dubbed in by radio actor Gayne Whitman, since Steele's natural voice was a light tenor, somewhat similar to Henry Fonda's, and did not record as particularly "tough." However, in Steele's most visible secondary role, as a murderous assassin, he disguises his voice, apparently believing that his natural voice would be used for the Marvel.
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