The Purple Monster Strikes 

1945 - 15 Chapters


Plot

Astronomer Cyrus Layton is working late one night on his new airplane design in his 
observatory. He witnesses what he believes is a meteorite landing in the far distance. He 
contacts his niece Sheila and asks her to bring Craig Foster to the observatory to help analyze his discovery. he sets out to search for the meteorite crater but instead discovers a 
spaceship. The ship's pilot emerges and explains that he is from the planet Mars.

Mistakenly thinking the alien is friendly, Layton takes him back to the observatory. Once there the Martian, calling himself "The Purple Monster", wishes to see Layton's designs for the new airplane/spaceship. He proudly shows the alien the designs until the alien explains that he is stealing the designs, building a spaceship for himself, flying back to Mars and having a fleet built to invade the Earth. When Dr. Layton objects, the Martian kills him with a weapon that emits a "carbo-oxide" gas which kills instantly. The alien then transforms into a ghost and takes over Dr Layton's body. This enables him to fool the astronomer's niece Sheila and criminologist Craig Foster, both of whom work with Dr Layton's foundation, which is responsible for commissioning the spaceship project.

In the last chapter Craig and Sheila realize that the Purple Monster is using Professor 
Layton's body and they devise a plan to uncover the truth. While Sheila gets the supposed 
Doctor Layton to come downtown to sign some papers needed for funding, Craig slips into 
Layton's office and secretly installs a movie camera which will be remotely activated when 
the telephone is used. Foster then escapes and calls the office to advise him that he will be 
bringing reinforcements to search the observatory, which he has discovered is the Purple 
Monster's hideout. Craig and Sheila arrive to find the observatory deserted. Sheila goes to 
the basement where she stumbles upon Purple Monster's subterranean lair and is kidnapped. Foster goes to check on Sheila and finds the basement empty. He then discovers the secret lair where Sheila has been bound and gagged. The Purple Monster orders his henchmen to dispose of her and destroy the observatory once he escapes.

The story ends with Craig Foster using a part of the spaceship, a sonic pulse cannon used to 
shatter meteors. He destroys the alien spaceship with the Purple Monster inside as he 
attempts to fly back to Mars and lead an invasion fleet back.

Cast

Dennis Moore as Craig Foster. 
Linda Stirling as Sheila Layton
Roy Barcroft as The Purple Monster. 
James Craven as Dr Cyrus Layton
Bud Geary as Hodge Garrett, Henchman
Mary Moore as Marcia
John Davidson as Emperor of Mars
Joe Whitehead as Carl Stewart
Anthony Warde as Tony


Chapter titles

The Man in the Meteor (22min 20s)
The Time Trap (13min 20s)
Flaming Avalanche (13min 20s)
The Lethal Pit (13min 20s)
Death on the Beam (13min 20s)
The Demon Killer (13min 20s)
The Evil Eye (13min 20s)
Descending Doom (13min 20s)
The Living Dead (13min 20s)
House of Horror (13min 20s)
Menace from Mars (13min 20s)
Perilous Plunge (13min 20s)
Fiery Shroud (13min 20s)
The Fatal Trial (13min 20s)
Take-off to Destruction (13min 20s)