Audie Murphy: Real and Reel American Hero by Dave Goode

Audie Murphy

Real and Reel American Hero

by Dave Goode

For years I've referred to Audie L. Murphy as "The real Captain America. Hold the Super-Soldier Serum". But I knew him first as a western movie star. It was in high school while telling a friend about an Audie Murphy flick that I had just seen. And he mentioned that the slightly built, baby-faced cowboy star was the most decorated combat veteran of World War Two. I would later see the movie TO HELL, AND BACK where Murphy would play himself in the Universal movie production based on his best selling autobiography. I learned how he was rejected by the Marines, the Navy, and the Paratroopers before the Army accepted him. He wasn't old enough to vote. Three years later he still wasn't able to vote. But when he was discharged from Uncle Sam's service he had been awarded every medal the United States of America gives for bravery and valor. Including the Congressional Medal of Honor. Still I'll always remember him as a western movie hero.

There really is no such thing as a less than entertaining Audie Murphy western. He really wasn't a great actor. But Universal Pictures put him in movies that played to his strengths. Five of my favorites were RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954), RIDE A CROOKED TRAIL (1958), DESTRY (1954), GUNSMOKE (1953), and DUEL AT SILVER CREEK (1952).

I always thought that last film should have been titled SHOWDOWN AT SILVER CREEK. It would have given it a more western feel. In it Murphy plays a gunfighter known to friends and enemies alike as the "Silver Kid". Watching this movie back when I was twelve or thirteen it got me to thinking that Murphy might have been good playing Marvel Comics western hero the Rawhide Kid. What do you think?

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Speaking of cowboys, Vance Capley is drawing a cowboy! 

WISH THEY HAD DONE THIS ONE by Dave Goode

Republic was known for there great serial adaptations of Golden Age comic book heroes. Both their SPY SMASHER and ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL are undisputed masterpieces of the genre. And their CAPTAIN AMERICA RETURNS is a great serial. Despite the fact that without the shield, sidekick Bucky, and secret identity of U.S. Army PFC. Steve Rogers you have to ask "was this really Captain America?". There is one comic book character that I wish the Republic studios had brought to life on the silver screen. And that would have been the Golden Age Black Cat.

The Golden Age Black Cat made her debut as a feature in the experimental
digest sized Pocket Comics No.1 (Aug. 1941) from Harvey Publications in a story illustrated by Al Gabrielle. Linda Turner, Hollywood movie star and America's sweetheart is bored with her ultra-sophisticated life of make believe. She becomes the Black Cat...her most adventurous role...and pledges to expose fifth columnists. After the cancellation of Pocket Comics after 4 issues, the Black Cat feature was moved to Speed Comics and ran in that title until it's cancellation in 1947. In 1944, her costume was changed to the one that she is best known for. The character was so popular that she would receive her own comic book in 1946 and would run until 1951 with art by Lee Elias.

I've been told that the Black Cat was modeled after screen goddess Rita Hayworth.

But I thought The Black Cat would have been the perfect vehicle for Republic's very own serial queen Linda Sterling who had played costumed heroines in the serials THE TIGER WOMAN and ZORRO'S BLACK WHIP both in 1944. 

She would look magnificent as the motorcycle riding judo expert. And imagine if you will a Black Cat serial with Republic movie stars playing themselves in the background scenes about film making in Hollywood.

 

Aside from being an absolute stunner Linda Sterling was a bit of real-life Wonder Woman. After leaving the motion picture business and with her children grown she enrolled at UCLA and received a BFA, MA, and a PhD in English Literature at 50. From 1967 to 1990 she would teach English and Drama at Glendale College.

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THE ATLAS HEROES OF THE ATOMIC AGE by Dave Goode

Back when I was ten I laid out a quarter for Marvel Super-Heroes No.12 (Dec.1967). A new character named Captain Marvel was making his much hyped debut in it. The name "Captain Marvel" was magic to a comic fan even if this version had nothing to do with the wizard Shazam. In this origin written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Gene Colon, the reader was introduced to a science fiction based superhero. In an interesting twist he was a spy from an alien race called the Kree named Captain Mar-Vell. Some of his actions however led humanity to believe he was a hero which of course he would eventually become. And his name pronounced in English sounded like " Marvel ". The story was continued in the next issue which I came back for. But I stayed for the other features. Reprinted stories from the fabulous 50s when Marvel was known as Atlas Comics featuring Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, and the original android Human Torch. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess I was a retro kind of guy even back then before I had any idea what retro meant. I thought the art on those stories looked pretty cool if a little bit archaic. The Captain America stories were signed Romita. And looked sort of like Milton Caniff's work. Just a touch more dynamic. But then this was a comic book where the emphasis was on action and not story. I didn't think the artist was the same one who turned Peter Parker into a teen idol after Steve Ditko left The Amazing Spider-Man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sub -Mariner stories were drawn by the character's creator Bill Everett. This was a Prince Namor that I hardly recognized. He was built along the lines of a light-heavyweight boxing champion. And instead of speaking like someone out of Shakespeare he spoke a sort of American slang. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then there was the Human Torch. Some of the stories were drawn by Russ Heath. 'Nuff said. The stories mostly revolved around the heroes smashing some commie plot or another. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Especially the Captain America stories. Later we would find that this wasn't the real Captain America*. Just a psychotic wannabe who got his hands on the super-soldier serum.

Over in Marvel Tales, Marvel's other reprint title, beginning with issue 13 and running through to issue 16 they reprinted some stories featuring Marvel Boy a sci-fi superhero from the 50s who had his stories illustrated by first Russ Heath and then Bill Everett. These reprints were my introduction to Marvel Comics of the Atom Age. Really fun stuff.
















*Thanks to Roy Thomas to retro-active writing



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The Mystery of Death by Dave Goode

As a lifelong comic book reader I've developed a certain affinity for circus movies. Much in the same way I've developed a certain affinity for professional wrestling. And pretty much for the same reasons. In Phillip Wylie's novel Gladiator the hero , Hugo Danner , a Superman prototype spends a bit of time working as a carnival strongman. And remember when Superman made his first appearance in Action Comics No.1 (June 1938) his costume consisted of the colorful tights of a circus acrobat and Roman sandals of a strongman. As a little boy I would love going to the circus to watch the acrobats , dressed much like comic book heroes , perform. I'm also reminded that Fred Hembeck once wrote that the " Fantastic Four " sounded like the name of a circus act. Which leads me to my favorite Mil Mascaras movie...Enigma de Muerte.

Directed by Federico Curiel from a screenplay written by Ramon Obon Enigma de Muerte found pro wrestler and part-time superhero Mil Mascaras tracking down a group of Nazi war criminals. The Nazis are led by B-Movie icon John Carradine and are masquerading as carnival performers. And so Mascaras puts together an act to join the show and ferret them out. This flick features everything you would want in a carnival / circus mystery. Clowns hiding evil secrets behind their make-up. A sharp-shooter , a knife-thrower, a strongman (who matches his strength against Mil's) and a bevy of beautiful showgirls. Everything except for a man in a cheesy gorilla costume to fight the hero. More's the pity.

The bad guys in this flick always reminded me of Marvel Comics' Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime from the Silver Age of Comic Books. Carradine might have been a good Ringmaster. Though I might have cast Vincent Price in a movie.

By the way there was another Ringmaster who appeared during the Golden Age of Comics in Captain America No.5 ( August 1941 ) in a story from the team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

The Silver Age Circus of Crime first appeared in The  Incredible Hulk No.3 (Sept. 1962) in a story credited to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

 

 

But to me the best Silver Age Circus of Crime stories came from the team of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in Spider-Man No.16 ( Sept. 1964 ) and Spider-Man No. 22 ( March 1965 ). It's Steve Ditko who I imagine drawing a comic book adaptation of Enigma de Muerte with inks by Wally Wood.

 

Below is a Dr.Judo comic book cover drawn by Vance Capley to give you an idea how that might look.

Silver Age Super Soldier by Dave Goode

More than a few years back Stan Lee had a brief Q & A in FHM magazine* in which he was asked "Can you fight in real life?" Stan replied "Not since I was in the army. I taught judo in the army. In judo , you use your opponent's strength against him. I was always skinny , but if a big guy threw a punch I'd grab his fist and flip him over." Hmm. Maybe this is why so many characters in the early Marvel Age of Comics used judo.

In TALES TO ASTONISH No.27 (Jan.1962) after research scientist Hank Pym shrinks to insect size and becomes THE MAN IN THE ANT HILL he uses judo to defend himself against an attacking ant. Later in TALES TO ASTONISH No.35 (Sept. 1962) when he adapts the superhero identity of Ant-Man he uses judo again to defend himself against an ant. In FANTASTIC FOUR No.17 (Aug.1963) Sue Storm uses judo in a fight against Dr.Doom.

In SPIDER-MAN No.10 (March 1964) comic book readers were introduced to a trio of strong-arm men working for a criminal mastermind known as the Big Man. The trio was known as the Enforcers. And one of their number was the diminutive Fancy Dan who is described as a judo black belt. This may have been a first in American comics. A villain who was an expert in judo. Other heroes ,like Daredevil , were seen using judo techniques. And of course there was Captain America.

About a year ago I had a "discussion" with someone who said back in the Silver Age Captain America was described as nothing more than a "glorified acrobat". I countered that he was sometimes called that by someone who ended up getting his behind handed to them by the American Super-Soldier. This is exactly what happened in TALES OF SUSPENSE No.59 (Nov. 1964). But the writers at Marvel  "described" him as the "world's greatest human fighting machine.

In AVENGERS No.4 (March 1964) in his first Silver Age appearance Captain America uses a variation of the tomoe-nage to topple the 10-ft. tall Giant-Man. In AVENGERS No.6 (July 1964) while fighting Baron Zemo who has mastered karate the Captain reminds the Nazi war criminal that he was "adept at every form of hand-to-hand combat known to man". And in FANTASTIC FOUR No.26 (May 1964) Captain America uses the tomoe-nage to unbalance the incredible Hulk. In other stories he would be seen using karate as well as American boxing and wrestling.

Obviously two of the forms of hand-to-hand combat the Captain was adept at were judo and it's parent martial discipline jiu jitsu. Judo had been taught at Annapolis,the U.S. Naval Academy since 1912. And jiu jitsu had been taught at West Point,the U.S. Army Academy since the 1890s. So it only made sense that Captain America would be an expert at these two martial arts. After all he wasn't just a "glorified acrobat". He was the American Super-Soldier!!

 

* July 2000, Vol. 1, Iss. 3, pg. 100-101, by: Paul Semel, "Quote, Unquote" 

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Goode and Vance
Capley. Ladies and gentlemen,
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