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G-Men vs the Black Dragon

G-Men vs The Black Dragon (1943) is a Republic Movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen.

This was Witney's last production before leaving to serve in World War II, he actually shipped out before filming was complete. It also sees Witney's wife, Maxine Doyle, returning to acting for the first time since they met on the set of an earlier serial, S.O.S. Coast Guard (1937).

Rod Cameron's characterization of indestructible federal agent Rex Bennett was so successful that Republic hurriedly made changes to Cameron's next serial, already in production. It became an unofficial sequel, Secret Service in Darkest Africa, with Cameron's character renamed Rex Bennett, and the feminine lead Joan Marsh becoming a British character, as in G-Men vs. the Black Dragon.

In 1966 the serial was edited into a feature titled Black Dragon of Manzanar. It played on television as part of Republic's "Century 66" package of 100-minute serial adaptations.

Plot overview

Enemy agents smuggle Japanese master spy Haruchi into the United States. Haruchi, chieftain of the Black Dragon Society, enlists corrupt officials and trusted assistants to hinder America's war effort, by destroying valuable military properties and securing vital formulas. Federal agent Rex Bennett and his two assistants, Vivian and Chang, monitor Haruchi's acttvities and foil his plans.

Cast

• Rod Cameron as Agent Rex Bennett, American special agent
• Roland Got as Agent Chang Sing, Chinese special agent
• Constance Worth as Vivian Marsh, British special agent
• Nino Pipitone as Oyama Haruchi, Japanese spy and leader of the Black Dragon Society
• Noel Cravat as Ranga, Haruchi's assistant
• George J. Lewis as Lugo, Haruchi's assistant

Chapter titles

1. Yellow Peril
2. Japanese Inquisition
3. Arsenal of Doom
4. Deadly Sorcery
5. Celestial Murder
6. Death and Destruction
7. The Iron Monster
8. Beast of Tokyo
9. Watery Grave
10. The Dragon Strikes
11. Suicide Mssion
12. Dead on Arrival
13. Condemned Cargo
14. Flaming Coffin
15. Democracy in Action

Stunts and effects

Special effects

All the special effects in this serial were produced by Republic's in-house effects team, the Lydecker brothers. Many of the scenes were filmed so impressively that Republic reused them in later serials.

Stunts

• Tom Steele as Rex Bennett (doubling Rod Cameron)
• Duke Taylor as Lugo (doubling George J. Lewis)
• Ken Terrell as Ranga & Chang Sing (doubling Noel Cravat and Roland Got)
• Dale Van Sickel (doubling Stanley Price)
• John Daheim (doubling Crane Whitley and Harry Burns)

External links

• G-Men vs The Black Dragon at the Internet Movie Database
• G-Men vs The Black Dragon at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience