Raiders of Ghost City (DVD)

As the Civil War grinds to a bloody end, gold shipments destined for Washington from Oro Grande, California are being intercepted by a band of suspected Confederate raiders. Traveling by rail to Oro Grande to investigate, Union Captain Steve Clark, acting as a federal agent, and his pal, Idaho Jones, are ambushed and trapped inside a derailed baggage car. Escaping sure death as the car plunges into a mountain ravine, the pair finally report to Colonel Sewell. They learn that the raiders are led by Alex Morel, owner of the Golden Eagle Saloon, which doubles as the secret base for the criminal operation. Morel and his gang of thieves are working for Prussian military spies who are intent on influencing the outcome of the American war. The nation's future hangs in the balance as Clark and Jones race to destroy the web of saboteurs before the war is lost.

Raiders of Ghost City (1944) is a rousing western chapter play from Universal Pictures. Co-directors Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor, both prolific in their own right, teamed up for more than a dozen popular serials, including Gangbusters (1942), Junior G-Men of the Air (1942), and The Great Alaskan Mystery (1944). There are some surprising parallels between Raiders of Ghost City and a contemporary homage to serials, Raiders of the Lost Ark. In addition to the similarities of their titles, there are the nearly identical character names (Indiana Jones / Idaho Jones) and the same bad guys (Nazis / Prussians).

• serial