Wonder Woman - The Complete Third Season!

Superman ruled the 1950's! Batman kayoed the 1960's! And Wonder Woman wowed the 1970's. Lynda Carter's portrayal of the William Moulton Marston creation from the 1940's was iconic. Alas the show around her distinctive and memorable portrayal was less so. The first season hued close to the comics, setting the story in the World War II era and giving us comic book captions to transition between scenes even. Diana Prince worked for the military and for the man she fancied, one Steve Trevor. Even the redoubtable Etta Candy got some airtime. But then when the showed shifted from ABC to CBS the setting was shunted forward to the then modern 1970's. At first things were okay with Wonder Woman helping the next generation of Trevor's fight world-beating threats as part of an espionage outfit reporting directly to the President. Then slowly things continued to change, some a result of new producers taking the helm. 

The comic book touches disappeared, the captions lasting a bit longer than the four-color credits. Then slowly but inevitably Steve Trevor became less and less significant. Trevor's airtime was given over to new gadgets like the I.R.A.C. computer and his little mobile buddy "Rover". While based in Washington D.C., Diana began to roam far and wide to battle threats as momentous as alien invasions and as small as corporate embezzlers. The Amazons faded away until by the third season they were never mentioned to my memory. Diana became less and less concerned with her secret identity, transforming in more and more open areas until finally she was seen. The third season also saw new music at the front of the show which reflected the noxious Disco scene which swallowed pop culture for a time. 

Science fiction seemed always to be near the writers' minds in the show with several episodes evoking classic sci-fi classics. Andros who appeared in both the first and second season (played by different actors) is more than a bit similar to Klaatu from the classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.  There is even one episode which had naught to do with aliens which used the title "Farewell to the Master", the title of the story which inspired the movie. Another show elicited memories of War of the Worlds, specifically the notorious radio play, when a hoax invasion was staged to bring out nuclear chaos. One truly weird episode had a woman who was transformed into a creature who could control ants. A strong episode in the second season gave the viewer a cloned Hitler even. 

Clearly it was decided that the less Wonder Woman looked and felt like a comic book come to life on the small screen then the more the admittedly tepid ratings would increase. Superman starring George Reeves lasted nearly a decade, while Batman starring Adam West burned hot but out quickly in only two. By the third season it was clear that Wonder Woman was fading away and so in what was the last episode made (but not shown) there were changes made for the proposed upcoming fourth season. The writers sadly reached into their bag of TV cliches and made the show even worse. Lyle Waggoner's personable Steve Trevor was out, and a new boss was added who was blustery and disagreeable, a Lou Grant for Diana Prince to contend with. Diana for her part moved to Los Angeles giving away the specialness of the D.C. setting. Apparently even a partner of sorts was proposed when an "Invincible Man" was introduced as well. He came with (gasp) an invincible chimp. Worst of all was "T. Burton Phipps III", a stereotypical black kid who was a hustler, a low-grade pimp who traded in Hostess Twinkies and other snack treats for the busy office worker. 

The invincible man was to be Brett Cassidy and his origin was startling in that he was a normal human who was made indestructible and given above normal strength by means of an illegal experiment conducted by a madman with more than a sniff of the Nazi about him. He was for all intents and purposes identical in form to Wonder Man, the Marvel hero created by Baron Zemo. I have to admit the idea of Wonder Woman teaming with "Wonder Man" in the fourth season is a tad intriguing but in the final analysis it's likely good for everyone that the show was mercifully put down before the fourth season could develop. 

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Shazam! The TV Show!

I don't know why it took me so long to finally get around to ordering a copy of Shazam! from the Warner Archives. This delightful show was an absolute frolic when it hit television screens in 1974. Produced by Filmation, the story was full of charm and with its tiny budget produced a fairly entertaining superhero adventure geared for the youth of the day. Sadly, my copy doesn't feature the exquisite Jerry Ordway image above, but has the assembled actors seen below.

Regardless the shows inside are fast-paced and for the most-part light-hearted fables for the young-at-heart. A typical show begins with Billy Batson (Michael Grey) getting a message from "The Elders" (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury) which then almost immediately leads him, and his older confidant actually named "Mentor" (Les Tremayne) to some danger. They roll up in their RV and before long Captain Marvel (played first by Jackson Bostwick and later by John Davey) is called upon with the classic magic word to save lives and the day in general. It's a solid premise which lasted two full seasons on Saturday mornings.

The show makes do with some vintage George Reeves Superman TV flying special effects and a memorable gimmick which puts the actor playing the Big Red Cheese out in the wind -- impressive. This will make a great addition to the shelves right next to the other Shazam live-action opus, the totally awesome 1941 Republic Pictures flick starring Tom Tyler and Frank Coghlan, The Adventures of Captain Marvel. A nifty bit of trivia is that Frank Coghlan actually makes an appearance in the 70's Shazam TV show. 

More on the movie serial later this week. 

NOTE: This is a Revised Dojo Classic Post. 

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Wonder Woman - The Complete Second Season!

When CBS picked up the Wonder Woman show after ABC dithered about the costs, they insisted that the setting be changed to the then modern 1970's. The reason is always given that the expense of period settings and costumes such was prohibitive for the show on an ongoing basis, but I suspect the reason is simply a lack of imagination. Executives couldn't figure out ways to make the show fit whatever mold they deemed the optimum for their attempts to entertain paying customers. 

At first the show seemed to hold its own in the new time, though I detected the same thing I often see with shows of the 70's (both movies and television) and that is a generally drabness to the real-world settings. Much like the low-cost movies and serials of the 1930's, one gets a glimpse of the actual real world because the studios cannot afford (or choose not to afford) something more refined. The stories are okay as Wonder Woman meets up with the son of Steve Trevor (also named "Steve" and also played by Lyle Waggoner) and returns to man's world again after leaving it following World War II. Unlike the first season the mythology of Wonder Woman will almost completely disappear after the initial episodes and the show becomes more and more like other crime shows of the era. Eventually she and this new Steve Trevor don't partner that much as he becomes more or less her boss and seems restricted to his desk. They work for the I.A.D.C. (Inter-Agency Defense Command) a mythical all-purpose government agency which seems to conveniently have jurisdiction everywhere. 

The villains are often over-the-top megalomaniacs who cackle with glee at the thought of their evil plots, but Diana Prince rarely has too much trouble bringing them to justice. One thing which permeates the show is bad old misogyny. There are some scenes in which some jerk is making passes at Diana that are actively uncomfortable to watch and downright creepy at times. It was a different era and I think we're supposed to brush those off as she does as just part of modern life, but it's hard not see the lack of respect for women which has all too often been a feature in American life. Still is actually, though we've made some strides in some areas. (Backsliding in others alas.)

Because of a certain movie which was popular around this time robots had become de rigueur for shows of this kind, and so too does Wonder Woman get I.R.A.C. (Information Retrieval Associative Computer) a computer that can use clues fed into its system to deduce the whereabouts and motivations of villains some of the time. I.R.A.C. or "Ira" as they take to calling him seems to have deduced Diana is Wonder Woman and drops hints to the viewer all the time about this little detail. Later another mobile unit called "Rover" is added and his most memorable aspect is that it uses the classic "Beep Beep!" of the Road Runner when it exits a room. 

The shows are entertaining but despite some nifty moments there's no doubt the show took a step backward with the change in setting. At least most of the threats confronted by Wonder Woman have legit global consequences, but all too often they seem too small potatoes to justify her leaving her responsibilities on Paradise Island. 

A quick look at the third season and general reflections on the series next time. 

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Wonder Woman - The Complete First Season!

A great game which was played in the Bronze Age was the imaginary casting of imaginary superhero movies. Before these modern times of computer wizardry which make superpowers convincingly possible on the screen, the thought of superhero movies was mostly a lark. Superman changed that bit, but still the work seemed mostly to be on the small screen. We had had Superman and Batman and the Green Hornet in the 50's and 60's and the 70's was ripe for its personification of a comic book after fine but offbeat turns by George Reeves and Adam West. Could the mavens of Hollywood give the public a superhero who wasn't constantly winking at the audience. The closest they came was Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman in the first season. 

Set during World War II this first thirteen-episode season movie length pilot, had what made the Golden Age great, terrific villains in the Nazis. Wonder Woman didn't take on the Japanese or the Italians in these shows, but she kicked the snot out of the Germans. You don't need complex motivations for villains when all you have to say is "Nazi". We all agree to beat up those assholes. (I won't comment on modern America in this regard.) This readymade enemy also immediately made for instant allies. 

In addition to the stunning portrayal by Carter in these stories we have Lyle Waggoner as "Steve Trevor" the somewhat hapless but earnest war hero who seems to spend a lot of the show tied up. Etta Candy gets some play as portrayed by Beatrice Cohen but rarely more than a bit of comedy relief alas. The America our heroes operate in is rife with spies and despite all those 70's haircuts they seem difficult to spot by everyone save the audience. It became a small game for me to yell "Nazi" when someone showed up. I was almost always right. If someone seemed too handsome or too caring, they almost always were a Nazi. 

It's a great deal of fun to watch the show mature as the episodes roll by. The famous costume-changing spin refining itself with the addition of the colorful flash of light and the costume seeming to get sturdier as the season rolled by. Lynda Carter is striking of course as Wonder Woman, but I was also impressed by just how beautiful she was in her Yeoman Prince persona. The episodes for the first season were very clean and crisp. Guest stars were nice too as the likes of Cloris Leachman and Red Buttons show up in the pilot. Leachman's moment when she remembers the world of men is hilarious as she bits down on her hand just a smidge. Buttons was one of the few Nazis I didn't spot. Linda Day George was particularly effective as a Nazi woman who sees the light at last. The rest of the shows have good solid actors, admittedly doing some strange things. 

The show ended too soon and when it would return the war was over and we'd be in the present day. More on that one next time. 

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Wonder Woman - The Television Movie!

So splendid and memorable was Lynda Carter's turn as Wonder Woman on television in the 1970's that we often forget she wasn't the first. In 1974 ABC Television did its first pilot for Wonder Woman starring Ricardo Montleban as the mastermind villain "Abner Smith" and Cathy Lee Crosby as the titular heroine. In this particular version she was not as "titular" as what was to come. The ubiquitous Andrew Prine is on board in fine form as "George" a particularly heinous and murderous lout. "Steve Trevor" is played by Kaz Garas, a face I'd seen but a name I was unfamiliar with.

This ain't a terrible movie by any stretch. But it is far removed from the classic version of the character we'd see on screen a year later. Instead of a strikingly beautiful raven-haired Amazon helping the Allies during World War II we have a blond Amazon functioning more as a super spy in the modern world trying to locate and neutralize threats to America's espionage organizations. She's sleek and lovely and as brave as anything. She's able to beat up about any guy or gal she runs across, unless they happen to be an Amazon too. And she dons a costume before it's all over, but mostly she dresses normally, looking exceedingly fetching in evening gowns and street clothes. Her bracelets don't she bullets but seem to be gadgets such as explosives and a makeshift hook which attaches to the "lasso" in her belt.She's much more like the era of Wonder Woman when Diana Prince renounced her Amazonian heritage for a more street-level approach to crimefighting. 

There's little to really complain about after seeing this one. I'm pretty lax when it comes to comic book hero interpretations in other media and little bothers me about this one save she doesn't really look much at all like the Wonder Woman I know. Being blonde does create an image problem, but not a critical one. The striking Anitra Ford who plays an "Ahnjayla" an Amazon turned villain is visually quite on for the lead part with a beautiful figure and long dark tresses. I'd heard about this movie decades before I was able to finally see it and heard about its deficiencies. Maybe that's why I find it a surprisingly entertaining outing, offbeat but diverting nonetheless. 

Next week Wonder Woman takes on those Nazis and gets a twinkle in her eye. 

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Batmania - BatFink!

BatFink is a delightful and actively funny cartoon from 1966 and a bit of 1967. It consists of one hundred four and half minute episodes in which we follow the titular hero and his numbskull associate, the oafish "Karate" as they attempt to defend the city from a teeming band of villains eager to plunder and then to kill the hero who attempts to bring to justice. It's a brilliant send-up of both the Batman and Green Hornet television shows and hits hilarious and absurd moments from each show. 

The animation on the show was beyond primitive, but that wasn't the point. Just like the earliest Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons it's the words and not the pictures which moves the dial. This cartoon is properly satirical, poking fun not just at the two shows that inspired it but the whole genre of pop culture hero fiction. As we learn in the final cartoon BatFink was a normal baby bat who grew up exposed to radiation and became super strong as a result. Later while saving his mother from some villains his wings were damaged and a young boy named "Karate" found and took him to his blacksmith who fashioned for the brave bat "wings of steel". These wings and his ability to send a sonar signal became his tools to battle evil. Karate became the driver of the "Batillac" (A modified VW Bug) and also BatFink's fighting partner with a sleeve filled with an endless array of gizmos. 

Typically, a villain would perpetrate a crime and the police chief would contact BatFink and away the duo would go to intercept. They would find the baddie, confront them, get in a dangerous and deadly dilemma at which point the cartoon would freeze and the Narrator would question if they would survive. A few seconds later they did and defeated the villain to boot. This scenario was played out time and time again with many entertaining twists on the basic structure. There was a wide array of villains with few repeats but there was one villain who dominated the scene and appeared in probably half the episodes at least and that was the "Maddest of Mad Scientists -Hugo A-Go-Go". He was constantly showing up with new gadgets to bedevil Batfink and Karate. Like the villains on Batman, no jail seemed able to hold but for a few moments.

The show was produced by Hal Seeger, the same outfit that had produced Milton the Monster a year before. The work here is quick and effective and above all as funny as it can be. I'd never seen BatFink before I took a tumble and picked up the DVD set from Shout Factory. It's got no extras, but it does have all one hundred episodes and those speak for themselves. 

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The Adventures Of Captain Nice!

I watched Captain Nice on television when it was tumbling through its single season of fifteen episodes in the early part of 1967. Superheroes were the rage and NBC wanted a piece of the pie that ABC had baked with the dominate Batman TV show. The show was the brainchild of Buck Henry who had turned a similar trick of parody with Get Smart on the spy-craze. So as was the wont with comic book outsiders, they went ironic and created a situation comedy superhero show. Captain Nice, played by William Daniels, was a well-meaning but bumbling and inept superhero.

That aspect is captured in the single comic book from Gold Key drawn by Joe Certa. (To read some of this singular outing check out this link and this one too.) The ineptitude is also neatly captured in four comic strips prepared by Wally Wood for possible syndication. Nothing beyond these exist as the show sank quickly and the demand for more was clearly not evident. That doesn't mean they aren't nifty to look at though.

Along with Wood, the great Jack "King" Kirby was tagged to create some Captain Nice artwork and it has all the energetic bombast and free-wheeling techno-pop that Kirby could deliver. Captain Nice lasted almost no time at all, but still it's brief existence is fondly remembered by those of use who got the chance to catch a glimpse.

Note: This post originally appeared at Rip Jagger's Other Dojo. 

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The Super Six!

What's to say about this short-lived cartoon show save perhaps that it's both more entertaining and more boring than I expected. The Super 6 was yet one more show which sought to capitalize on the superhero boom of the 60's and in doing so offers up cartoons that really need to be seen in some instances to be believed. There are as the title suggests six superheroes we are mostly concerned with though several others are shown and on rare occasion mentioned.

There is Elevator Man in white safari gear including jodhpurs. He can shift his size thanks to the controls in his belt. The adventures of Elevator Man are actually almost serious with a nifty film noir narration.

There is Granite Man who is an actual statue given life as a hero by his pigeon pal Percy who says a spell to unlock the granite figure. He's calm and exceedingly pleasant to be a superhero who punches out folks.

There is Magneto Man who is British, actually a lot like Michael Caine with some Cary Grant overtones in the voice. He has magnetic gauntlets and is helped by Cal, a small blonde boy who seems to be a genius of some sort.

There is Super Scuba who is an undersea hero who lives in a house not that dissimilar to Sponge Bob's hangout. He sounds like Bing Crosby oftentimes and is helped by Bubbles a mermaid who sounds like and resembles Carol Channing.

There is Captain Zammo, time traveling hero who has a very prim style and is assisted by the eager and loyal Private Hammo. Zammo has a bunch of powers and gives off a very precious attitude.

And finally there is Super Bwoing, a hapless teen apprentice superhero who sounds like Jimmy Stewart. While all the other heroes rotate in the last segment of the show, each getting four episodes of the total of twenty, Super Bwoing is featured in the first segment and is in every show and all the bumpers to boot. He gets his assorted powers from guitar which also serves as his transportation.

All of these characters work at Super Service, place pretty much like a taxi hub with a bedraggled Chief fielding calls and assigning the available heroes for the job. Sometimes it's based on talents, but most often it's just about who is available (usually Super Bwoing).

Now there is one more element in the show, the middle segment which is given over to The Matzoriley Brothers, who have nothing to do with the rest of show as far as I can tell. They are three heads on one body, a mutant variation of the Three Stooges with an ethnic component thrown in. The three heads are Weft, Wight, and Wong. Wight is grouchy and aggressive, Weft is meek and timid, and Wong is a vintage Asian stereotype. They are based on a villain who appeared in an Inspector cartoon. I cannot explain this cartoon nor will I try,

Note the different design in the coloring book above for Elevator Man -- I'm glad they changed it. The show should be better than it is given that it's done by the same folks who did The Pink Panther and The Inspector, both cartoons that often get laughs from me. But the laughs are few and far between and mostly it seems to be about diverse characters who I guess are built to make superheroes seem mundane. A lot of this is well done and the colors can be wild, but so much of it just doesn't gel as ought to. Or maybe I watched to many of them too quickly, not the way they were designed to be consumed.

Note: This post originally appeared at Rip Jagger's Other Dojo. 

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