646f9e108c American secret service agent Rex Bennett (Rod Cameron) is assigned to defeat the plans of the Nazis to form an alliance in Africa with the Arabs. His aides are Janet Blake (Joan Marsh), a United Nations agent posing as a reporter, and Pierre LaSalle (Duncan Renaldo), a Free-French officer. Complications arise when a trusted Arab chieftain (Lionel Royce) turns out to be Baron vom Rommier, a German officer. An American secret agent travels to Africa to infiltrate a Nazi spy ring. Formulaic to the max. Neither title reflects the serial's actual content, "Fighting Nazis in Morocco," (actually, the Iverson ranch). The plot is just to fill in the lulls between fistfights. The packaging claims over 40 'fistic encounters' in 15 chapters. That's at least three a chapter! Aside from seeing Duncan Renaldo cast as a Spanish accented Frenchman, watching how much furniture is overturned, smashed, thrown, burned or blown up is what this serial is really all about. When the protagonists start fighting, you can bet that everything in the room will be in it, too. So, kudos to the fight choreographer, who is the real star of this serial! <br/><br/>Two positive notes: the characters do sometimes lose their hats during the fights, and best of all, we have the girl side kick (often a journalist, as she is here) actually participating in the mayhem, mostly by shooting and killing the bad guys. Yet to come is Linda Stirling killing the main villain in "Manhunt of Mystery Island" (1945). On the negative side, there are just too many jump out of the way escapes– before the slab falls, before the car goes over the cliff, before the speedboat explodes, before the building explodes, before the truck hits you, etc. etc.<br/><br/>It is claimed that this serial partially 'inspired' George Lucas to make the first Indiana Jones film, but that is more by implied concept than because of the actual story or the serial's development.<br/><br/>Rod Cameron 'shines' as a moving rock, a role he played in all his films. Other than watching all the furniture getting smashed, there's nothing really going on here, compared to other serials that have fewer fights, more story, better actors and more developed characters.<br/><br/>I give it a 3 for all the furniture smashing. This is another action packed cliffhanger from the Thrill Factory. Released in 1943 as Secret Service in Darkest Africa and re-released in 1954 as Manhunt in the African Jungles, this serial hardly leaves the viewer time to catch their breath! Spencer Bennet directs Rod Cameron,Duncan Renaldo , Joan Marsh and a fine supporting cast, to tell a story of Nazi treachery and intrigue.Cameron plays Rex Bennett super spy ,sent to Casablanca to stop the Nazis from taking over in North Africa. Lionel Royce plays a dual role as the Sultan and head Nazi Baron von Rommler.Many familiar actors make up the supporting cast. The pulsating music score by Mort Glickman matches the action on screen. The cliffhangers are, for the most part convincing with the resolutions likewise. Noteworthy is the actions sequences. With an average of three fights per chapter,this serial must set a record.Howard Lydeckers special effects are ,as usual, first rate. A fifteen chapter serial from Republic Pictures and not to be missed !
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