Psychotronic Cinemavision: Wonder Woman 1974

Diana Prince (Cathy Lee Crosby) is chosen to leave Paradise Island to show the world of men the value of women. She works for a government agency alongside Steve Trevor (Kaz Garas) as his secretary, but secretly she goes on missions as Wonder Woman. Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalbán) steals a vital list containing the names of undercover American agents, and Diana, with Steve’s knowledge, goes on a mission to recover it before it can be sold to hostile powers. Using her intelligence, gadgets, martial arts and physical training, she foils Abner’s chief assistant, George (Andrew Pine) who tries to kill her on more than one occasion. Ahnjayula (Anitra Ford), a rogue Amazon who left Paradise Island for the riches of the outside world, joins forces with Abner and ends up fighting Diana.  Eventually Diana tracks Abner across multiple locations, facing his henchmen, and ultimately using her brains and combat skills to outwit him and retrieve the stolen data, proving herself as a capable agent and hero in a more grounded, espionage-focused adventure.

The film first aired on ABC on March 12, 1974, as a pilot for a potential TV series.  The series and this version of the character is inspired by what is called the “I Ching” period during the Silver Age of the Wonder Woman comic books, which ran in the late 1960s.  In the comic books, Diana gives up her powers to remain in Man’s World and is taught martial arts and weapon skills by a mentor named, I Ching. With no powers, these stories encompassed a variety of genres, including espionage, which is what this film and the potential series would have focused on.  The television movie’s critical reception was lukewarm, while Cathy Lee Crosby was praised for her athleticism and charisma, many comic book fans were disappointed by the drastic departure from Wonder Woman’s mythological roots, lack of superpowers, and the unrecognizable costume. Critics found the film more in line with the popular spy genre of the era, echoing shows like The Bionic Woman or Charlie’s Angels more than a faithful superhero adaptation. Due to the underwhelming response and its deviation from the beloved source material, ABC passed on continuing the Crosby version. However, just a year later, ABC developed a new pilot with Lynda Carter in the title role. This version returned Wonder Woman to her comic book origins, complete with the iconic costume, magical lasso, and ties to Greek mythology, becoming the version that resonated with audiences and made Wonder Woman a pop culture TV icon.  Crosby claims that she was asked to reprise her character in the Lynda Carter version, which could have been interesting.  ABC did admit that updating the character was a mistake, but DC Comics did make the Crosby version of the character canonical in the Infinite Crisis story arc, making her the Wonder Woman of Earth 462.

I remember watching this telefilm as a child after it was released into syndication and  really enjoyed watching the movie as a child.  Of course, the Lynda Carter series which followed a year later is far superior when it comes to telling the Wonder Woman story, but I feel like there are some elements of this version that were fun.  Rather than wielding her classic golden lasso, indestructible bracelets, Crosby’s Wonder Woman relies on martial arts, athletic stunts, and spy gadgets. Her costume is also drastically different, she wears a red, white, and blue jumpsuit instead of the comic’s iconic outfit and tiara.  She does have bracelets, but they are more gadgets than bullet defense.  She uses one as a tracking device and on another occasion a bracelet has explosive qualities.  Her lasso is a rope the extends from within her belt and is used in conjunction with a bracelet as a grappling hook.  And there is talk of an invisible plane, but of course the audience never sees it…because it is invisible.  Kathy Lee Crosby’s performance isn’t what we expect from Wonder Woman, but it has its own charm and charisma. She is a strong, self-assured woman who knows her worth and strength often turning the tables on men who under-estimate her. The supporting cast is also adequate, but where the movie really falls apart is in lack-luster story telling.  The film jumps around a lot and often without an explanation.  We never learn how she got the job working with Steve Trevor and how he knows she is Wonder Woman, but her identity doesn’t seem to be a secret anyways, as her adversary and his henchmen are able to recognize Diana as Wonder Woman, even when she isn’t in costume.  The action sequences are brief and not well executed and the fight choreography is laughable and amateurish.  These elements should have created and heightened the tension in the film giving it a sense of gravitas and urgency, but instead it interrupted the rhythm and made the film feel clumsy.  Overall, this isn’t a terrible telefilm, it just isn’t what one expects from the Wonder Woman character.  I could have seen the show working, with some tweaking and maybe not calling it Wonder Woman.