Phantom Serial Celebrates 80th Anniversary

The Phantom Serial, released by Columbia Pictures in USA, featuring Tom Tyler as the Phantom, celebrates it’s 80th Anniversary today.

The Phantom Serial was first aired in theaters throughout the US on the 24th of December 1943 with the release of Chapter 1 titled ‘The Sign of the Skull’. The Serial was filmed in black and white, split over 15 Chapters with a total running time of 299 minutes. It’s produced by Rudolph C. Flothow and directed by Reeves Eason.

The lead roles were played by Tom Tyler as the Phantom and Jeanne Bates as Diana Palmer. The Phantom Serial storyline is:

Professor Davidson plans an expedition to find the Lost City of Zoloz. The location of the city is contained on seven pieces of ivory, three of which Davidson already possesses. Doctor Bremmer, however, intends to find the lost city and use it as a secret airbase for his unnamed country. To remove him as an obstacle, he kills The Phantom, only for his recently returned son, Geoffrey Prescott, to inherit the family identity and take over the mantle of the Phantom.

Three of the remaining ivory pieces are owned by Singapore Smith, who initially steals Davidson’s pieces. The seventh, and most important, piece is missing at first but turns up in the possession of Tartar (which the Phantom acquires by wrestling Tartar’s pet gorilla).

The Phantom Serial was extensively promoted by Columbia Pictures, with a Press Book produced and distributed to theater owners in the US. The Phantom Serial Press Book features an abundance of campaign information, including production information, pictures of lobby cards and posters as well as details about other promotional activities. The Press Book can be seen below.

The Phantom Serial would later be released by a variety of companies for home viewing on VHS and DVD formats. Below are examples of these versions, released in countries such as USA and Australia.