Hank Davis, foreman on a huge dam project, enlists the aid of his two flyer friends when a sinister figure known as The Black Ace leads his Mystery Squadron of masked pilots in an attempt to destroy the dam.

Mystery Squadron

Chapter 1: The Black Ace

The Mystery Squadron, a group of airborne vigilantes, begins a series of attacks on a major construction project. Their mysterious leader, known only as “The Black Ace,” conceals his identity behind a mask. The project foreman hires stunt flyers Fred Cromwell (Bob Steele) and Bill Cook (Guinn “Big Boy” Williams) to deal with this aerial menace. Their mission is jeopardized when the two pilots are accused of being members of the gang. Fred and Bill must uncover the true identity of the Black Ace before they face a lynch mob themselves.

Heroes and villains alike use airplanes instead of horses in this generally well-made Mascot serial featuring diminutive cowboy star Bob Steele. Steele and sidekick Guinn “Big Boy” Williams (whose supposedly comical craving for jellybeans quickly becomes tiring) are hired by an aviator friend (Jack Mulhall) to aid Lafe McKee and his daughter Lucille Browne in safeguarding the building of a dam. A mystery villain known only as “The Black Ace” is using a gang of air pirates in a (largely unexplained) war against the construction firm. The mystery villain proves, of course, to be the one character seemingly above suspicion. In fairness to the serial, we shall refrain from divulging his identity, however. Mystery Squadron contains many well-made aerial fights and stunts but is also filled with all kinds of silly and seemingly unnecessary gaffes. When a dart carrying a warning note is thrown through a window, for example, that same window is shown in the following shot as not only securely closed but covered by an undamaged lace curtain.

Cast and Crew:

Bob Steele / Fred Cromwell
Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams / Bill ‘Jellybean’ Cook (as ‘Big Boy’ Williams)
Lucile Browne / Dorothy Gray

Director – Colbert Clark
Producer – Nat Levine
Screenwriter – Colbert Clark
Editor – Earl Turner
Screenwriter – Wyndham Gittens
Cinematographer – Alvin Wyckoff
Editor – Wyndham Gittens

Additional details in: The Mystery Squadron in IMDB

Mystery Squadron in Wikipedia

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