Hop Harrigan (serial)
Hop Harrigan is a Columbia film serial, based on the Hop Harrigan comic books by DC Comics. The serial comprised 15 two-reel chapters with Derwin Abrahams as the director, and Sam Katzman, the producer. Columbia Pictures was one of the last Hollywood studios to continue in postwar years with the serial format. By 1947, Universal Pictures discontinued their serials, with only Republic Pictures and Columbia continuing with serials. The last serial was Columbia's Blazing the Overland Trail.
Plot
Hop Harrigan, a top Air Corps pilot, leaves the military and he and his mechanic, "Tank" Tinker, open up a small charter air service. They are hired by J. Westly Arnold to fly an inventor, Dr. Tobor, to his secret laboratory, where he is working on a new and powerful energy machine.A mysterious villain named "The Chief Pilot", however, is also determined to have the new energy machine for his own purposes. He uses a destructive raygun to cripple Hop's aircraft and kidnaps Dr. Tobor. Hop and Tank, aided by Gail Nolan and her younger brother, Jackie, finally overcome the criminals only find a bigger threat to them all within their group.
Dr. Tobor is insane and has a hideous plan to destroy the earth. Only Hop can stop him.
Chapter titles
- A Mad Mission
- The Secret Ray
- The Mystery Plane
- Plunging Peril
- Betrayed by a Madman
- A Flaming Trap
- One Chance for Life
- White Fumes of Fate
- Dr. Tobor's Revenge
- Juggernaut of Fate
- Flying to Oblivion
- Lost in the Skies
- No Escape
- The Chute that Failed
- The Fate of the World
Cast
- William Bakewell as Hop Harrigan
- Jennifer Holt as Gail Nolan
- Robert 'Buzz' Henry as Jackie Nolan
- Sumner Getchell as "Tank" Tinker
- Emmett Vogan as J. Westly Arnold
- Claire James as Gwen Arnold
- John Merton as Dr. Tobor
- Wheeler Oakman as Alex Ballard/The Chief Pilot
- Ernie Adams as Retner
- Peter Michael as Mark Craven
- Terry Frost as Barry
- Anthony Warde as Edwards
- Jackie Moran as Fraser
- Bobby Stone as Gray
- Jack Buchanon as Deputy Sheriff