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Okay, here's my top ten for Republic, in order from 10-1.

10. Captain America--Okay, he doesn't look like Cap and he doesn't act much like cap but...come on, Lorna Gray, George J. Lewis, and Lionel Atwill! Good fights and fairly creative cliffhangers, too.

9. Zorro's Fighting Legion--Great mystery villian and a great Zorro. And that insane Yakima Cannutt stunt.

8. King of the Royal Mounted--great action filled outdoors serial. Best western that wasn't a western.

7. Federal Operator 99--Sure there's stock footage. And sure the hero's a weenie. But with George J. Lewis, Loran Gray, and Hal Talafiero (sp?) as baddies, who cares if the hero's a weenie? Besides, Helen Talbot was pretty cute.

6. Manhunt in the African Jungles--two words...45 fistfights. No more need be said.

5. Perils of Nyoka--Kay Aldridge, Clayton Moore, Lorna Gray, Charles Middleton, non-stop action, wild and inventive cliffhangers, etc.

4. The Masked Marvel--Direct inspiration for the Dark Avenger. The serial that inspired me, in fact to write serials. Tom Steele is great, as is Louise Currie and Anthony Warde. A slightly underappreciatted serial, in my personal opinion.

3. Daredevils of the Red Circle--The serial that got me hooked on serials. Stunning cliffhangers and performances.

2. Mysterious Doctor Satan--Probably the best serial villian I ever saw. Copperhead looked silly, but an action-filled chapterplay! Eduardo Ciannelli at his slimy best.

1. Haunted Harbor--Kay, Kane Richmond, Barcroft, Duncan, Lewis, Geary. Love the cliffhangers, especially the air drill bit. Also, some genuinely great dialogue. One of the three inspirations for KOTPR (the others being KOTFR and Dangers of the Canadian Mounted).

It's been years since I've seen Spy Smasher, which is why it isn't rated. Honestly, this list isn't really fair. I love any number of Republics as much as these ten, including Dick Tracy Returns, Adventures of Red Ryder, G-Men Vs. the Black Dragons, The Tiger Woman, Manhunt on Mystery Island, etc. The top five, however, hold a special place for me. Nyoka was my first serial. The other four inspired my serial writing. BTW, Operator 99 is in fact part of the inspiration for Blake of the FBI, which is how that one made it on to the list. So that's my list. It may seem weird to the rest of you, but...

Excellent topic, Black Tiger.

In no particular order:

Haunted Harbor
Mysterious Doctor Satan
The Masked Marvel
Perils of Nyoka
The Crimson Ghost
Drums of Fu Manchu
Spy Smasher
The Tiger Woman
Adventures of Captain Marvel
Jungle Girl