The Official Jane Hyperweb Site
In appreciation of the greatest and longest-running series of the second age of silent movies

Produced by:
OrbitFilms Ltd, 3027

Director:
Josef von Struppen

Cast:

Jane:
Lulu Bunks

X8.5:
John Scwarzenmüller

The First Lady:
Rita Lowart

The Princess of Mars:
Mia Cupola

Professor Buttumsup:
Caspar Pinch

President Theordore Samuel Perkins as Himself

Marauders of Mars

"Marauders of Mars" (OrbitFilms Ltd, 3027) was the only "Jane" film actually shot on location. Except for the hoary intro in professor Buttumsup's laboratory (filmed at the famous Mare Equilibrium no-sound stage), most of the scenes were shot  in the Central Canal Zone of Mars. Especially the swamp pirate scenes proved taxing on the actors. After recording the infamous silicon-wrestling sequence¹⁾, lead actor Lulu Bunks allegedly swore never again to have anything to do with the franchise. Easily the most popular of the four actresses who did Jane, she kept true to her promise. In 3028 she married Caspar Pinch (who played professor Buttumsup in three sequential movies) and withdrew from her acting career to become the host-mother of nine Caspar Pinch clones.

In it's time "Marauders" was considered scandalous, partially because of it's loaded contents and  designer Lucretia Sade's outrageous strap-and-buckle costumes, but also because of the many conflicts between actors.²⁾  Driven to desperation by atrocious working conditions, steamy climate and a high-sugar diet, the crew's tempers soared. Lulu is reported to have knocked cold her then fiancée John Scwarzenmüller (X 8.5) upon discovering  him reclining in the arms of Rita Lowart (The First Lady)  .

For many years, all copies of "Marauders" were thought lost. The plot was largely known by way of a small-press licensed comic from 3099 (see top left), which in no way reflected the great character acts of Bunks, Scwarzenmüller and Lowart. (Lowart won the 3028 Academy Award for Next Most Surly Supporting Act for her performance). However, only last year enthusiasts unearthed a nearly complete 3D-VD . The still on the right, depicting the allusive scene where an enslaved Jane is given a talking-to by a Martian slave-matron, shows the appalling state of the material before restoration.  But thanks to both the many fans who spent most of last year slavering, sorry, slaving, over the damaged movie it has now finally seen re-release in all it's silent splendour on SadGeek Records.

1) Sadly, it has not been possible to re-create this monumental scene. The recovered material is one of the many censored copies. However, there is rumours that out-takes including this scene and the equally notorious pickled herring torture sequence still circulates among certain Astro-Arabian collectors.

2) Before it's initial theatrical release in the Orbital United States, "Marauders" was severely censored. But while regarded as a somewhat risqué adventure in the OUS, audience on the Euro-trajectory got to see the uncut edition. In fact, over there it was renamed "Misfits of Mars", which would indicate a somewhat looser interpretation of the movie's stark images.