Junior G-Men of the Air

Junior G-Men of the Air is a 1942 Universal film serial starring the Dead End Kids and the Little Tough Guys. A group of youthful flying enthusiasts join the "Junior G-Men" to help break up a planned attack on the United States.

Plot

During World War II, members of The Dead End Kids, a youth gang, Billy "Ace" Holden, "Bolts" Larson, "Stick" Munsey, Ace's brother, Eddie, and "Greaseball" Plunkett are working in a salvage yard owned by Ace's father, recovering aircraft parts. While making their escape from robbing a bank, members of a fifth column organization, the "Order of the Black Dragonfly", steal the boys' wrecking truck.
When agent Don Ames from the State Bureau of Investigation, returns their truck, the gang who is distrustful of authority, especially, the "cops", refuse to give a description of the men who stole the truck. Don asks Jerry Markham, leader of the Little Tough Guys, called the "Junior G-Men" to ask Ace for help. Both boys are passionate about aircraft and flying and agree to join forces.
Meanwhile, Axis agents working for "The Baron", a Japanese leader of the "Order of the Black Dragonfly", have more plans for the junkyard, especially the aircraft parts stored there. The Baron has orders to destroy anything that may help the Allied cause. Ace and Jerry join to go look for the enemy saboteurs and find their secret hideout in a farm outside the city.
The enemy agents capture Ace and Eddie, who escape in one of the aircraft that the Baron uses. Their takeoff ends in disaster as Ace hits a fence, tearing off the landing gear and punching a hole in the gasoline tank. The boys parachute to safety and make their way to government headquarters.
The Dead End Kids and Junior G-Men lead the government to the Baron's base and a furious battle takes place. Ace and Jerry personally capture the Baron and receive the government's thanks for bringing the enemy agents to justice.

Chapter titles

Wings Aflame
The Plunge of Peril
Hidden Danger
The Tunnel of Terror
The Black Dragon Strikes
Flaming Havoc
The Death Mist
Satan Fires the Fuse
Satanic Sabotage
Trapped in a Burning 'Chute
Undeclared War
Civilian Courage Conquers

Cast

The Dead End Kids and the Little Tough Guys

Billy Halop as Billy "Ace" Holden
Huntz Hall as "Bolts" Larson
Gabriel Dell as "Stick" Munsey
Bernard Punsly as "Greaseball" Plunkett
David Gorcey as Double Face Gordon
Billy Benedict as Whitey

Additional cast

Gene Reynolds as Eddie Holden
Lionel Atwill as The Baron, a Japanese spy
Frank Albertson as Jerry Markham
Richard Lane as Agent Don Ames
Frankie Darro as Jack
Turhan Bey as Araka, The Baron's "Spear-point Heavy"
John Bleifer as Beal, one of The Baron's henchmen
Eddie Foster as Comora, one of The Baron's henchmen
John Bagni as Augar, one of The Baron's henchmen
Noel Cravat as Monk, one of The Baron's henchmen
Eddy Waller as Jed Holden

Production

Junior G-Men of the Air was the third of Universal's three serials with the Dead End Kids and Little Tough Guys. The serial is the 55th of Universal's sound-era serials and is the last 12-chapter serial released by Universal.
The aircraft used in Junior G-Men of the Air are:

Fokker Super Universal c/n 826, NC972
Travel Air 2000 c/n 181, NC901
Ryan STA c/n 139, NC17305
Brown B-3 NX266Y

The locale for Junior G-Men of the Air was the Metropolitan Airport, Van Nuys, California. Aircraft owners at the airport supplied the Hollywood studios with aircraft for both ground and aerial scenes.

Stunts

Reception

Hal Erickson on the Allmovie website reviewed Junior G-Men of the Air, condensing it to: "Over the course of twelve weeks, the kids are pitted against the worst kinds of villains and pluguglies, but by the final chapter our heroes have thwarted the Black Dragons' plans to sabotage the American defense program. Despite the serial's title, however, the "Junior G-Men" hardly spend any time at all in the air."