Somewhere in between the Forties serial version and Simon Wincer's glossy Nineties feature, I've heard there was a one-shot TV pilot based on Lee Falk's "The Phantom." It was shot sometime in the early Sixties, and featured (according to one source) Bob Hope's stand-in in the title part, and Lon Chaney, Jr. in a secondary role. Has anyone ever seen it, or know any details about or links to it?

I've seen it. It's not particularly memorable. I don't think it's ever gotten any kind of official home-video release, but it's not difficult to find a grey-market copy. Board rules prohibit posting links to grey-market dealers, but check any comic-book convention for a tape that usually pairs it with the unsold WONDER WOMAN pilot, a BATGIRL test film with Yvonne Craig fighting the Killer Moth, and other superhero wonders.

I wish I had more to say about THE PHANTOM, but it just didn't stick in my memory too well. It's a half-hour series pilot in black-and-white and looks just like most other shows of the era aimed at young audiences. Flat direction, Southern California backlot locations, stiff performances. Chaney is indeed in it, as well as Paulette Goddard and Reginald Denny. The Phantom's costume looked pretty good, at least as well as George Reeves' Superman suit. I could see how it could have become a successful series if it had sold. The pilot is at least as good as, say, the SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE or JUNGLE JIM TV series.

I have had THE 1967-68(?) PHANTOM PILOT since 1989 & have only watched it about 4 times. I believe the reason it did not go over is that it is Terrible. Plus for a show called THE PHANTOM...you only see him in costume at the beginning & end, as he goes undercover with eyepatch into a jungle concentration camp run by the sadistic Paulette Goddard with whip, & her flunky assistant Lon Chaney, Jr. The prisoners in this jungle camp are kidnapped "white men", including Richard Kiel as a prisoner happy to take commands from Goddard to "take care of" troublesome slaves, like the newguy with the eyepatch. I forgot the purpose of the camp...something like needing workers to dig for gold in a nearby mine illegally..something along those lines. The show had "Wolf", the Phantom's Cave, & other characters from the strip, yet they were not used in this Pilot for the reason why the Phantom was successful in the Comics. Plus the actor playing The Phantom was too overweight & the costume was no where as sharp as Tom Tyler's suit in the Serial...They should have started with the Origin story...Just like the Unsold 1950's MANDRAKE & ARCHIE TV Pilots, Hollywood only until recently has given respect to Comic Book source material, & it is obvious why these versions did not make it...