arguably the fine serial ever make ( no argument here thus far ) about earthman flash gordon and professor zarkov and and beautiful dale arden travel in a rocket ship to another universe to save the planet . along the way and in spellbind and spectacular and and action pack chapter flash and his friend along with new find friend such a prince barin and prince thun and and the awesome king vultan pool their resource together to fight the evil and army of the merciless ming of mongo and the jealous treachery of his daughter priness aura ( now she a car . ) . this serial be not just a cut above most serial in term of plot and acting and and budget it be mile ahead in these area . produce by universal studio it have many former set at it disposable like the laboratory set from the bride of frankenstein and the opera house from the phantom of the opera just to name a few . the production value across the board be advance and in my most humble opinion and for 1936. the costume wear by many of these strange men and woman be really creative and first rate . we get hawk men and shark men and lion men and high priest and creature like dragon and octasacks and orangapoids and and tigrons ( oh my . ) and many and many other fantastic thing . be all of them believable and first rate special effect . no way . but for 1936 most be very impressive . the musical score be awesome and the chapter beginning be well write and lengthy enough to revitalize viewer memory of the former chapter and and expertly score . director frederick stephani do a great job piece everything together wonderfully and create a worthy film for alex raymond phenom comic strip . lastly and the acting be pretty good in this serial . all too often serial have either no name with no talent surround one or two former talent here most everyone have some ability . don not get me wrong and this isn not a shakespeare troupe by any mean and but buster crabbe do a workmanlike and likable job a flash . he be ably aid by jean arden and priscella lawson and and the rest of the cast in general with two performer stand out . but before i get to those two let me add a another reviewer note and it must have be amaze for this serial to get by the hayes office . i see more flesh on flash and on jean rogers and priscella lawson than in movie decade later . the short crabbe ( and unfortunately for all of u professor zarkov ( ( frank shannon ) ) wear be about a form fit a pair of short guy can wear . the girl be wear mid drift throughout and be absolutely beautiful jean rogers may have limit acting talent but she be a blonde bombshell . lawson be also very sultry and sensuous and beautiful . but for me the two actor that make the serial be charles middleton a ming represent officious and sardonic and merciless and and fun . middleton be a class act . jack tiny lipson play king vultan represent boisterous and rouse and hilarious a symbol for pure joy in life and the every essence of hedonism . lipson steal each and every scene he be in . the plot meander here and there and and everywhere but flash gordon be the penultimate serial and space opera and and the basis for load of science fiction to follow . excellent .