HAUNTED HARBOR (1944)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *sociological*

The "haunted" element of this forties serial-- a phony dragon-creature made of metal-- is the only metaphenomenal aspect of the story, and in keeping with its static appearance, it isn't actually able to do anything but pop up from beneath the ocean eaves to scare off the local (Pacific Island?) natives. HARBOR, in contrast to most chapterplays, was loosely derived from a novel, though I've no idea if the mechanical dragon appeared therein.

The plot follows the trope of "innocent man seeking to prove his own innocence." By 1944 this type of hero was relatively rare among all the superheroes, detectives and servicemen seeking to corral world-conquering villains. To be sure, Kane Richmond, the actor playing unjustly accused ship-captain Jim Marsden, had essayed the role of Spy Smasher two years previous. Here, as Marsden pursues evidence to exonerate him, he's called upon to handle big brawling fight-scenes in most if not all episodes. Sadly, his female lead Patricia doesn't get any choice fight-scenes, even with other females, which was an area in which actress Kay Aldridge distinguished herself in 1942's PERILS OF NYOKA. However, she does get to handle a pistol a few times, so at least she's not a shrinking violet. 

The villains are thoroughly one-dimensional-- they're using the artificial dragon to cover their illicit activities-- but at least their leader is played by the venerable Roy Barcroft of "Captain Mephisto" fame. Apart from Richmond, Aldridge and Barcroft, the rest of the cast is forgettable, and I only liked one death-trap, in which Patricia is bound to a chair and in danger of being ventilated by a spear-device.