Just as William Schallert appeared in gobs of pre-TPDS television shows, so did Jean Byron, and it's equally fun encountering them. Two rare appearances by Byron recently popped up on dvd in the recent release of the complete "Soldiers of Fortune" (1955-57) dvd-set. As in a few other similar examples, she turns out to be a surprise villainess. I sometimes think casting directors liked to tap Byron for such roles in these crime/adventure shows. She has such a naturally sweet and engaging demeanor, making it perfect for the eventual plot-twist in which her character is later shown to hold nefarious designs.

In the first SOF episode she guests in, "The Girl in the Jeep," Byron plays a magazine reporter in North Africa on the run from black-market baddies, who enlists the aid of our two heroes. Hmm, but she might not be all that she seems. Anyway, she gives a really delightful performance in this one. Her 2nd appearance in the series is a second-season episode entitled "The Tattooed Lady of Torima," which is about emerald smugglers in Columbia. Believe it or not, in most of the episode, Byron is in 'disguise' as an old witch-like crone, who is later revealed as the glamorous leader of the smugglers! Silly but fun nonsense. I wish the print-quality had been better on these dvds, as they looked a bit washed out, but I'm still glad to have run into them. When I bought the set, I had no idea she ever appeared in it.

Jean Byron can also be seen in the early 1950's Jungle Jim picture "Voodoo Tiger." It's been awhile since I've seen the movie, if I recall she speaks with a British accent.

I hope Sony adds "Voodoo Tiger" to its Columbia 'manufacture-on-demand' series. I haven't seen it in decades. So far, Sony has released 5 of the 16 Jungle Jim films, including "Jungle Moon Men," which also featured Jean Byron as leading lady.

Again in the 'femme fatale' department, I also recall Byron co-starring with Vincent Price in an episode of "Science Fiction Theater" in which she played the widow of a murdered scientist whose new invention ultimately reveals the killer. Byron was in two or three episodes of the series, but somehow this is the only one of those I managed to tape, back when the Sci-Fi Channel used to air it in the mid-90s. Anyway, same situation again with Jean in this episode, where she appears a winsome lady-in-distress throughout most of the episode, only to be revealed as... Well, you can guess. She is, though, always great in these old shows.

I have all 16 Jungle Jim pictures, some are recorded from Movie Channel and the others are from 16mm film. It's not the greatest movie series, plots are hokey and Johnny Weissmuller was a really bad actor. But the films can be a fun diversion, I just have to be in the right mood to watch them. Savage Mutiny and Jungle Manhunt are a couple of the better entries.

The 1952 Columbia serial King Of The Congo with Buster Crabbe plays out a lot like a Jungle Jim adventure. As a fan of Columbia serials, I like this one pretty well. Some parts are really bad, but there's plenty of action and the story flows along pretty smoothly through the 15 chapters.

I've never seen the "King of the Congo" serial, but I have seen two of Columbia's other jungle serials, "Congo Bill" and "Jungle Raiders." Not to mention Buster Crabbe in "The Sea Hound." I seem to recall reading the "King of the Congo" features the comic character "Thund'a," which always surprised me, since I didn't really think he was all that prominent a comic hero (although I do have a single issue of the short-lived comic). But, after all, Columbia also made a serial of DC's "The Vigilante," who never even starred in a comic of his own, being a back-up feature.

Anyway, I also tend to like Columbia serials, despite their many shortcomings. Indeed, by the 1950s, I tend to find their samples often more intriguing than those that came from Republic, as they are less doggedly formulaic. Columbia's "Mysterious Island" serial is one I particularly preferred over what Republic was doing at the time.

Congo Bill is so-so, Jungle Raiders and Sea Hound are both good. Vigilante is good too, although they gave away the identity of the villain in the first chapter. So the ending is spoiled. Roar Of The Iron Horse from 1951 also is flawed by revealing the villain in chapter one. Pirates Of The High Seas, another serial with Buster Crabbe, is also good.

I've always favored Columbia serials over Republic. Republic's are overrated, they are stiff and structured. Columbia's are more loose in structure and are more fun to watch. And with Columbia serials, there are 15 chapters where the majority of Republic's have 12 or 13 chapters.

Looks like Turner Classics will be airing one of Jean Byron's early leading-lady appearances tonight (thursday, Jun 30), that being the film "The Magnetic Monster," from 1953. Haven't seen the movie myself in nearly forty years, so I'll be looking forward to catching up with it again. It's been very, very rarely shown in recent years.