John English

Adventures of Captain Marvel is a 1941 Republic Pictures serial in twelve chapters, and the first screen adaptation of a superhero from comic books. Tom Tyler plays Captain Marvel, the adult superhero into whom the young radio reporter Billy Batson (Frank Coghlan Jr.) transforms by speaking the magic word "Shazam!" The serial sends Billy on an expedition to Siam, where a golden scorpion idol with the power to turn matter into glass becomes the target of a masked villain called the Scorpion. Directed by William Witney and John English, the serial is widely regarded as one of the finest ever made, with flying effects that were state of the art for the time and muscular, well-staged fight sequences. The serial is in the public domain.

Action · Adventure · Sci-Fi · Serial

Zorro Rides Again is a 1937 Republic Pictures serial in twelve chapters, directed by William Witney and John English in their first collaboration. John Carroll stars as James Vega, a modern descendant of the original Zorro, who dons the mask to protect a new railroad from the villain El Lobo and his band of raiders. The serial mixes 1930s modern elements with classic Western adventure, and features stunt work by Yakima Canutt that is still impressive today. It was the first of five Zorro serials produced by Republic and is in the public domain.

Western · Action · Serial

Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures serial in twelve chapters, directed by William Witney and John English and starring Reed Hadley as Don Diego Vega, the masked swordsman Zorro. The serial pits Zorro against the mysterious Don Del Oro, a masked villain disguised as a Yaqui Indian god who plots to seize the gold of the Sierra and declare himself emperor of Mexico. Zorro assembles a fighting legion of loyal men to track down Don Del Oro and unmask him. Widely regarded as one of the finest serials ever made, it features some of the best action sequences of the chapterplay era. The serial is in the public domain.

Western · Action · Serial