This is the sexiest movie serial ever made. How Universal ever slipped Dale and Princess Aura's outfits passed the Hays Office sensors, I've never know. And for some reason, every lecherous tyrant on the planet is literally drooling over Dale Arden. No less than Emperor Ming's own daughter, Aura, commits treason just to seduce Flash. In 1936, America was still in the midst of the Great Depression and any temporary escape from reality was too precious to waste just on the children.

The two subsequent Flash Gordon serials, in 1938 and 1940, radically toned down the sexual tension to as close to zero as possible. But the legacy of the 1st serial lives on, in the imaginations of the generations of males who ogled Dale and Aura's midriffs, and in the miniskirts and aluminum foil bikinis of the original Star Trek. Captain Kirk, a character who is believable only so long as one accepts the premise that a red-blooded Earth man is naturally irresistible to all women from any alien planet, owes his very existence to Flash Gordon.

The sexual overtones, like everything else great about this series, belonged to a unique period in time. This is not only one of the all-time greatest serials; it is also one of the all time greatest comic strip adaptations, ever. It is far more faithful to the source material and far more exciting than most of this odd little genre. In 1936, because entertainment was so precious, adults as well as kids read the newspaper funnies, and I suspect Universal figured the audience wouldn't have tolerated any major departures from the source material.

The special effects are, of course completely unconvincing and even laughable to modern audiences. For the audience of 1936, these images were perfectly adequate; their imaginations had not atrophied and could supplement the deficiencies. In our increasingly jaded modern world, where we need stronger and stronger doses of unreality, I find a certain charm in the handcrafted look of this serial.

Buster Crabbe is the absolute epitome of what this type of hero should be: handsome, virtuous, uncomplicated and athletic. Crabbe had been a genuine Olympic champion, and didn't need steroids or hormones. Flash Gordon is decisive; he is the kind of guy who figures out what to do and takes action. He doesn't waste his time with ambivalence angst, or ennui; his audience had no time for such things… people in the depression were too busy just trying to survive! The rest of the cast is also great, especially Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless. If he isn't the absolute greatest villain of all serials, then he is certainly the standard by which all such villains are to be judged. The other players, however, each fully invest their characters with total feeling. Modern viewers not used to the acting style of this period are liable to think these performances over the top, but actually, they are simply exuberant.

This serial moves quickly and is always either interesting or exciting. It is full of great fight scenes, wild costumes and sets, buzzing and sparking electrical devices, and rocket ship dog fights. The basic plot involves Flash fighting Ming the Merciless, who declares himself absolute Ruler of Mongo by the authority of his Personal Deity. Flash fights what amounts to be asymmetrical warfare against Ming, who has vastly superior forces and weapons. Ming retaliates against Flash by torturing him and several of his compatriots.

Flash uses unconventional tactics; in one sequence he brings a whole city to its knees by sabotaging its energy production. Flash also works with various ethnic groups, such as the Lion Men and the Hawk Men, finding areas of mutual benefit and forging alliances. Although these people appear to be physically different than Earth Men, Flash seems to presume they are equals and treats them as such. In the Depression, audiences believed that a red-blooded American would never tolerate a theocratic despot, that he wouldn't hesitate to fight for justice and to free oppressed people. This is probably the biggest difference of all between the original audience, and modern viewers. Truly, 'Flash Gordon' belongs to a world that is lost to us.

• Feature version of the serial of the same name.