THE LOST CITY
(a cliffhanger serial - 1935)
Produced by Sherman S. Krellberg
Directed by Harry Revier
Story by: Zelma Carroll; George M Merrick; Robert Dillon
Actors: William (Stage) Boyd as Zolok
Kade Richmond as Bruce Gordon
Claudia Dell as Natcha
Josef Swickard as Manyus
George F. Hayes as Butterfield
William Bletcher as Gorzo
Eddie Fetherstone as Jerry
Milburn Moranti as Andrews
Margot Duse as Queen Rama
Jerry Frank as Appolyn
Ralph Lewis as Reynolds
William Millman as Colton
Gino Corrado as Ben Ali
Sam Baker as Hugo
CHAPTER 4 of 12
DOOMED
Zolok trains his camera on the jungle watching the execution procedure of Manyus.
He tells Gorzo that Manyus must be saved and calls for Appolyn. Appolyn hears
Zolok call him on his own portable receiver. Zorlok orders him to rescue Manyus.
Gordon asks Natcha what the drum sounds mean and she says ‘Death!”.
They leave expeditiously to locate the source of the drums beats.
Zorlok explains to Butterfield that if Manyus dies he will destroy the entire tribe.
Butterfield enters his office hut and notices Reynolds and Colton. He tells them that they
are lucky they won’t be executed like Manyus was about to be. He proposes a toast. Ed. Note: It goes over like a one-legged man in a three-legged gunny-sack race.
Zolok orders Gorzo to turn switch 31 on. The machine starts to pop like illegal firecrackers at a 4th of July event.
Just as Gordon, Natcha and Jerry arrive, Manyus screams. Gordon scrambles to grab and hold up the dagger rock. He asks Jerry to untie Manyus. As Manyus is dragged from the altar, the dagger rock smashes down assuming the position that Manyus had seconds earlier. They grab Manyus and high-tail it out of the area. Some minutes later, Appolyn and Hugo arrive and see that Manyus is gone. They leave to look for him.
Butterfield’s natives spot the Gordon party and surround them. They take them to Butterfield’s office. Gordon warns Butterfield not to harm Manyus and tells him that Manyus is not responsible since he was under Zorlok’s influence. He relates to Butterfield that Manyus needs medical attention and Gordon is sent to his quarters.
Colton tells Reynolds that Butterfield is dangerous. Just then Butterfield enters and asks Reynolds and Colton what they know about the Lost City. Reynolds says nothing. He asks about the making of the giants. They say they weren’t there long enough to learn anything. Butterfield has his natives escort Reynolds and Colton to a hut next to his.
Gordon, Natcha, Jerry and Manyus are in a hut. Natcha finds new clothes and puts on some. Gordon finds out that Reynolds and Colton forced Manyus to leave the Lost City. Gordon decides to go see Reynolds and Colton.
Reynolds and Colton suspect that Manyus has told Gordon about their shenanigans.
Andrews overhears Reynolds and Colton and tells Butterfield about the capability to restore the giants to full mental facilities. Butterfield relishes the idea of being in charge of a gaggle (or is it litter, herd, maybe passel, er…bunch?) of giants to support him.
Gordon and Jerry approach Butterfield and ask him where Reynolds and Colton are staying. Butterfield points them in a different direction toward a suspicious hut with natives hanging around the outside and who-knows-what on the inside. Butterfield gives the high-sign to the natives standing outside the hut. When Colton and Reynolds walk up to the front of the hut, the natives grab them and start a brawl. The inside natives open the door and Colton and Reynolds are dragged inside.
Reynolds and Colton decide among themselves to get rid of the girl so they can snatch Manyus. Butterfield tells Andrews about getting Zolok out of the Lost City. He decides to have Manyus help him build a new Giants team. Ed. Note: Bigger and better than the New York Giants, I bet.
Meanwhile, Appolyn and Hugo bump into Gorzo and ‘Pierre”. Ed. Note: Nah… It couldn’t be Pierre, could it? They don’t come out and admit it, but hey, he’s one of the few giants that have a name to call his own. Gorzo gives Appolyn Zolok’s paralyzing gun. Appolyn tells them to “hang loose” while he goes to retrieve Manyus.
Reynolds goes to Natcha and Manyus and says that Gordon wants to see them. Natcha, who becomes suspicious, asks where he is and Reynolds says at the Trading Post. Natcha asks about Manyus going too but Manyus (who must have a case of Alzheimer) tells her to go alone.
Colton goes to give instructions to the natives.
Jerry and Gordon are found tied up by Colton and the natives. Jerry tells Gordon to roll over so he can untie him using his teeth. Ed note: That Jerry is one smart cookie.
Butterfield sends the natives on their way to Magnetic Mountain. Natcha runs into Butterfield and asks where Gordon is but Butterfield says he hasn’t seen him. He figures out that Reynolds and Colton are up to no good. As they enter the hut where Reynolds and Colton were last seen, they run into a dying Reynolds who tells them that Colton has run off with the natives, after which, he keels over and dies from a gaping wound in his chest.
Jerry keeps trying to untie Gordon with his teeth and finally succeeds. Gordon then unties Jerry and they head for the trail to find Manyus.
Butterfield tells Natcha to stay inside and locks the gate leading out to the jungle. He then leaves the area.
Colton tells the natives to find Butterfield’s trail.
Gordon and Jerry run into Natcha and she tells them of Reynolds death. Gordon realizes that Colton also has Manyus. Andrews enters the hut and starts a fist fight with Jerry. Jerry yells out to Gordon and Natcha to leave and that he’ll take care of Andrews.
Jerry decks Andrews and heads out to find Gordon.
Gorzo and Hugo see the Colton party and hide in the jungle shrubbery.
As the Colton party pass by Gorzo, Hugo steps out and grabs Manyus and Colton and puts them in 2 separate head-locks.
Appolyn sees two natives and uses the paralyzing gun on them. He steps out and stops Gordon and Natcha. Appolyn asks Natcha where Manyus is but she doesn’t know. Gordon grabs Appolyn’s paralyzing gun and they struggle. Gordon is overpowered by Appolyn who shoots two close-range shots at Gordon from the paralyzing gun and ……..
STAY TUNED FOR EPISODE 5
TIGER PREY
1. Will the paralyzing gun finish off Gordon only to let our sub-hero Jerry finish up the serial?
2. Will our uncouth giant Hugo strangle Manyus and/or Colton?
3. Will Butterfield make it to the Magnetic Mountain to start his giant making business?
4. Who will Manyus work for – Zolok or Butterfield?
5. Who killed off Reynolds? Maybe the script was getting unwieldy. Was it the natives using a spear? Or was it Colton who wanted Manyus all to himself?
6. And what about poor Natcha? Will she ever get daddy Warbucks. er…. Manyus back? He probably won’t remember her anyway.
