The Perils of Pauline

TCM is running the serial The Perils of Pauline starting at noon today, and running for four weeks. Now, you've probably heard the title before. The Perils of Pauline is one of the most famous silent movie serials. Or, at least, the original version from 1914, the one that made Pearl White as Pauline a household name is.

The serial that TCM is running is a talkie from 1933 starring Evalyn Knapp as Pauline. Knapp made a lot of films in the 1930s, but she was never a big star. Another reworking of The Perils of Pauline came in 1947. That movie wasn't a serial, however; it was a biopic about Pearl White, starring Betty Hutton as Pearl. I don't know, though, how accurate the 1947 version is.