Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze

Director: Michael Anderson Michael Anderson

Overview

In the film based on a '30s pulp hero created by Kenneth Robeson, Doc Savage (Ron Ely) takes his Fabulous Five team to South America to explore the cause of his father's death. The root of the problem is the nasty Captain Seas (Paul Wexler).

Product Details

Release Date:	03/23/2009
UPC:	0883316126684
Original Release:	1975
Rating:	G
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	24,155

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ron Ely	Doc Savage
Paul Gleason	Major Thomas J. "Long Tom" Roberts
Bill Lucking	Colonel John "Renny" Renwick
Michael Miller	Actor
Eldon Quick	Johnny
Darrell Zwerling	Ham
Paul Wexler	Capt. Seas
Janice Heiden	Adrianna
Robyn Hilton	Karen
Pamela Hensley	Mona
Robert Corso	Don Rubio Gorro
Carlos Rivas	Kulkan
Chuy Granco	Cheelok
Alberto Morin	Jose
Victor Millan	Chief Chaac
Jorge Cervera	Col. Ramirez
Frederico Roberto	El Presidente
Michael Berryman	Coroner
Robert Tessier	Dutchman
Grace Stafford	Little Lady
Scott Walker	Borden
Dar Robinson	Native
Chuy Franco	Cheelok
Don Black	Composer
Frank De Vol	Composer

Technical Credits

George Pal

Joseph Morhaim

Howard Anderson	Special Effects
Tony Epper	Stunts
George Pal	Producer,Screenwriter
Howard A. Anderson	Special Effects
Sass Bedig	Special Effects
Jane Feinberg	Casting
Michael Anderson Jr.	Director
Joseph Morhaim	Screenwriter
Robert MacDonald	Special Effects
Harlan Riggs	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze is an unfortunate screen translation of the popular pulp adventure hero. Created while "camp" was still a trendy cultural buzzword, Savage misses the opportunity (that Raiders of the Lost Ark would realize a few years later) of finding the cinematic power in a straight pulp adventure. As a result, Savage is a mess of a movie, without either the conviction of its original source material or a compelling reason to be reinterpreted through the camp lens. It starts out as just plain silly, but ends up annoying; by the time the villains are reformed at the finale and join a Salvation Army band, most viewers will be irritated that the constant ridiculing of the character, situation and genre has been conducted with so little point -- and without sufficient wit. Ron Ely is physically right for Savage, and that fact alone gets him through a great deal of the film. Ultimately, though, he lacks the acting talent and (more importantly) the charisma that are necessary to make the character work, especially under these circumstances. Most of the cast is similarly weak and/or misdirected, although Paul Wexler is enjoyable. While fans of the original pulp series may not like the tone of the film, it does pay attention to some of the finer "trivia" points associated with the original.