The Green Archer (1940 serial)

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The Green Archer
Directed by	James W. Horne Carl Hiecke (2nd Unit)
Produced by	Larry Darmour (uncredited)
Written by	Morgan B. Cox John Cutting Jesse A. Duffy James W. Horne Edgar Wallace (novel)
Starring	Victor Jory Iris Meredith James Craven Robert Fiske Dorothy Fay Forrest Taylor
Music by	Lee Zahler
Cinematography	James S. Brown Jr.
Editing by	Dwight Caldwell Earl Turner
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	1 October 1940
Running time	15 chapters (285 mins)
Country	United States
Language	English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Green Archer (1940) is a Columbia film serial based on Edgar Wallace's 1923 novel The Green Archer (which had previously been adapted into the silent serial The Green Archer in 1925 by Pathé). It was Columbia's 12th serial release of their total output of 57 serials.

Director James W. Horne also contributed to the script, which often emphasizes tongue-in-cheek comedy. Under Horne's direction, the heroes and villains exaggerate the melodrama (James Craven is enjoyably florid as the villain, and his henchmen also play for laughs), with comedian Fred Kelsey cast as a very dumb detective.

[edit] Plot

The struggle over the Bellamy estate ends with Michael Bellamy accused of murder and killed on the way to prison, while his brother Abel Bellamy takes control of the estate for his own nefarious plans. Bellamy is using Garr Castle as a base for his jewelry-theft ring, and he kidnaps his brother's wife to keep things quiet. Insurance investigator Spike Holland enters the case, and Abel Bellamy continually dispatches his resident gang to do away with him. Detective Thompson, representing the law, is seldom of any help. Meanwhile, the estate's fabled "Green Archer," a masked, leotard-clad marksman, steals silently through Garr Castle and the estate grounds, confounding the enemy forces.

[edit] Cast

• Victor Jory as Spike Holland, investigator
• Iris Meredith as Valerie Howett, Elaine Bellamy's sister
• James Craven as Abel Bellamy, villain running a gang of jewel thieves in Garr Castle
• Robert Fiske as Savini, one of Abel Bellamy's henchmen
• Dorothy Fay as Elaine Bellamy, Michael Bellamy's wife, kidnapped and held in Garr Castle
• Forrest Taylor as Parker Howett, Elaine Bellamy's father
• Jack Ingram as Brad, one of Abel Bellamy's henchmen posing as the Green Archer
• Joseph W. Girard as Inspector Ross
• Fred Kelsey as Captain Thompson
• Kit Guard as Dinky Stone, Abel Bellamy's radio henchman
• Kenne Duncan as Michael Bellamy, Abel's falsely accused brother killed on the way to prison

[edit] Production

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Chapter titles

1. Prison Bars Beckon
2. The Face at the Window
3. The Devil's Dictograph
4. Vanishing Jewels
5. The Fatal Spark
6. The Necklace of Treachery
7. The Secret Passage
8. Garr Castle is Robbed
9. The Mirror of Treachery
10. The Dagger that Failed
11. The Flaming Arrow
12. The Devil Dogs
13. The Deceiving Microphone
14. End of Hope
15. The Green Archer Exosed

[edit] Stunts

Eddie Parker doubliing for Victor Jory (Spike Holland)

[edit] See also

• List of film serials by year
• List of film serials by studio

[edit] External links

• The Green Archer at the Internet Movie Database

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