Flash Gordon: The Purple Death From Outer Space  (1940)

Theatrical Release Information:
Flash Gordon: The Purple Death From Outer Space

Interstellar good guy Flash Gordon (Larry "Buster" Crabbe) and evil incarnate Ming the Merciless (Charles B. Middleton) do battle once again in this vintage science fiction epic. A strange new plague known as the Purple Death is sweeping the globe and Flash; his girlfriend, Dale Arden (Carol Hughes); and scientific genius Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) head out into space in hopes of discovering the cause of the disease. It doesn't take long for the intrepid crew to discover the Purple Death is the doing of Ming the Merciless, who is once again hoping to take over the world from his base on the planet Mongo. Flash leaps into battle against Ming and his minions, leading to a battle royale on the planet Frigia against a crew of battling robots impervious to cold. Flash Gordon: The Purple Death From Outer Space is an edited version of the classic 1940 serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe; the 12-episode chapterplay was edited into a conventional-length feature for television sale in the mid-'60s. Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe also proved to be the last of the popular Flash Gordon serials, though the character would return on radio, television, and in a big-budget remake in 1980. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide