Legends of the Superheroes

Legends of the Superheroes
Directed byBill Carruthers
Chris Darley
Narrated byGary Owens
ComposerFred Werner
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producerJoseph Barbera
ProducerBill Carruthers
CinematographyGreg Brunton
EditorsHarvey Berger
Andy Shubert
Running time100 minutes
Production companiesHanna-Barbera Productions
DC Comics
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 18 (1979-01-18) –
January 25, 1979 (1979-01-25)
Related
Super Friends

Legends of the Superheroes is an umbrella title for two 60-minute live-action television specials produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on NBC on January 18 and 25, 1979. The series was loosely based on Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends animated series, then airing on Saturday mornings on ABC; it served as a reunion of sorts for the 1960s' Batman TV series, as it brings back together two of its stars reprising their respective roles. The specials were produced like standard variety shows of the time: on videotape and with a laugh track.[1]

Cast

Legends of the Superheroes starred Adam West and Burt Ward, reprising their roles as Batman and Robin. The show also had a large ensemble cast that included Garrett Craig as Captain Marvel, Howard Murphy as Green Lantern, Rod Haase as Flash, Bill Nuckols as Hawkman, Barbara Joyce as Huntress, Alfie Wise as Atom, and Danuta Wesley as Black Canary.

Cast

  • Adam West as Batman (both specials)
  • Burt Ward as Robin (both specials)
  • William Schallert as Scarlet Cyclone (both specials)
  • Mickey Morton as Solomon Grundy (both specials)
  • Jeff Altman as Weather Wizard (both specials)
  • Charlie Callas as Sinestro (both specials)
  • Howard Murphy as Green Lantern (both specials)
  • Aleshia Brevard as Giganta (both specials)
  • Garrett Craig as Captain Marvel (both specials)
  • Howard Morris as Doctor Sivana (both specials)
  • Danuta Wesley as Black Canary (both specials)
  • Bill Nuckols as Hawkman (both specials)
  • Rod Haase as The Flash (both specials)
  • Gabriel Dell as Mordru (both specials)
  • Barbara Joyce as Huntress (both specials)
  • Frank Gorshin as Riddler (1st special)
  • Ruth Buzzi as Aunt Minerva (2nd special)
  • Ed McMahon as Himself (2nd special)
  • Alfie Wise as Atom (2nd special)
  • June Gable as Rhoda Rooter (2nd special)
  • Pat Carroll as Esther Hol (2nd special)
  • Brad Sanders as Ghetto Man (2nd special)
  • Gary Owens as Narrator (uncredited, both specials)
  • Marsha Warfield as Woman in Phone Booth (uncredited, 1st special)

Episodes

The Challenge

In the first special, the Justice League of America (Batman, Robin, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Huntress, and Black Canary) unite at the Hall of Heroes to celebrate Scarlet Cyclone's birthday. The party is interrupted by the Legion of Doom (Riddler, Weather Wizard, Sinestro, Mordru, Doctor Sivana, Giganta, and Solomon Grundy), who announce they have hidden a deadly bomb in a secret location, and the heroes must follow clues to find it. It's all actually a ruse to trick the heroes into drinking Sivana's de-powering potion. Despite the fact that they now lack powers, the heroes fight the villains, and manage to both disarm the bomb and recover their powers. Only after the whole battle is over, and the heroes have proven victorious, does Scarlet Cyclone arrive to give his aid.

The Roast

The second special is a celebrity roast of the superheroes hosted by Ed McMahon. All of the major characters from the first episode return, with the exception of the Riddler. New characters featured include Ghetto Man, an African-American superhero who performs a stand-up comedy routine; Aunt Minerva, an enemy of Captain Marvel who seeks a sixth husband from among the male superheroes; Rhoda Rooter, an entertainment reporter who snags an exclusive interview with Giganta and the Atom; and Esther Hol, Hawkman's mother.

Home media

Warner Home Video's Warner Archive Collection released the specials on DVD on October 19, 2010.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "A History of Batman on TV". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Legends of the Super Heroes (1979) DVD - Warner Bros. Archive: WBshop.com - The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios". WBshop.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
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