THE WORLD'S MIGHTIEST MORTAL ON SCREEN by Dave Goode

 THE WORLD'S MIGHTIEST

MORTAL ON SCREEN

by Dave Goode

GOODE STUFF BLOG

I was first introduced to the Captain Marvel not through comics. His comics ceased publication some years before I was born. It was in the pages of that wonderful one-shot magazine On The Scene Presents Super Heroes from Warren Publications in 1966 that I learned about Captain Marvel, arguably the most popular costumed crusader from the Golden Age of Comic Books. Or should I say I learned about THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (1941) from Republic Pictures. Considered by many to be the greatest movie serial of all time.

Based on the comic book feature from Fawcett Comics,  created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, the 12 chapter serial was directed by John English and William Witney. It starred Frank Coghlan Jr. as Billy Batson and B-Western hero Tom Tyler as his alter ego Captain Marvel, the World's Mightiest Mortal. The story had young Billy Batson on an archeological expedition in Siam being given the powers and abilities of one biblical king and five characters from Greco-Roman mythology by the wizard Shazam played by actor Nigel De Brulier. This was a departure from the good Captain's origin. And I wonder if the fan-boys of the day were up in arm.s about this change. Or were they just happy to see their favorite hero live on screen. The serial finds our hero using the wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and speed of Mercury to thwart the masked villain the Scorpion.

As you may already know artist C.C. Beck had originally modeled Captain Marvel after actor Fred MacMurray. But you cant help but notice a resemblance between actor Tom Tyler and Beck's original  drawings of Captain Marvel. Born Vincent Markowski, Tyler set the amateur record for the right-handed clean & jerk with 213 pounds. And in 1928 he won the National AAU heavyweight championship with a 760 pound total. A record that would stand for 14 years. Not quite the "World's Mightiest Mortal". But certainly a claimant to the title of the "Strongest Man In The World". Tyler was even considered for the title role in MGM's TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932) that would eventually star Olympic swimming champ Johnny Weissmuller.

As for Fred MacMurray who C.C. Beck modeled Captain Marvel's facial features from. Well he portrayed a superhero himself in a dream sequence from the romantic comedy NO TIME FOR LOVE (1943).

 

MARK...THE MAGNIFICENT! by Dave Goode

No other actor other than Steve Reeves himself is probably more identified with the sinew & sandal movie genre than Mark Forest. Born Lou Degni in Brooklyn , New York in 1933 he began bodybuilding as a teenager and competed in and won a number of contests. The story goes that a Hollywood scout saw his photo on the cover of a physical culture magazine and invited him to Hollywood to audition for the role of " Tarzan ". He didn't get the role. But he got a job working in Mae West's night club act. He would also work for a time in the night club act of ecdysiast Lilli " The Cat Girl " Christine. At the peak of the peplum movie cycle Forest would pack up his muscle shirts and head to Europe and become a star. Mostly playing Maciste , the character originally played by strongman Bartolomeo Pagano. Pagano would portray the character in over a dozen movies beginning in 1914 in the silent film epic CABIRIA. He would even legally have his name changed to Maciste. Mark Forest would be the only other actor as identified with the character.The Forest peplum flicks are some of the most entertaining from the genre. But there are four that I recommend above all the others.

 

 

GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON ( 1960 ) was Forest's first muscleman movie. And a pretty cool fantasy film. What's interesting about this one is that it was originally a " Hercules " movie. In most of his movies he portrayed Maciste and they were re-dubbed and re-titled so that he was playing more familiar characters ( to American audiences ) like Hercules and Samson. Those familiar with mythology realize that the character Forest is playing here is Hercules because the plot has the character performing a several of the 12 Labors of Hercules. And the movie's villain , portrayed by Broderick Crawford , is King Eurysteseus from the Hercules legend.

 

In SON OF SAMSON ( 1960 ) Forest plays Maciste for the first time and co-stars with the sexy Chelo Alonso , the Queen of the Sinew & Sandal genre. The character is given an origin as being the " Son of Samson ". And considering what a womanizer the biblical strongman was it's not hard to imagine that Samson had a child or two. Even if the Bible never mentions any offspring. Over the years though some historians have speculated that Phillistine women had their way with Samson after he had been blinded and made a prisoner. Hoping to have his strength passed on to their children. This theory speculates that the Phillistine giant Goliath may have been Samson's grandson.

 

MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES ( 1961 ) has Forest co - starring with beautiful Moira Orfei who plays the evil queen of an underground nation. Also in this film is bodybuilding champion Paul Wynter as Bangor , Maciste's sidekick.It's interesting to compare Forest's physique to that of a Mr. Universe winner. Forest also does battle with an ape -suit actor. This is a fun flick. But any flick instantly becomes better with the inclusion of an ape - suit.

 

 

 

And of course there is THE TERROR OF ROME AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES ( 1964 ). In this one Forest fights against Christian persecution. But only after he falls in love with a Christian woman. Beautiful Marilu Tolo is the patrician woman who loves the muscular hero. And who gives up her life for him even after he chooses the Christian heroine over her. There's plenty of gladiatorial combat in this one. Including Forest fighting another ape - suit actor. This gorilla suit is one of the cheesiest ever seen onscreen. It barely resembles a gorilla. Which has led some fan-boys to imagine it was actually a " mangani " from the Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan books. An interesting theory.

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MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER...THE MOVIE! by Dave Goode

When I was a kid I knew Dell and Gold Key mostly for their adaptations of popular television shows and movies. However there was one Gold Key comic book that I had wanted to see adapted to the silver screen. That was MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER 4000 A.D. The comic book feature created by comic book legend Russ Manning was in part inspired by the 1960 science fiction movie THE TIME MACHINE produced by George Pal and starring Rod Taylor. The movie was an adaptation of H.G. Welles'  THE TIME MACHINE and would be adapted to the comic book page by Dell.

 

The Man vs. Machine story line found in the Magnus comic book series was powerful. And that first story could have served as a storyboard for a Magnus movie. Even today I can picture a Magnus movie with that winning combination of science fiction and martial arts action. But it would have been even better during the comic book's some initial run from the early to mid 1960s.

As a kid I was more than a little uncomfortable with a hero that wore what appeared to be a red mini-skirt and white go-go boots. I've gotten use to the Robot Fighter's costume over the years. But if there was one thing I would change for a Magnus movie it would be that costume. If he must wear a skirt then put him in something  out of a peplum movie. Something that Steve Reeves would have worn. Which leads me to the casting of Magnus himself. I usually imagine Ron Ely playing the Robot Fighter. But I can just as easily picture Richard Harrison in the role. The actor starred in gladiator movies in the 1960s. And martial arts movies in the 1980s. The athletically muscular would have looked great karate -chopping robots.

 

As for an actress to play Leeja Clane, Magnus romantic interest, I can't really imagine anyone else other than Connie Stevens in the role. But I know there are a lot of fan-boys who picture Ann-Margaret. And speaking of Leeja I was rewatching the 1955 sci-fi flick WORLD WITHOUT END and couldn't help but notice that Nancy Gates' character looked a bit like Leeja. Right down to her futuristic mini-skirt. Could artist Russ Manning have modeled Leeja after her? 

 

 

 

As surely as he modeled Magnus after Rod Taylor, the star of THE TIME MACHINE. Though on the painted cover of MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER 4000 A.D. No. 1 dated February 1963 by artist George Wilson the "Tarzan of the Future" bears a striking resemblance to fan-boy favorite Buster Crabbe. 

Though on some other covers Magnus looked like actor/model Steve Holland. Most likely because Holland posed as the character. As he had for other Gold Key heroes.

 

Below my buddy Vance Capley has put together a faux movie poster for a Magnus movie using George Wilson's original cover illustration.Enjoy and imagine.

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WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN ANYWAY? by Dave Goode

One of the things that surely helped to make Santo, el Enmascarado de Plata, a Mexican pop culture icon were the Santo comic books. After all before he wrestled against the "principalities and powers of darkness" on the silver screen, he fought the forces of evil in comic books.

The first Santo comics would appear in 1952. The man behind these periodicals was Jose' G. Cruz, a comic book artist/writer, and actor/screenwriter. The first series of Santo comics ran for 6 years between 1952 and 1958 producing 300 issues of serialized stories. Santo's first films Cerebro Del Mal and Santo vs. Hombres Infernales would appear in 1958 about the same time the first comic book series was ending.

In the early 1960s Cruz would produce a second series of Santo comics. This series would run up through the 1970s. And would immediately be followed by the third series. A fourth series began in 1986 and was printed in Columbia. It was the only series that didn't carry Cruz's name.

Each series used the same format. They used photos of the silver-masked
wrestler and other actors/models integrated with drawings of various surrealistic backgrounds giving the comics a nightmarish look. I never read these comics when I was a kid. But I discovered them as a teenager in high school in the 70s. It was in the 70s, about 1974, that the real Santo was replaced in these comics by a muscular model wearing trunks (not tights), wrestling boots and an imitation of the famous silver mask. But with an "S" insignia on it.

The model for this Santo impersonator wasn't another luchador. But was instead a professional bodybuilder. Mr. Mexico 1969  Hector Pliego. Pliego was a muscleman of some note. He also was a contestant in the 1977 Mr. World competition winning the lightweight class. I have to wonder if some Mexican sports promoter ever considered offering the muscleman a wrestling contract.

If you enjoyed this weeks blog, check out some of the cool stuff below:

 

CLICK THE PICTURE TO ORDER
YOUR LIMITED EDITION
MONSTER MAGAZINE SIGNED ISSUES 3&4
WITH OUR TRADING CARD SET COMBO PACK TODAY