Consume All Media! The Vigilante: "Chapter One: The Vigilante Rides Again"

Joe Heath is a big fan of comic books and watching things in order. So they made this spreadsheet containing every serial, short, film, television episode, commercial, motion comic, and web series based on a comic book. Now they're watching them all. Previously, Joe watched the horrible 1946 serial Hop Harrigan. This time, they vigilantly view what 1947 has to offer: The Vigilante.

The Vigilante (AKA The Vigilante: Fighting Hero of the West)

Film Info

Release date: May 22nd, 1947

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Written by Lewis Clay, Arthur Hoerl, & George H. Plympton

Based on the DC Comics character created by Mort Weisinger & Mort Meskin

Produced by Sam Katzman

Directed by Wallace Fox

Writer Highlights

Lewis Clay (1909-1995) Other comic book media credits: Superman (1948) & Congo Bill (1948)

Arthur Hoerl (1891-1968)

Other memorable credits: Reefer Madness (1936)

Other comic book media credits: Superman (1948) & Congo Bill (1948)

George H. Plympton (1889-1972)

Other comic book media credits: Hop Harrigan (1946), Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)

Creator Highlights

Mort Weisinger (1915-1978)

Other comic characters adapted: Aquaman & Green Arrow

Other comic book media credits: Script supervisor & story editor for Adventures of Superman (1952-58), story consultant for 3 episodes of The New Adventures of Superman (1966), writer for 12 episodes of The Adventures of Superboy (1966), & story consultant on 3 episodes of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967)

Producer Highlights

Sam Katzman (1901-1973)

Other comic book media credits: Hop Harrigan (1946), Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)

The Vigilante AKA Greg Sanders (later changed to Saunders) was introduced in Action Comics in 1941 and remained a permanent fixture there until 1954. He returned to the comics in the 1970s and has stuck around as a secondary character ever since.

Greg Sa(u)nders is not to be confused with the other DC characters who’ve taken the name The Vigilante over the years, including Adrian Chase who Idris Elba was rumored to play in The Suicide Squad but which turned out to be a dirty, dirty trick (though that Vigilante did appear in the Peacemaker spin-off as portrayed by Freddie Stroma). Nor is it Vincent Sobel who appeared in Arrow as portrayed by Johann Urb and Mick Wingert. (Nor the non-Vigilante Adrian Chase from Arrow as portrayed by Josh Segarra, for that matter.)

No, this is The Vigilante who wears a cowboy outfit and rides a motorcycle. In 2005-2006, he appeared in Justice League Unlimited portrayed by Michael Rosenbaum and Nathan Fillion (who also played Spy Smasher in the same series!).

Here he is hiding out in the background of 2008’s Justice League: The New Frontier.

In 2011, he appeared in the Batman: Brave and the Bold episode “Night of the Batmen!” voiced by John DiMaggio (Bender from Futurama!).

And here he is in a photo in the Stargirl episode “Brainwave.”

But his first on-screen appearance was in the 1947 serial where he was portrayed by Ralph Byrd.

Byrd most famously played the comic strip character Dick Tracy in four serials, two films, and 48 episodes of a television series.

Did Ralph Byrd’s heroic attributes successfully transfer over when he took on the role of The Vigilante?

Let’s dive in further to find out.

The Vigilante: “Chapter One: The Vigilante Rides Again” - 26:27

The serial opens with our hero Greg Sanders singing and playing a guitar.

Greg is serenading a woman who I assumed was going to be the love interest, but is only in this scene and isn’t even credited for it.

Some men on horses interrupt and tensions mount. It appears as if we’re in store for a typical Western plot.

But as they begin to fight, the camera pulls back to reveal… another camera. We’re on a film set!

Turns out that Greg Sanders is an actor playing a singing cowboy! Though, maybe not the best one ever because the director, Sid (played by the serial’s actual director Wallace Fox!), wants to film another scene but Greg says he’s too tired and leaves.

On his way out, Greg calls his pal Stuff (George Offerman, Jr.) on his car radio.

Actor Highlights

George Offerman, Jr. (1909-1995)

Other comic book media credits: Jimmy Vale in Batman and Robin (1949)

Stuff fills the role of the comedic sidekick, but unlike in Hop Harrigan where that character was loud and obnoxious, Offerman underplays most of his jokes which works a heck of a lot better.

However he’s quite different from his comic counterpart, Jimmy Leong AKA Stuff the Chinatown Kid.

So here’s our first instance of whitewashing! While it would have been nice seeing Stuff portrayed by an Asian-American teenager, considering how these serials handle diversity in this era (I’m looking at you, Batman), maybe we’re better off. But kudos to the comic for including some positive representation!

Back in the story, Stuff tells Greg that he’s got proof that some mechanics he’s been following are up to no good. He is caught by the mechanics and Stuff says he just wants his car fixed, but they think he’s a cop because there’s nothing wrong with his car and he has a two-way radio all hooked up. So Stuff starts punching them.

Meanwhile, Greg puts on a mask and becomes The Vigilante! He jumps on his motorcycle and makes his way to save Stuff.

After taking care of the bad guys, they call the cops. The Vigilante takes off and lets Stuff take the credit.

Afterwards, Greg updates his boss AKA The U.S. Government.

I don’t think this serial knows what “vigilante” means. Of course, we’ve seen this change to government agent before in the Batman serial, but it’s so much weirder when the character is literally called The Vigilante.

Greg is given a new assignment: Greg Pierce (Lyle Talbot), a local nightclub owner, is going to be visited by Prince Hamil (Robert Barron). Hamil has a fortune in jewels and seems to have somehow slipped them past customs on his way into the country. Greg is tasked with retrieving the jewels.

Actor Highlights

Lyle Talbot (1902-1996) Other comic book media credits: Commissioner Gordon in Batman and Robin (1949) & Lex Luthor in Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950)

Robert Barron (1898-1958)

Other comic book media credits: Ro-Zon in Superman (1948), his final film role

Greg and Stuff go to Pierce’s Cafe where Stuff recognizes someone he saw at the mechanic’s.

They confront him and he runs off, only to be shot by someone we don’t see.

George Pierce is told what happened and he assumes it was a suicide. Which is a pretty weird assumption to make.

Pierce does a lot of things like this and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s a bad guy. But the serial also wants that to be somewhat of a reveal later and it straight up does not work. The actor does a decent job in the role, but any sense of mystery or intrigue around the character is handled poorly.

Later, everyone shows up at a party that George is holding. It’s here that we meet the actual love interest, Betty Winslow (Ramsay Ames).

Ames and Byrd are incredibly charming and play off of each other amazingly well. Even if their dialogue gets a little clunky at times, they ooze so much charisma that you don’t even notice.

Meanwhile, we get more confirmation that Pierce is up to no good when he has a sneaky conversation with Prince Hamil’s assistant Hamid (Ted Adams).

Pierce is told that the Prince plans on giving him five white horses.

But instead, the Prince only gives one horse to Pierce, and splits the rest between Greg, Betty, a ranch owner named Tex Collier (Ted Mapes), and Police Captain Riley (Hugh Prosser).

Actor Highlights

Ted Mapes (1901-1984) Other comic book media credits: Stuntman in Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941)

Hugh Prosser (1907-1952)

Other comic book media credits: Flight 4 Squadron Leader in Spy Smasher (1942), Morelli in Congo Bill (1948), a henchman in Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & a Colonel in Blackhawk (1952)

Tex Collier is barely in this serial, but Police Captain Riley is in it a great deal more, mostly as a sounding board for Greg’s theories about who is doing various villainous actions.

The Prince is a major player and his motives are uncertain. The serial tries to keep this mysterious and it works better here than with Pierce, but not a whole lot better. Also, I’m not sure if it ever says what country this guy comes from, but it feels vaguely racist the whole time.

Greg is so moved by this gift horse that he pulls out his guitar and performs the song “Saturday Night in San Anton.” He appears to be backed by a mysterious band that is not visible on screen. Sounds pretty good, though.

Pierce is upset that he didn’t get all five horses and sneaks off to a stable to complain about this to Hamid. They get into a fight and in the process accidentally start a fire.

Stuff overhears the fight and goes inside just as Pierce sneaks out and locks the door behind him. As a very beaten Hamid dies in Stuff’s arms, he warns him that there is a curse on the horses... The Curse of 100 Tears of Blood. Which sounds pretty rad, if you ask me.

Then the stable fully catches on fire.

Should you watch it, though? The fakeout meta opening is brilliant. The story also throws you right into the thick of the plot and establishes the characters and the plot competently. The heroes are charming, funny, and talented. Greg even sings a song! There’s a lot to enjoy in this chapter.

Tune in next time for The Vigilante: "Chapter Two: Mystery of the White Horses"

A version of this article was previously published on The Dipp.

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