Based on a then-popular comic strip, King Of The Royal Mounted was another of the great Republic Studio serials so popular from the 1930's to the 1950's. This one came near the studio's peak of serial adventure. Directors John English and William Whitney, writers Franklin Adreon, Barney A. Sarecky and Sol Shor had just been south of the border with the excellent Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939). Jumping north of the border for King Of The Royal Mounted, English, Whitney and Shor would then set their action in the United States for one of Republic's most famous serials The Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941).
It was not only the work behind the scenes that make King Of The Royal Mounted so enjoyable. A large part of the success has to be credited to star Allan Lane, the epitome of the square-jawed, two-fisted Mountie. This was Lane's first serial after eleven years in acting, mostly in minor roles in such movies as the Shirley Temple feature Stowaway (1936) and Charlie Chan At The Olympics (1937). King Of The Royal Mounted would recreate Lane as an action hero. From serials he would go on to B-movie western stardom as Allan "Rocky" Lane in Stagecoach To Denver (1946) and The Bandit King Of Texas (1949).
Lane plays Sgt. Dave King of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at Tombstone Landing, Ontario working for his dad, the station's Chief Inspector. King thinks he has a quiet life riding the backwoods beat, little realizing that a nearby mine will become the center of attention for a hotbed of spies. These enemy agents are after Compound X, a substance unearthed from the mine and used for treating infantile paralysis, but which can be turned into a magnetic explosive allowing the enemy country to blow up ships and break the British blockade. Although every effort is made to make these spies look typically German, at no point in the serial is this country, with which Canada is at war, ever named. It is a peculiarity caused by Republic, an American studio, being a bit cautious about the United States' then official neutrality with Nazi Germany.
Bit actor with a great name Robert Strange heads up the team of spies, but his henchman Wade Garson, played by the excellent heavy Harry Cording, has to do all the riding, shooting and brush-fire setting and he makes a fine foil for the Mountie. Lita Conway is the supposed love interest but she barely registers and, besides, who watches these serials for the lovey-dovey stuff anyway?
VCI Entertainment's print on this DVD is a sparkling one with practically no flaws. Some nighttime scenes are a bit dark but it seems this is more the problem of cameraman William Nobles' day-for-night shooting than VCI's processing of the print. The sound is also good for such a low-budget film. The musical main theme, written by Cy Feuer, will stick in your head for days. In addition, the DVD includes production stills, ads and posters, cast and crew bios and a selection of trailers for other Republic Studio titles. King Of The Royal Mounted is another great addition to VCI's library of classic serial adventures.
To order King of the Royal Mounted, go to TCM Shopping.
by Brian Cady
