I Robot, You Gene

Well, Terminator Salvation, the screen's latest example of Cyborg Chic, opens in two weeks, and I'm sure I'm just as excited about it as the next geek. But speaking as we were yesterday of early cinematic portrayals of our robotic brothers and sisters, I would be seriously remiss if I didn't put in a word for the amazing 1935 serial The Phantom Empire.

Starring Gene Autry and the denizens of the Scientific City of Murania, including the mechanical marvel seen here on the left.

Seriously, if you've never seen this one, you have no idea of the extent of its wacky originality. Suffice it to say that it's history's first -- and to our knowledge only -- sci-fi western musical; legend has it that the story was dreamed up by the producer while zoned on nitrous oxide at his dentist's office, which does not seem at all far-fetched.

The plot:

Singing cowboy Gene Autry owns a dude ranch from which he broadcasts a daily musical show. Unbeknownst to him and his wacky sidekicks, the ranch sits atop the aforementioned super-scientific underground city, a bustling metropolis -- run by icy evil blonde Queen Tika -- whose impressive miniature skyscrapers were created using the Shuftan Process first pioneered by Fritz Lang in Metropolis. Meanwhile, on the surface, a group of crooks led by Prof Beetson plan to invade Murania and seize its vast radium desposits; only Gene's lease on Radio Ranch stands between them and world domination. There's lots more, including those killer robots and the fabulous masked Muranian Thunder Riders who are constantly marauding around above ground, but eventually Gene foils the bad guys and goes on to become a big star on 50s TV and buy the Los Angeles Angels.

No original print or negative of TPE has survived, and as a result all the video versions that have floating around since the beginning of the home video era have been pretty shoddy looking. I am therefore happy to report that it has finally been restored, and to a fare-thee-well, from the best available sources by the terrific folks at The Serial Squadron, who are pretty much the champs at that sort of thing. Here's part one of Chapter 2, to give you an idea.

Incidentally, the great cowboy actor Richard Farnsworth, then just a kid, was one of the amazed onlookers who stood around slackjawed watching TPE being filmed in the hills outside L.A.; he credits the experience for his future career choices, which is kind of charming, I think.

In any case, you can -- and most definitely should -- order the Serial Squadron DVD restoration here.