Crimson Ghost, The
Entry updated 14 September 2026. Tagged: Film.
US Serial Film (1946). Republic Pictures. Directed by Fred C. Brannon and William Witney. Written by Albert DeMond, Basil Dickey, Jesse Duffy and Sol Shor. Cast includes Kenne Duncan, Joseph Forte, Sam Flint, Charles Quigley, Linda Stirling, Forrest Taylor and Emmett Vogan. Twelve "chapters" (first 20 minutes, remainder 14 minutes). Black and white.
The Crimson Ghost, wearing an impressive skull mask and (as confirmed by colour posters) crimson hooded gown, tells his cronies that tomorrow Professor Chambers (Duncan) will demonstrate the prototype of the "Cyclotrode X" to other Scientists in his university's science faculty: professors Anderson (Vogan), Maxwell (Flint), Parker (Forte) and Van Wyck (Taylor). The Invention can "detect and repel any atomic bomb attack" and Chambers intends to hand it over to the US Government, but the Crimson Ghost plans to steal it and turn it into "the most powerful offensive Weapon in the world – it will instantly stop any electrically controlled mechanism, destroy lighting and power systems, paralyse the activities of the police", leaving the afflicted City open to blackmail and extortion. He says he would not sell it to a foreign power, but later changes his mind.
Chambers is aided by Diana Farnsworth (Stirling), a seeming combination of secretary and lab assistant, and Professor Duncan Richards (Quigley), not only one of the country's leading physicists but also a criminologist (see Crime and Punishment) responsible for protecting Government atomic research. The next day the members of the faculty declare the demonstration a success, but afterwards an attempt is made to steal the Cyclotrode: to prevent it falling into the criminals' hands Chambers destroys it (there is a duplicate), with Richards arriving and beating up the two thieves. One leaves; the other is unconscious and has a collar round his neck; when one of the faculty, Anderson, wonders what it is and pulls at it, there is a small explosion and the thief dies. Later Chambers is kidnapped and the Crimson Ghost recklessly reveals himself to be a colleague who cannot be recognized because his voice is distorted by a microphone in the mask. Chambers is injected with a Drug that saps his will, and is fitted with an explosive collar including a radio receiver enabling the Crimson Ghost to give orders at a distance. He is then sent to collect the duplicate Cyclotrode from a warehouse. Duncan realizes something is wrong and a car chase follows, with the Crimson Ghost ordering Chambers to use the device on Duncan's car; the loss of power causes the vehicle to shoot over a cliff, so ending chapter one. At the beginning of chapter two we see that Duncan dived out of the car at the last moment. The faculty delegates him to find Chambers and the Cyclotrode.
Meanwhile, because the prototype has only limited power and range, the Crimson Ghost realizes he needs Chambers to build a fully working version, which he cannot do whilst drugged. Chambers pretends to be cowed by the villain's threats and says he requires the X-7 Tube from his laboratory, which is duly stolen. Learning of this Duncan observes the X-7 has nothing to do with the Cyclotrode, but is a "radium vapour tube we've been developing for a Death Ray machine"; he rightly surmises Chambers must be intending to turn it on his captors. Furthermore the laboratory has a radium detector – so enabling Duncan to locate and enter the Crimson Ghost's hideout at the end of chapter two ... only to walk into the death ray beam Chambers had set up to greet the Crimson Ghost. Realizing his mistake Chambers leaps to push his friend away: he succeeds but is killed by the ray.
The Crimson Ghost believes he can build a fully powered Cyclotrode based on the prototype, but to do so needs money, heavy water and the plans for the invention. His search for these shapes the storylines for the rest of the series. There are various escapades, such as Duncan setting a trap which seems to reveal Anderson is the Crimson Ghost; he had been drugged and controlled like Chambers, and dies; Duncan seems oblivious to the fact that his actions were partially responsible. Later Diana is also drugged and collared, but Duncan finds a way to remove the collar without it exploding. On deducing the Crimson Ghost is likely a member of the scientific faculty he reports to, he sets another trap; another innocent professor, Van Wyck, dies as a result. There are now only two suspects remaining. Discovering a recording device hidden in his office, Duncan talks of building an invention that will destroy the Cyclotrode: when the Crimson Ghost has the fake machine stolen Duncan ties a scented rag to the thief's car and uses Timmy, a tracking Dog, to locate the secret laboratory, where the Crimson Ghost is about to use his newly built Cyclotrode to attack the city. The Crimson Ghost flees during Duncan's punch-up with his hirelings; Diana sets Timmy on him and when the dog brings down the villain the gun-wielding Diana apprehends him. His mask removed, the Crimson Ghost is revealed to be Professor Parker.
The episodes' cliffhangers are largely forgettable, too often resolved by Duncan or Diana having dived out of a vehicle at the last moment. The end of chapter four, with Duncan in a room filling with gas whilst the Crimson Ghost gloats, is reasonable (though he is saved by Diana simply opening the door). The first three chapters are the strongest, but the rest tick along moderately well, enlivened by lively if repetitive fight scenes, the occasional gadget and the high death toll among both the Crimson Ghost's men and the University's scientific facility. Of the five professors comprising the latter, only two survive, including the Crimson Ghost. Of note is Diana being fairly prominent in the action, working side by side with Duncan; he clearly has confidence in her, bringing her along on dangerous missions. She flies a plane, often uses a gun and – with Timmy's help – actually captures the villain (see Feminism; Women in SF).
As so often with serial films, The Crimson Ghost was edited into a six-part television series in the 1950s and later into the 100-minute television film Cyclotrode "X" (1966). The punk band The Misfits regularly used Crimson Ghost images on their record covers and publicity material; he also appeared in the Videogame Jack Sprite vs. The Crimson Ghost (2002). [SP]
links
previous versions of this entry