FOB Showcase Presents…Captain America 1979
Back in 1979, CBS and Universal took a stab at giving Captain America his own television series. Two pilot films were produced and aired, but a series didn’t follow like it did with the Incredible Hulk. Why? Well, there are a lot of reasons for that and that’s what this episode of Fortress of Baileytude Showcase Presents is about.
Joining me to talk about, discuss, dissect, celebrate, and sometimes take cheap shots at these films is Joe Crowe (co-director of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at DragonCon) and Kevin Eldridge (fellow Classic Track Irregular and co-host of the FlopCast) and boy did we have a good time talk about these movies. We go into how we first saw these movies as well as why we are in such an awesome place when it comes to super-hero entertainment.
This was very much like one of the panels we would put on at DragonCon, just not recorded in a conference room. We may not have a cool van with a motorcycle that rockets out of the back so we can jump your jeeps, but we get by.
I wanted to thank Joe and Kevin for joining me on this journey. It was a lot of fun. Stay tuned until after the end music for a special clip just for Joe.
Man, was that a lot of fun. I really enjoy these films, despite knowing they really aren’t that good (other than the theme, which I think is unabashedly awesome). I saw them “live” as well, and would always tune in when they were re-aired through the 80s. I had a bootleg for years, then my Dad bought me the DVD double feature, and I am happy to say, my daughter has asked to watched these several times by name. She knows they are kind of bad and cheesy too, but there is just an earnestness to it all that is somehow infectious.
Just this past weekend, we were in a second-hand Lego store, and they had a white motorcycle that would have bene perfect to customize into Reb’s epic ride. I now wish I had pulled the trigger on it.
Gene Hendricks and I covered these films on his Legends of the Super Heroes show years ago, and I’ve used that theme song every time I’ve covered anything related to Cap. It’s just part of my Cap lexicon. Oh, and Reb’s first movie suit showed up recently in Marvel’s Captain America comic, as one of many variants Steve has worn through the years. It’s canon!!!
I know you have way too many podcast irons in the fire, but if you, Joe and Kevin wanted to make this a regular podcast thing, I would be first in line to listen. I hope to get to Dragon Con some day and listen to one of your panels in person. I love when you share them here.
Chris