This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will conclude my look at Marvel’s 1943-1948 heroine from when the company was known as Timely Comics. For Part One and her origin click HERE.
NOTE: In the 1970s it became Marvel canon that Miss America was the mother of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver HERE, but that has since been retconned.
MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS Vol 1 #64 (Jun 1945)
Title: The Story of Miss Bluebeard
Villain: Miss Bluebeard
Synopsis: Our high-flying heroine Miss America (Madeline Joyce) comes across an insurance investigator who was just murdered by a supervillainess who is called Miss Bluebeard by insurance agencies around the U.S. Miss America investigates and uncovers an entire network of accomplices run by the evil woman, real name Lorelei Ricciardi.
Our main character shuts down Miss Bluebeard’s operations, which involve her marrying older men and then getting their insurance proceeds after they seem to die from natural causes. Miss America also saves the woman’s latest husband and another insurance investigator from being killed, then turns Miss Bluebeard and her underlings over to the police. Continue reading
HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE (1991) – I want to be very clear – this review covers the six-episode Arts & Entertainment Network original program Hollywood Detective, NOT the 1989 Telly Savalas made for TV movie The Hollywood Detective.
The stories are played straight but there’s always a tongue-in-cheek air about the proceedings because the nostalgia and quasi-historical events are more than half the appeal. Some critics complained about the less than trail-blazing mystery writing in the series but that’s like complaining about how the shows Columbo or Monk didn’t reflect authentic police work. Or how the Moses Wine novels had the detective interacting with pastiches of recognizable 1960s and 1970s public figures. 
Last month Balladeer’s Blog gave an overview of the German sci-fi hero Captain Mors the Air Pirate 
MASTER OF THE SKIES – The first short story featuring Kapitan Mors der Luftpirat is set in 1905. This origin tale saw him visit the mountain graves of his wife and children before leading his European and Indian crew against the villains responsible for their deaths and for his fugitive status. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The KIRKWOOD COLLEGE EAGLES and the PARKLAND COLLEGE COBRAS clashed for this title. The entire game was a defensive epic, with the Eagles on top 29-24 at Halftime before holding on tight against a Cobras rally from there. The final score was Kirkwood 55 Parkland 54. Germaine Benson led the victors with 12 points. 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – In this game the HERKIMER COLLEGE GENERALS took on the RICHLAND COLLEGE THUNDERDUCKS. The defenses dominated the opening Half as the Thunderducks led Herkimer College by a mere 22-19 at the break. The Generals came alive in the 2nd Half, winning the game 72-59. Jayson McGhee tossed in 25 points to lead HC and his teammate Oladele Oladitan logged a Double Double of 20 points and 15 rebounds. 
WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS (1971) – You just knew this was the movie I would start with. A biker gang hassles a group of Satanists in the usual biker way in films. The Satanists get revenge by cursing some of the bikers to start turning into werewolves and preying on the others. 
A change of pace blog post for Tuesday. 
THE ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK SHOW (1969-1970) – No, it wasn’t a Meeting of Minds type of educational program depicting the long-ago German composer Engelbert Humperdinck interacting with other historical figures. Although I would have watched a show like that! (But I’m kind of weird.)
PILOT (Dec 2nd, 1969) – The Dinckster shared the stage with Barbara Eden, Jose Feliciano, Dionne Warwick and his entertainment doppelganger Tom Jones. The Mike Sammes Singers, the Jack Parnell Orchestra and the Paddy Stone Dancers were on hand as well. This episode was rebroadcast on December 26th. 
EPISODE ONE (Jan 21st, 1970) – E-Bert’s guests this time were Tony Bennett, Leslie Uggams, Donald O’Connor and Ed Bishop from UFO. The Irving Davies Dancers joined the Mike Sammes Singers and the Jack Parnell Orchestra as the figurative house entertainers. 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The TRINITY VALLEY COLLEGE CARDINALS and the CONNORS STATE COWBOYS squared off against each other for this division’s crown. The teams went basket for basket in the opening Half, which ended in a 32-32 tie. After the break the Cardinals pulled away from the Cowboys for a 69-61 triumph. Zati Loubaki and Garrett Nuckolls led TVC with 17 points each. 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – In this game the PARKLAND COLLEGE COBRAS faced the PIMA COLLEGE AZTECS. Come Halftime the Cobras were on top of Pima College 44-38. From there Parkland College left the Aztecs further and further behind to win the game 95-74. Adam Squire led the Cobras with 23 points while teammate Jaden Martin logged a Double Double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. 
SERIAL: The Phantom Empire (1935), in which Gene Autry played a singing cowboy who saves the world from an advanced underground civilization complete with killer robots who wear cowboy hats. 
FDR’s Works Progress Administration engineered the first Film Vaults beneath America’s major cities. Each subterranean vault was as large as an aircraft carrier and they were originally used to store the monumental film collection of FDR friend Larry Alexander Finley of Frankfort, KY. 
THE MOVIE: Horror of Party Beach is one of those flicks that is on EVERYBODY’S Worst Films of All Time list and has been for several decades. In the 1980s the Medved Brothers’ books on Golden Turkeys helped secure its reputation. Just about every Movie Host show presented this film at some point.
CRACK COMICS #1 (May 1940) 
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