Lyle Waggoner Movies
Tall, dark-haired, and ruggedly handsome, Lyle Waggoner is best known for being the announcer and later a regular skit player on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974. Waggoner then went on to play Steve Trevor in The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (1975). Prior to his television work, Waggoner made his feature film debut with a bit part in Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966). With looks to spare, he good-naturedly posed in the altogether for Playgirl magazine in the mid-'70s. After Wonder Woman was canceled, Waggoner only occasionally appeared in television movies and even less frequently in feature films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2003
Holy Thomas Wolfe! The same team responsible for the "retro" TV movie Surviving Gilligan's Island (including executive producer and former Gilligan co-star Dawn Wells) were responsible for this nostalgic hark back to the classic Batman TV series of the late '60s. In rehashing the creation and popularity of Batman, screenwriter Duane Poole draws heavily upon the autobiographies of stars Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin, the Boy Wonder) -- with special emphasis on Ward's recollections of the Dynamic Duo's alleged sexual escapades both on and off the set. To avoid a dry recitation of names, dates, and statistics, the producers contrive to "bookend" the flashback sequences with a campy present-day plot line, wherein the 74-year-old Adam West and 56-year-old Burt Ward (as themselves) team up to locate the original Batmobile, which has been stolen from under their very noses at a gala auto show. An unknown enemy of the two actors plants a series of cryptic clues, leading West and Ward on a picturesque journey back to Hollywood, with memorable stopovers at a roadside bar and a restored movie palace along the way.
Every so often, the veteran performers pause to remember significant events from their Bat-past (including the adulation of fans, battles with network censors, egotistical flare-ups on the set, and their own marital breakups), while in fine old Batman tradition an unseen narrator (whose identity is sublimely significant to the story line) delivers warnings of impending doom. Also keeping in the spirit of the original series are the bizarre, off-center camera angles, the onomatopoeic "Bam!," "Pow!," and "Zowie!" superimpositions during the fight sequences, the steady stream of inside jokes (including a running gag involving Adam West's notorious stinginess), and the amusing cameo appearances by former "special guest villains": Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether. A bit of Pirandello wafts into the proceedings as well, whenever either West or Ward cheerily comments on the fact that he realizes he's only acting in a TV movie, or that a commercial break is overdue. Though it strains much too hard for laughs at times, the film at least deserves credit for trying to be different from the usual run of TV biopics. Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt made its CBS Bat-bow on March 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Every so often, the veteran performers pause to remember significant events from their Bat-past (including the adulation of fans, battles with network censors, egotistical flare-ups on the set, and their own marital breakups), while in fine old Batman tradition an unseen narrator (whose identity is sublimely significant to the story line) delivers warnings of impending doom. Also keeping in the spirit of the original series are the bizarre, off-center camera angles, the onomatopoeic "Bam!," "Pow!," and "Zowie!" superimpositions during the fight sequences, the steady stream of inside jokes (including a running gag involving Adam West's notorious stinginess), and the amusing cameo appearances by former "special guest villains": Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether. A bit of Pirandello wafts into the proceedings as well, whenever either West or Ward cheerily comments on the fact that he realizes he's only acting in a TV movie, or that a commercial break is overdue. Though it strains much too hard for laughs at times, the film at least deserves credit for trying to be different from the usual run of TV biopics. Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt made its CBS Bat-bow on March 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Two men, a fisherman and banker, have both died of carbon monoxide poisoning while sailing in the waters around Cabot Cove. At first this seems to be merely a coincidence--but then the fisherman's daughter gains access to her father's logbooks and charts. Suddenly, a link develops between the two men, forged by an illegal sale of surplus defense-corporation components--and Jessica (Angela Lansbury) begins to take interest in the situation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This low-budget Troma film makes fun of low-budget sword and sorcery movies. The story centers on the battle for the mythical Sword of Aktar and its kidnapped keeper Ulric. But for a few stop-motion prehistoric creatures, the special effects are less than stellar. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lyle Waggoner, Russ Tamblyn, (more)
- 1991
This is one of several seventh-season Murder She Wrote episodes introduced by Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) but starring Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell), a jewel thief turned insurance investigator. On this occasion, Stanton is probing into the curious case of a neurotic ventriloquist named Woody Perkins (Grant Shaud) and Woody's prize dummy Billy Boy. Not longer after Woody reports that Billy Boy has been "kidnapped", the dummy turns up in a locked room--along with the corpse of Katie Kelly (Georgia Brown), a nasty comedy-club owner with whom Woody had previously had a violent argument. Stanton tries to unravel the attendant mystery with the help and hindrance of Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd) and Lt. Perry Catalano (Ken Swofford). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
There are murderous goings on at a sweatshop that specializes in lingerie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this romantic drama, a brainy receptionist falls in love with the head of the company without realizing that he is already spoken for. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1984
- R
In this adolescent adventure-comedy, an angry nerd tires of being teased by cruel surfers who play a dirty trick upon him and spike his soda pop with enough female hormones to make him grow miniature breasts. Menlo Schwartzer gets his revenge by spiking their favorite drink, Buzz Cola, with a drink that turns them into zombies with a taste for garbage who will obey his every command. He makes about six of these zombie surfers and uses them to win a big competition. The title is supposed to be a joke. There is no Surf 1. Get it? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, (more)
- 1984
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) arrives in Hollywood, where her first mystery novel "The Corpse Danced at Midnight" is being made into a movie. Unfortunately, Jessica is displeased by the decision of film producer Jerry Lydecker (John Saxon) to "juice up" her novel with heavy doses of sex and violence, and she makes no secret of her outrage. Thus it is that Jessica ends up on the suspect list when the highly unlikable Lydecker turns up murdered. John Astin, later a series semi-regular in the role of Cabot Cove real estate agent Harry Pierce, is here cast as Ross Hayley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The Gossip Columnist is a rare one-part offering from Operation Prime Time, the TV-syndication service responsible for such miniseries as The Kent Family Chronicles. Fourth-billed Kim Cattrall plays the title character, journalist Dina Moran. Instructed by her boss (Dick Sargent) to take over the gossip column previously written by Hedda Hopper-clone Alma Llewellyn (Sylvia Sidney), Dina becomes a veritable Rona Barrett (why, one would think that scenarist Michael Gleason had purposely based the character on Barrett). In the course of 2 hours, our heroine makes and breaks several celebrities. Martha Raye plays a character not far removed from herself: a formerly big star hoping for a comeback. The cast includes such TV perennials as Robert Vaughn, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Sherman, Richard Deacon and Lyle Waggoner, along with such guest stars as Steve Allen, Jim Backus, Jack Carter, Allen Ludden, Jayne Meadows, Rip Taylor and Betty White. The Gossip Columnist first aired during the third week of March, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In this made-for-TV farce, the urban phenomenon of the traffic jam and the effect it has on the lives of the participants is examined. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
The final season of The New Adventures of Wonder Woman finds the Amazonian-princess heroine (played by Lynda Carter) continuing to use her superpowers -- not to mention her magic lasso and her golden bullet-deflecting bracelets -- to fight for freedom and justice on behalf of the Inter-Agency Defense Command. Working hand in glove with W.W. is her mortal boss -- and erstwhile boyfriend -- Steve Trevor Jr. (Lyle Waggoner), the son of the dashing WWII pilot who first introduced our heroine to the world outside her home turf of Paradise Island. As both her "real" self and in the mortal guise of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman encounters a number of hair-raising adventures during the series' terminal season. Choice episodes include "My Teenage Idol is Missing," in which W.W. rescues a rock star played by a very young Michael Lerner; "The Deadly Sting," wherein W.W. tackles a mad scientist who has developed a method to fix the outcome of football games (the scoundrel!); "Disco Devil," an exposé of an extortion ring operating out of a trendy discotheque; with the legendary Wolfman Jack in a guest-star turn; "Spaced Out," featuring future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine co-star Rene Auberjonois; and a brace of two-part adventures, "The Boy Who Knew Her Secret" and "Phantom of the Roller Coaster." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, (more)
- 1977
This second of two pilot films for the Love Boat TV series was originally telecast on January 21, 1977. After the shakedown cruise, several of the actors playing the crew of the Pacific Princess were replaced. In Love Boat 2, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell and Fred Grandy portray the roles they would be playing for several seasons thereafter, namely Isaac, Doc and Gopher, respectively. But instead of Gavin McLeod as the Captain and Lauren Tewes as the cruise director, Love Boat II offers us Quinn Redecker in the former part, and Diane Stilwell in the latter. {As with the first Love Boat, this second pilot fills its time with four separate sets of passengers, each in their own self-contained plotline. Hope Lange plays a wife who, fed up with philandering husband Robert Reed, takes up with tennis pro Lyle Waggoner. Divorcee Celeste Holm is reunited with old flame Craig Stevens. CPA Bert Convy (practically a "regular" of the subsequent series) pursues cruise director Diane Stillwell. And last but not least, shy psychiatrist Ken Berry falls for brash cruise entertainer Candice Azzara. The Love Boat series proper would commence in September of 1977, and sail on until late 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinn K. Redeker
Introduced by ABC as a series of intermittently produced specials during 1976 and 1977, the vintage comic-book property Wonder Woman didn't officially become a regular, weekly series until it was picked up by CBS for its second season on the air. Lynda Carter returns in the revised The New Adventures of Wonder Woman as the title character, an Amazonian princess with awesome superpowers who lives in the "mortal" world under the alternate identity of Diana Prince. But, whereas the ABC version was set during WWII, pitting Wonder Woman against Nazis and other such reprobates, the CBS version took place in contemporary times (the 1970s, that is). Since she is immortal, Wonder Woman has not aged one iota in the intervening 30 years -- in fact, if anything, she's more attractive than ever. But how could the producers maintain the quasi-romantic relationship between W.W. and her mortal boyfriend, dashing USAF pilot Steve Trevor? The answer was charmingly simple: in her "new" adventures as a secret agent for the Inter-Agency Defense Command, Wonder Woman would take her orders from Steve Trevor's son, Steve Jr. -- who is the spitting image of his dad (as well he should be, since both Steve Sr. and Steve Jr. are played by Lyle Waggoner). Other additions to the CBS version include Norman Burton as the IADC's head man, Joe Atkinson; Saundra Sharp as Steve Jr.'s secretary, Eve; and a talking computer named the Internal Retrieval Associative, or I.R.A. for short.
In season two's 90-minute opener, Wonder Woman manages to convince her mother, Queen of the Amazons (Beatrice Straight), to allow her to continue fighting the good fight in the mortal world, just as she'd done during the war years. In later episodes, W.W. finds that certain antagonists never completely disappear, as she comes face to face with a handful of unregenerate Nazis; she rescues Joe Atkinson's daughter from the clutches of a mind-controlling rock star; a series of man-made volcanoes threaten to decimate the Earth; W.W.'s space-alien friend Andros (played by Dack Rambo, replacing the previous season's Tim O'Connor) shows up on yet another mission to save our planet; the "good guys and good girls" try to thwart a plan to kidnap all of the top Olympic athletes; villains attempt to harness the powers of a youthful psychic for nefarious purposes; and in the season closer, "The Murderous Missile," W.W. adds motorcycling to her ever-growing list of awesome accomplishments! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In season two's 90-minute opener, Wonder Woman manages to convince her mother, Queen of the Amazons (Beatrice Straight), to allow her to continue fighting the good fight in the mortal world, just as she'd done during the war years. In later episodes, W.W. finds that certain antagonists never completely disappear, as she comes face to face with a handful of unregenerate Nazis; she rescues Joe Atkinson's daughter from the clutches of a mind-controlling rock star; a series of man-made volcanoes threaten to decimate the Earth; W.W.'s space-alien friend Andros (played by Dack Rambo, replacing the previous season's Tim O'Connor) shows up on yet another mission to save our planet; the "good guys and good girls" try to thwart a plan to kidnap all of the top Olympic athletes; villains attempt to harness the powers of a youthful psychic for nefarious purposes; and in the season closer, "The Murderous Missile," W.W. adds motorcycling to her ever-growing list of awesome accomplishments! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, (more)
- 1977
Wonder Woman exits Paradise Island to break up an international terrorist plot in this adventure film. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter
The premise of the ABC fantasy adventure series Wonder Woman is firmly established in the two-hour opener (telecast in 1975, just before the debut of the series proper), which is largely set on Paradise Island, home of a tribe of super-powered (and very attractive) Amazons. Played by 5'10" former "Miss World U.S.A." Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman is the island's princess, her great power emanating largely from her golden bracelets and belt, which have been fashioned from a magical substance called Feminum. Although WWII is raging elsewhere, Paradise Island is hidden from mortal view -- until American war hero Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) crash-lands on the island. Remaining with Amazons to fight off invading Nazis, Steve makes quite an impression on Wonder Woman, and after he returns stateside she shows up in the guise of Diana Prince, a USAF yeoman assigned as Steve's assistant. The rest of Wonder Woman's inaugural season consists of irregularly scheduled "specials," each seen in a two-part format on consecutive weeks. In the early adventures, Wonder Woman meets her match in the form of Fausta (Lynda Day George), a "superwoman" created by the Nazis; W.W.'s sister Drusilla (played by a very young Debra Winger) makes her first appearance in "The Feminum Mystique"; a Nazi-generated gorilla places the free world in jeopardy; a friendly space alien (played by Tim O'Connor) tries to warn W.W. of the imminent destruction of Earth; and on a trip to Hollywood, our heroine finds that there are even fifth columnists in Tinseltown. While the limited-run first season of Wonder Woman was popular with viewers, ABC decided to forego fashioning an "official" weekly series of the property. Fortunately, Wonder Woman was "rescued" by rival network CBS -- but not without several radical change in the format! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, (more)
An unbalanced young newlywed (Mary Wilcox) begins dabbling in necrophilia. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Disregarding an unsold pilot film starring Cathy Lee Crosby as the title character, William Moulton Marston's celebrated comic-book superheroine Wonder Woman made her TV bow in the formidable person of Lynda Carter. Introduced on November 7, 1975, with the two-hour opener The New Original Wonder Woman, the ABC fantasy adventure series began its semi-weekly run on April 21, 1976. Initially set during the WWII years, the series chronicled the adventures of a legendary Amazonian princess who hailed from Paradise Island, where her forebears had fled from male persecution back in the third century B.C. Like the other female residents of Paradise Island, Wonder Woman had powers far beyond those of ordinary women, and was decked out with gold bracelets and a golden belt containing the miracle metal Feminum, enabling her to deflect bullets with her wrists. She also possessed a golden lasso with which she "wrangled" various villains. Assuming the "mortal" identity of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman joined the U.S. army air corps as a yeoman, the better to be near handsome pilot Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner), whom she'd met when his plane crash-landed on Paradise Island. Since "Diana" wore glasses and dressed more modestly than her "real" self, Steve never quite caught on that she and Wonder Woman were one in the same. Most of the first-season episodes found Diana Prince helping Steve battle Nazi spies and saboteurs, with our heroine transforming herself into Wonder Woman by twirling around and around at super speed. These early episodes also featured Wonder Woman's younger sister Drusilla (aka Wonder Girl), played by no less than Debra Winger; also, Beatrice Cohen appeared as Corporal Etta Candy, Diana's best friend.
When Wonder Woman moved from ABC to CBS for its second season, quite a few changes were imposed upon its format. First, the title was altered to The New Adventures of Wonder Woman. Second, the series' time frame was moved up from the 1940s to the 1970s, with Diana/Wonder Woman fighting contemporary baddies on behalf of the IADC (Inter-Agency Defense Command), headed by Joe Atkinson (Norman Burton). Finally, Steve Trevor was replaced by his lookalike son (and W.W.'s immediate superior), Steve Trevor Jr. (played again by Lyle Waggoner), who because Wonder Woman was "immortal" appeared to be the same age as the heroine -- or, more accurately, she appeared to be the same age as he. Other additions to the property included IADC's all-purpose computer I.R.A. (voiced by Tom Kratochzil) and Steve Jr.'s secretary, Eve (Saundra Sharp). In this revised form, The New Adventures of Wonder Woman survived on CBS until September 11, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When Wonder Woman moved from ABC to CBS for its second season, quite a few changes were imposed upon its format. First, the title was altered to The New Adventures of Wonder Woman. Second, the series' time frame was moved up from the 1940s to the 1970s, with Diana/Wonder Woman fighting contemporary baddies on behalf of the IADC (Inter-Agency Defense Command), headed by Joe Atkinson (Norman Burton). Finally, Steve Trevor was replaced by his lookalike son (and W.W.'s immediate superior), Steve Trevor Jr. (played again by Lyle Waggoner), who because Wonder Woman was "immortal" appeared to be the same age as the heroine -- or, more accurately, she appeared to be the same age as he. Other additions to the property included IADC's all-purpose computer I.R.A. (voiced by Tom Kratochzil) and Steve Jr.'s secretary, Eve (Saundra Sharp). In this revised form, The New Adventures of Wonder Woman survived on CBS until September 11, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, (more)
- 1975
The second made-for-TV movie based on Charles Moulton's classy comic-strip heroine Wonder Woman, The New Original Wonder Woman was the one that "sold", resulting in a popular and durable weekly series. Replacing Cathy Lee Crosby, who'd starred in the disastrous 1974 adaptation of Wonder Woman, is the statuesque Linda Carter. Having dwelled exclusively among females on Paradise Islandsince 200 BC, immortal Amazonian princess Diana comes in contact with the real world for the first time in her life when US Army Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) crash-lands on the island during WWII. Falling in love with Steve, the Princess assumes the identity of mousy, bespectacled Diana Prince and returns with him to the mainland. Every so often, and unbeknownst to Steve, Diana occcasionally transforms herself into the scantily clad superheroine Wonder Woman (golden lasso, magic belt and bracelets, the whole bit) in order to save the world from the Nazi menace. On this occasion, Wonder Woman does her thing in order to prevent the Nazis from destroying the prototype of a revolutionary new bombsight. First telecast on November 7, 1975, The New Original Wonder Woman was seen on ABC; by the time the Wonder Woman series proper ran its course on September 11, 1979, the property had switched networks to CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter
- 1973
A sequel to the 1973 TV movie The Letters, this film is also based on the premise of a bundle of letters, presumed lost in a plane crash, being delivered one year late, resulting in profound changes (happy, sad etc.) in the lives of the recipients. This time around, the three delayed letters were all written by the sweethearts of the deliver-ees. Among those affected by the missives are a young couple cruelly separated by the wheels of justice, a housewife involved in a extramarital relationship, and a pair of "wealthy" jetsetters who aren't all that they seem to be. As before, Henry Jones ties the three stories together as the avuncular postman. Originally telecast October 3, 1973 on ABC, Letters From Three Lovers was like its predecessor a pilot film for an unsold TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
