Even for a serial, this one is weird

[dr_hermes]

THE LOST CITY (1935)

Comments

[abqreviews]

I haven't seen this in years, but I'm in the mood for a warts-and-all serial, so maybe I'll try and hunt it down.

>perfect secret identity

DC comics actually tried to create a character like that called "The Black Bomber", but it was deemed too offensive and later got modified into Black Lightning. Dwayne McGuffie recently had that character pop up for a cameo in JUSTICE LEAGUE. The reactions of people on comics forums were...interesting, to say the least.

[dr_hermes]

There were a few characters in old comics and radio who were white men posing as Indians when they went to fight crime. I think Straight Arrow was one?

[full_metal_ox]

Believe it or not, Straight Arrow's Comanche warrior persona was his true identity; he was an orphan raised by a white family, passing as white rancher Steve Adams: http://www.otrsite.com/articles/artjf003.html

Since the script revealing his origin story was never aired, it's understandable that a lot of people have the opposite impression.

[dr_hermes]

Huh. Well, I misremembered that one. I've only heard one or two STRAIGHT ARROW episodes on sampler MP3s, I wondered if they ever dealt with the dangers of an Indian posing as a white man in the Old West? You might think he'd be risking a lynching.

[terry_mccombs]

Is this the serial with the famous (infamous) line "That was a white woman's scream!" at some point?

[dr_hermes]

Yep. I'd take that as the same sort of carelessness that once had a character on the LONE RANGER radio show say, "Listen, sounds like a white horse coming."

[dr_hermes]

Oh, and I have to add the time when the Lone Ranger and Tonto were searching a hotel room for clues; they couldn't find any, the Ranger said they'd better get out of the hotel before they were found and the actor playing Tonto absent-mindedly said, "Ugh, get-um up Scout!" to his horse.

[full_metal_ox]

Another fun anecdote from WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN?, although this one doesn't involve the assumption that sound effects can convey color: I would dearly love to have been present at the concert performance of the William Tell Overture wherein the audience nearly gave Leopold Stokowski a coronary by yelling out in unison, "HI-HO, SILVER, AWAAAAYYYY!"