Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Burn 'Em Up Barnes (Serial) (1934)

Burn 'Em Up Barnes is a highly successful racing driver, not someone who often crashes as you might imagine from that name!



Barnes (Jack Mulhall) and his mate Bobby (Frankie Darro) help Marjorie (Lola Lane), the owner of a bus company, who also owns a plot of seemingly worthless land. Of course the land isn't really worthless, it contains rich oil reserves which crooked race promoter Drummond (Jason Robarbs) wants for himself. He will stop at nothing to achieve his evil plans in a series of death defying cliff hangers!

Unfortunately it all gets a bit repetitive after about half a dozen episodes though the stunts are often amazing (though the speeding up of racing footage is obvious at times). Not the best 1930s serial but an enjoyable romp all the same.