The Spider's Web (1938) Spider Returns (1941) Action, Adventure, Crime (4 x DVD)

Two Complete 15 Chapter Columbia Movie Serial Cliffhangers

Directed by: James W. Horne, Ray Taylor.

Starring: Warren Hull.

The Spider's Web (1938)

This surpisingly faithful adaptation of The Spider magazine's characters and body-count is generally thought to be Columbia's finest serial, and one of the best chapter-plays of all time! Through 15 truly action-packed episodes, the picture-perfect cast battles the hooded Octopus, who is bent on destroying the nation's transportation, communication, and utilities systems in order to gain control of them.

The Spider Returns (1941)

So popular was The Spider's Web that Columbia quickly followed it up with -- well, first The Shadow (1940), a virtual Web retread with Lamont Cranston, but then -- The Spider Returns, a wartime retelling of the first serial with the sabotage-happy Gargoyle doing the masked villainy this time out. Sadly, this is a lesser effort more typical of Columbia's weak serial output under the solo direction of James W. Horne, who "specializes" in misguided knockabout comedy bits. And the recast Nita, Mary Ainslee, is an unwatchable shrew.

Contained in: Transparent Plastic Wallets.

Format: Either PAL or NTSC (depending on world location), Region 0 (Multi-Region/Worldwide).