In the wrestling business, they say that an up & coming wrestler will "get the rub" from working with veteran performers in a main event.
Filmation & NBC, realizing that The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! was dying, had to play a trump card, and have three of the kids from Hero High team with Captain Marvel to save Captain Marvel, Jr. & Mary Marvel from the evil Star Master. Unfortunately, while Glorious Gal, Weatherman, & Rex Ruthless "got the rub" from teaming with the Marvels, it didn't help them in the least bit. The series was cancelled after 1 season, and Hero High and its student body became a distant memory.
Here's "Star Master & the Solar Mirror", written by Tom Ruegger, who'd make his fame working at Hanna-Barbera & Warner Bros. later on.
I don't know whose idea it was to give Uncle Dudley (Uncle Marvel) a WC Fields-esque vocal pattern, but I'd have preferred the "Mentor" version from the live-action show.
Rating: B.
2 comments:
I definitely think the Hero High kids got the short shrift here. If the ep were longer, each one of them could have used their abilities to stave off the villain until Jr. & Mary were freed.
I also agree with Uncle Dudley's portrayal here. More embarrassing to see him in the costume - despite not even having powers! I liked his personification better in both the live action version ("Mentor") as you previously stated, and in the recent "Young Justice" series.
Dudley was always meant to be comedy relief, even in the books, but the live-action Mentor (Les Tremayne) proved he could be used as a father figure that Billy always needed.
DC took that ball and ran with it in the books, using Dudley when they couldn't get Tremayne's likeness for the Shazam! book during the TV period.
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