WONDER WOMEN
PARADISE ISLAND
THE MAN BEHIND THE WOMAN
LIAR LIAR
NICE SHOES
WHO'S AFRAID OF DIANA PRINCE
THAT'S INCREDIBLE
THE ONE TRUE WONDER WOMAN
WHO IS THIS, WONDER WOMAN?
PARTING SHOTS
PARADISE ISLAND
William Moulton Martin expressed to the New York Times in 1937 that America would become a matriarchy within 100 years, where "women would take over the rule of the country, politically and economically."
THE MAN BEHIND THE WOMAN
In the 1943 issue of The American Scholar, William Moulton Marston had this to say about his creation, "Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don't want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women's strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman." Okay, it was still the 40's and things were still a bit old fashioned but women?s power now had a new champion.
LIAR LIAR
Marston was more than just about women's liberation, he also created the systolic blood-pressure test which led to the creation of the polygraph test. Because of his discoveries Marston was convinced that women were more honest and reliable than men. They could also work faster and more accurately as well. All this knowledge influenced the creation of Wonder Woman and it's also why Wonder Woman's lasso has the ability to make anyone tell the truth when they are tied in it.
NICE SHOES
Every item of Wonder Woman's wardrobe has an origin story attached to it. Wonder Woman's "magic lasso" was supposedly forged from the Magic Girdle of Aphrodite, which, Wonder Woman's mother, Queen Hippolyta, was bequeathed by the Greek Goddess. To make the lasso, the god Hephaestus took the Olympian belt, removed links from it, and forged the magic lasso from it. It was unbreakable, infinitely stretchable, and could make all who are encircled by it obey the commands of the wielder, most notably to tell the truth. Her bulletproof Amazon bracelets are symbols of her all-female tribe's enslavement under Hercules. If someone removes them from her wrists, then she goes berserk. But, if you solder the bracelets together, she becomes weak.
WHO'S AFRAID OF DIANA PRINCE?
The first woman to every portray Wonder Woman on film was Ellie Wood Walker. Produced by those behind the campy Batman TV series, It was a short film called "Wonder Woman: Who's Afraid of Diana Prince" with a running time of about 4 minutes. It was designed to spark interest in a comedy based Wonder Woman series. That attempt failed, partly due to the fact that Wonder Woman was not as well known in 1967 when the film was made, as she is today. The actress, Ellie Wood Walker went on to play Mime #3 in the 1969 classic, Easy Rider.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE
Before Lynda Carter donned the tiara, Cathy Lee Crosby was Wonder Woman in a 1974 TV movie. Ricardo Montalban plays the heavy with Crosby duking it out with Anitra Ford, one of the original beauties from the Price is Right. Even though she is best known for her co-hosting gig on "That's Incredible", she later appeared in a TV movie called "World War III" with Rock Hudson portraying the American president.
THE ONE TRUE WONDER WOMAN
When ABC execs were casting the role they described who they were looking for as, "built like a javelin-thrower, but with the sweet face of a Mary Tyler Moore." Lynda Carter embodied Wonder Woman. She was Miss USA in 1973 and stood an impressive 5" 9" tall. When you think of Wonder Woman you picture Lynda Carter in the costume. She had the right physique. Brunette, long legs and curves in all the right places. Finding someone like her to take on the tiara is no small feat.
WHO IS THIS, WONDER WOMAN?
As for the big screen adaptation, it's inevitable, but who will be the one behind the star-spangled outfit? Well the list is long and growing with rumors flying all over the place. Here's a few for you to ponder - Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Connelly, Kate Beckinsale, Liv Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Famke Janssen, Monica Belluci, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Angie Harmon, Jennifer Garner, Natalie Portman and Keira Knightly. Basically just make a list of all hot Hollywood actresses and you'll see that everyone of them wants the part.
Relative unknowns topping the wish list are Mia Kirshner, Jodi Ly O'Keefe, Liz Vassey, Dagmara Dominczyk, Charisma Carpenter, Kristanna Loken, Angela Lindvall, Diane Youdale, Elisabeth Rohm and Marguerite Moreau. Again, basically everyone actress on the planet wants this role.
Fan favorite at this point seems to be Catherine Zeta-Jones. Check out this fan pic of her in the Wonder Woman get up? http://members.home.nl/nathan-x/wonderwoman.jpg
PARTING SHOTS
The picture-story fantasy cuts loose the hampering debris of art and artifice and touches the tender spots of universal human desires and aspirations. . . . Comics speak, without qualm of sophistication, to the innermost ears of the wishful self."
- William Moulton Marston, in the American Scholar, 1943
