Line #1 Film/ThePhantomCreeps

Context Film / ThePhantomCreeps

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1	A 1939 Sci-Fi Horror 12-chapter FilmSerial directed by Creator/FordBeebe and Creator/SaulAGoodkind that has a military officer (Creator/RobertKent) going after a rogue scientist (Creator/BelaLugosi), who is determined to use his personal stock of AppliedPhlebotinum and {{Mad Scien\|tist}}ce to get revenge on his enemies and enrich himself.
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3	The movie also stars Creator/DorothyArnold, Creator/EdwinStanley, Creator/RegisToomey, Creator/EdwardVanSloan, Creator/FrankMayo, Creator/JimFarley, Creator/EddieAcuff, Creator/ReedHowes, Creator/EdWolff, and Creator/JackCSmith.
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5	It was released on January 7, 1939.
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7	The serial was popularized in the Nineties when the first few episodes were aired as part of several episodes of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.
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10	!Tropes for the film:
11	* AmbiguousSyntax: Creeps who are phantoms, or someone called The Phantom who creeps? [[spoiler:[[DoubleMeaningTitle Yes]].]]
12	* CompilationMovie: The serial was re-edited into a film for TV syndication in 1949. ''Podcast/{{Rifftrax}}'' released a [[AlternateDVDCommentary riff]] of this version in 2018.
13	* DoubleMeaningTitle: The title, ''The Phantom Creeps'' could be interpreted as referring to the robot-spiders (They are 'Phantom Creeps') or Doctor Zorka, himself (He calls himself 'The Phantom' and he ''creeps'' about causing trouble).
14	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: When Dr. Zorka's wife is accidentally killed early on when one of his plans misfires, he's so crushed, he stops using his weapons of warfare ForTheEvulz and starts using them in a targeted fashion against those who would try and steal them, blaming her untimely demise on the same parties.
15	* InvisibilityCloak: One of the first inventions Zorka reveals is an belt that turns him invisible, allowing "The Phantom" to creep around to stymie his enemies.
16	* MarqueeAlterEgo: Like Creator/HarrisonFord in the 1993 ''Film/TheFugitive'' movie, Dr. Zorka is introduced wearing a thick beard that he shaves to disguise himself when going rogue, allowing Creator/BelaLugosi to spend most of the serial with his iconic look.
17	* StockFootage: The serial uses a variety of stock footage to stretch its budget, ranging from car crashes all the way up to actually using footage of the [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg Hindenburg]] disaster.
18	* {{Tagline}}: "CRASHING...SMASHING...DASHING DYNAMITE! 12 spine-shivering chapters of thunderbolt action and amazing adventure!".
19	* UnnecessarilyCreepyRobot: [[MadScientist Dr. Zorka]] has a giant robot with sharp claws, glaring eyes, and a monstrous, fang-filled mouth. The robot doesn't actually do anything significant over the course of the serial: it opens the door to Zorka's secret lair, stands guard, and occasionally moves heavy objects around the lab. Near the end of the serial, once Zorka's minion sabotages it, it goes down to an Army light machinegun. There's really no reason for it to look that scary, except to establish that its creator is villainous.
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Context Film / ThePhantomCreeps