Nat Levine's 31 serials
7 silents, 1 part talkie, 23 sound serials | ||
Title / Year / Number of chapters | Players and animal stars |
Director Assistant director Second unit director |
THE SILENT FLYER (Universal, 1926) (silent) (10 chapters) | Malcolm McGregor, Louise Lorraine, Silver Streak (dog) | William Craft |
HEROES OF THE WILD (Mascot, 1927) (silent) (10 chapters) | Jack Hoxie, Josephine Hill, Joe Bonomo, White Fury (horse), Tornado (dog) | Harry Webb |
ISLE OF SUNKEN GOLD (Mascot, 1927) (silent) (10 chapters) | Anita Stewart, Bruce Gordon, Duke Kahanamoku | Harry Webb |
THE GOLDEN STALLION (Mascot, 1927) (silent) (10 chapters) | Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Joe Bonomo, Molly Malone | Harry Webb |
THE VANISHING WEST (Mascot, 1928) (silent) (10 chapters) | Leo Maloney, Jack Perrin, Eileen Sedgwick, Jack Dougherty | Richard Thorpe |
VULTURES OF THE SEA (Mascot, 1928) (silent) (10 chapters) | Johnnie Walker, Shirley Mason, Boris Karloff | Richard Thorpe |
THE FATAL WARNING (Mascot, 1929) (silent) (10 chapters) | Ralph Graves, Helene Costello, Boris Karloff | Richard Thorpe |
THE KING OF THE KONGO (Mascot, 1929) (part-talkie) (10 chapters) | Jacqueline Logan, Walter Miller, Boris Karloff | Richard Thorpe |
THE PHANTOM OF THE WEST (Mascot, 1930) (all-talkie) (10 chapters) | Tom Tyler, Dorothy Gulliver, William Desmond | D. Ross Lederman |
THE LONE DEFENDER (Mascot, 1930) (12 chapters) | Walter Miller, June Marlowe, Buzz Barton, Rin-Tin-Tin (dog) | Richard Thorpe |
KING OF THE WILD (Mascot, 1931) (12 chapters) | Walter Miller, Nora Lane, Boris Karloff | Richard Thorpe |
THE VANISHING LEGION (Mascot, 1931) (12 chapters) | Harry Carey, Edwina Booth, Frankie Darro, Rex (horse) | Ford Beebe, B. Reeves Eason |
THE GALLOPING GHOST (Mascot, 1931) (12 chapters) | Harold 'Red' Grange, Dorothy Gulliver, Walter Miller | B. Reeves Eason |
THE LIGHTNING WARRIOR (Mascot, 1931) (12 chapters) | Frankie Darro, George Brent, Rin-Tin-Tin (dog) | Armand Schaefer, Benjamin Kline |
THE SHADOW OF THE EAGLE (Mascot, 1932) (12 chapters) | John Wayne, Dorothy Gulliver, Walter Miller | Ford Beebe (and B. Reeves Eason) |
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (Mascot, 1932) (12 chapters) | Harry Carey, Walter Miller, Edwina Booth, Lucile Browne | B. Reeves Eason, Ford Beebe |
THE HURRICANE EXPRESS (Mascot, 1932) (12 chapters) | John Wayne, Shirley Grey, Tully Marshall | Armand Schaefer, J. P. McGowan |
THE DEVIL HORSE (Mascot, 1932) (12 chapters) | Harry Carey, Frankie Darro, Noah Beery Sr., Apache (horse) | Otto Brower (and Richard Talmadge, Yakima Canutt) |
THE WHISPERING SHADOW (Mascot, 1933) (12 chapters) | Bela Lugosi, Malcolm McGregor, Henry B. Walthall | Al Herman, Colbert Clark |
THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Mascot, 1933) (12 chapters) | John Wayne, Ruth Hall, Jack Mulhall, Raymond Hatton, Francis X. Bushman Jr. | Armand Schaefer, Colbert Clark |
FIGHTING WITH KIT CARSON (Mascot, 1933) (12 chapters) | Johnny Mack Brown, Betsy King Ross, Noah Beery Jr. and Sr. | Armand Schaefer, Colbert Clark |
THE WOLF DOG (Mascot, 1933) (12 chapters) | Frankie Darro, George J. Lewis, Rin-Tin-Tin (dog) | Colbert Clark, Harry Fraser |
THE MYSTERY SQUADRON (Mascot, 1933) (12 chapters) | Bob Steele, Lucile Browne, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams | Colbert Clark, David Howard |
THE LOST JUNGLE (Mascot, 1934) (12 chapters) | Clyde Beatty, Cecilia Parker, Syd Saylor | Armand Schaefer, David Howard |
BURN 'EM UP BARNES (Mascot, 1934) (12 chapters) | Jack Mulhall, Frankie Darro, Lola Lane | Colbert Clark, Armand Schaefer |
THE LAW OF THE WILD (Mascot, 1934) (12 chapters) | Bob Custer, Lucile Browne, Ben Turpin, Rex (horse), Rin-Tin-Tin Jr. (dog) | Armand Schaefer, B. Reeves Eason |
MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934) (12 chapters) | Ken Maynard, Verna Hillie, Syd Saylor | Otto Brower, B. Reeves Eason |
THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (Mascot, 1935) (12 chapters) | Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, Betsy King Ross | Otto Brower, B. Reeves Eason |
THE MIRACLE RIDER (Mascot, 1935) (15 chapters) | Tom Mix, Charles Middleton, Jason Robards Sr., Joan Gale | Armand Schaefer, B. Reeves Eason |
THE ADVENTURES OF REX AND RINTY (Mascot, 1935) (12 chapters) | Kane Richmond, Norma Taylor, Smiley Burnette, Rex (horse), Rin-Tin-Tin Jr. (dog) | Ford Beebe, B. Reeves Eason |
THE FIGHTING MARINES (Mascot, 1935) (12 chapters) | Grant Withers, Adrian Morris, Ann Rutherford | B. Reeves Eason, Joseph Kane |
Some notes and trivia on a few of the directors / second unit directors: Richard Thorpe (1896 - 1991) directed many Buffalo Bill Jr. (Jay Wilsey) silent westerns and spent most of his later years at MGM. There, he helmed Tarzan films; spectacles such as IVANHOE (MGM, 1952) with Robert Taylor and THE GREAT CARUSO (MGM, 1951) with Mario Lanza; and a couple with Elvis Presley, JAILHOUSE ROCK (MGM, 1957) and FUN IN ACAPULCO (MGM, 1963). Thorpe was the director on the Judy Garland THE WIZARD OF OZ ... but he was replaced by George Cukor ... who was replaced by Victor Fleming. In the mid 1930s, Harry Webb (1892 - 1959) was co-boss and co-owner of Reliable Pictures with Bernard B. Ray. Reliable's sagebrush heroes included Tom Tyler, Jack Perrin, and Bob Custer. B. Reeves 'Breezy' Eason (1886 - 1956) was a prolific action director for decades. Among his many second unit credits is the ending battle - with all those terrible horse falls - in Errol Flynn's THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (Warners, 1936). Armand Schaefer (1898 - 1967) became a business associate and personal friend to Gene Autry, and they first connected at Mascot and Republic Pictures. When Autry returned from World War II duty, he did a few westerns at Republic to finish out his contract. Then he began a series of oaters for Columbia Pictures as well as creating various TV programs via his "Flying A" television company. Armand 'Mandy' Schaefer was president and executive producer of Gene's production company. David Howard (1896 - 1941) is best remembered for westerns with George O'Brien and Tim Holt. His first with O'Brien was THE RAINBOW TRAIL (Fox, 1932), the sequel to THE RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE. He and O'Brien collaborated on a total of 25 films, including George's last series western, TRIPLE JUSTICE (RKO, 1940). When O'Brien retired, Howard helmed the initial films in the Tim Holt series at RKO. |
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Links to download / view Mascot serials and trailers:
YouTube has trailers for THE MIRACLE RIDER which include a plug for Mix's Ralston Straight Shooters radio program, and Tom gallops down the paved street at the old Mack Sennett studio (with buildings now labeled as Mascot):
YouTube has trailers for THE PHANTOM EMPIRE: YouTube has several bits and pieces from Levine's silent serials as well as the 10 episode THE KING OF THE KONGO (Mascot, 1929):
Trailer for the Nat Levine and Sam Bischoff production, THE SILENT FLYER (Universal, 1926) which starred a pooch named "Silver Streak": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3On55i2TCg One of a dozen or so features produced by Levine was YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL (Mascot, 1934) with William Haines, Judith Allen, Ted Fio Rito Orchestra ... and the 1934 WAMPAS Baby Stars. The WAMPAS Baby Stars was an annual selection of promising starlets and sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers. YouTube has a five minute video of the 1934 WAMPAS winners, and the opening title has "Nat Levine Presents". Guessing this short was culled from YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6ftjI3PPqI
YouTube and the Internet Archive have many Mascot serials and a few features to download or view online: |
Chuck Anderson's favorite Mascots and favorite performer.
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