AllMovie

From The Perils of Pauline to Flash Gordon, this ten-tape set examines the history of the serials, short films usually screened before a feature film that each week ended with a cliffhanger. From the origins of the genre in the days of silent film to its heyday during the decades of the '30s and '40s, no significant moment is missed in this extensive treatment. Also included are profiles of some of the actors that got their start in the serial film, including Buster Crabbe, an Olympic swimming sensation who later went on to fame as Tarzan.