FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE

FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (vt PERIL FROM THE PLANET MONGO, SPACE SOLDIERS CONQUER THE UNIVERSE, THE PURPLE DEATH FROM OUTER SPACE). Ford Beebe and Roy Taylor, dirs. 12 episodes. USA: Universal, 1940. "Based on the newspaper feature by Alex Raymond entitled 'Flash Gordon' . . . ."

Chapter 3, "Walking Bombs," and Chapter 4, "Destroying Ray" have as a featured threat robots interesting for walking rather like golems (DER GOLEM, 1920) and for cubistic heads; contrast Flash's movements in a full-body protective suit in Chapter 6, "Flaming Death." For general technology, see the original FLASH GORDON series of 1936, the sequel on FLASH GORDEN'S TRIP TO MARS in 1939, and the Dino De Laurentiis remake of FLASH GORDON in 1980. Note Flash Gordon serials as a direct source, of sorts, for the STAR WARS series, or at least the first, "New Hope," trilogy.