Mike Newton
I've had the pleasure of meeting both of these ladies at nostalgia film festivals. I was sitting with Kay Aldridge in the viewing room when they ran a chapter of Daredevils of the West in which she co-starred with Allan "Rocky" Lane. Kay gave out with a shriek at the appropriate time as her screen image was about to go over a cliff in a runaway wagon. Adrian told me the story of how Kay was tied up and hanging in mid-air during a scene from "Nyoka" They had her standing on a box for the close-up shot and then took the box away for the long shot. Kay looked up to the heavens and said "Oh Lord, send me a man right away." Of course it got a laugh from the crew. I don't know how old she was at the time of "Nyoka," but when she didn't report to work one day, director Bill Witney discovered that she had chicken pox.Kay had a rather sophisticated way of talking which may have detracted some from her athletic character role, but she did make three serials for Republic. She later married a millionaire and moved to Maine, but did make some festival appearances.
kastlkara
One of the better Republican serials . Unusual for placing a heroine as the central character with the hero as merely the sidekick; required to do little more than rescue her as she falls into another swamp or sandpit fort he hundredth time. Amusiing to see a dynamic athletic hero reduced to being wallpaper instead go the generic all conquering hero as usually written in every decade. Episodes contained big cat fights, including one to the death. Although the cast list doesn't credit the contribution of "satan" , Vultura's loyal gorilla with a horn sticking his Head. Like a primate unicorn.Like other Republic serials it has become unfairly neglected since it contains some visionary script writing. This is Lara Croft with more style and written 50 years before the computer graphic had been thought of. Instead there is a live heroine out to find her father and translate a papyrus that she alone can read. Did Lara's creators check the copyright on this film had expired first?Lorna Grey is the real star. Excudiong powerful allure combined with ruthless ambition to obtain the treasure, then kill everyone just for the fun of it. I
Michael1958
What a serial or film, however you see this film you will see why it was the movie that helped launch the interest in show business by Carol Burnett. Ms. Burnett claimed that after watching the heroine Nyoka Gordon in action that she wanted to be like her in the movies. What a plot and characters-there is Nyoka Gordon, a comely lass raised in the wilds of the studio backlot er I mean Northern Africa. Handsome Larry-our hero, a couple of professor types, a dumb sidekick named Red(played by Billy Benedict on vacation from the East Side Kids), a beautiful villainess named Vultura, her wicked hammy helper-Cassib(played by the guy who gave us Ming the Merciless of Flash Gordon serial fame), a dog named Fang, a goofy little monkey and one poorly designed Gorilla costumed person running around doing Vultura's dirty work. Oh, I almost forgot, it also has Republic perenial of serials Tristam Coffin as Tortellini-the Italian spy for Vultura. This film does not have any Tigermen in it, but it does have a wind tunnel! Tacky looking chariots! that idiotic gorilla guy, some great fist fights! and two beautiful babes in the title roles. After viewing it many times, if Vultura didn't hang with the ghastly looking gorilla-she is the hottest of the two ladies and a better actress. She sure hams it up, but Nyoka looks like she is sleep walking half the time. Watch it at least once, it is funnier if taken as a comedy. If you think of it as serious-you will find it dreadful.
Teenie-1
I miss Clayton Moore. Really. He stars in this Republic serial with Kay Aldridge (another pre-Lara Croft) and does a wonderful job. The plot makes a lot of sense this time. It concerns an American doctor (Moore) who ventures to what looks like a Middle-Eastern country in search of tablets written by Hippocrates that provide a cure for cancer. He meets Nyoka Gordon,(played by Aldridge) who is pitted against Hollywood dust storms, a man in a gorilla suit, funky armpits (when she goes mano-y-mano with the villains in some dirty fighting) and in nasty climactic tussles with Vultura (beautiful Lorna Gray) - and these ain't no hair-pullin' catfights, guys! Republic's stuntwomen were just as tough as the men if not tougher. Vultura and her henchmen do everything in their evil power to stop Nyoka and her handsome hero from getting the tablets, which also lead to a bountiful treasure. During the action Nyoka is even reunited with her long-lost father who is a ruler of some sort. There's even brain surgery going on in one cave while a fight takes place in the next. Hmmm, wonder what would OSHA would've thought of that? Talk about professionalism among the staff! I've heard of office conflicts but this is ridiculous! Seriously, though, this is a good film and well-made. The plot makes sense, the action is good, and it's very easy to follow. It's available as part of Republic's serial collection. Compared to some of the garbage called movie entertainment thrown at us today, I'll take a Republic serial any day.
AD
