ALL SCI-FI

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:39 pm Post subject: Doc Savage: Man of Bronze (1975)

The great George Pal's last film is carefully styled to have the squeaky-clean, unreal look of escapist pulp fiction — which, admittedly, is exactly what author Kenneth Robeson's popular series character is.

The campy screenplay is by George Pal and Joe Morhaim. But "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" showed the world that pulp fiction doesn't have to be campy, that realism and imaginative escapism can be skillfully blended.

The jokey presentation in "Doc Savage" figuratively elbows the audience in the ribs like a bad comedian. In "Doc Savage" even the musical score proclaims the film's insincerity: a boisterous male choir sings the hero's praises to the tune of a John Philip Sousa march.

Still, "Doc Savage" does have its good points. Star Ron Ely, formerly TV's "Tarzan", makes a pretty impressive Man of Bronze, and his diverse team of consultant-experts are accurately styled from the descriptions in Robeson's novels.

Pamela Hensley ("Buck Rogers in the 25th Century") is an attractive heroine. The film's most notable special effect is presented when one of the characters is attacked by a ghostly horde of flying green snakes with glowing red eyes. The snakes are animated cartoons, writhing through the air as if they are swimming.

Director Michael Anderson gave us a better sci-fi film the following year, "Logan's Run".
_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 10:22 pm Post subject:

________________________________

Ya gotta hand it to the producers, they certainly didn't try to mislead anybody into thinking they were going to get a serious action movie.

The trailer is just as silly and jokey as the movie . . . Rolling Eyes

__________________

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Krel · Guest

I read that they filmed the sequel along with the first film, but after it bombed, they never finished the sequel. I would love to see the footage though.

David.

Custer · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 6:15 am Post subject:

If you go searching online for a copy of this, you are probably more likely to find a fan-edited version which cuts out the campiest bits, and adds a little background information at the start about Doc and his crew. It runs 83 minutes rather than the full 112, which is probably an improvement.

Doc is still a property liable to turn up in various media - not just reprints of the original pulp novels, but new fiction, audiobooks, and from Dynamite, his own comics series... so who knows when he will, finally, be back on the big screen?

orzel-w · Galactic Ambassador Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1868

Doc Savage is alive and well annually, if this is any indication.

I made this image mockup of a Doc Savage bobblehead as a teaser.

_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------

Krel · Guest

Wow, Ron Ely looks good for being 78. Steve Holland, TV's Flash Gordon was James Bama's model for the covers of the Doc Savage reprints in the 60s.

David.

Custer · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 12:44 pm Post subject:

Alex Ross has done some suitably Bama-esque covers for the Dynamite comic...

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 4:13 pm Post subject:

________________________________

That's a spectacular piece of artwork! Wowzy bowzer, I love it. Shocked

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Custer · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:12 pm Post subject:

Yes, that is rather super. This one is suitably bronze, for sure!

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:22 pm Post subject:

______________________________________

As bad as this movie is, one notable person loved it. Wikipeidia says this about the reaction of Norma Dent, the widow of the author who created Doc Savage, Lester Dent.

"... I thought my heart would burst with pride. I saw the movie three times that day. I cried when I heard Ron Ely deliver the Doc Savage code - he said it as he meant every word of it. It was wonderful."

I can only wonder what her late husband would have thought of this movie. Rolling Eyes

I watched the fanedit version tonight, and even though it's dull as reading a Sears catelog from 1941, it isn't the insulting mess of the original.

Pamela Hensley certainly played a very different role is this movie than she did in Buck Rogers, but she looks nice in this publicity still.

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

orzel-w · Galactic Ambassador Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1868

Bud Brewster · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:19 pm Post subject: