Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939) is a 12-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Charles Quigley, David Sharpe, Herman Brix (better known under his subsequent stage name, Bruce Bennett), Carole Landis, Miles Mander (in a dual role) and Charles Middleton. It was directed by William Witney and John English and is considered one of the better serials produced by Republic. The serial was the fourteenth of the sixty-six serials produced by the studio.

Plot
An escaped criminal, known as Harry Crowl, but preferring to be called by his prison number 39013 (pronounced Thirty Nine – Oh – Thirteen), seeks revenge on the man who sent him to prison, millionaire philanthropist Horace Granville. He kidnaps Granville, imprisoning him within his own house, and disguises himself to take Granville’s place, as the frail old man in a clean room, necessary for his health, with the only other person allowed past the glass barrier being his doctor. He then sets about methodically destroying everything Granville owns. When we enter the film, he has already destroyed a number of Granville properties, and has set his sights on the Granville Amusement Centre, at which a trio of acrobats is performing. The daredevils, Gene, Bert, and Tiny escape but Gene’s kid brother is badly wounded in the blaze, and later dies of his injuries. Seeking revenge they take jobs as private investigators for the man they believe to be Horace Granville. Through a series of deadly traps, and with the help of a mysterious cloaked figure, known only as “The Red Circle”, the daredevils begin to unravel the truth.

In the first chapter, we are introduced to all the above facts, and even shown the secret room within the Granville estates where 39013 is keeping the real Granville. He is kept in a cell, the exact duplicate of the one in which 39013 resided for his abruptly ended sentence. This room is trapped, so that in the event that 39013 does not return, a dripping reservoir will run dry. The loss of weight will tip the scale, causing deadly gas capsules to break upon the floor, killing Granville in a very short time. This causes him to spout the characteristic line, “You best hope I continue to live, Granville.”

Cast
Charles Quigley as Gene Townley, high diver, one of the Daredevils of the Red Circle
Herman Brix as Tiny Dawson, strongman, one of the Daredevils of the Red Circle
David Sharpe as Bert Knowles, escape artist, one of the Daredevils of the Red Circle
Carole Landis as Blanche Granville, Granddaughter of Horace Granville
Miles Mander as Horace Granville, millionaire philanthropist victim and ex-partner of 39013, and also as 39013 when he is impersonating Granville
Charles Middleton as Harry Crowel/39013, escaped criminal with a vendetta against Horace Granville
C. Montague Shaw as Malcolm, Horace Granville’s doctor
Ben Taggart as Dixon, Horace Granville’s manager
William Pagan as Landon, police chief
Corbet Morris as Klein, one of 39013’s henchmen
Raymond Bailey as Stanley, Horace Granville’s secretary and one of 39013’s henchmen
Snowflake as Snowflake, black comic-relief servant of Horace Granville
George Chesebro as Sheffield, one of 39013’s henchmen
Ray Miller as Jeff, Horace Granville’s nurse
Robert Winkler as Sammy Townley, Gene’s younger brother
Stanley Price as Prof. Selden (uncredited)
“Tuffie”, the dog