January 7th: Flash Gordon, 80 today

Some things you may not know about Flash Gordon comics and films.

1. The first Flash Gordon newspaper comic strip appeared on January 7, 1934.
2. It was intended to be competition for the Buck Rodgers comic strip, which first appeared in 1929, also on January 7th. Incidentally, the Tarzan comic strip began on the same day as Buck Rogers.
3. Flash Gordon's name was adapted several times for foreign markets. He was Speed Gordon in Australia because"flash" had negative connotations; in France he was Guy l'Eclair, and Dale Arden was Camille; he was Roldan the Fearless in Latin America; and Mister Canny in Turkey.
4. The most quoted line from the 1980 film adaptation was: "Gordon's Alive!" spoken by Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan.
5. Flash was a polo player in the comic strip, but polo was a lot less popular in 1980, so in that film he was a football player.
6. George Lucas was interested in re-making a Flash Gordon film, but Dino De Laurentiis had already bought the rights. So Lucas wrote Star Wars instead.
7. Robbie Coltrane had a walk on part as an airport assistant in the 1980 film.
8. Buster Crabbe, an Olympic swimmer, played Flash in the 1940 film, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. He also played Buck Rogers (Buck Rogers, 1939) and Tarzan (Tarzan the Fearless, 1933).
9. Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for the role of Flash Gordon, but didn't make the cut because of his strong Austrian accent.
10. De Laurentiis wanted Kurt Russell to play the part, but Russell turned it down, because he didn't think Flash Gordon had enough personality.