"Even today, movie serials continue to enchant movie fans. The innocence, energy and undeniable skill that permeate every reel of these chapter plays is a tribute to the true pioneers of gorilla filmmaking - make'em fast, make'em as good as possible with as little as possible, and make'em fun. The best serials are classic examples of early American low-budget filmmaking. The bad ones are silly and stilted, but always charming and sometimes bizarre. At the very least, they offer a window into another time and place. And with the state the world is in today, it's a very welcome place where the good guys always win, the kid saves the day and the hero gets the girl. Cliff Hanger Vol. 1, 1914-1940 is author Hank Davis's humorously entertaining and informative look at movie serials of this time period. Ace Drummond, Dick Tracy, Tarzan the Tiger, Flash Gordon, Drums of Fu Manchu and The Green Hornet to name of few them. It is very enjoyable reading not only for serial fans, but for all those who enjoys classic movies." Publisher description."Serials can be both entertaining and informative. It is exactly those same two goals that author Hank Davis hopes to achieve with Classic Cliffhangers, Volume 2: 1941-1955. The goal of the book is to entertain as well as encourage audiences to be entertained by movie serials. Lord knows, that's what they were made for. But this book will also inform about the people on both side of the camera, as well as the producers who hired them and the world in which all this happened. These are movie serials. It's OK to appreciate their art and laugh at their lunacy. Not all the laughs were intended, but that shouldn't stop us. This isn't grimly serious business. Most of the serials were made for a young Saturday matinee audience, who were much less sophisticated than the savvy film fan of today. There is something wrong if we can't laugh, as well as nod our heads in appreciation, at what these skilled professionals have accomplished, often under very trying conditions and with ridiculously low budgets."--Publisher description.