Buck Rogers: 70th Anniversary [DVD] [1939] [US Import]

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "BUCK ROGERS:70TH ANNIVERSARY" (1939) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- adapted from Edgar Wallace novel with 12 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences --- story line involves Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe) and his young friend Buddy Wade (Jackie Moran) as they both crash land in a trans-polar dirigible flight on an Earth mountain top, will they be killed --- what is this strange gas of suspended animations --- have the years passed so quickly with Buck and Buddy now 500 years into the future --- who now rules the planet Earth with such tyrannical despot --- what can be done to overthrow the leader Killer Kane (Anthony Warde) who wants all under his "Zombie" control and in enslavement --- can Buck, Buddy and Lt. Wilma Deering (Constance Moore) overthrow Killer Kane and his ally Prince Tallen (Philson Ahn) of Saturn --- who will win out on this universal war, watch "War of the Planets" the final chapter of this inter planetary sci-fi exciting adventure.

CHAPTER TITLES:
1. Tomorrow's World
2. Tragedy on Saturn
3. The Enemy's Stronghold
4. The Sky Patrol
5. The Phantom Plane
6. The Unknown Command
7. Primitive Urge
8. Revolt of the Zuggs
9. Bodies Without Minds
10.Broken Barriers
11.A Prince in Bondage
12.War of the Planets

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. THE STORY OF BUCK ROGERS - 70 years ago and 500 years in the future [8:52 min]
2. BUSTER CRABBE - ALL AMERICAN HERO - recorded 1972 - [25:29 min]
3. PHOTO GALLERY - [4:47 min]
4. BUCK ROGERS RADIO SHOWS EPISODE #1 - aired from 1932 - 1947 - [15:22 min]
5. BUCK ROGERS RADIO SHOWS EPISODE #2 - aired 11/07/1932 - [13:54 min]
6. 2009 COMIC-CON BUCK ROGERS PANEL - [28:58 min]
7. BUCK ROGERS VS. THE TIGER MEN FROM MARS (1935) - [7:59 min]

Special footnote, actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several television appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).

BIOS:
1. Buster Crabbe (aka Clarence Linden Crabbe)
Date of Birth: 7 February 1908 - Oakland, California
Date of Death: 23 April 1983, Scottsdale, Arizona

2. Constance Moore
Date of Birth: 18 January 1920 - Sioux City, Iowa
Date of Death:16 September 2005 - Los Angeles, California

3. Anthony Warde
Date of Birth: 4 November 1908 - Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 8 January 1975 - Hollywood, California

4. Jackie Moran (aka John E. Moran)
Date of Birth: 26 January 1923 - Mattoon, Illinois
Date of Death: 20 September 1990 - Greenfield, Massachusetts

5. Ford I. Beebe (Director)
Date of Birth: 26 November 1888 - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Date of Death: 26 November 1978 - Lake Elsinore, California

Great job by VCI and their staff, as the digital transfer is a clean, clear and crisp print much better than the other video labels --- This collection is loaded with quality extra bonus features not found in previous collections --- order your copy now from Amazon who has the best for your every growing hobby or addiction.

Total Time: 241 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8570 ~ (11/03/2009)

I love these old shows Flash Gordon,Superman,Crimson Ghost and Buck Rogers.

Ok plot is simular to Flash,but Buck is frozen for 500 yrs.Sets are tacky and space crafts are models,but hey thats the thrill of these shows,and the cliff hanger to be continued.

After being frozen for 500 years, Buck Rogers and young sidekick, Buddy Wade, along with the citizens of The Hidden City, battle uber-gangster Killer Kane in this 12 part serial from 1939.
Unlike the more popular Flash Gordon serial, I found this serial quite dull and boring, I got to chapter 5 about 3 months ago and gave up, consisting mostly of Buck, Buddy and Wilma travelling backwards and forwards to Saturn to try and enlist the Saturnians in their fight against Killer Kane and his crew.
Going with an Art-Deco style with the spaceships, yes they still look like an Airfix model kit, complete with spluttering rockets, and the same for the buildings, makes everything look flat.
The only saving grace is the notion that in 500 years we'll have lost all fashion sense and be wearing silver shower caps and have industrial strength hair dryers strapped to our backs so that we can fly.
I believe this is the second pressing of this disc by VCI as a colleague of mine has a double sided version of this, mine being only single with no trailers, though they're listed on the box. The print is very dark, thank goodness for the brightness control.
Even Larry 'Buster' Crabbe couldn't save this one.
One last thing, the version I have is Region 0, not Region 1. Has this been changed?