An evening with Flash

After a few late nights/early mornings caused by the WORLD SERIES and ELECTION NIGHT, I only managed to remain awake until 7 p.m. last night.
I did have enough of an evening to spend some time watching a few chapters of a cinematic monument to pure ESCAPISM -- "FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS."
Buster Crabbe stars as Flash, the leader of a group of adventurers including Dr. Alexis Zarkov (Frank Shannon), Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) and stowaway reporter Happy Hapgood (Donald Kerr).
The adventurers fly to Mars, where arch-enemy Ming the Merciless (Charles B. Middleton) is assisting Queen Azura (Beatrice Roberts) extract the Earth's atmosphere with a powerful ray.
Caught up so easily in the fantastic action, I could see why this 1938 serial would have proved so popular among filmgoers of the GREAT DEPRESSION.
With it's cliff-hanger endings, the serial left viewers anxious for more.
In fact, I plan on spending another evening with Flash Gordon tonight.