The lucky 13th edition of the Secret Matinee series marked its emergence from the COVID haze (with masks required for all attendees). We made good on all of the serial episodes and (nearly all of) the planned features that had been cancelled due to the 2020 lockdown, and then continued our saga with all-new selections. Plus: as an added attraction, each show began with a different rare serial trailer unearthed from our archive.

Our serial this year was Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939, 12 episodes). A trio of circus acrobats battle to stop the murderous plots of a brilliant, revenge-crazed criminal and his gang of thugs. Ranked by serial fans as one of the very best ever made, it boasts outstanding stunt work and a great cast, including Charles “Ming the Merciless” Middleton as the villain.

“Daredevils of the Red Circle is entirely deserving of its high reputation... The writers give above-average interest to their scenario by their use of a team of ‘civilian’ heroes…The action scenes are unfailingly well-staged by directors William Witney and John English…” - The Files of Jerry Blake

“One of the best-ever movie serials… If you've never experienced the innocent thrills of the best sound-era movie serials, Daredevils of the Red Circle is an excellent place to start.” - Dave Galbraith IV, DVDTalk.com

The bi-weekly themes for the secret feature films were... Jan. 8 & 15: In Our Last Episode... (making up for the cancelled shows from 2020). Jan. 22 & 29: Jungle Queens (1940s jungle adventure classics). Feb. 5 & 12: Super Sleuths (legendary detectives). Feb. 19 & 26: Twisted Satires (deranged 1970s social satires). Mar. 5 & 12: Stop-Motion Giants (legendary stop-motion classics). Mar. 19 & 26: Totally High! (star-studded '60s acid flicks, originally scheduled for 2020).