THE CRIMSON GHOST -- IN COLOR!

The Crimson Ghost in costume

THE CRIMSON GHOST (12 chapter Republic serial/1946). Directors: William Witney; Fred C. Brannon. Colorized. 

The Crimson Ghost, as he calls himself, is one of the members of a scientific committee and is employed by a foreign government. The Ghost is after a "cyclotrode," a device which can "instantly stop any electrically-controlled mechanism," which he uses more than once. His nasty helpmates include Ashe (Clayton Moore of G-Men Never Forget) and Bain (Rex Lease), and the Ghost also employs special collars that sap the will of victims, force them to commit criminal acts, and can even kill them from afar. Aiming to stop him are Duncan Richards (Charles Quigley of The Iron Claw) and his efficient assistant, Diana (Linda Stirling of The Purple Monster Strikes).  

Quigley and Stirling

The Crimson Ghost is a whirlwind Republic serial with a generally good musical score and reasonably adept performances. The true identity of the Ghost is kept secret until practically the final minute of the serial. There are some decent cliffhangers -- a room fills with poisoned gas; a rope is cut, causing Duncan to fall towards the street below; a car smashes into the wall of a boathouse etc. -- although virtually all of them are "cheats," with the characters always jumping out of the way in the last second. However, this doesn't matter as the furious fisticuffs, the extreme nastiness of the villain, and the sheer fun of the serial makes it a winner. As usual, the color adds a new, welcome dimension. 

Verdict: Can't keep that Ghost down! ***. 

THE CRIMSON GHOST

The Crimson Ghost played by ?

THE CRIMSON GHOST (12 chapter Republic serial/1946). Directed by William Witney and Fred C. Brannon. 

A masked figure called the Crimson Ghost is secretly one of the board members of a scientific society. Professor Chambers (Kenne Duncan) has invented the cyclotrode, the "most powerful offensive weapon in the world" and the Ghost can't wait to get his hands on it. The cyclotrode can neutralize virtually all forms of energy. The Ghost and his associates Ashe (Clayton Moore) and Bain (Rex Lease) enact various schemes to either steal the cyclotrode or make a duplicate, doing their best to loot armored cars and purloin some heavy water. Their efforts are stymied by Duncan Richards (Charles Quigley), who is not only a physicist himself but a security man. His associate Diana (Linda Stirling) proves an able helping hand on more than one occasion.  

Linda Stirling and Charles Quigley 

The Crimson Ghost is an exciting and briskly-paced serial, with lots of Republic's trademark furious fisticuffs and furniture-smashing battles. Our hero falls from a wire he's traversing in chapter three, almost succumbs to poison gas pumped into a locked room in chapter four, and apparently falls from a high window into an alley with a thud in chapter eleven. Chapter six is especially action-packed, featuring a plane crash, a battle by cliff side, and the explosion of a bridge. The Ghost is, as usual, an  utterly ruthless, amoral and sociopathic criminal and his henchmen are little better. Quigley makes a stalwart hero in this; Linda Stirling had more to do in earlier serials such as Zorro's Black Whip and The Tiger Woman, when she was the leading lady.  Quigley was in a number of serials and B movies. 

Verdict: Punches and thrills galore. ***.