The Return of Chandu (Serial) (Principal Pictures Corporation, 1934)

Six Sheet poster for the feature-length re-edited release

Bela Lugosi appeared as the evil Roxor, sworn enemy of Chandu, in the 1932 film Chandu the Magician. For this serial he took the role of Chandu. Over twelve episodes, Chandu battles the evil Ubasti cult who are intent on sacrificing his love, the Egyptian Princes Naadji, to resurrect their long-dead goddess Ossana. The serial, which used some remaining sets from King Kong (1933), was later released as two feature length compilations, The Return of Chandu and Chandu on the Magic Island. In the mid-1940s an edited version was retitled The Green Scorpion and appeared on a double bill with Tod Slaughter’s “Murder in the Red Barn (1935). Lugosi filmed his cameo in Gift of Gab (1934) during the filming of the serial.

Production Company: Principal Pictures Corporation

Producer: Sol Lesser

Director: Ray Taylor

Assistant Director: Harry Knight

Screenplay: Barry Barringer

Based on the radio serial by Harry A. Earnshaw, Vera M. Oldham and R.R. Morgan

Story Supervisor: Harry Chandlee

Cinematography: John Hickson

Dialogue Director: Cyril Armbrister

Art Director: Robert Ellis

Production Manager: Theodore Joos

Production Supervisor: Frank Melford

Sound Recordist: Corson Jowett

Musical Director: Abe Meyer

Editors: Lou Sackin and Carl Himm

Cast:

Bela Lugosi: Frank Chandler aka Chandu the Magician

Maria Alba: Princess Nadji

Clara Kimball Young: Dorothy Regent

Lucien Prival: Vindhyan the High priest

Phyllis Ludwig: Betty Regent

Dean Benton: Bob Regent

Bryant Washburn: Prince Andra

Peggy Montgomery: Judy

Wilfred Lucas: Captain Wilson

Cyril Armbrister: Sutra

Elias Lazaroff: Bara

Dick Botiller: Morta (Chps. 1-4), Ship’s pilot (Chp. 6), Cat man (Chps. 7-12)

Murdoch McQuarrie: The Supreme Voice of Ubasti

Jack J. Clarke: Vitras, the black magician

Josef Swickard: Tyba, the white magician

Frazer Acosta: Nito, the butler

Harry Walker: Tagora

Charles Meacham: Mr. James

Isobel LeMall: Mrs. James

Don Brodie: Daily Star reporter

Edward Piel, Sr.: Airport official

Henry Hall: Museum Curator

Beatrice Roberts: Lady

Iron Eyes Cody: Cat man

Elias Schaffer: Old man

Merrill McCormick: Ubasti sacrificial aide

April Armbrister: The dancer

Baby Peggy: Judy Allen

Edward Biby: Party guest

Harold Miller: Party guest

Beatrice Roberts: Party guest

Ronald R. Rondell: Party guest

Louise Emmons: Sisaba

Gloria Holden: Party guest

John Ince: Mr. James

Isabel La Mal: Mrs. James

Frank Lanning: Fake Suvanese constable

Charles Meecham: Mr. James

Chapters:

The Chosen Victim

The House in the Hills

On the High Seas

The Evil Eye

The Invisible Circle

Chandu’s False Step

Mysterious Magic

The Edge of the Pit

The Terror Invisible

The Crushing Rock

The Uplifted Knife

The Knife Descends

The Gettysburgh Times, August 17, 1934

The Evening Independent, September 1, 1934

Ottawa Citizen, September 5, 1934

Unknown Newspaper

The Return of Chandu Unknown Newspaper

Eugene Register-Guard, December 27, 1934

Eugene Register-Guard, December 28, 1934

The New York Times, April 15, 1935

FSN

Our 10-year-old great-grandson informed us that “Return of Chandu,” featuring Bela Lugosi, has been playing the neighborhood houses in serial form. It seems all too likely. Mr. Lugosi and his magic ring, which permits him to vanish into thin air, much to his enemies’ dismay, saves an Egyptian princess from the sacrificial altar of a sinister Eastern cult. Elementary melodrama, my dear Watson.

Photoplay Magazine, July, 1935

BRIEF REVIEWS OF CURRENT PICTURES

RETURN OF CHANDU, THE – Principal – A Hindu secret society must have an Egyptian princess (Maria Alba) for sacrifice. Spookily thrilling. Bela Lugosi is Chandu. Good for the kids.

July 20, 1946 issue of BoxOffice, July 20, 1946

Al Montefalco Gets Rights on Two Film Releases

NEW BRITAIN – Al Montefalco has secured rights to “Murder in the Red Barn,” a British-made production starring Tod Slaughter, and “The Green Scorpion,” a Sol Lesser production starring Bela Lugosi.

Negotiations are under way for Film Classics to release the pictures coast-to-coast.

Montefalco has been handling a series of theatre audience-participation night shows, called “Career Night.” The Colonial, Southington, has just completed a six-week presentation of the show. Advertising stresses Montefalco as “New England’s Ambassador of Fun!”

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