Princess Aura 1 was one of the three
main leads of the first Flash Gordon serial. She was
aggressive and sexy. |
In the third serial, Princess Aura
2 was a supporting character. She was mostly passive
and ineffectual. |
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In
both Alex Raymond's strip and Universal's serial,
Prince Barin and Princess Aura couple up in Flash
Gordon's madly barbaric early adventures and later
reappear as prim & proper rulers of Arboria, the
Forest Kingdom.
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The
1940 serial follows the strip's costume changes too.
Errol Flynn's popular Robin Hood movie stuck
a feather in everybody's hat. Lady Sonja, nefarious
spy, takes smug Aura 2 riding in the Red (not Black)
Forest. |
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Villainous
Lady Sonja, played by Anne Gwynn, is the spitfire
of THIS serial! She kidnaps Shirly Deane's Princess
Aura 2 with the aid of Ming's soldiers.
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Ming
brings his wayward daughter back to the imperial palace,
where Aura 2 confronts Sonja and her father, while costumed
harem girls swirl around the throne. |
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When
Princess and Emperor clash, contrasts between Aura
1 and Aura 2 become clear. Aura 2 is one of the biggest
boobs in Ming's palace, and that's saying something!
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Aura
1 was truly her ruthless father's daughter, and Ming
was wary of crossing her. If she worked against him,
he knew he would lose in some unpleasant way.
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Ming
is generally dismissive of Aura 2. He frankly has
other things on his mind -- like interplanetary warfare
and palace entertainment. Aesthetic relief is welcome!
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Aura
2 engages in some minor-league espionage while Ming
ignores her, but her efforts don't amount to much. She
DOES get to talk with Barin 2 on a secret radio.
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every inch the American Home Lady of 1940, Aura
2 greets old rival Dale Arden in her Art Deco prison.
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Ming
is using them to bait a trap for Flash and his allies,
but they manage to reunite and escape anyway.
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Before
long, Dale Arden is flying a getaway rocket while
Flash Gordon guides an explosive-filled ship at Ming's
headquarters. Aura 2 watches as her father faces the
Earthman's deadly attack.
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Flash
bails out in the nick of time, then they all witness
Ming's control room blowing up, and the end of Charles
Middleton's great performances. Serials reach their
peak of popularity. |
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Flash
Gordon is the property of it's copyright holders.
All images are used for scholastic purposes ONLY in
the context of this article.
Text and graphic design copyright by Michael R. Evans
2007
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