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Films with theme "Superhero films", sorted by production date
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Zorro's Black Whip (1944)
, 3h31Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, Wallace Grissell
Origin USA
Genres Swashbuckler, Action, Adventure, Western
Themes Medical-themed films, Superhero films, Films about disabilities, Personne sourde ou muette, Zorro
Actors Linda Stirling, George J. Lewis, Lucien Littlefield, Francis McDonald, Wally Wales, John Hamilton
In Zorro's Black Whip the word Zorro never occurs, but a female who behaves like Don Diego in Idaho fights a cabal of corrupt politicians as "The Black Whip" after her brother (the original Black Whip) is killed.
Batman (1943)
, 4h20Directed by Lambert Hillyer
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, War, Thriller, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Films about children, Spy films, Politique, Documentary films about war, Documentary films about historical events, Batman films, Superhero films, Zombie films, Political films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Documentary films about World War II
Actors Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft, J. Carrol Naish, Shirley Patterson, Knox Manning, William Austin
Batman and Robin struggle against Dr. Daka, a Japanese scientist and agent of Hirohito who has invented a device that turns people into pseudo-zombies and has a base in a funhouse of horrors in a Japanese area of the city. Daka makes several attempts to defeat the Dynamic Duo before finally falling to his death when Robin hits the wrong switch, opening a trapdoor to a pit of crocodiles.
The Masked Marvel (1943)
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Origin USA
Genres Action, Spy
Themes Spy films, Superhero films, Political films
Actors William Forrest, Louise Currie, Johnny Arthur, Anthony Warde, David Bacon, Tom Steele
In the The Masked Marvel, a hero dressed in a business suit and a face mask fights the Japanese saboteur Sakima and his espionage organization. The hook of the story is that, in a reversal of the common serial "Masked Mystery Villain" stock character, the audience doesn't know who the hero is until the final reel - all the audience is told is that The Masked Marvel is one of a group of special investigators (the same plotline is used in the Republic serial The Lone Ranger).
The Phantom (1943)
, 4h59Directed by B. Reeves Eason
Origin USA
Genres Action, Adventure
Themes Superhero films
Actors Tom Tyler, Jeanne Bates, Kenneth MacDonald, Ernie Adams, Anthony Caruso, Frank Shannon
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.
Super-Rabbit (1943)
, 7minutesDirected by Chuck Jones
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Documentary films about war, Documentary films about historical events, Mise en scène d'un lapin ou d'un lièvre, Superhero films, Political films, Documentary films about World War II, Court métrage de Bugs Bunny, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Mel Blanc, Richard Haydn, Gérard Surugue, Tedd Pierce, Kent Rogers
Nous découvrons Bugs en super héros. Il est super-rapide, super puissant et fait des sauts super haut. Le narrateur nous raconte comment Bugs est devenu Super-Lapin : un savant dans son laboratoire avait créé des super carottes donnant des super pouvoirs et décidait de les tester sur Bugs. Ce dernier, en regardant un article parlant d'un texan haineux envers les lapins (Smith la terreur), voulut lui donner une correction.
The Spider Returns (1941)
Directed by James W. Horne
Origin USA
Genres Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Superhero films
Actors Warren Hull, Mary Ainslee, Dave O'Brien, Joseph W. Girard, Kenne Duncan, Bryant Washburn
Amateur criminologist Richard Wentworth, formerly the masked vigilante, The Spider, brings his former alter ego out of retirement for 15 action-packed chapters to help his old friend, police commissioner Kirk (Kirkpatrick in the pulp novels), battle a dangerous, power-obsessed maniac called The Gargoyle. This mysterious crime lord and his henchmen threaten the world with acts of sabotage and wholesale murder in an effort to wreck the U. S. national defense.
Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
Directed by William Witney, John English
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Action
Themes Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics
Actors Tom Tyler, Frank Coghlan, Jr., William Benedict, Louise Currie, Bryant Washburn, John Davidson
During an archaeological expedition to Siam's volcanic Valley of the Tombs to find the lost secret of the Scorpion Kingdom, a device of great power, the Golden Scorpion, is discovered hidden inside a sealed crypt. While examining it, the device's quartz lenses are aligned and powerful energy beam erupts, causing an explosion, resealing the crypt. This allows young radio broadcaster and expedition member Billy Batson, who obeyed the warning on the crypt's seal not to enter, to be chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam. The wizard grants Billy the powers of Captain Marvel whenever he repeats the wizard's name. Captain Marvel's powers can only be used to protect those in danger from the curse of the Golden Scorpion. The crypt's entrance is quickly cleared, then Captain Marvel utters "Shazam"! and quickly resumes his Billy Batson alter ego.
The Mark of Zorro (1940)
, 1h34Directed by Rouben Mamoulian
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Swashbuckler, Action, Adventure, Romance, Western
Themes Medical-themed films, Superhero films, Films about disabilities, Children's films, Personne sourde ou muette, Zorro
Actors Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard, Eugene Pallette, J. Edward Bromberg
Don Diego Vega (Tyrone Power) is urgently called home by his father. To all outward appearances, he is the foppish son of wealthy ranchero and former Alcade Don Alejandro Vega (Montagu Love), having returned to California after his military education in Spain. Don Diego is horrified at the way the common people are mistreated by the corrupt Alcalde, Luis Quintero (J. Edward Bromberg), who had forced his father from the position. Don Diego then adopts the guise of El Zorro ("The Fox"), a masked outlaw, who becomes the defender of the common people and a champion for justice. Meanwhile, he romances the Alcalde's beautiful and innocent niece, Lolita (Linda Darnell), whom he grows to love. As part of his plan, Don Diego simultaneously flirts with the Alcalde's wife Inez (Gale Sondergaard), filling her head with tales of Madrid fashion and culture and raising her desire to move there with her corrupt husband. In both his guises, Don Diego must contend with the governor's ablest henchman, the malevolent Captain Esteban Pasquale (Basil Rathbone). He eventually dispatches the Captain in a fast-moving rapier duel-to-the-death, forcing a regime change, Don Diego's plan all along.
The Green Hornet (1940)
, 4h18Directed by Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Adventure, Crime
Themes Superhero films
Actors Gordon Jones, Wade Boteler, Anne Nagel, Keye Luke, Cy Kendall, Anne Gwynne
Newspaper publisher Britt Reid, secretly The Green Hornet, and his Korean valet Kato investigate and expose several seemingly separate rackets. This leads them into continued conflict with the Chief, the criminal mastermind behind the Syndicate and the individual crimes.
Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940)
Directed by William Witney, John English
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Superhero films
Actors Eduardo Ciannelli, Robert Wilcox, Charles Montague Shaw, Charles Trowbridge, Jack Mulhall, Edwin Stanley
Governor Bronson, who raised Wayne from childhood after the death of his parents, is killed at the hands of a world-domination-seeking mad scientist called Doctor Satan. Fearing his death might be at hand, as it has been for everyone else who had opposed the Doctor, the Governor first confides in Wayne with a secret about his past. Bob's father was really an outlaw in the Old West, who fought injustice while wearing a chainmail cowl and leaving small coiled copper snakes as his calling card.
The Shadow (1940)
Directed by James W. Horne
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Action, Crime
Themes Superhero films
Actors Victor Jory, Veda Ann Borg, Roger Moore, Robert Fiske, Jack Ingram, Edward Peil Sr.
The Shadow battles a villain known as The Black Tiger, who has the power to make himself invisible and is attempting world domination.
Directed by John Rawlins, Ford Beebe
Origin USA
Genres Action, Adventure
Themes Superhero films
Actors Warren Hull, Keye Luke, Pierre Watkin, Anne Nagel, Wade Boteler, Eddie Acuff
Wealthy publisher Britt Reid and his trusted Asian servant disguise themselves as the vigilantes; The Green Hornet, and his faithful servant, Kato as they battle the growing power of a ruthless Crime Lord Boss Crogan and his varied rackets across the city. All of which have strong links to foreign powers...
Directed by Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Superhero films, Space opera
Actors Buster Crabbe, Charles Middleton, Carol Hughes, Frank Shannon, Roland Drew, Herbert Rawlinson
A deadly plague is ravaging the Earth, known as the Purple Death because of the spot left on victims' foreheads. Ming the Merciless is suspected to be behind the plague and it is discovered that his spaceships have been dropping "Death Dust" in the Earth's atmosphere. Flash Gordon, along with Dr. Alexis Zarkov and Dale Arden, is sent to the planet Mongo to find a possible cure for the plague. They eventually find an antidote, called polarite in the Kingdom of Frigia. Flash and Zarkov distribute the antidote the same way the original Death Dust was spread. Ming sends an army of robot bombs after the three and he succeeds in capturing Zarkov for a short time before Flash frees him.
The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939)
, 4h23Directed by William Witney, John English
Origin USA
Genres Western
Themes Superhero films
Actors Robert Livingston, Chief Thundercloud, Jinx Falkenburg, Duncan Renaldo, Ralph Dunn, J. Farrell MacDonald
Homesteaders moving into a valley in New Mexico are being attacked by the Black Raiders. The valley had been settled by rancher Craig Dolan, who does not want the new homesteaders to be there. His son, Bart, has taken matters into his own hands and formed the Black Raiders. The Lone Ranger attempts to aid the homesteaders but he is hampered by the fact that he has been framed for being part of the Raiders. In particular, Juan Vasquez believes that he killed his brother, although when this is disproven he becomes another of the Lone Ranger's partners. However, the Ranger is forced to remove the mask and operate under the name of "Bill Andrews" at times in order to successfully protect the homesteaders.
Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)
, 3h32Directed by William Witney, John English
Origin USA
Genres Swashbuckler, Action, Western
Themes Medical-themed films, Superhero films, Films about disabilities, Personne sourde ou muette, Zorro
Actors Reed Hadley, Sheila Darcy, Edmund F. Cobb, Charles Montague Shaw, William Corson, Leander de Cordova
The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui Indians, has emerged and attacks the gold trade of the Republic of Mexico, planning to take over the land and become Emperor. A man named Francisco is put in charge of a fighting legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the gold, but he is attacked by men working for Don Del Oro. Zorro comes to his rescue, but it is too late for him. Francisco's partner recognizes Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega. Francisco asks Diego, as Zorro, to take over the fighting legion and defeat Don Del Oro.