Federal Operator 99
| Federal Operator 99 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by |
Spencer Gordon Bennet Yakima Canutt Wallace Grissell |
| Produced by | Ronald Davidson |
| Written by |
Albert DeMond Basil Dickey Jesse Duffy Joseph Poland |
| Starring |
Marten Lamont Helen Talbot George J. Lewis Lorna Gray Hal Taliaferro Bill Stevens |
| Cinematography | Bud Thackery |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time |
12 chapters / 169 minutes (serial)[1] 100 minutes (TV)[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Federal Operator 99 or F.B.I 99 on its edited television release, is a 1945 Republic film serial.
Plot
Crime Lord James 'Jim' Belmont escapes FBI custody and resumes his criminal empire, only to be thwarted at every turning point by Jerry Blake, the FBI's Operator 99...
Cast
- Marten Lamont as Jerry Blake, Federal Operator 99
- Helen Talbot as Joyce Kingston
- George J. Lewis as Jim Belmont, a sophisticated villain
- Lorna Gray as Rita Parker, Belmont's partner in crime
- Hal Taliaferro as Matt Farrell
- Bill Stevens as Agent Fred Martin
Cast Notes
Cline writes that this was a "somewhat uncharacteristic" serial for Republic due to its sophisticated villains, Lewis the frustrated pianist and his "confidant" (Cline's quotes) played by Gray, and an "obviously cultured, polished hero."[2]
It should be noted that Federal Operator 99 is unique to have an American film serial with the protagonist actor (Marten Lamont) speaking with a British received pronunciation accent.
Production
Federal Operator 99 was budgeted at $143,620 although the final negative cost was $153,737 (a $10,117, or 7%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1945.[1]
It was filmed between 18 January and 14 February 1945.[1] The serial's production number was 1497.[1]
Stunts
- Dale Van Sickel as Jerry Blake (doubling Marten Lamont)
- Duke Green as Jim Belmont (doubling George J. Lewis)
- Tom Steele as Matt Farrell (doubling Hal Taliaferro)
- Fred Graham
- Ken Terrell
Special effects
Special effects by the Lydecker brothers.
Release
Theatrical
Federal Operator 99's official release date is 7 July 1945, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1]
The serial was re-released on 8 October 1956 between the similar re-releases of King of the Rocket Men and Dangers of the Canadian Mounted. The last original Republic serial release was King of the Carnival in 1955.[1]
Television
Federal Operator 99 was one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to FBI-99. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.[1]
Chapter titles
- The Case of the Crown Jewels (22min 8s)
- The Case of the Stolen Ransom (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Lawful Counterfeit (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Telephone Code (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Missing Expert (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Double Trap (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Golden Car (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Invulnerable Criminal (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
- The Case of the Torn Blueprint (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Hidden Witness (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Stradivarius (13min 20s)
- The Case of the Musical Clue (13min 20s)
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 84–85. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
- ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "5. A Cheer for the Champions (The Heroes and Heroines)". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 95. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
- ↑ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 240–241. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Federal Operator 99. |
| Preceded by Manhunt of Mystery Island (1945) |
Republic Serial Federal Operator 99 (1945) |
Succeeded by The Purple Monster Strikes (1945) |