Flash Gordon

At the Billy Wilder Theater

Copresented by the Hugh M. Hefner Classic American Film Program

Introduction by Jillian Borders, Archive Head of Preservation; Ryan Linkof, Curator, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Restoration funding provided by The Packard Humanities Institute

Flash Gordon

U.S., 1936 

Channeled most famously by George Lucas into the Star Wars franchise, the 13-chapter Flash Gordon serial from 1936 — with its mashup of ancient religion and advanced technology, cliffhanger endings, an artificial planet, and episode titles such as “The Destroying Ray,” is the urtext of the contemporary science fiction blockbuster. For every charmingly (and not so charmingly) dated moment — the menacing iguanas shot in slow-motion, the spaceships with smoking tailpipes, a galaxy pre-colonized by Earth-bound Orientalism — Flash exudes a modern sensibility from Buster Crabbe’s quotable quips to the rip-roaring pace of its 20-minute narrative chunks. The Archive is thrilled to present the world premiere of its new restoration of this classic serial in a one-night binge session that you won’t want to miss! 

35mm, b&w, 245 min. Director: Frederick Stephani, Ray Taylor. Screenwriters: Frederick Stephani, Ella O'Neill, George Plympton, Basil Dickey. With: Buster Crabbe, Jean Roger, Charles Middleton. 

Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 35mm nitrate original picture negatives, original track negatives and comp dupe negatives. Laboratory services by The PHI Stoa Film Lab, Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., Fotokem, Audio Mechanics and Simon Daniel Sound.

Special thanks to our community partner: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.