Dr. Strange, the 1978 TV Movie

70's Magic!

Superheroes never cease to amaze the world with their incredible stories. They're always recruiting new minions into their 70 something going 80 years old of ruling the comic book world. Big proof of this is the ton of remakes, sequels, crossovers, films, TV series and of course, and most importantly, the constant upgrade of each superhero universe every few years. As a matter of fact, the superhero pop culture is so big, that everyone in the world knows origin stories of many of the most popular characters having not read a single page of a comic book magazine. 

The superhero "revival" that started somewhere around 2005 with the Christopher Nolan's Batman movies, was fostered by 2008's Iron Man. Well, let's be fair, in the late 80's Tim Burton also had a say, and so did many others in the likes of Joel Schumacher & Bryan Singer. Nevertheless, if you know your math, you know for sure that the superhero hype began long before all of the above mentioned moments in time. 

There was a decade that was a magical free wheeling momentum for the TV & film industry. Yes, my fellow connoisseurs, I mean the 1970's, a decade like no other.

Morgan LeFey, a MILF witch!

Pure non CGI Evil.

With the late 40's TV serials (Captain Marvel, Batman &  Captain America), 50's Superman and 1966's Batman being the only exceptions, the 70's screamed sexploitation and superhero at the same time, and with the same force. 

In the 1970's, DC comics, through the ABC television network, produced the highly successful Wonder Woman (1975 -1979) series, with the Amazonian beauty of Linda Carter. With the prospects of DC's most famous character's big screen incarnation, in Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie (1978), Marvel, with their groundbreaking silver-age characters, needed a platform for their characters. Whilst they had success with their animated Saturday morning shows, live-action and the TV series was the place to promote them.

From 1977 to 1982, Universal television broadcast The AmazingSpider-man (1977 - 1979), The Incredible Hulk (1978 - 1982), and two TV movies, Captain America (1979) and Captain America II: Death Too Soon(also 1979). The quality was of course varied, and the Hulk was its most credible triumph. Then in 1978, writer/producer, Philip DeGuere, produced a feature length television movie of one of Marvels most "psychedelic", cerebral characters, Doctor Strange. Created by comic legend Steve Ditko, it seems like quite a huge leap of faith to create a plausible adaptation within the restrictions of television production. This leads to some of the more fantastical elements of the comic books to be altered, or left out entirely - but this is of course an understandable exclusion.

it's time to pass the torch.

it's magic time!

Doctor Stephen Strange (Peter Hooten), a Psychiatrist working in a New York hospital who has been chosen by Thomas Lindmer (John Mills) to take his place as the new Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. However, an evil Sorceress, Morgan LeFay (Jessica Walter), has plans to kill the Earth- bound magicians. After throwing Thomas off a bridge, Clea Lake (Eddie Benton), has been telepathically controlled by the evil witch, Morgan, and it is down to Dr. Strange to save her from the astral plain, then conquer the cosmic universe to become the sorcerer. 

The movie plays in a very 70s style: background music is a character in itself. The dramatic melodies aid the viewer to understand something either evil or magical is about to unravel. Dr. Stephen Strange, a resident doctor spends the first half hour of the film aiding his patients unaware of his future until he meets the elder Earth Magician who is more than willing to prepare him for the fight of his life: Saving earth from a horde of demon minions waiting to make humanity suffer forever. it is the strange (no pun intended) connection our doctor develops with Clea, his mysterious patient that allows our hero to finally let go and accept the truth to face his destiny as the most powerful sorcerer on Earth.

I have the power!

Dr. Fate?

Once Strange begins his transition from doctor to sorcerer the 70's psychedelic special effects show up and deliver something that could well be described as an acid trip or LSD trip. However, Dr. Strange does have the limitations of a 1970's television production, and falls flat very often with the dialogue - including excruciatingly annoying laughter from Strange and Clea, as they laugh at their unfunny exchanges. However, it is an admirable effort to bring a more obscure Marvel character to a live-action context. With Stan Lee as a consultant (as with all the other aforementioned shows), Lee states that this was his most enjoyable experience out of all of them. It was intended as a pilot for a series, but this was never produced - a television interview with actress Morgan LeFay towards the end, actually gives clues as to the way the show could have gone, and to be honest, it seems like an incredibly good concept.

Now, the time has come for some Dr. Strange trivia:

Dr. Stranger's suit.

The star-burst on Dr. Strange's costume is not on his comic book outfit. While it is indeed similar to one that ordains the costume of another Marvel Comics hero; Captain Mar-Vell, this particular TV movie costume star-burst design is a tell-tale "signature" of this production's costume-design consultant (and former Dr. Strange comic book artist); Frank Brunner. Brunner uses that star-burst on many different design projects and incorporated it, as a more TV-friendly replacement to the "demon" symbol usually worn by the comic-book Dr. Strange. Although not named, the creature that Morgan serves is visually inspired by Dr. Strange's comic book arch-nemesis, Dormammu, while Morgan herself could be seen as being inspired by Dormammu's sister (and Strange's foe), Umar. 

Morgan Le Fay, has been foreseen.

Morgan Le Fay appears as Doctor Strange's foe in this TV movie. Oddly enough, Morgan Le Fay was introduced to the modern era of MVL comics in Spider-Woman#2 (after an appearance in a dream in Son of Satan#8), just a few months before the air date of this TV movie, and did not encounter Doctor Strange until Avengers#240-241, published in 1984, six years after this TV movie came out.  

Morgan Le Fay is the first live action Villain.

Morgan Le Fay was the first Marvel foe to be adapted to live action. She was later joined by the Kingpin in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and the Red Skull in Captain America (1990). 

She's a beauty.

Happily ever after.

Overall, a TV movie that settles more for the side of drama and a one step at a time developing story in order to provide a more realistic tone, rather than providing full frontal science fiction from start to finish. Dr. Strange is a rarity even by today's standards, just think that his first movie won't come out until next year, after years of a growing cinematic universe.

Here's the movie trailer:

And last but not least, here's a CBS promo: