As "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" begins, Flash (Buster Crabbe) Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) and Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) are returning from the planet Mongo where they have defeated Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) in his efforts to destroy the earth. Somehow on the way, the comely Miss Arden has managed to get a makeover including a new hair color and style.On returning to earth, Flash learns that there is a mysterious ray emanating from the planet Mars which is drawing nitrogen from the earth's atmosphere. Flash, Dale and Professor Zarkoff takeoff for Mars immediately. Stowing away on board is bumbling reporter Happy (Donald Kerr) who is along to provide the comedy relief this time around.Arriving on Mars, Flash and his team discover that Mars is a land of matte paintings and miniatures ruled over by Queen Azura (Beatrice Roberts) who can appear and disappear at will. Much to Flash's surprise he discovers that his old nemesis Ming has turned up on Mars and has allied himself with Queen Azura.Over the course of 15 chapters, Flash has encounters with the Clay People and the Tree People as well as Azura and Ming's many followers in life threatening death defying situations. Prince Barin (Richard Alexander) drops in from Mongo to lend Flash a hand.Buster Crabbe complete with blonde hair makes a believable serial hero. He even gets to swing on a vine in the land of the Tree People as he had as Tarzan a few years earlier. Jean Rogers has little to do but look beautiful in her floor length gown while being concerned for Flash's safety. Charles Middleton makes an evil sinister double-crossing no good villain.Others in the cast are Montague Shaw as the Leader of the Clay People, Wheeler Oakman as Ming's assistant and Kane Richmond, Kenne Duncan, Warner Richmond and Jack Mulhall in other roles.Will Flash save the world yet again? Tune in again to see Flash's continuing battle with the forces of evil..... at this theater next week.

The degree to which these episodes require of the viewer a super-human suspension of belief makes them, I believe, beyond all criticism and places them in a category that defies definition--"kitsch" and "camp" do not begin to do this cinematic production justice. I do have one criticism, however, of King Entertainment's editing of the DVD. They should have left in the original breaks in the story line which corresponded to the actual viewing experience of the original audiences in the movie houses of the 30s & 40s and TV of the 60s & 70s: namely those dramatic moments at the end of a chapter when Flash & company appeared to be finished for certain. The beginning of the next sequel revealed how they managed their astonishing, breath-taking escape from the gaping jaws of death.

I think I'd take a dozen of these for one Star Wars sequels.When you get down to it, Star Wars was four things: Kurosawa, Williams and Campbell folded into science fiction, but it was quite thin scifi. It posited a Manichean world — at least originally, where good and evil had some sort of tides in the cosmic ether. Then it devolved into a self-parody of 50's era family damage, with deliberate hooks for frustrated kids.These old Flash Gordon things have none of the cinematic values that even the poorest modern flick does. They are watched today for laughs, I suppose. But I will recommend this because the story elements are so well founded. It follows from the profoundly creative "Phantom Empire," which I think is uniquely influential, more so than say "Metropolis."The universe here has an evil overlord doing his worst. And it has magic, but this is real magic of the magical sort, not something diluted by "the force" explanations. And the magic is embodied in the female, without gunlike apparatus, as it probably should be. And rooted in the womb instead of a muppet.The effects seem clunky but you have earth forces (clay men who form out of and return to the earth) and science. Sex and evil. All four of these in various combinations form the plot structures for this and other Flash Gordons. There's even a clever folding mechanism: the players us a TeeVee like device to communicate. At the beginning of each episode, the viewers are given a review of what happened before. In this communication, the same TeeVee communicator is used. A hand tuning to us.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

This is the sequel to the 1936 Flash Gordon serial. Flash and company go from the planet Mongo to the planet Mars. The same cast return with the addition of Frank Shannon as comic relief. Beatrice Roberts plays Queen Azura, "Queen Of Magic". I personally missed seeing Priscilla Lawson as Princess Aura. Charles Middleton is and always will be "Ming The Merciless" This serial is also Jean Rogers last portrayal of Dale Arden. This is a fun serial to watch. 15 thrilling episodes with clay people, forest people, Flash, Dale, Dr. Zarkof and, i do so love her, Beatrice Roberts. Well, girls and boys, buckle up have you're popcorn at the ready and enjoy. John R. Tracy.