Written by Vincent McEveety
Directed by John D. F. Black
Steve: "Oh Dee, you didn't tell me. When you finally caught up with him, how was your bout with the dentist?"
Diana: "Painful. A little."
In a different universe, Lynda Carter might not have been the definitive version of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Had this TV movie actually led to successful, it could've been Cathy Lee Crosby but things have a way of not working out.
Like the pilot movie that would come out a year after the release of this one, this ABC offering from 1974 kept things simple. If you're hoping for some iconic rogue gallery members, you're out of luck here.
Instead you get a brief look at Diana's life in Paradise Island as her mother, Hippolyta (Charlene Holt) sent her to Man's World to make it a better place. This meant working as a secretary for Steve Trevor (Kaz Garas) and assuming the mantle of Wonder Woman.
The main plot for this pilot TV movie involved ten books being stolen from Rio De Janeiro, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul and London. They were stolen by the devious George Calvin (Andrew Prine) at the behest of the oddly charming Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalbán). That and the identities of thirty nine agents.
Abner wanted $15 million to be delivered to Nevada by donkey and George wanted to kill Diana. I mean, George really wanted to kill her and tried multiple times and failed each time. Even the assistance of rogue Amazon Ahnjayla (Anitra Ford) didn't exactly yield the results he wanted.
As baddies, George was the most despicable of the bunch and his eventual downfall was rather satisfying. Abner on the other hand was almost too courteous in defeat. He was way too happy about being bested by Wonder Woman and even declared his love for her upon being arrested. It was very odd indeed.
- Diana was called Dee by both Steve Trevor and Bob (Jordan Rhodes). Diana's relationship with Steve was strictly professional.
- Kaz Garas who played Steve Trevor would appear in the Lynda Carter show as Lucas.
- Unlike the TV show, it seemed like everyone was aware that Diana Prince and Wonder Woman were the same person.
- Chronology: Present day and in multiple locations for the whole movie.
As a TV pilot episode, Wonder Woman could have maybe worked. I know Cathy Lee Crosby looked nothing like the character (and neither did her costume) but I thought she did fine in the part. A decent if not spectacular live action debut for the iconic character.
Rating: 6 out of 10
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