I was surprised to read many disparaging reviews of the Western serial Riders of Death Valley (1941), viewers lambasting what they considered its interminable pacing, a B-Western story stretched across a 15-chapters running more than four hours. Well, I suppose that would be my reaction, too, were I to watch the whole shebang in a single sitting. Serials were never meant to be seen that way, but rather savored one-per-week over three-to-four months. All serials are shamelessly padded and repetitive, to be sure, but Riders of Death Valley is a cut above the usual chapter play for a number of reasons.

Produced by Universal, it was, reportedly, the first million-dollar serial. This is a dubious claim; even the priciest serials, such as the 1936 Flash Gordon, cost just $350,000, and that was considered quite lavish. Judging by what's onscreen, the actual cost was probably in the $40...Read the entire review