Most people would agree that in 1931 a Golden Age of the horror film began with the releases of Dracula and Frankenstein that year. Individuals can debate when that Golden Age ended. Some would end it in 1936 with the release of Dracula's Daughter. Others would end it in 1946, with the release of Abbot and Costello Meet Frakenstein. Regardless, there is almost no debate as to when it began.
For that matter there is almost no debate as to where it began either. Universal Studios was founded in 1912 by German immigrant Carl Laemmle. As early as 1913 the studio was making horror movies--The Werewolf and a version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In 1920s Universal made a number of horror movies and near horror movies with Lon Chaney, the most famous being the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera. Carl Laemmle himself was not that fond of the genre, although his son, Carl Laemmle Jr., loved horror movies. When Carl Laemmle Jr. took over the company in 1929, he then naturally turned to the horror genre. It was Universal that made the first horror talkie, Dracula, released on Valentine's Day in 1931.
With Dracula, Universal had a huge hit. Its star, Bela Lugosi, became a household name. In the process he was typecast forever. It also arguably set the tone for Universal horror movies to come. The opening, set in Transylvania and eventually winding up at Castle Dracula, would have a lasting influence on Gothic horror films to come. I personally don't think the film has stood the test of time too well. The plot seems to bog down once the action moves to England and the film seems terribly talky, even for a film of its time. And while Lugosi handles the role of Dracula quite well in many parts of the movie, there are a few scenes where he just seems to overact (particularly the scene where Dracula tries to mesmerise Van Helsing). Regardless, it is still considered a classic by many. In fact, it is one of the oldest talkies that is still shown commercially.
The success of Dracula led Carl Laemmle Jr. to seek out other classic horror movies which could be adapted to the screen. He eventually settled on Frankenstein, the classic novel by Mary Shelley. Universal acquired the screen rights to the 1927 British play Frankenstein: An Experiment in the Macabre. Initially, Robert Florey was set to direct the movie and Bela Lugosi would play the Monster. Eventually, Florey was replaced by James Whale. As to Lugosi, not particuarly being thrilled with working in make up (he feared he would not be recognised), he was not cast as the Monster. Instead, James Whale cast veteran actor Boris Karloff in the role. Karloff had been acting in movies for literally years, usually playing heavies, when he got the role that would make him famous.
Frankenstein, released in late 1931, proved to be an even larger hit than Dracula. It was literally the Titanic or Star Wars of its day. And it is undeniably a classic. From James Whale's direction to Karloff's performance as the Monster to the art direction of the film, it is nearly perfect. Perhaps no other horror film would ever have the impact or the influence of Frankenstein. It success insured that Universal would make even more horror films in the years to come.
One of these horror films would be The Bride of Frankenstein, the first sequel to the 1931 Frankenstein, released in 1935. It would be one of the few sequels in the history of film to actually surpass the original movie in quality. The Bride of Frankenstein successfully combined frights, humour, philosophical content, and strong characterisation in one film. It is arguably the greatest horror film of all time, its influence perhaps surpassed only by the original Frankenstein.
Of course, Universal made more movies than those featuring Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula. Throughout the early Thirties they made a variety of horror movies, often with Karloff, Lugosi, or both in lead roles. The Old Dark House, released in 1932, was directed by Frankenstein director James Whale himself. It is a combination haunted house movie, comedy of manners, and horror movie spoof, with Karloff playing the forebear of all creepy butlers to come. It was during this era that Universal also did its first werewolf movie, The Werewolf of London, released in 1935. While not nearly as successful as the Frankenstein and Dracula movies, Werewolf of London is a very interesting movie. Eschewing the raveous beast portrayal of a werewolf, the movie plays out like a cross between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Universal's The Wolf Man.
Of course, other studios followed Universal's lead in producing horror movies during this period. Paramount produced two of the best horror movies of the time. One was a new version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, directed by Rouben Mamoulian and released very late in 1931. This version of the story featured Frederic March in the lead role, a role for which March would later receive the Oscar for Best Actor. Many consider this film to be the quinessential version of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. Another Paramount horror film of the period is perhaps one of the greatest horror films of all time, although it is largely forgotten now. Island of Lost Souls was based on H. G. Wells' novel The Island of Dr. Moreau and featured Charles Laughton as the mad Dr. Moreau. Released in 1933, the movie caused considerable controversy in its day with its tale of Dr. Moreau crossing animals and men--particularly controversial was Moreau's none too subtle hints to the hero (Edward Parker played by Richard Arlen) that he breed with half panther/half woman Lota (played by Leila Hyams). Viewing the movie today it is no surprise that it would cause controversy--it is an intense film even today.
Surprisingly, another controversial horror film was produced by MGM, better known for musicals and costume dramas. Released in 1932, Freaks was directed by veteran horror director Todd Browning (who, among other things, had direced Universal's Dracula). The movie centred around the scheme of a trapeze artist (Cleopatra) and her strong man lover (Hercules) to rob a midget (Hans) of his fortune and the consequences which stem from their actions. Browning chose to cast actual freaks and carnival performers in many of the roles, which led to part of the controversy regarding this film when it was first released. The other part of the controversy stemmed from the violence in the movie. Indeed, even today Freaks is a disquieting film to watch.
None of these movies had the lasting impact that Universal's horror movies did, with the exception of a movie produced by RKO. King Kong would be the smash hit of 1933. Its star, the giant ape called Kong, would become as well known as any of the Universal's monsters. Its lead actress, Fay Wray, would forever be remembered as the beauty who "killed the beast." For its day, King Kong was absolutely revolutionary. For one thing, its effects were state of the art. With King Kong, stop motion animation took a giant leap forward. For another, it was one of the first horror movies (along with the Frankenstein films) to evoke sympathy for the antagonist (in this case, Kong). Many viewers truly felt saddened with the great ape fell from the Empire State Building. Even today, in the age of CGI, King Kong still holds up.
Of course, not every horror film of the era was produced by a major studio. Released in 1932, White Zombie was produced by the Halperin brothers, Edward and Victor (Victor also directed). The movie featured Bela Lugosi in one of his bigger roles, as Legendre, a man who turns people into zombies. Although made on a shoestring budget, the movie definitely has atmosphere and is still somewhat effective today. Indeed, it paved the way for all voodoo/zombie movies to come.
By 1936, two events happened that would prove pivotal in the Golden Age of the horror film. First, the Laemmele family lost control of Universal Studios. The stockholders, unhappy with Carl Laemmele Jr., voted them out. Universal continued making horror movies even after the removal of the Laemmele, although not for long. That same year the United Kingdom banned all horror movies. This caused a considerable dip in Universal's overseas revenue, as well as that of any other studio which made a horror movie. On top of this, horror movies had been declining in revenue Stateside as well. Quite simply, horror movies weren't economical to make any more.
It is for that reason that Dracula's Daughter, released in 1936, would be the last horror film Universal would make for three years. Although hardly remembered now, the first sequel to Dracula is an effective film and, in my opinion, superior to the original. It possesses a strong hint of eroticism rarely found in films of that era, as well as a strong sense of atmosphere. And in Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Otto Krueger) and his secretary, Janet Blake (Marguerite Churchill), it had two of the best developed protagonists in horror movies of the era.
Because it would be three years before Universal would make another horror movie and no other studies were making horror films either, many consider the release of Dracula's Daughter to be the end of the Golden Age of the Horror Film. Or, at the very least, the end of the First Golden Age of the Horror Film. Universal would not make another horror movie until Son of Frankenstein in 1939. While Universal had stopped making horror movies in 1936, it re-released both Frankenstein and Dracula in 1937 to big box office. That success led the studio to reconsider making horror films and led to Son of Frankenstein. The success of Son of Frankenstein would lead to a new round of Universal horror movies, as well as RKO's classic Val Lewton chillers, and horror movies from other studios. Whether this was a continuation of the Golden Age of Horror or a Second Golden Age or even a Silver Age, I suppose, is a matter for debate...
Saturday, October 2, 2004
Friday, October 1, 2004
The One Hit Wonderful Eighties
Yesterdy KSDK played "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. I have always loved the song. In fact, I view as the quintessential Eighties song. That having been said, Soft Cell was also a prime example of a one hit wonder in the Eighties. I don't have any statistics at my access, so I can't be sure, but I think the Eighties may have produced more one hit wonders than any decade save the Sixties.
Another prime example of an Eighties one hit wonder was Dexy's Midnight Runners, who produced a smash hit with "Come On, Eileen." The song went all the way to #1 on the Billboard charts. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV. But Dexy's Midnight Runners' album bombed. And the group never had another hit. Another example of a one hit wonder was British band Cutting Crew. They had a huge hit "I Just Died in My Arms" even if it wasn't as huge as either "Tainted Love" or "Come On, Eileen." The band never really had another hit after that.
Of course, in some cases I have to wonder if artists considered one hit wonders really can be. Norwegian band A-Ha is usually counted as a one hit wonder. Their song "Take On Me" was a huge hit. But they actually did have one other hit song. The group did the theme to the Bond movie The Living Daylights. The song didn't do spectacularly well on the charts, but well enough that I don't think they can be considered a one hit wonder. A two hit wonder, maybe...
I really don't know why one hit wonders happen. I suppose in many cases it is just a case of an unextraordinary group coming up with a song with mass appeal. But in other cases, one hit wonders appear to have real talent, yet they still only manage to produce one hit in the whole of their career. I can only guess that a large part of success in the record industry is luck. True, I believe that a lot of success in the record industry is due to hard work and talent, but it seems to me that at least part of it is due to sheer luck. I mean, how else can one explain a group like the Fountains of Wayne, who have been around for years, having only one hit single ("Stacy's Mom") to their name? At any rate, I am guess that the Naughts will have their fair share of one hit wonders too...
Another prime example of an Eighties one hit wonder was Dexy's Midnight Runners, who produced a smash hit with "Come On, Eileen." The song went all the way to #1 on the Billboard charts. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV. But Dexy's Midnight Runners' album bombed. And the group never had another hit. Another example of a one hit wonder was British band Cutting Crew. They had a huge hit "I Just Died in My Arms" even if it wasn't as huge as either "Tainted Love" or "Come On, Eileen." The band never really had another hit after that.
Of course, in some cases I have to wonder if artists considered one hit wonders really can be. Norwegian band A-Ha is usually counted as a one hit wonder. Their song "Take On Me" was a huge hit. But they actually did have one other hit song. The group did the theme to the Bond movie The Living Daylights. The song didn't do spectacularly well on the charts, but well enough that I don't think they can be considered a one hit wonder. A two hit wonder, maybe...
I really don't know why one hit wonders happen. I suppose in many cases it is just a case of an unextraordinary group coming up with a song with mass appeal. But in other cases, one hit wonders appear to have real talent, yet they still only manage to produce one hit in the whole of their career. I can only guess that a large part of success in the record industry is luck. True, I believe that a lot of success in the record industry is due to hard work and talent, but it seems to me that at least part of it is due to sheer luck. I mean, how else can one explain a group like the Fountains of Wayne, who have been around for years, having only one hit single ("Stacy's Mom") to their name? At any rate, I am guess that the Naughts will have their fair share of one hit wonders too...
Monday, September 27, 2004
Fifty Years of Tonight on NBC
Tonight it will have been fifty years since Tonight has been on NBC. Two men were largely responsible for this late night institution. One was the legendary Sylvester "Pat" Weaver. Weaver was the head of NBC programming in the late Forties and early Fifties. He was also arguably the most innovative network executive in the history of television. He invented the "special (called the "spectacular" in the early Fifties)." He developed Today (aka The Today Show). He developed the "participation advertising," in which many different advertisers might buy time on any one show (during the Fifties, shows were usually sponsored by one company). Weaver also invented late night television.
Pat Weaver was convinced that programming at 10:00 PM CST could draw viewers. To this end, Broadway Open House debuted in 1950. Broadway Open House had a show with a vaudeville/burlesque format (rather common in the Fifties). On Mondays and Fridays it was hosted by Morey Amsterdam (later of The Dick Van Dyke Show) and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays it was hosted by Jerry Lester. Broadway Open House saw the first of its cast changes when Morey Amsterdam left a few months into its run; it would not be the last. Jerry Lester took over hosting chores full time, only to eventually obtain a co-host in the form of Dagmar, a statuesque blonde who had started as a bit player on the show. Lester resented Dagmar's growing popularity and a feud erupted between them. Lester left the show and the show left the air not long afterwards. In all, Broadway Open House only lasted two years.
Despite Broadway Open House's failure, Weaver had not given up on his idea of late night programming. This brings us to the other man responsible for Tonight. On WNBT, NBC's flagship station in New York City, there was a late night show hosted by announcer Steve Allen. The show had the format that has more or less been that of The Tonight Show for the past fifty years. It featured sketch comedy, interviews and games with audience members, interviews with guests, and musical performances. Weaver thought that if the show was successful in New York City, it might be successful nationwide. Tonight debuted on NBC on September 27, 1954.
Allen remained with Tonight until 1956, after which NBC transformed Tonight into Tonight! America After Dark. While Steve Allen's Tonight was a comedy/variety/talk show, Tonight! America After Dark was essentially a night time version of Today. Critics hated it. Viewers stayed away. After 7 months, (January 1957 to July 1957), NBC was forced to return Tonight to its original format. They found a new host in Jack Paar, a televsion veteran who had one time had co-hosted The Morning Show on CBS. While Allen's strong point was sketch comedy, Paar's strong point was interviewing and it was Paar who brought interviews to the show's forefront. It was also Paar who introduced the monologue, with which each show was begun, to The Tonight Show. Paar was a smash hit, so much so that the show was eventually renamed The Jack Paar Show. Paar was possessed of a dry wit and he was overly emotional. He was also positively brilliant. Jack Paar left the show in 1962.
Paar was replaced by Johnny Carson. Carson had been a writer for Red Skelton and had even stood in for Skelton on his show when Skelton had been injured. He had hosted several game shows at CBS and ABC and substituted for Jack Paar on The Morning Show. In some respects, Johnny Carson was a combination of both Steve Allen and Jack Paar. Like Allen, he was cool headed and good at sketch comedy. Like Paar, he was an excellent interviewer. Johnny Carson proved to be the most successful host in Tonight Show history. He hosted the show from 1962 to his retirement in 1992. Since that time, Tonight has been hosted by Jay Leno.
Both Steve Allen and Jack Paar hosted Tonight before I was even born. Fortunately, through the miracles of kineoscope and film, I have been able to see clips from their shows. I have also seen Allen and Paar on many other shows through the years. I always loved Steve Allen. He always seemed well spoken, erudite, and very funny. He impressed me as a renaissance man, as capable of writing a book and acting in a comedy sketch. As to Jack Paar, I think he must have been postively brilliant. From the clips of his shows and his guest appearances on various late night shows over the years, he seems to me to have been witty, informed, and possessed of a dry, but sharp, wit. Of course, once I was able to stay up past 10:30 PM CST, I was able to wach Johnny Carson host Tonight. In many respects, Carson reminds me of my favourite comedian of all time, Jack Benny. Carson was self deprecating and possessed of a biting wit. He could create laugther with a mere look. I think Paar may have been a better host than Carson, but Carson was definitely a great host. As to Jay Leno, I think he has improved a good deal after a somewhat rocky start on the show. I don't know that he will ever be quite as good as his predecessors, but then I think Leno would agree that those are some really big shoes to fill.
At any rate, Tongiht is the longest running late night show of all time. It is a record that I doubt will ever be matched. Having been on for half a century now, I think it is impossible that it will ever be cancelled. If a host on the show proved less than popular, NBC would simply replace him. After four hosts (not counting Jack Lescoulie and Al Collins from Tonight! America After Dark and the various substitutes), it seems that the man behind the desk may not be as important as the institution of Tonight itself.
Pat Weaver was convinced that programming at 10:00 PM CST could draw viewers. To this end, Broadway Open House debuted in 1950. Broadway Open House had a show with a vaudeville/burlesque format (rather common in the Fifties). On Mondays and Fridays it was hosted by Morey Amsterdam (later of The Dick Van Dyke Show) and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays it was hosted by Jerry Lester. Broadway Open House saw the first of its cast changes when Morey Amsterdam left a few months into its run; it would not be the last. Jerry Lester took over hosting chores full time, only to eventually obtain a co-host in the form of Dagmar, a statuesque blonde who had started as a bit player on the show. Lester resented Dagmar's growing popularity and a feud erupted between them. Lester left the show and the show left the air not long afterwards. In all, Broadway Open House only lasted two years.
Despite Broadway Open House's failure, Weaver had not given up on his idea of late night programming. This brings us to the other man responsible for Tonight. On WNBT, NBC's flagship station in New York City, there was a late night show hosted by announcer Steve Allen. The show had the format that has more or less been that of The Tonight Show for the past fifty years. It featured sketch comedy, interviews and games with audience members, interviews with guests, and musical performances. Weaver thought that if the show was successful in New York City, it might be successful nationwide. Tonight debuted on NBC on September 27, 1954.
Allen remained with Tonight until 1956, after which NBC transformed Tonight into Tonight! America After Dark. While Steve Allen's Tonight was a comedy/variety/talk show, Tonight! America After Dark was essentially a night time version of Today. Critics hated it. Viewers stayed away. After 7 months, (January 1957 to July 1957), NBC was forced to return Tonight to its original format. They found a new host in Jack Paar, a televsion veteran who had one time had co-hosted The Morning Show on CBS. While Allen's strong point was sketch comedy, Paar's strong point was interviewing and it was Paar who brought interviews to the show's forefront. It was also Paar who introduced the monologue, with which each show was begun, to The Tonight Show. Paar was a smash hit, so much so that the show was eventually renamed The Jack Paar Show. Paar was possessed of a dry wit and he was overly emotional. He was also positively brilliant. Jack Paar left the show in 1962.
Paar was replaced by Johnny Carson. Carson had been a writer for Red Skelton and had even stood in for Skelton on his show when Skelton had been injured. He had hosted several game shows at CBS and ABC and substituted for Jack Paar on The Morning Show. In some respects, Johnny Carson was a combination of both Steve Allen and Jack Paar. Like Allen, he was cool headed and good at sketch comedy. Like Paar, he was an excellent interviewer. Johnny Carson proved to be the most successful host in Tonight Show history. He hosted the show from 1962 to his retirement in 1992. Since that time, Tonight has been hosted by Jay Leno.
Both Steve Allen and Jack Paar hosted Tonight before I was even born. Fortunately, through the miracles of kineoscope and film, I have been able to see clips from their shows. I have also seen Allen and Paar on many other shows through the years. I always loved Steve Allen. He always seemed well spoken, erudite, and very funny. He impressed me as a renaissance man, as capable of writing a book and acting in a comedy sketch. As to Jack Paar, I think he must have been postively brilliant. From the clips of his shows and his guest appearances on various late night shows over the years, he seems to me to have been witty, informed, and possessed of a dry, but sharp, wit. Of course, once I was able to stay up past 10:30 PM CST, I was able to wach Johnny Carson host Tonight. In many respects, Carson reminds me of my favourite comedian of all time, Jack Benny. Carson was self deprecating and possessed of a biting wit. He could create laugther with a mere look. I think Paar may have been a better host than Carson, but Carson was definitely a great host. As to Jay Leno, I think he has improved a good deal after a somewhat rocky start on the show. I don't know that he will ever be quite as good as his predecessors, but then I think Leno would agree that those are some really big shoes to fill.
At any rate, Tongiht is the longest running late night show of all time. It is a record that I doubt will ever be matched. Having been on for half a century now, I think it is impossible that it will ever be cancelled. If a host on the show proved less than popular, NBC would simply replace him. After four hosts (not counting Jack Lescoulie and Al Collins from Tonight! America After Dark and the various substitutes), it seems that the man behind the desk may not be as important as the institution of Tonight itself.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
The Great M. C. Gaines
In the history of the American comic book, perhaps no other figure is as important as M. C. Gaines. Born in 1896, Maxwell Charles Gaines would go from being a salesman to one of the pivotal figures in the comic industry. Many credit Gaines as the father of the American comic book as we know it today; others at least credit him with being its midwife. At any rate M. C. Gaines certainly had a hand in its creation. As if that was not enough, M. C. Gaines is also the man who recommended an unpublished comic strip called Superman to Detective Comics Inc. and he was the founder of both All-American Comics and E. C. Comics as well.
Prior to 1933 newspaper comic strips were sometimes published in anthologies. These anthologies often sold quite well. It is perhaps for that reason in 1929 George Delacorte (later of Dell Comics) published The Funnies through the New Fiction Company, a publisher of pulp magazines. The Funnies was the first periodical dedicated solely to comic strips; however, it was not, strictly speaking, a comic book. It was tabloid in format, roughly the same size as the comics supplements which accompanied American newspapers. The Funnies was originally 10 cents an issue. The price was reduced to a nickel with issue 25. With issue 36 The Funnies ceased entirely. It would be up to someone else to develop a periodical dedicated solely to comic strips that would be a success.
In 1933 M. C. Gaines was a salesman for the Eastern Color Printing Company, a company which printed many of the Sunday comic strip supplements for newspapers across the nation. M. C. Gaines, Leverett Gleason (later a comic book publisher in his own right), and Eastern Color sales manager Harry L. Widenberg observed sheets of comics being printed on seven by nine inch plates. They figured out that sheets from these plates would make a tabloid sized book when folded. Widenberg experimented making books of comic strips and discovered that a standard newspaper sized sheet could be cut to produce 16 pages worth of material. They also learned that comic strips could be reduced in size and still remain legible. Widenberg worked out a deal with the McNaught and McClure Syndicate to reprint several of their more popular comic strips, including Mutt and Jeff and Joe Palooka, in this new format (essentially, the modern day American comic book). Gaines then made an arrangement with Proctor and Gamble to provide them with comic books to use as premiums. Ten thousand copies of Funnies on Parade: a Carnival of Comics were printed for Proctor and Gamble. And all 10,000 copies went almost immediately. Fresh with the success of the Proctor and Gamble promotion, M. C. Gaines persuaded Eastern Color that there was a good deal of money to be made in providing comic books to manufacturers as promotional items. And Gaines proved to be right. He was soon selling 100,000 to 250,000 copies of comic books to such companies as Milk-O-Malt and Kinney Shoes Stores.
The success of comic books as promotional items convinced M. C. Gaines that people might actually be willing to pay for comic books. As an experiment he took some of the books intended as premiums and distributed them to newstands to be sold at 10 cents apiece. Gaines' assumption that people would actually buy comic books proved correct; every copy he had distributed to newstands had sold. With proof that the comic book was a marketable commodity, Eastern Color then turned to George Delacorte (the man who had published The Funnies) to publish Famous Funnies, the first regularly published comic magazine. Famous Funnies started in 1934 and ran until 1955. It was not long before other publishers entered the field and soon comic books were to be found on newstands everywhere.
Not only was M. C. Gaines largely responsible for the modern American comic book, he was also responsible for the first comic book dedicated solely to one character. Gaines struck a deal with the producers of the radio show Skippy to print a comic book based on the character. The comic book, Skippy's Own Book of Comics, was given away as a promotional item to customers who bought Phillps Toothpaste.
From the Eastern Color Printing Company, M. C. Gaines would move on to the McClure Syndicate, the same company which had given Widenberg and Gaines permission to reprint their comic strips in Funnies on Parade. There he would again make comic book history. It was in 1938 that Harry Donenfeld, publisher of National Comics, was about to launch a new comic book to be called Action Comics. In need of comic strips for his new magazine, Donenfeld approached Gaines to see if he had anything which Action Comics could use. Among the comic strips which the McClure Syndicate had rejected was one by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster called Superman. Gaines did not particularly care for the comic strip, but his assistant Sheldon Mayer thought otherwise. Since the McClure Syndicate would not publish Superman, Mayer persuaded Gaines to recommend the strip to Donenfeld. Donenfeld then showed Superman to National editor Vince Sullivan, who thought that it would be successful with children because it had a lot of action. Siegel and Shuster were paid ten dollars a page by Donenfeld for the first Superman story. Having tried to sell the character to a number of newspaper syndicates and failed, they sold the character outright to National for $300. Fortunately for Donenfeld, but perhaps unfortunately for Siegel and Shuster, Superman proved to be a phenomenal success. M. C. Gaines and his assistant Sheldon Mayer were then responsible for directing National to its most successful character of all time and what many consider to be the world's first superhero.
Of course, M. C. Gaines' association with National Comics. would not end with Superman. In 1939 Jack Leibowitz, Harry Donenfeld's partner at National, wanted the company to publish more magazines; however, Donenfeld felt that National was already publishing enough comic books. Leibowitz then formed a partnership with M. C. Gaines to create All-American Comics Inc., a publisher which could rightfully be called National's sister company. All-American was a separate company from National, with its own offices and its own staff, but its magazines bore the DC imprint and National characters appeared in All-American comic books and vice versa. Accompanying Gaines from the McClure Syndicate was Sheldon Mayer, who became the editor of the new line.
The first comic book published by All-American Comics Inc. was All-American Comics, in April 1939. Not only was it the first comic book published by the new company, but it was also the first reprint anthology book to bear the DC imprint. The first issue featured reprints of Skippy (star of the first comic book dedicated to a single character) and Mutt and Jeff newspaper strips. Eventually All-American Comics would use original material, including a superhero comic strip called Green Lantern. Also in April 1939 All-American Comics Inc. published Movie Comics. Movie Comics had a unique format. Motion picture stills were tinted and presented in comic strip fashion. Unfortunately Movie Comics did not prove to be popular and it was cancelled within a year.
While All-American Comics Inc. was just getting started, National was seeking to repeat the success of Superman with more superheroes. Their first attempt, a character called The Crimson Avenger who appeared in Detective Comics, had proven less than successful; however, their second attempt, a character called Batman who also appeared in Detective Comics, proved to be a smash hit. Clearly superheroes meant good business for comic book companies, so M. C. Gaines decided that All-American Comics Inc. would publish its own superhero magazine. Gaines looked to writer Gardner Fox to provide material for the new book. Among the artists who worked on it were Harry Lampert and Stan Asch. The end result was Flash Comics #1, January 1940, arguably one of the most important comic books of the Golden Age of comics. Flash Comics featured what were to become some of All-American's most popular characters: The Flash, Hawkman, and Johnny Thunder. With the success of Flash Comics, more superheroes were to follow at All-American Comics Inc.
All-American Comics would receive its own resident superhero with issue 16, July 1940. Like The Flash and Hawkman before him, Green Lantern became one of All-American's most popular characters. With issue 19, October 1940, another superhero was added to All-American Comics, The Atom. In the summer of 1940 All-Star Comics was launched. All-Star Comics was meant to promote characters from both the National and All-American lines. The first issue featured The Flash and Hawkman from the All-American line and Hourman, The Sandman, and The Spectre from the National line. From a magazine which featured several different heroes from several different titles, it was a small step to a comic strip that would feature several different heroes side by side as part of a group--the Justice Society of America. The Justice Society of America was originally meant to showcase those characters from All-American and National who did not have titles of their own. For that reason the Justice Society of America included two characters from All-American's Flash Comics (The Flash and Hawkman), two characters form All-American's All-American Comics (Green Lantern and The Atom), two characters from National's More Fun Comics (Dr. Fate and The Spectre), and two characters from National's Adventure Comics (Hourman and Sandman). The Justice Society of America made their debut in All-Star Comics #3, winter 1940-1941. Sheldon Mayer is most often credited with having conceived the Justice Society of America, although many believe that it may have been at M. C. Gaines' suggestion. Regardless, with The Justice Society of America as its central feature, All-Star Comics became what may have been the second best selling title for either Natinonal or All-American.
All-American continued to expand their superhero line following the success of the Justice Society of America. With issue 25, April 1941, All-American Comics received another superhero, Dr. Mid-Nite. The Flash received his own title in the summer of 1941, while Green Lantern received his own title in the fall of that same year. With other heroes All-American broke new ground. In All-American Comics #20, November 1940, in the pages of Sheldon Mayer's comic strip Scribbly (which was about a boy cartoonist of that name), Ma Hunkel donned a t-shirt, a cape, red longjohns, and a saucepan as a helmet/mask to become The Red Tornado. Not only was The Red Tornado one of the first parodies of the superhero genre, but The Red Tornado herself may well have been the first superheroine created solely for comic books. The Red Tornado would be followed by a superheroine cast in a more serious mould. In All-Star Comics #5, July 1941, Hawkman's girlfriend Shiera Sanders became Hawkgirl. While The Red Tornado and Hawkgirl would both prove popular, neither would have the impact of All-American's next superheroine. Dr. William Moulton Marston, psychologist and educational consultant to both DC and All-American, was talking to M. C. Gaines one day and noted that there while there were many male superheroes in the pages of comic books, there were few if any superheroines. Gaines then asked Marston to create a superheroine. Assuming the pen name of Charles Moulton, Marston created Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman debuted in All-Star Comics #8, December 1941-January 1942--a portion of her origin was added as an extra eight pages to the magazine. Her entire origin appeared the following month in Sensation Comics #1, January 1942. Wonder Woman became a smash hit, easily All-American's most popular character. She received her own title in the summer of 1942 and even had a newspaper strip for a short time. Also debuting in Sensation Comics #1 were Wildcat and Mr. Terrific.
Not only was M. C. Gaines a shrewd entrepreneur, he was also a man with a social conscience. He was well aware of the power of comic books to educate as well as entertain. In addition to its superhero titles, All-American Comics Inc. also published comic books meant primarily to educate the reader. Gaines both published and edited Picture Stories from the Bible and Picture Stories from World History.
Despite the success of All-American Comics Inc. or perhaps because of it, M. C. Gaines and Jack Leibowitz increasingly found themselves in disagreement. By 1944 the two were so much at odds that All-American Comics Inc. and National Comics . actually broke off relations with each other. For a short time comic books published by All-American Comics Inc. did not bear the DC imprint, but an All-American imprint instead. Even the line up of the Justice Society of America was affected. In All-Star Comics #24, spring 1945, the two members from National, Starman and The Spectre, were temporarily replaced by guest stars from the All-American line, Wildcat and Mr. Terrific. The following issue the two National characters, Starman and The Spectre, would be permanently replaced by two All-American characters, The Flash and Green Lantern. It seems that with the schism between the two companies, the policy that no character with his own title could be a member of the Justice Society of America had been done away with! The disagreement between the two companies was eventually settled when Jack Leibowitz bought M. C. Gaines out for a reported $500,000. Thereafter National and All-American were merged into one company to be called National Periodical Publications Inc.
Although the All-American line was now officially part of National Periodical Publications Inc., M. C. Gaines was not yet finished in the comic book business. In 1945 he founded Educational Comics or E. C. for short. Gaines brought with him Picture Stories from The Bible and Picture Stories from World History from All-American Comics Inc. and continued to publish them under the E. C. imprint. E. C.'s output was not confined to educational comics, however, as it also published funny animal and humour titles as well. Among the titles published by E. C. in its early days were Tiny Tot Comics, Fat and Slat, Animal Fables, and Dandy Comics. Eventually E. C. would even make an attempt at its own superhero. Although Moon Girl was created by one of the legends of the industry, Gardner Fox, she appeared to be a blatant rip off of Wonder Woman (without the feminism and bondage). This hardly pleased M. C. Gaines' former compatriots at National Periodical Publications Inc., who made their displeasure known to him.
Despite M. C. Gaines' previous success in the comic book industry, the titles published by E.C. Comics did not sell well. In fact, by mid-1947 the company was near bankruptcy. Unfortunately, no one will ever know if M. C. Gaines, the man who helped create the American comic book, who recommended Superman to Detective Comics Inc., and founded All-American Comics Inc., could have turned E. C. Comics around. On August 20, 1947 M. C. Gaines died a hero's death worthy of any of the superheroes published in his various magazines. He was killed in a boating accident in which he saved the life of a little boy. The company he founded, E. C. Comics, passed into the hands of his son, William Gaines, who would take it in far different directions than his father had planned.
Prior to 1933 newspaper comic strips were sometimes published in anthologies. These anthologies often sold quite well. It is perhaps for that reason in 1929 George Delacorte (later of Dell Comics) published The Funnies through the New Fiction Company, a publisher of pulp magazines. The Funnies was the first periodical dedicated solely to comic strips; however, it was not, strictly speaking, a comic book. It was tabloid in format, roughly the same size as the comics supplements which accompanied American newspapers. The Funnies was originally 10 cents an issue. The price was reduced to a nickel with issue 25. With issue 36 The Funnies ceased entirely. It would be up to someone else to develop a periodical dedicated solely to comic strips that would be a success.
In 1933 M. C. Gaines was a salesman for the Eastern Color Printing Company, a company which printed many of the Sunday comic strip supplements for newspapers across the nation. M. C. Gaines, Leverett Gleason (later a comic book publisher in his own right), and Eastern Color sales manager Harry L. Widenberg observed sheets of comics being printed on seven by nine inch plates. They figured out that sheets from these plates would make a tabloid sized book when folded. Widenberg experimented making books of comic strips and discovered that a standard newspaper sized sheet could be cut to produce 16 pages worth of material. They also learned that comic strips could be reduced in size and still remain legible. Widenberg worked out a deal with the McNaught and McClure Syndicate to reprint several of their more popular comic strips, including Mutt and Jeff and Joe Palooka, in this new format (essentially, the modern day American comic book). Gaines then made an arrangement with Proctor and Gamble to provide them with comic books to use as premiums. Ten thousand copies of Funnies on Parade: a Carnival of Comics were printed for Proctor and Gamble. And all 10,000 copies went almost immediately. Fresh with the success of the Proctor and Gamble promotion, M. C. Gaines persuaded Eastern Color that there was a good deal of money to be made in providing comic books to manufacturers as promotional items. And Gaines proved to be right. He was soon selling 100,000 to 250,000 copies of comic books to such companies as Milk-O-Malt and Kinney Shoes Stores.
The success of comic books as promotional items convinced M. C. Gaines that people might actually be willing to pay for comic books. As an experiment he took some of the books intended as premiums and distributed them to newstands to be sold at 10 cents apiece. Gaines' assumption that people would actually buy comic books proved correct; every copy he had distributed to newstands had sold. With proof that the comic book was a marketable commodity, Eastern Color then turned to George Delacorte (the man who had published The Funnies) to publish Famous Funnies, the first regularly published comic magazine. Famous Funnies started in 1934 and ran until 1955. It was not long before other publishers entered the field and soon comic books were to be found on newstands everywhere.
Not only was M. C. Gaines largely responsible for the modern American comic book, he was also responsible for the first comic book dedicated solely to one character. Gaines struck a deal with the producers of the radio show Skippy to print a comic book based on the character. The comic book, Skippy's Own Book of Comics, was given away as a promotional item to customers who bought Phillps Toothpaste.
From the Eastern Color Printing Company, M. C. Gaines would move on to the McClure Syndicate, the same company which had given Widenberg and Gaines permission to reprint their comic strips in Funnies on Parade. There he would again make comic book history. It was in 1938 that Harry Donenfeld, publisher of National Comics, was about to launch a new comic book to be called Action Comics. In need of comic strips for his new magazine, Donenfeld approached Gaines to see if he had anything which Action Comics could use. Among the comic strips which the McClure Syndicate had rejected was one by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster called Superman. Gaines did not particularly care for the comic strip, but his assistant Sheldon Mayer thought otherwise. Since the McClure Syndicate would not publish Superman, Mayer persuaded Gaines to recommend the strip to Donenfeld. Donenfeld then showed Superman to National editor Vince Sullivan, who thought that it would be successful with children because it had a lot of action. Siegel and Shuster were paid ten dollars a page by Donenfeld for the first Superman story. Having tried to sell the character to a number of newspaper syndicates and failed, they sold the character outright to National for $300. Fortunately for Donenfeld, but perhaps unfortunately for Siegel and Shuster, Superman proved to be a phenomenal success. M. C. Gaines and his assistant Sheldon Mayer were then responsible for directing National to its most successful character of all time and what many consider to be the world's first superhero.
Of course, M. C. Gaines' association with National Comics. would not end with Superman. In 1939 Jack Leibowitz, Harry Donenfeld's partner at National, wanted the company to publish more magazines; however, Donenfeld felt that National was already publishing enough comic books. Leibowitz then formed a partnership with M. C. Gaines to create All-American Comics Inc., a publisher which could rightfully be called National's sister company. All-American was a separate company from National, with its own offices and its own staff, but its magazines bore the DC imprint and National characters appeared in All-American comic books and vice versa. Accompanying Gaines from the McClure Syndicate was Sheldon Mayer, who became the editor of the new line.
The first comic book published by All-American Comics Inc. was All-American Comics, in April 1939. Not only was it the first comic book published by the new company, but it was also the first reprint anthology book to bear the DC imprint. The first issue featured reprints of Skippy (star of the first comic book dedicated to a single character) and Mutt and Jeff newspaper strips. Eventually All-American Comics would use original material, including a superhero comic strip called Green Lantern. Also in April 1939 All-American Comics Inc. published Movie Comics. Movie Comics had a unique format. Motion picture stills were tinted and presented in comic strip fashion. Unfortunately Movie Comics did not prove to be popular and it was cancelled within a year.
While All-American Comics Inc. was just getting started, National was seeking to repeat the success of Superman with more superheroes. Their first attempt, a character called The Crimson Avenger who appeared in Detective Comics, had proven less than successful; however, their second attempt, a character called Batman who also appeared in Detective Comics, proved to be a smash hit. Clearly superheroes meant good business for comic book companies, so M. C. Gaines decided that All-American Comics Inc. would publish its own superhero magazine. Gaines looked to writer Gardner Fox to provide material for the new book. Among the artists who worked on it were Harry Lampert and Stan Asch. The end result was Flash Comics #1, January 1940, arguably one of the most important comic books of the Golden Age of comics. Flash Comics featured what were to become some of All-American's most popular characters: The Flash, Hawkman, and Johnny Thunder. With the success of Flash Comics, more superheroes were to follow at All-American Comics Inc.
All-American Comics would receive its own resident superhero with issue 16, July 1940. Like The Flash and Hawkman before him, Green Lantern became one of All-American's most popular characters. With issue 19, October 1940, another superhero was added to All-American Comics, The Atom. In the summer of 1940 All-Star Comics was launched. All-Star Comics was meant to promote characters from both the National and All-American lines. The first issue featured The Flash and Hawkman from the All-American line and Hourman, The Sandman, and The Spectre from the National line. From a magazine which featured several different heroes from several different titles, it was a small step to a comic strip that would feature several different heroes side by side as part of a group--the Justice Society of America. The Justice Society of America was originally meant to showcase those characters from All-American and National who did not have titles of their own. For that reason the Justice Society of America included two characters from All-American's Flash Comics (The Flash and Hawkman), two characters form All-American's All-American Comics (Green Lantern and The Atom), two characters from National's More Fun Comics (Dr. Fate and The Spectre), and two characters from National's Adventure Comics (Hourman and Sandman). The Justice Society of America made their debut in All-Star Comics #3, winter 1940-1941. Sheldon Mayer is most often credited with having conceived the Justice Society of America, although many believe that it may have been at M. C. Gaines' suggestion. Regardless, with The Justice Society of America as its central feature, All-Star Comics became what may have been the second best selling title for either Natinonal or All-American.
All-American continued to expand their superhero line following the success of the Justice Society of America. With issue 25, April 1941, All-American Comics received another superhero, Dr. Mid-Nite. The Flash received his own title in the summer of 1941, while Green Lantern received his own title in the fall of that same year. With other heroes All-American broke new ground. In All-American Comics #20, November 1940, in the pages of Sheldon Mayer's comic strip Scribbly (which was about a boy cartoonist of that name), Ma Hunkel donned a t-shirt, a cape, red longjohns, and a saucepan as a helmet/mask to become The Red Tornado. Not only was The Red Tornado one of the first parodies of the superhero genre, but The Red Tornado herself may well have been the first superheroine created solely for comic books. The Red Tornado would be followed by a superheroine cast in a more serious mould. In All-Star Comics #5, July 1941, Hawkman's girlfriend Shiera Sanders became Hawkgirl. While The Red Tornado and Hawkgirl would both prove popular, neither would have the impact of All-American's next superheroine. Dr. William Moulton Marston, psychologist and educational consultant to both DC and All-American, was talking to M. C. Gaines one day and noted that there while there were many male superheroes in the pages of comic books, there were few if any superheroines. Gaines then asked Marston to create a superheroine. Assuming the pen name of Charles Moulton, Marston created Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman debuted in All-Star Comics #8, December 1941-January 1942--a portion of her origin was added as an extra eight pages to the magazine. Her entire origin appeared the following month in Sensation Comics #1, January 1942. Wonder Woman became a smash hit, easily All-American's most popular character. She received her own title in the summer of 1942 and even had a newspaper strip for a short time. Also debuting in Sensation Comics #1 were Wildcat and Mr. Terrific.
Not only was M. C. Gaines a shrewd entrepreneur, he was also a man with a social conscience. He was well aware of the power of comic books to educate as well as entertain. In addition to its superhero titles, All-American Comics Inc. also published comic books meant primarily to educate the reader. Gaines both published and edited Picture Stories from the Bible and Picture Stories from World History.
Despite the success of All-American Comics Inc. or perhaps because of it, M. C. Gaines and Jack Leibowitz increasingly found themselves in disagreement. By 1944 the two were so much at odds that All-American Comics Inc. and National Comics . actually broke off relations with each other. For a short time comic books published by All-American Comics Inc. did not bear the DC imprint, but an All-American imprint instead. Even the line up of the Justice Society of America was affected. In All-Star Comics #24, spring 1945, the two members from National, Starman and The Spectre, were temporarily replaced by guest stars from the All-American line, Wildcat and Mr. Terrific. The following issue the two National characters, Starman and The Spectre, would be permanently replaced by two All-American characters, The Flash and Green Lantern. It seems that with the schism between the two companies, the policy that no character with his own title could be a member of the Justice Society of America had been done away with! The disagreement between the two companies was eventually settled when Jack Leibowitz bought M. C. Gaines out for a reported $500,000. Thereafter National and All-American were merged into one company to be called National Periodical Publications Inc.
Although the All-American line was now officially part of National Periodical Publications Inc., M. C. Gaines was not yet finished in the comic book business. In 1945 he founded Educational Comics or E. C. for short. Gaines brought with him Picture Stories from The Bible and Picture Stories from World History from All-American Comics Inc. and continued to publish them under the E. C. imprint. E. C.'s output was not confined to educational comics, however, as it also published funny animal and humour titles as well. Among the titles published by E. C. in its early days were Tiny Tot Comics, Fat and Slat, Animal Fables, and Dandy Comics. Eventually E. C. would even make an attempt at its own superhero. Although Moon Girl was created by one of the legends of the industry, Gardner Fox, she appeared to be a blatant rip off of Wonder Woman (without the feminism and bondage). This hardly pleased M. C. Gaines' former compatriots at National Periodical Publications Inc., who made their displeasure known to him.
Despite M. C. Gaines' previous success in the comic book industry, the titles published by E.C. Comics did not sell well. In fact, by mid-1947 the company was near bankruptcy. Unfortunately, no one will ever know if M. C. Gaines, the man who helped create the American comic book, who recommended Superman to Detective Comics Inc., and founded All-American Comics Inc., could have turned E. C. Comics around. On August 20, 1947 M. C. Gaines died a hero's death worthy of any of the superheroes published in his various magazines. He was killed in a boating accident in which he saved the life of a little boy. The company he founded, E. C. Comics, passed into the hands of his son, William Gaines, who would take it in far different directions than his father had planned.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
40 Years of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
It was forty years ago tonight that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. debuted. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. followed the adventures of two agents of the international crime fighting organisation U.N.C.L.E. (the United Network Command for Law Enforcement). The American half of the two agents was Napoleon Solo, who was a bit of a romantic, quite a bit of an idealist, and more than a bit of a womaniser. Despite his skill with weapons and various martial arts, Solo's most devastating asset was probably his charm. The Russian half of the two agetns was Illya Kuryakin. Kuryakin was the intellectual of the duo, with working knowledge of chemistry, physics, mechanics, and a number of languages. He was a master of disguise and an expert gymnast. Like Solo, Kuryakin was skilled with both weapons and in the martial arts. Unlike Solo, however, Kuryakin was a bit of an introvert. The two reported to Mr. Waverly, the head of U.N.C.L.E.'s Section One. The men from U.N.C.L.E. fought a number of power mad megalomaniacs, although their most frequent opponents came from the criminal syndicate known as THRUSH.
The origns of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. rest with producer Norman Felton, then executive producer of Dr. Kildare. Felton approached Ian Fleming, the creator of Bond himself, with the prospect of creating a similar action series. Fleming wrote a rough outline about a spy called Napoleon Solo. Fleming did not get any further than that, as his obligations to Eon Productions (who owned the film rights to 007) forced him to withdraw from the project. Felton then brought Sam Rolfe onboard. Rolfe was the co-creator of Have Gun Will Travel and had written for such series as Playhouse 90 and The Twilight Zone. Earlier Rolfe had failed to sell a spy series called St. George and the Dragon. Rolfe took Fleming's rough outline (using little more than the names of characters) and material from St. George and the Dragon to create The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as we know it. Rolfe would also produce the series' first season.
Initially, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. suffered from low ratings. In fact, as of December 1964 it was not a part of NBC's preliminary schedule for the fall of 1965! Fortunately, generally good reviews, a publicity campaign on the part of the show's producers, a change in time slots, and the word of mouth of its loyal viewers saved the series. The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a series which was failing in the Nielsens in the fall of 1964, was a bona fide phenomenon by the spring of 1965. It became one of television's top rated programmes. It also produced an enormous amount of merchandise, perhaps surpassed only by Batman in the amount of products associated with any one show. The series was also successful enough to produce a spinoff, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. featuring Stephanie Powers as April Dancer.
Unfortunately, it would not last. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. did fantastically well during its second season, but faltered in its third season. The reasons the series fell in the ratings are a matter of debate. Some theorise that The Gril From U.N.C.L.E. may have hurt the original show; that is, there was simply too much U.N.C.L.E. on the air. A more commonly held theory is that the poor quality of many of the episodes of the third season may have seriously injured the series. In its first two seasons, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a serious adventure series, albeit one with fantastic adventures and one played with tongue deftly in cheek. With its third season, however, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. shifted to episodes played purely for laughs. It is difficult to say why The Man From U.N.C.L.E. took this path, although it could well have been due to the success of Batman, the campy series which was a phenomenon in its own right. It is perhaps significant that just as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. went "camp" it began losing viewers in droves. Of course, a third possiblity is that the U.N.C.L.E. fad had simply run its course. Regardless, by the end of the 1966-1967, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. had been cancelled and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was ailing. The fourth season saw the series return to its more serious roots. Unfortuntely, viewers did not return to the show. In January 1964, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. left network television. Fortunately, for U.N.C.L.E. fans, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. proved succesful in syndication and would later air on both the Christian Broadcast Network and TBS in the Eighties.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. proved to have a lasting impact on television, despite running only three and a half years. Between the success of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the Bond movies, American television would be overtaken by a spy craze that lasted until 1967. It must also be pointed out that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was one of the earliest series that was highly stylised. In this way, it would influence other shows in the Sixties and even later. Part of the series' "style" was in the transitions between scenes, in which a whip pan was used to simulate someone rapidly moving through a bunch of pictures. These transitions were imitated on other series, most notably Batman (in which a spinning transition was used). The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was also one of the first series to identify its settings with superimposed caption. For instance, there might be a shot of the United States Capital and the caption would read "Somewhere in Washington D. C." This device has been used on many series since, one of the most recent being The X-Files (which not only identified the place, but the time of day as well).
Today The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is not seen nearly as often as it once was, which I feel is a real shame. While its third season was dreadful, the rest of the series places it alongside other television classics. Only a few other American series before or since have been written with the wit and sheer sense of fun as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was. I have to say that I would be more than happy if TVLand or some other cable channel would start rerunning it again.
The origns of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. rest with producer Norman Felton, then executive producer of Dr. Kildare. Felton approached Ian Fleming, the creator of Bond himself, with the prospect of creating a similar action series. Fleming wrote a rough outline about a spy called Napoleon Solo. Fleming did not get any further than that, as his obligations to Eon Productions (who owned the film rights to 007) forced him to withdraw from the project. Felton then brought Sam Rolfe onboard. Rolfe was the co-creator of Have Gun Will Travel and had written for such series as Playhouse 90 and The Twilight Zone. Earlier Rolfe had failed to sell a spy series called St. George and the Dragon. Rolfe took Fleming's rough outline (using little more than the names of characters) and material from St. George and the Dragon to create The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as we know it. Rolfe would also produce the series' first season.
Initially, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. suffered from low ratings. In fact, as of December 1964 it was not a part of NBC's preliminary schedule for the fall of 1965! Fortunately, generally good reviews, a publicity campaign on the part of the show's producers, a change in time slots, and the word of mouth of its loyal viewers saved the series. The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a series which was failing in the Nielsens in the fall of 1964, was a bona fide phenomenon by the spring of 1965. It became one of television's top rated programmes. It also produced an enormous amount of merchandise, perhaps surpassed only by Batman in the amount of products associated with any one show. The series was also successful enough to produce a spinoff, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. featuring Stephanie Powers as April Dancer.
Unfortunately, it would not last. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. did fantastically well during its second season, but faltered in its third season. The reasons the series fell in the ratings are a matter of debate. Some theorise that The Gril From U.N.C.L.E. may have hurt the original show; that is, there was simply too much U.N.C.L.E. on the air. A more commonly held theory is that the poor quality of many of the episodes of the third season may have seriously injured the series. In its first two seasons, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a serious adventure series, albeit one with fantastic adventures and one played with tongue deftly in cheek. With its third season, however, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. shifted to episodes played purely for laughs. It is difficult to say why The Man From U.N.C.L.E. took this path, although it could well have been due to the success of Batman, the campy series which was a phenomenon in its own right. It is perhaps significant that just as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. went "camp" it began losing viewers in droves. Of course, a third possiblity is that the U.N.C.L.E. fad had simply run its course. Regardless, by the end of the 1966-1967, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. had been cancelled and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was ailing. The fourth season saw the series return to its more serious roots. Unfortuntely, viewers did not return to the show. In January 1964, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. left network television. Fortunately, for U.N.C.L.E. fans, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. proved succesful in syndication and would later air on both the Christian Broadcast Network and TBS in the Eighties.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. proved to have a lasting impact on television, despite running only three and a half years. Between the success of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the Bond movies, American television would be overtaken by a spy craze that lasted until 1967. It must also be pointed out that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was one of the earliest series that was highly stylised. In this way, it would influence other shows in the Sixties and even later. Part of the series' "style" was in the transitions between scenes, in which a whip pan was used to simulate someone rapidly moving through a bunch of pictures. These transitions were imitated on other series, most notably Batman (in which a spinning transition was used). The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was also one of the first series to identify its settings with superimposed caption. For instance, there might be a shot of the United States Capital and the caption would read "Somewhere in Washington D. C." This device has been used on many series since, one of the most recent being The X-Files (which not only identified the place, but the time of day as well).
Today The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is not seen nearly as often as it once was, which I feel is a real shame. While its third season was dreadful, the rest of the series places it alongside other television classics. Only a few other American series before or since have been written with the wit and sheer sense of fun as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was. I have to say that I would be more than happy if TVLand or some other cable channel would start rerunning it again.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
This weekend I went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I can't recommend this movie enough. In the press there has been a good deal made of the fact that everything in the movie is computer generated, with the exception of the actors. Through the use of computers, first time director Kerry Conran gives the audience imagery never before seen in a "live action" motion picture. We see giant robots and later flying machines attack an art deco New York City which never existed, even though we are told the year is 1939. We see Shangri La, as beautiful as any of the settings in the Lord of the Rings movies, except that it is entirely computer generated. We see incredible devices and incredible sites, all through the miracle of CGI.
Despite the fact that its CGI has been publicised better than any other aspect of the movie, it is not what makes Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow such a good movie. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is at the same time nothing we haven't seen before and yet everything we haven't seen before. It is a wonderful combination of the old aviator comic strips such as Terry and the Pirates, the movie serials of the Thirties and Forties, Golden Age Superman comic books, and screwball romance. The heroes, Joe Sullivan (AKA Sky Captain) and Polly Perkins could have come from any number of Golden Age movies or Golden Age comic books. Sky Captain (Jude Law) is the head of a mercenary squadron of fliers, often called upon when the world is in danger (shades of Captain Midnight...). Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an ace reporter for a major New York newspaper and Sky Captain's on again, off again love interest (shades of Lois Lane...). The villain, Dr. Totenkopf (Sir Laurence Olivier through the miracle of archival footage), is a megalomaniac villain who builds giant robots and flying machines; he could have come from any number of comic books from the Forties. Even lady flier Capt. Francesca "Franky" Cook (Angelina Jolie) could have come from any number of movie serials or comic books from the era.
Indeed, I don't think any modern movie so successfully captures the spirit of 1930s media quite a much as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The movie feels even more like an old time serial than Raiders of the Lost Ark or any of its sequels. Joe and Polly's romance could have come straight from any number of screwball comedies. Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), Sky Captain's gadgeteer, could have appeared in any number of radio shows, serials, or comic books. The plot, in which the world is threatened by a megalomaniac, is original, although it is very much in keeping with any number of plots seen in movie serials and comic books from the Thirties and Forties.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was not a great movie. Many times before directors have tried to do something different, yet failed, because the script or the performances were inadequate. This is not the case with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The script is well written, a fitting homage to the media of bygone days. The plot unfolds with nothing unnecessary and without poking fun at its source material. The performances, from Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, are first rate. Both make their characters three dimensional and believable, even when they are in unbelievable settings. Conran's direction is quite impressive for a first time director as well. Not once does he hit a wrong note.
As I said, I cannot recommend Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow enough. If you love movie serials, comic books, radio shows, old adventure comic strips--heck, if you simply love movies--you must see this movie!
Despite the fact that its CGI has been publicised better than any other aspect of the movie, it is not what makes Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow such a good movie. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is at the same time nothing we haven't seen before and yet everything we haven't seen before. It is a wonderful combination of the old aviator comic strips such as Terry and the Pirates, the movie serials of the Thirties and Forties, Golden Age Superman comic books, and screwball romance. The heroes, Joe Sullivan (AKA Sky Captain) and Polly Perkins could have come from any number of Golden Age movies or Golden Age comic books. Sky Captain (Jude Law) is the head of a mercenary squadron of fliers, often called upon when the world is in danger (shades of Captain Midnight...). Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an ace reporter for a major New York newspaper and Sky Captain's on again, off again love interest (shades of Lois Lane...). The villain, Dr. Totenkopf (Sir Laurence Olivier through the miracle of archival footage), is a megalomaniac villain who builds giant robots and flying machines; he could have come from any number of comic books from the Forties. Even lady flier Capt. Francesca "Franky" Cook (Angelina Jolie) could have come from any number of movie serials or comic books from the era.
Indeed, I don't think any modern movie so successfully captures the spirit of 1930s media quite a much as Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The movie feels even more like an old time serial than Raiders of the Lost Ark or any of its sequels. Joe and Polly's romance could have come straight from any number of screwball comedies. Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), Sky Captain's gadgeteer, could have appeared in any number of radio shows, serials, or comic books. The plot, in which the world is threatened by a megalomaniac, is original, although it is very much in keeping with any number of plots seen in movie serials and comic books from the Thirties and Forties.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was not a great movie. Many times before directors have tried to do something different, yet failed, because the script or the performances were inadequate. This is not the case with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The script is well written, a fitting homage to the media of bygone days. The plot unfolds with nothing unnecessary and without poking fun at its source material. The performances, from Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, are first rate. Both make their characters three dimensional and believable, even when they are in unbelievable settings. Conran's direction is quite impressive for a first time director as well. Not once does he hit a wrong note.
As I said, I cannot recommend Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow enough. If you love movie serials, comic books, radio shows, old adventure comic strips--heck, if you simply love movies--you must see this movie!
Friday, September 17, 2004
The 40th Anniversary of Bewitched
It was forty years ago tonight that the TV show Bewitched debuted. For those few of you who have never seen the series, Bewitched centred on a witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) who married a mortal named Darrin Stevens (originally played by Dick York, later played by Dick Sargent). In the world of Bewitched, witches were exceedingly powerful, able to conjure up nearly anything with a spell and living thousands of years. As such, they tended to look down on mere mortals. Samantha's marriage to Darrin was then not greeted with joy by much of her family, especially not her overbearing mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead). Endora was very unhappy that her daughter would give up her life as a witch and casting spells to be a common homemaker. Fortunately, for Sam (as she was affectionately called by Darrin), not all of her family shared this attitude. Her favourite Aunt, Clara, had no problem accepting Darrin. Unfortunately, due to her advanced age Clara's powers were failing. As a result, her spells would sometimes go haywire and cause all sorts of chaos, from bringing aliens to Earth to summoning Queen Victoria to the present.
Naturally, Darrin and Samantha chose to keep the fact that she was a witch secret from the mortal world. Even Larry Tate, Darrin's boss at the advertising firm of McMann and Tate, did not know Sam's true nature. This was perhaps fortunate, as Larry's mind was always on making money and bringing new clients to his firm; one can guess what he would probably wanted to use Sam's powers for! Darrin and Samantha's, nosey neighbour Gladys Kravitz (originally played by Alice Pierce and later played by Sandra Gould) kept a constant eye on the Stephens household and was always certain that there was something strange taking place there. Fortunately, her husband Abner (George Tobias) always dismissed any wild (and usually true) claims that she made.
In addition to the regular characters, other members of Sam's family and the witch community would appear from time to time. Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) was a practical joker who often made Darrin the butt of his jokes. Her cousin Serena (played by Elizabeth Montgomery herself) was Sam's brunette double. She was also the wild child of the family, very much at home in the swinging Sixties. Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox) was the witch doctor who had to treat Sam any time she fell ill.
I have always thought that in some ways Bewitched has never quite gotten the respect it deserves. Because of its premise, many dismiss it as a bit of fantastic fluff, but like many of the imaginative comedies of Sixties, Bewitched was actually a complex show. It was very well written and its cast, one of the best in Sixties television, consistently gave good performances. At its heart Bewitched was a romantic comedy that centred on the travails of a married couple, albeit an unusual one. At the same time, however, Bewitched was capable of addressing serious issues that might have been off limits if not for not for its fantastic premise. Bewitched tackled such issues as bigotry, capitalism, feminism, and social oppression. Of course, it can also be pointed out that its premise essentially centred on a "mixed" marriage.
Bewitched lasted 8 seasons on ABC before going on to a very successful syndication run. Indeed, it is still being reran to this day, on cable channels such as TVLand and on local channels all over the world. I think it is safe to say that it will still be running forty years from now as well.
Naturally, Darrin and Samantha chose to keep the fact that she was a witch secret from the mortal world. Even Larry Tate, Darrin's boss at the advertising firm of McMann and Tate, did not know Sam's true nature. This was perhaps fortunate, as Larry's mind was always on making money and bringing new clients to his firm; one can guess what he would probably wanted to use Sam's powers for! Darrin and Samantha's, nosey neighbour Gladys Kravitz (originally played by Alice Pierce and later played by Sandra Gould) kept a constant eye on the Stephens household and was always certain that there was something strange taking place there. Fortunately, her husband Abner (George Tobias) always dismissed any wild (and usually true) claims that she made.
In addition to the regular characters, other members of Sam's family and the witch community would appear from time to time. Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde) was a practical joker who often made Darrin the butt of his jokes. Her cousin Serena (played by Elizabeth Montgomery herself) was Sam's brunette double. She was also the wild child of the family, very much at home in the swinging Sixties. Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox) was the witch doctor who had to treat Sam any time she fell ill.
I have always thought that in some ways Bewitched has never quite gotten the respect it deserves. Because of its premise, many dismiss it as a bit of fantastic fluff, but like many of the imaginative comedies of Sixties, Bewitched was actually a complex show. It was very well written and its cast, one of the best in Sixties television, consistently gave good performances. At its heart Bewitched was a romantic comedy that centred on the travails of a married couple, albeit an unusual one. At the same time, however, Bewitched was capable of addressing serious issues that might have been off limits if not for not for its fantastic premise. Bewitched tackled such issues as bigotry, capitalism, feminism, and social oppression. Of course, it can also be pointed out that its premise essentially centred on a "mixed" marriage.
Bewitched lasted 8 seasons on ABC before going on to a very successful syndication run. Indeed, it is still being reran to this day, on cable channels such as TVLand and on local channels all over the world. I think it is safe to say that it will still be running forty years from now as well.
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