Friday, May 10, 2013

Wonder Woman 1.13: Wonder Woman in Hollywood


Airdate: 2/16/77

Hollywood wants to produce a morale-boosting movie starring four real war heroes, with all profits going toward war bonds. Steve, of course, is chosen, along with a young army corporal, Jim Ames (Robert Hayes), who feels undeserving of his hero worship. The film’s producer, Mark Bremer, turns out to be a Nazi agent, who plans to capture the four soldiers, return them to Germany, and then take over the American film industry. Oh, and a wild card: Wonder Girl/Drusilla comes to the states to ask WW to return to Paradise Island for the bi-millennial celebration, but winds up helping her big sister nab the bad guys, and fawn all over the cute guys, namely Jim, in this case.

Fun way to end the first season! WW studio Warner Brothers is used by name as the (literal) backdrop for the action, and having Wonder Girl return, again played by Debra Winger, is icing on the cake. She really does an exceptional job playing fresh-faced, doe-eyed innocence, and somehow it’s not too much of a stretch when she transforms into her superhero persona and starts kicking butt. Although the convention of the superhero/alter ego not being identified as the same person is stretched to the limit here: Jim doesn’t suspect Drusilla’s secret identity – and she doesn’t even wear glasses!

Also a hoot to see two future movie stars of the 80s, Hays and Winger, sharing numerous scenes, and some great chemistry, together. His main back-story, an incident in which he attempted to surrender but wound up being lauded when his German “captors” actually turned themselves in, provides a sort of Red Badge of Courage-esque theme of cowardice and the search for redemption. You can bet that he will step up to the plate by episode’s end, although WW does lend a hand in facilitating this.

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