Purple Death from Outer Space is a 1940 American black-and-white science fiction film directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. It is the first of two feature-length compilations of the 1940 serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. The second, Perils from the Planet Mongo, was released the same year.

Purple Death from Outer Space
Publicity still with Carmen D'Antonio and Charles Middleton for the 1940 serial
Directed by	Ford Beebe Ray Taylor
Screenplay by	Basil Dickey George H. Plympton Barry Shipman
Based on	Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond
Produced by	Henry MacRae
Starring	Larry (Buster) Crabbe Carol Hughes Charles Middleton Frank Shannon
Cinematography	Jerome Ash William A. Sickner
Production company	Hearst Entertainment Productions
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	1940 (1940)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

When the Earth is attacked by a mysterious substance causing death and leaving the victim purple, Dr Zarkov, Flash Gordon, and Dale Arden discover the deaths are caused by one of Ming's spaceships from the planet Mongo. The trio go to the planet to bring an antidote back to the Earth and thwart Ming's schemes. Ming's plan is to steal all the Earth's nitrogen.

Along the way, Flash and his cohorts meet Azura Queen of Magic who plans to turn all humans into Clay People, White Sapphire, the Tree People, the White Sapphire and Prince Barin.

Reception

Creature Feature found the film to be a rousing video, giving it three out of five stars. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction prefers the full, unedited version.

Cast

• Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon
• Carol Hughes as Dale Arden
• Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless
• Frank Shannon as Dr. Zarkov
• Don Rowan as Capt. Torch (archive footage)
• Victor Zimmerman as Lt. Thong (archive footage)
• Lee Powell as Capt. Roka (archive footage)
• Donald Curtis as Capt. Ronal (archive footage)
• Edgar Edwards as Capt. Turan (archive footage)
• Roland Drew as Prince Barin
• Shirley Deane as Princess Aura
• Luli Deste as Queen Fria
• Sigurd Nilssen as Count Korro (archive footage)
• John Hamilton as Prof. Gordon (archive footage)
• Herbert Rawlinson as Prof. Frohman (archive footage)
• Tom Chatterton as Dr. Arden (archive footage)

Soundtrack

Les préludes by Franz Liszt

See also

• List of American films of 1966

References

External links

• Purple Death from Outer Space at IMDb
• Purple Death from Outer Space is available for free download at the Internet Archive