Hidalgo Trading Company

For Catherine

Posted by Chuck Welch on June 10, 2005 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Original Publication Date

Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bantam Publication Date

Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Flea Run

The Hidalgo Trading Company is only one of a great number of sites dedicated to remembering Doc Savage and encouraging a new generation of fans. Choosing any of these sites will open a new browser window for you. Updated: 17 May 02 Learn More about the Flea Run The Fabulous Five Catherine Lavallée's LA PAGE EN FRANÇAIS POUR DOC SAVAGE EN FRANÇAIS It's a great site for French fans of Doc Savage. Want more reasons? She's witty, intelligent, beautiful and she is my wife. Chris Kalb's the 86th floor This is what happens when you have talent and a great imagination. Parents...encourage your children to draw on the walls! Rob Smalley's Doc Savage - The Supreme Adventurer From little acorns grow...This is one of the niceest guys in fandom and he has one of the more comprehensive sites. Ron Hill's The Adventure of the Azure Aztec The original artistic inspiration for the HTC, but don't hold that against him. A hilarious strip. Thomas Rau's Das ist Doc Savage I owe this guy. I'm still trying to figure what I can send him. Anyone have a copy of The Man of Bronze dubbed in German? Voices on the Radio The Cobalt Club Doc Savage Radio Episodes in MP3 Jerry Haendige's Vintage Radio Logs -- Doc Savage Page Doc in the Comics Bill Mann's Doc Savage Comic Book Scans Gary Chaloner's Red Kelso Dave Schneider's The Doc Savage Comics Resource Page The Animated Doc Micah's Doc Savage: The Animated Adventures New Location Ron Hill's The Adventure of the Azure Aztec Kez Wilson's Duc Savage MISSING! Victor and Anthony Aranjo Pat Savage The Babylon Doc Catherine Lavallée's LA PAGE EN FRANÇAIS POUR DOC SAVAGE EN FRANÇAIS Thomas Rau's Das ist Doc Savage Alain Berguerand's L'Homme de Bronze Doc Fan Fiction & More A New Doc Savage Novel! Doc Savage 2000 M. D. Jackson and G. W. Thomas's Savage: The Bronze Journal Mark Eidemiller's Bronze Refinded as Silver Larry Widen's Arch Enemy of Evil Will Murray The latest Kenneth Robeson Len Yacullo's Doc Savage Reader Resource Syracuse University Library Street and Smith's Preservation Project MISSING! Doc at the Cons Cat Jaster's Frozencat Pulpcon Page More Doc on the Web Mark Butler's All About Doc Savage Scott Cranford's The Doc Savage FAQ Page Dale Dodson's Doc Savage Page Jim Gould's Doc Savage Collectible Showcase Bob Jenson's This is Doc Savage Country Mark Lambert's Hidalgo Publishing Company David Pettus and Curtis Peters present: Bronze Recollections Jim & Julie Rhodes Doc Savage on the Computer Garden New ricjac's Savage Land Rocketman's Doc Savage: Man of Bronze Jeff Sines's Doc Savage Unchained ???????'s Monk's Footlocker MISSING! Just a Little Bit of Doc Jerry Sutton's Fortress of Solitude William Thompson's Doc Savage Page Tomi Vaisala's Doc Savage Home Page The Missing Sites Gone... docsavage33's Doc Humor Page And Now for Something Completely Different Gary Chaloner's Chaloner Ink Comics Noir for the Neo Literate new address Joe Baloney's Harry Slothe is on the case. Nick Pollotta's Delphia Book Company has closed for health reason...We're wishing the best for Nick. Dave Kalb's Avenger Archives Avenger Archives - Paperback Annex The Mike and Ike of Avenger pages! Dave Kalb has created an exciting and welcome addition to pulp fan sites. Everything you ever wanted to know about The Avenger is here. The Newsgroups Subscribe to Doc Savage Fan Central All the fun of a Doc Savage Newsgroup sent to your email box Learn More about the Flea Run If you don't belong to Flea Run: Doc Savage Fan Central you can read: alt.fan.doc-savage on Google.com If we haven't listed your page, let us know

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Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Generic Doc Savage

Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Talking Devil

The Talking Devil Review by Gary Chaloner This one's a real ripper. Doc's brain operation gets exposed and he gets framed as being the mastermind behind an intricate plot that involves his patients and the bleeding of funds from wealthy companies. A fantastic premise, as I always thought Doc's brain ops and the upstate hospital itself where a very weak link in his armour. There's no way he could keep his amazing operation a secret for too long. Some master criminal or crim's relative out for revenge (whatever) would surely stumble across Doc's drastic method of rehabilitation sooner or later. The Talking Devil of the title is a small doll that supposedly "talks" to Sam Joseph, dear friend and office manager to millionaire Montague Ogden. Ogden brings in Doc to diagnose Joseph and eventually operate on Joseph's cerebral fibroma. From there, the story twists and turns in a snappy tale of murder, kidnapping, mindgames and biffo. I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did. The reason? Doc is portrayed as very human, not a perfect superhero that's called in to clean up the mess after everything has gone off the rails. The villain does outfox Doc (for a while) and it's because of this that Doc's actions hold more weight. He's involved in the story on a personal level. All in all, a very enjoyable Doc adventure. Recommended. Major Gripe: Nothing major, though I'm always dissappointed when only four of the five Doc aides are present in an adventure. This time Johnny is omitted. No Pat either. Favorite Scene: Monk and Doc attack a derelict paddle steamer where hostages are held — Monk has a great stomping set-to with a bad guy on a tree used as a gangplank! Rating: 8/10

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Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Resurrection Day

Resurrection Day Review by Gary Chaloner Who would you have resurrected from the dead for the good of mankind today? You have only one chance... one choice: Lincoln? Edison? Newton? A much loved and missed relative perhaps? This is the problem facing Doc and his crew -- and when you throw in the interference of a superb master criminal (General Ino) and his mild-mannered-but-maniacal number two (Proudman Shaster), you have a fantastic premise for a Doc adventure. After finding a way to resurrect a human body from the dead, Doc lets his intentions be known to the general public and asks for their choice in who the subject should be. The whole United States joins in the event, with Doc's headquarters being surrounded by thousands of people to witness the proceedings. Things get even more interesting when Ino decides to go head-to-head with Doc in an attempt to gain a fortune. A brave man indeed. Brave -- or insane. But not as insane as his deputy, Proudman Shaster, who, while very aware of the dangers in trying to out-fox the Man of Bronze -- goes along for the ride anyway. These two characters develop into a pair of the most fascinating -- even likable -- villains I have read in a Doc adventure. Shaster leaves a grisly trail of headless bodies and bodiless heads all through the proceedings -- from London and New York to Arabia and Egypt. And to top things off, most of the adventure's desert climax features Doc's aides running around buck naked after having their clothes ripped from them by murderous Arab thugs! All of the brothers are in this adventure, as are Habeas Corpus and Chemistry. Pat is not mentioned. Despite the lack of a pretty face, though, I enjoyed Resurrection Day; a great deal. It has everything you would want in a Doc tale. Major Gripe: I can't help wondering what Doc would have said to the American people after his return to New York. He must have used up a few favors, that's for sure. Favorite Scene: A shoot out between Doc and his men and General Ino's thugs outside the Hidalgo Trading Company while a confused mummy wanders amongst the carnage! Ha! Rating: 9/10

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Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Violent Night

Violent Night (The Hate Genius) Review by Gary Chaloner Plot 4/10 Pat Savage fans rejoice! Another great idea wasted. I put it down to the tough time contraints put on Dent by his editors... but this story isn't a Len Deighton or Jack Higgins! It does feature a very extended starring role by Pat. So if that rings your bell, then maybe there's something here that will salvage a below average yarn. Regular Characters 5/10 Besides Doc, Monk and Ham feature alongside Pat. Doc is very subdued in this story; more caught up in the importance of his mission than what's happening around him. Villains 3/10 Well... Adolf would have to be the ultimate enemy for Doc to battle. It fizzles to nothing here. What a waste. The bulk of the story involves German agents, Allied agents and double agents swapping resumes at gunpoint in a search for Pat's old six-shooter. It does get tedious after awhile. Even the identity of the fleeing Adolf is a bit ho-hum when it finally comes. Gadgets 1/10 Airplane's feature in this story. As does a wristwatch. Do they count? Monk/Ham Hijinx 2/10 Nothing much as far as classic stuff here. M & H just follow Doc around in this one, giving support and supply info where needed. They're introduction (involving Pat) is fun, though. Overall Score: 15/50 This one, I thought after reading the back cover blurb, could be fantastic! It wasn't. Only read it if you HAVE to. Violent Blight.

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Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Devil Genghis

The Devil Genghis Review by Gary Chaloner Plot 9/10 The sequel to "The Fortress of Solitude", featuring the rematch of Doc Savage and John Sunlight! It strikes me that Dent realised what a great villain he had in John Sunlight only after he had finished the disappointing "The Fortress of Solitude". He more than makes up for it in "The Devil Genghis". The mood of the book hits you over the head from page one, with a fast paced description of events: the linked insanity of an Eskimo and his dog, an aviator call Fogarty-Smith and finally the fiance of the book's femme fatale, Toni Lash. From there, things really get rolling with Lash's attempts to kidnap Doc and his men. By the end of the book, there are plenty of people in straight jackets, plenty of good ol' fashioned "biffo" and plenty of miles covered by Doc and the crew. The climactic battle between Doc's men and "the Genghis", high in the Himalayas, is a real thumper. Regular Characters 8/10 Of the seven regular cast members, only Long Tom and Pat do not make an appearance. Which is a pity, as Long Tom was in "Fortress". It seems a totally arbitrary call to leave him out. Johnny shines in this story as Doc's main aide. He features in a great battle alongside Doc when they are trapped in an English hotel. He ends up carrying the insane Renny out of a second story window and dropping to the road below! Ouch! Villains 10/10 John Sunlight... and with him a smart, sexy dark-haired bombshell with her own "muscle", a lowlife called Cautious and a veritable army of deadly "Asiatics". Dent really wound things up this time... ending with a full-scale mountain war! Gadgets 5/10 This adventure is pretty "low" on gadgets but pretty "full" on fast-paced action. Johnny puts his machine pistol to good use. Doc trips around in drag for a bit, but you have to like older women to appreciate it. Monk/Ham Hijinx 7/10 Monk and Ham compete for the attentions of the beautiful Toni Lash, betting on the lives of Habeas Corpus and Chemistry as to who can win her over! They find that she is more than a match for both of them. The animals just get in the way in this story, in fact they are forgotten completely for the most part, not even mentioned in a general "tidy up" at the adventure's end. Note: Chapter XV: The Rival Genghis. The scenes featuring Monk (in mongol garb), a yak and a huge flint-lock rifle, are priceless. Overall Score: 39/50 rounded up to 45/50 The 39/50 really doesn't reflect the book's strength as a Doc adventure, so I took it upon myself to score the book as a total experience. It really is one of the best Savage adventures that I've read, so I thought a much higher, across-the-board score was called for. The Devil Genghis is a devilishly good read.

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Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Fortress of Solitude

The Fortress of Solitude Review by Gary Chaloner Plot 6/10 Potentially, the premise of this book could have been fantastic. But after reading it for the first time just the other day, I was VERY disappointed with how the plot was handled. Rogue villain John Sunlight stumbles onto Doc's secret hideaway in the Arctic then commences to do deals with two warring Balkan powers to sell off some of Doc's dubious inventions. Doc finds out and tries to stop the madman. The opportunities to flesh out Doc's guilt over his inventions being used for evil is never capitalized upon. Regular Characters 8/10 Monk, Ham and Long Tom assist Doc in this adventure. The scenes with Long Tom and Ham escorting one of the female characters in a plane are very entertaining. I've always enjoyed Long Tom's contributions to the sagas. Two points taken away represent Renny and Johnny. Villians 8/10 John Sunlight. Need I say more? The two points lost were for names of two of the female baddies: Titania and Giantia. Give me a break. Gadgets 7/10 Not my favorite part of the Doc mythos, so my score is average. The fact that they figure as the main plot motivation helps the score. Doc uses his usual tricks of make-up and disguises, but it's his dread weapons of destruction in the Fortress that sends a chill down the spine. Monk/Ham Hijinx 6/10 Fairly subdued this time around. They get worked over by two huge women and are separated for the bulk of the adventure. Monk sticks with Doc for most of the action. Overall Score: 35/50 As I stated above, a great premise wasted. After the build up from other Doc fans about The Fortress of Solitude and John Sunlight's debut, it turned out to be a Fortress of Disappointment.

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Posted by Chuck Welch on June 16, 2005 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Doc Savage: Man of Bronze 1975

Scans and Text by CG Welch additional comments by Mark Koldys Doc Savage The Man of Bronze A Film by George Pal 1975 I'm getting sentimental in my old age. I mention this because I have softened my stance on the 1975 film, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. I know. You remember my rant about this George Pal release. I talked about Pal missing the subtle aspects of the series. Well, after reading the 1946 Doc adventures and a gentle re-reading of chapters of the early adventures I have a confession: subtlety was in short supply in 1933. I recently watched the film to capture new scans for this website. I still can't take Michael Miller as Monk. His voice is squeaky like "chalk on a blackboard" not like "a nail pulled out of a board." Now, that's a subtle difference I'll admit, but an important one. And the kiss…where did they get the idea we wanted Doc to have a libido? The man was screwed up enough. Let's leave sex out of it. (A common newsgroup opinion is that Doc was gay anyway. Personally I believe he was a follower of Tantra) I also can't agree with Mike Resnick that Sousa's music was a "master stroke." I believe the music budget was short-changed. We needed something heroic and subtle. (There's that damn word again and no, they are not mutually exclusive.) Ok, what did I like? God forbid I say this in public, but here goes…Ron Ely. Use some contacts to get the eye color correct and he was Doc Savage (at least in 1975). What else? Pal found the chance to throw in a bunch of the traits of the Fabulous Five. Renny pounded a door, Johnny uttered a preponderance of $5 dollar words, Ham was ever crisp in his suits, and Long Tom used a laser disguised as a cigarette lighter. The less we say about Monk the better. Let's see. The special effects were good for the day. The snakes moved well…except I wonder how often a super hero really uses a fan to drive away the evil spirits? In any case, pick up the video and give Doc and the crew another chance. Fast-forward when Doc calls Mona a "brick" and ignore Doc standing on the running boards of the Cord in the rain and skip the part where Don Pedro sleeps in a giant crib and squint when Pal tells us when style of fighting Capt. Seas is using and… OK. Maybe I haven't softened that much... The Cast of Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze Ron Ely Doc Savage Chris tells me that in addition to playing Tarzan and Doc Savage that Ron played an "older Superboy" in an episode of the series Superboy. Is this a Super Hero Hat Trick? I think this film almost did in his movie career. A couple of more films the next year and in 1977 a German produced movie about slave-trade in the 19th century called Slavers in which he was second-billed. There was the TV series Sea Hunt in 1987, and a Renegade episode are all I can find for Ely after Doc. Of course, there was that Miss America farce in the 80s. He does have a career writing novels now though. And the man has fans. I received an angry email from one because I hadn't interviewed Ely. Anyone looking for a class project? The Fabulous Five Paul Gleason Major Thomas J. "Long Tom" Roberts He has had probably the most active career of the Doc Savage cast. High points in his career include Die Hard (as Dwayne T. Robinson) and The Breakfast Club (as the principal, Richard Vernon), Trading Places, and as writer/director for Summer Heat. I don't think he looked quite ill enough to be Long Tom. Bill Lucking Colonel John "Renny" Renwick Another recognizable face...you're just not quite sure where you've seen him. His credit highlights since Doc Savage include Stripes and 10. Unfortunately he was in the worst film of 1980, The Ninth Configuration. He did get to put his fist through a door though! Michael Miller Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Blodgett "Monk" Mayfair His specialty since Doc has been to play a reporter (Chaplin, The Preppie Murder, and The Hearst and Davies Affair). Mark notes his career started in 1943's "The Iron Major," a Pat O'Brian film about football coach Frank Cavanaugh. My sources say his career started in 1944 as "Boy in Park" in Practically Yours and the last credit I could find was in 1993. I still don't see Patricia Savage falling for this guy... Eldon Quick William Harper "Johnny" Littlejohn For me, Eldon Quick fit Johnny. If you watch close you get to see him use that Spock-like nerve pinch in the battle on Captian Seas' ship. I found only a couple of films in the 80's for him, but was pleased to find he was in one of the best movies of the 60's, In the Heat of the Night. I'll have to check that film out again to find him. Mark noticed Quick played "Charlie Hawthrone." Darrell Zwerling Brigadier General Theodore Marley "Ham" Brooks Though I would like to have seen the guy who played "Higgens" on Magnum, PI as Ham, I though Darrell Zwerling played him ok. He was in a couple of films I really liked, Chinatown and Grease. (OK, I was kidding about Grease, but Zwerling was in another Travolta movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.) His last role that I found was in Joe vs. the Volcano. Mark found him in 1991's "Rush Week," a murder-on-the-campus exploitation thriller." The Co-Stars Pamela Hensley.... Mona Hey, she was in 240-Robert, Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century, and Rooster. Not to mention three films in 1975 alone. Paul Wexler.... Captain Seas Doc Savage was his last film. He died in 1979. (July 1999: There is a Paul Wexler listed as an additional voice in 101 Dalmatians! Anyone have a clue if this is the same guy?)June 2003: From Alan Wexler, his son, "Regarding my father, Paul Wexler, he took part in seven roles for 101 Dalmations. 101 Dalmations was done by filming actual actors and then converting into animation. He acted the roles of the hero, Jasper, and the policeman. Regarding Voices, I only remember him as the horse. Others, I don't recollect." Rest of cast Michael Berryman.... Coroner Berryman was in a slightly more famous film in 1975, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. And I'm sure you saw him in Spy Hard as the Bus Patron with the Oxygen Mask. Rand Bridges .... Frenchman Films in 1974 to 1976 and then ???? Jorge