Doc Savage... the Man of Bronze

Ron Ely Director: Michael Anderson Michael Anderson

Overview

George Pal's final film is a kiddie action saga based on the popular comic strip and action book series by Kenneth Robeson. Ron Ely is all flash and charmless brawn as the blonde-haired superhero Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze. When his father is mysteriously murdered, Savage gathers together five of his cronies -- The Amazing Five -- to head off on an expedition to South America to find some answers. There he battles Captain Seas (Paul Wexler) and "the green death." Along the way, he charms native girl Mona (Pamela Hensley), who immediately falls for the blonde chiselhead.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/23/2009
UPC:	0883316126684
Original Release:	1975
Rating:	G
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	979

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ron Ely	Doc Savage
Paul Gleason	Major Thomas J. "Long Tom" Roberts
Bill Lucking	Colonel John "Renny" Renwick
Michael Miller	"Monk," Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Blodgett
Eldon Quick	William Harper "Johhny" Littlejohn
Darrell Zwerling	Brigadier General Theodore Marley "Ham" Brooks
Paul Wexler	Capt. Seas
Victor Millan	King Chaac
Robert Corso	Don Rubio Gorro
Frederico Roberto	El Presidente
Grace Stafford	Little Lady
Robyn Hilton	Karen
Janice Heiden	Adrianna
Scott Walker	Borden
Alberto Morin	Jose
Robert Tessier	Dutchman
Michael Berryman	Coroner
Jorge Cervera	Col. Ramirez
Chuy Franco	Cheelok
Pamela Hensley	Mona
Carlos Rivas	Kulkan
Dar Robinson	Native

Technical Credits

Joseph Morhaim

George Pal

Michael Anderson	Director
Howard A. Anderson	Special Effects
Sass Bedig	Special Effects
Don Black	Score Composer,Songwriter
Patrick W. Cummings	Costumes/Costume Designer
Frank deVol	Score Composer,Songwriter
Tony Epper	Stunts
Jane Feinberg	Casting
Mike Fenton	Casting
Fred Harpman	Art Director
Fred Koenekamp	Cinematographer
Robert MacDonald	Special Effects
Marvin March	Set Decoration/Design
Thomas J. McCarthy	Editor
Joseph Morhaim	Screenwriter
George Pal	Producer,Screenwriter
Harlan Riggs	Sound/Sound Designer
Monty Westmore	Makeup

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.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler