Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Making The Man of Bronze (1975)
Collapse
X
-
still have a soft spot for that movie. just rewatched it a few weeks back. it's just pure 70's cheesy goodness -
Yeah, I'm a Doc Savage purist but I can't dislike this film. Ely looks great and the movie has the best intentions. Its heart is in the right place and I still enjoy it.WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.Comment
-
-
Comment
-
It's whta drew me to the character, what made me want to read the various comics adaptations, collect the Golden Book hardcover tie-ins and the Bantam paperback reprints of the pulps. And I'm still reading new Doc stories, by the talented Will Murry. So I have a soft spot for it, warts and all. It is fun!WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.Comment
-
I guess I’m in the minority then, because I just can’t stand it.
I consider myself a Doc purist, having come to the character first via the 1972/73 Marvel comic series, which in turn led me to the Bantam paperbacks. I looked forward with anticipation to the George Pal film, but coming from a family that NEVER went to the theater, I didn’t get a chance to see it on the big screen. Turns out, though, almost nobody else did, either, as it had a very short theatrical run.
I finally got to see it in, I guess, January or February of 1977 or 1978, when it was scheduled to run on TV at 11:30 on a Sunday night. Normally, I wouldn’t have been allowed to watch it, but there had been significant snowfall that day, and school for the next day had already been cancelled, so my mom gave the ok.
Ugh. Even at my young age of 12 or 13, the campiness made me cringe. They lost me nearly from the start, with the voiceover and Doc’s Ultra-Brite smile. And Lord, the Sousa marches instead of an actual soundtrack! The villain sleeping in an adult sized baby crib! The horror! What had they done to my hero?
I also thought many of Doc’s fighting five were poorly cast, particularly Monk and Ham. Ron Ely didn’t fit my image of Doc either, but he at least looked somewhat close, just not close enough to Bama’s Doc for my liking (little did I realize then, though, that he was closer in appearance to Doc’s pulp look).
I actually bought a DVD a few years ago, hoping it would’ve aged better, but no, still just as bad as I remembered.Comment
-
I understand your criticisms and agree with many of them. But I think I can enjoy it in the way I can enjoy Christopher Reeve's Superman or Batman '66--both of course which are actually good: As an interesting, if inaccurate, adaptation of a character. I guess when I watch it--and I'll admit I have a high tolerance for both kitsch and camp--I can focus on what's right in it, what's funny, and focus less on what's off.
And let's not forget how outre the novels could be--for example, Repel/The Deadly Dwarf.WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.Comment
-
So far, I’ve managed to read the first 23 in two bursts, taking extended breaks in between to read other things. I look forward to reading “Repel” in a year or so; it’s one I never read in the Bantam edition, but of course, I’m familiar with the plot!Comment
-
Those Sanctum Press editions are nice, I have a few. I don't have a complete Bantam set--only 125, I got lazy/distracted with my collecting.
Have you seen othe original Bama print to #1 The Man of Bronze with the traditional haircut? I have a print of it from Bud Plant.Last edited by PNGwynne; Apr 14, '20, 5:11 PM.WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.Comment
-
Is the print from Graphitti Designs? I think there were 15 of those released; unsigned versions were $29, signed were $125. I’ve often considered buying a few of them (Graphitti still has them available). They’d look great matted and framed.Comment
-
Yes, Graphitti. I have the unsigned version in a bronze/copper-colored mat with a black frame, does indeed look good.
Regarding Graphitti, I have the aborted Brotherhood of Bronze membership pin as well. Didn't they do Doc and The Shadow busts, too?Last edited by PNGwynne; Apr 14, '20, 10:12 PM.WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.Comment
-
B344F7E9-8498-4133-BA79-E06E323C16B1.jpg
The busts, along with the 70’s Steranko Brotherhood of Bronze and Shadow Secret Society club materials, and the final pulps published for Doc and the Shadow.
(Sorry for the poor quality of the pic; for some reason, the resolution suffers when I attach photos here. They look fine on my phone, but lousy here)Comment
Comment