The Movie Stars

The Movie Stars
Start date:	May 8th, 1950
End date:	September 9th, 1950
# of strips:	108 (18 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Wilson McCoy
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Ape Idol of the Durugu"
Followed by:	"The White Monkey"

"The Movie Stars" is the 38th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Wilson McCoy.

Plot synopsis

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Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Guran
• Hero
• Rita Lana
• Cary Gary
• Mr. Napoleon

One-time characters

• Hano, King of Hanu
• Shorty
• Slim
• The Mayor of Morristown
• The King of Ruggi
• The new King of Ruggi

Locations

• Bengali
  • Morristown
  • The Hanu Village
  • The Ruggi Village
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Skull Throne

Tribes

• Llongo
• Hanu
• Ruggi
• Bandar

Newspapers

• Morristown Jungle Bugle

Related stories

Referenced in

• "Jungle Love" by Pidde Andersson and Shane Foley

Behind the scenes

• The names of movie stars Rita Lana and Cary Gary are most likely references to real life 1940's Hollywood mega stars Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Cary Grant and Gary Cooper.
• This is the first appearance of the name "Cary"/"Cari" in the Phantom strip. It went on to make several other appearances, including Ambassador Cari, the Cary family/families of "The Adventures of Lucy Cary" and "Tale of the Good Mark", and others.
• Starting with this story, the jungle leaders are no longer referred to as "chiefs" but as "kings".

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Filmación accidentada", Tit-Bits #2211 – #2231 (1952)
• La Sombra #18 (1959)
• Libro de Oro #13 (1963)

Australia

• Super Yank Comics #11 – #14
• The Phantom #112 (1955)
• The Phantom #202 (1961)
• The Phantom #313 (1966)
• The Phantom #466 (1972)
• The Phantom #640 (1978)
• "Hollywood Hijack", The Phantom #849 (1986)
• "The Movie Stars", The Phantom #1209 (1998)
• "The Movie Stars", Frew Trade Paperback #2 (2018; colored by Ivan Pedersen)
• "The Movie Stars", The Phantom #1911 (2022)
• Super Yank Comics Collection #2 (2025)

Barbados

• Barbados Advocate July 8, 1950 – October 25, 1950

Brazil

• "O Rapto da Estrela", Novo O Globo Juvenil #2049 – #2050 (1952)
• "Rita e Cary", O Fantasma #31 (1972)
• "Filmando na Selva", Fantasma #263 (1977)
• "Rita e Cary", Fantasma - Edição Histórica #27 (1996)
• "Sequestro Cinematográfico", Os Tugues e Outras Histórias (2025)

Canada

• The Moncton Transcript May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• La Patrie May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• L'Action catholique July 13, 1950 – November 18, 1950

Denmark

• Aalborg Stiftstidende April 10, 1951 – August 16, 1951
• Horsens Folkeblad January 17, 1952 – May 27, 1952
• Hejmdal February 18, 1952 – June 30, 1952

Finland

• "Viidakon sankareita", Nastasarjat 20/1964
• "Viidakon sankareita", Mustanaamio 7/1968
• "Viidakon sankarit", Sarjakirja 1/1992
• "Viidakon sankareita", Mustanaamio 1968
• Ilta-Sanomat February 11, 2019 – March 12, 2019

France

• L'Aurore October 28, 1950 – March 2, 1951
• "Les terres maudites", Le Fantôme du Bengale #38 and "A l’école du Fantôme", #39 (1952)
• "Alarme dans la jungle", Le Fantôme Spécial #26 and "Au royaume des cannibales", #27 (1965)

India

• "The Kidnappers", Indrajal Comics #78 (1969)

Italy

• "Nel regno dei cannibali Hanù", L'Avventura Nuova serie #7 and "Guerra ai cacciatori di teste", #8 (1951)
• "I cacciatori di teste", L'Uomo Mascherato #23 and "Allarme nella jungla" #26 (1959-60)
• "Allarme nella giungla", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #133 and "Nel regno dei cannibali", #135 (1965)
• "Nelle terre dei cannibalie dei cacciatore di teste", Phantom #27 (1993)
• "Nel regno dei cannibali Hanù", Phantom #287

Mexico

• El Informador November 6, 1950 – January 27, 1951
• Paquito #10002 (1952)

New Zealand

• The Phantom #34 – #36
• The Phantom #253 – #257
• The Phantom #526 – #528

Norway

• Aftenposten November 18, 1950 – March 29, 1951
• "Jungelens helter", Fantomet 7/1968
• "Jungelens helter", Serie-pocket #168 (1992)
• "Jungelens helter", Krønikebok #23 (2005)
• "Filmstjernene" Fantomet 23-24/2013
• "Jungelens helter", Fantomet Kronologisk #7 (2018)

Spain

• "Filmando en la selva", El Hombre Enmascarado #38, "La ley del Hombre Enmascarado", #39, and "El desquite de Cary", #40 (19??)
• "Los dos fugitivos", El Hombre Enmascarado #56, "El rey de los Ruggi", #57, "El valor de Cary", #58 and "Captura en la selva" #59 (1959?)
• "Los dos fugitivos", El Hombre Enmascarado #67A and "El valor de Cary", #68A (1964)

Sweden

• Svenska Dagbladet July 6, 1951 – November 9, 1951
• Halland August 29, 1951 – November 3, 1951
• Katrineholmskuriren January 16, 1952 – May 26, 1952
• Nerikes Allehanda June 26, 1952 – October 29, 1952
• Fantomen 6/1954 – 12/1954
• "Djungelhjälten", Fantomen 7/1960
• Östhammars Tidning January 24, 1962 – October 19, 1962
• Tierps-Posten January 25, 1962 – October 20, 1962
• "Djungelns hjältar", Fantomen 13/1967
• Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1954, Del 1 – Del 2
• "Djungelhjälten", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1960, Del 2 (2011)
• "Djungelhjälten", Fantomen 18-19/2013
• "Djungelns hjältar", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1967, Del 3 (2017)

Switzerland

• L'Impartial November 10, 1955 – March 16, 1956

Turkey

• "Cengel Esrarı", Haftalık Albüm #21 – #22 (1953)

United Kingdom

• Birmingham Evening Despatch July 6, 1950 – November 8, 1950

USA

• The Alliance Times-Herald July 28, 1950 – March 24, 1951
• Bangor Daily News May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Beaver County Times May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950 - since at least May 31, 1950
• The Birmingham News May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Bradford Era May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Carthage Evening Press May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Charleston Daily Mail May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Chester Times May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Daily Item May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Daily Record May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Daily Standard May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Decatur Daily May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Dziennik dla Wszystkich May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Evening News May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Gloucester County Times May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Greensboro Record December 4, 1950 – March 24, 1951
• Hanford Morning Journal May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Hanford Sentinel May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Herald News May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Johnson City Press May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Ledger-Enquirer May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Morning Press May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Morning Sentinel May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Morristown Gazette Mail May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Nassau Daily Review-Star May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Oneonta Star May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Oxnard Press-Courier May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Progress May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Richmond Times-Dispatch May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Rome Daily Sentinel May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• San Antonio Light May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Sandusky Register Star News May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Syracuse Herald Journal May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• Times Herald May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Times Recorder May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Winchester Sun May 8, 1950 – September 9, 1950
• The Atlanta Constitution May 15, 1950 – September 9, 1950 - without the first week
• The Alabama Journal July 28, 1950 – September 9, 1950 (started from the strip of July 28, 1950; missing strips from July 29 and 31)
• Green Bay Press-Gazette July 31, 1950 – September 9, 1950 - the last six weeks only
• "The Movie Stars", Comics Revue #355-356 (2015)
• "The Movie Stars", The Complete Newspaper Dailies and Sundays: Volume Ten 1950–1951 (2016)

West Germany

• "Dschungel Helden", Phantom #19 (1968)