Professor Marston and the Wonder Women:

[Lefisc]

Because this movie plays with the facts so much, I don’t really know how to review it. Bur first, as a standalone fictional bio, I enjoyed it and it was fun to watch…except…

William Moulton Marston, the man who created Wonder Woman, lived with two woman, his wife and a former student who he was enamored with. He had children with both of them and when he died in 1946 the two woman continued to live together. Marston, did NOT invent the Lie detector machine, but was essential in suppling basic theories to it.

This could have been, then an interesting movie if they stuck to the facts, but theydon’t. Here they made the two woman lovers and the direct even admits that there is no evidence of that, but it made a good story. Their granddaughter, was upset over this and has repeatedly mention that was not true!

But other things were not true either:

1. They show the burning of comics, and Marston’s reaction to it, by schools and churches, in 1945, protesting Wonder Woman. These things happened in 1951-4, after Marston died in 1946 and was not just about Wonder Woman.
2. They talk about WW being a leader in “feminism.” There was no such word then. WW uses the term, “sisterhood.”
3. What bothered me the most, is them showing Marston inspired and then creating the costume. In fact they show about 100 images from the comics of Wonder Woman, NEVER ONCE mentioning H.G Peter, the artist who originally drew WW and drew her for a decade after Marston died. He absolutely was a designer of her costume. Here, as is often the case with great comic book contributors, he was erased. Here is a copy of the notes for the original costume, on the original sketch.

[TrippleJ]

Thanks Barry for the historical details. Hollywood always plays it fast with the facts and often has a different "spin" depending on who the producer/director/studio wants.

[David Vaughn]

Thanks for the background Barry. What's sad is the majority of people will watch that movie and think it's full of facts. Same with people who watch JFK and take it as gospel and not entertainment.

[Tracy Rainwater]

I never knew that Betty Boop was Wonder Woman.

[Lefisc]

Fid ypu know rhat Betty Boop was originally a dog? Really!

[moomoomoomoo]

Fid ypu know rhat Betty Boop was originally a dog? Really!

That I did know!

[moomoomoomoo]

I saw this last year, & read the book afterwards. Having very little knowledge of the subject matter, I enjoyed the film quite a bit.

[Lefisc]

3moos

Roger Ebert would often says that if a “bio” movie was good, he didn’t care if it was authentic. I kind of disagree. No bio movie will be perfect, but I enjoyed this one also.

I am a bit too involved, I guess with comics but I am saddened that the creators are ignored or forgotten. Every Bond movies opens stating “Ian’ Fleming’s James Bond,” Rowlings in never forgotten for Potter, Gardner for Perry Masson or Arthur Conan Doyle for Sherlock Holmes.

Siegel and Shuster’s name was dropped from the credits Superman for over 25 years. (It’s not on the TV show or anywhere else). It actually took an uprising from fans and fellow artists, in 1976 for their name to be restored. Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman, just had his name added after 60 years. As I mentioned before, no one names Lee and Kirby as the creator of the Black Panther. Believe me, if Harry Potter had won an award, they would have mentioned Rowlings.

And the artist who created the look of Wonder Woman, and drew her for the first 15 years is ignored.

[David Vaughn]

3moos

Roger Ebert would often says that if a “bio” movie was good, he didn’t care if it was authentic. I kind of disagree. No bio movie will be perfect, but I enjoyed this one also.

I am a bit too involved, I guess with comics but I am saddened that the creators are ignored or forgotten. Every Bond movies opens stating “Ian’ Fleming’s James Bond,” Rowlings in never forgotten for Potter, Gardner for Perry Masson or Arthur Conan Doyle for Sherlock Holmes.

Siegel and Shuster’s name was dropped from the credits Superman for over 25 years. (It’s not on the TV show or anywhere else). It actually took an uprising from fans and fellow artists, in 1976 for their name to be restored. Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman, just had his name added after 60 years. As I mentioned before, no one names Lee and Kirby as the creator of the Black Panther. Believe me, if Harry Potter had won an award, they would have mentioned Rowlings.

And the artist who created the look of Wonder Woman, and drew her for the first 15 years is ignored.

[Lefisc]

4 moos:

As you can see on the top and bottom shelves I have a few books about Wonder Woman. (The book you cannot read the title off (lower right) in the Wonder Woman comic strips of the 1940's

What book did you read about the movie? Christie Marston,his granddaughter, said to me that the movie was not only fictional but was not based on anything.