Superhero Films - Ch. 12: 'Legends of the Superheroes' (Part 1 of 2)

http://HaphazardStuff.com
Chapter 12 in my continuing Superhero Film series. This time up 1979's two television episodes 'Legends of the Superheroes'.

After having conquered the world of animation and having created some of the most memorable and popular cartoon characters ever, Hanna-Barbara leaps into the live action format with an attempt at a real world Super Friends television program. With a cast consisting of Batman, Robin, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, Huntress, Flash and Black Canary, along with a cameo by the Atom, there's no shortage of superheroes here!

They're not facing any minor threats either. Mordru, Sinestro, Dr. Sivana, Giganta, Riddler, the Weather Wizard, Aunt Minerva and Solomon Grundy all show up to reek as much havoc as possible!

A variety show format, cheap production values, the return of Adam West, Burt Ward and Frank Gorshin and Ed McMahon steering things along as host, it all adds up to one of the most memorable ventures the characters of DC will ever see....but is that a good thing?

I take a look at the two notorious episodes that aired and see if kids and fans missed out on a potentially fun ongoing series or were they mercifully spared a drawn out embarrassment having their heroes presented this way.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Legends
• of
• the
• Superheroes
• villains
• Batman
• Robin
• Captain
• Marvel
• Flash
• Green
• Lantern
• Black
• Canary
• Huntress
• Ed
• McMahon
• variety
• show
• special
• TV
• television
• Super
• Friends
• review
• comedy
• action
• roast
• Challenge
• Hanna
• Barbera
• DC
• Adam
• West
• Burt
• Ward
• Frank
• Gorshin

[breakingorbit]

I remember this as a kid. I was a major superhero fan, and was really excited that this going to be on. What a disappointment. This was so bad, that as a kid, I realized it was terrible.

[morebeerful]

the batmobial looks to small dull, cardbord and gay

[morebeerful]

did they really play that music when they go to fight crime or did you add that

[SteveBrant55]

I was 3 years out of college in 1979 and have no memory of this show at all. Thanks for posting this. It's interesting to see Adam West and Burt Ward again... and Frank Gorshin. And apparently this was the brief period of time when the Batmobile was painted flat black and covered with flocking.

Boy, compare this with Superman: The Motion Picture... amazing!

[sexonnaplatter]

Yeah, Hanna-Barbera flopped in live action. (They torpedoed Valerie Bertinelli's film career before it started with "C.H.O.M.P.S.") More interesting is the back stories of the women actors. Barbara "Huntress" Joyce did a low-budget 1959 film called "Hothead" at the age of 17, and past away last year of lung cancer. Danuta the Black Canary wound up co-hosting The 700 Club in the 1980's and has some choice words about Pat Robertson. And Aleshia "Giganta" Brevard? Well, just Google her!

[macsnafu]

I *do* remember watching this, but I don't remember it very well. I was excited to see decent costumes on the characters, and more or less accurate character portrayals, especially of Flash and Green Lantern. Strange I don't remember the Huntress or Black Canary very well--after all, I was um, 14 at the time, and you'd think I'd remember *those* costumes!

[Uzala]

"Maybe that's one of the reasons those old cartoons are so fondly remembered by that generation: you actually had to do some work to watch that stuff."

Back in the "dark ages," that wasn't called "work," that was called "watching TV."

[wewordsson]

Thought this was part of a false memory but "KA-P0W"!!!!!!

[satanscrossxxx]

I remember getting to get my picture taken inside one of the old batmobiles

[quermpoob]

Finding this almost takes care of all of my childhood memories. I forgot about Solomon Grundy being on there until I found this. I remember Black Canary yelling really loud and one part where Flash was running, stopped like he was frozen in place, and took off again. Now if I can just find some cartoon that showed something about Benjamin Franklin eating bagels.