Best of The Incredible Hulk TV show, part 2

Originally published April 7, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1377

As I mentioned last week, the noble But I Digress readers were instrumental in helping select the episodes of The Incredible Hulk TV series for the Columbia House “Best of” tape collection. Herewith the rest of the selections that made the cut.

TAPE 6– #50108 “747″

#53016 “My Favorite Magician”

The number of actors who have sustained even two (much less three) can be counted on the fingers on the one hand. In this installment of the “Best of the Incredible Hulk,” we’ve decided to highlight two of the episodes which team up one of those rare few, Bill Bixby, with co-stars from his past endeavors.

One might write off “747″ as a typical “plane-in-trouble” episode, when a botched theft of a King Tut exhibit results in a drugged flight crew, forcing Dr. David Banner (Bixby) to step in and land the jeopardized plane. Two major elements, however, elevate the oft-seen scenario. The first is the presence of Brandon Cruz, Bixby’s co-star in “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” in the co-pilot seat. And the second, of course, is that no other reluctant pilot has ever had to worry about “Hulking Out” under stress. Cruz eventually left acting, moving into such fields as animation (an assistant editor on South Park) and music (with his band, “Dr. Know.”)

Not only does “My Favorite Magician” re-unite Bixby with Ray Walston, his My Favorite Martian co-star, but the title itself in-jokingly harkens to Bixby’s underrated and regrettably short-lived dramatic series, The Magician (which developed a loyal following, but unfortunately not high enough numbers to satisfy the ratings gods.) In this episode, Banner finds himself helping an aged and ailing vaudevillian magician who is seeking to reunite with his old love—on the eve of her wedding to a con man. In addition to Walston, who would go on to win an Emmy for his work in Picket Fences, the guest cast includes Robert Alda (a distinguished movie actor and father to actor Alan Alda) and Scatman Crothers,” known for his work in numerous sitcoms as well as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.

Think of this installment of “The Best of The Incredible Hulk” as a tribute to Bixby’s remarkable and rare popularity as a TV performer.

TAPE 7– #53027 “Broken Image”

#55431 “King of the Beach”

The Incredible Hulk is oddly unique in TV series history in that its three lead actors (Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, and Jack Colvin) almost never had scenes together. The two episodes collected here are among the very few that actually give the co-stars a chance to co-star.

“Broken Image” turns on Banner’s startling resemblance to criminal Mike Cassidy (also Bixby, of course), who is setting up Banner as a decoy so that he, Cassidy, can make a clean getaway. (Note the in-joke at one point to The Six Million Dollar Man, an earlier series by producer Kenneth Johnson.)

It’s a tribute to Bixby’s acting talent that he manages to convince us that Cassidy and Banner are two different people… particularly impressive considering the limits of split-screen at the time. Curiously, Bixby and Ferrigno don’t actually have a face-to-face scene in this episode, although we do get to see a desperate Banner try to avoid detection by McGee by convincing the confused reporter that he’s actually Cassidy.

But “King of the Beach” doesn’t stint in giving Bixby and Ferrigno a chance to emote opposite one another as Ferrigno acquits himself well in his first-ever speaking role. In “Beach,” Ferrigno is deaf restaurant worker Carl Molino (a decidedly un-green Ferrigno) who resolves to enter a body building contest so he can use the prize money to open his own cafe. Karen Harris’ deftly written script incorporates key aspects of Ferrigno’s own background. Ferrigno suffered a 75% hearing loss at age three due to illness. Despite the fact that lessons in speech and lip reading enabled him to communicate, classic ninety-pound weakling Ferrigno was still widely teased by other kids… until he took up body building. These real-life aspects give the story a unique verisimilitude… to say nothing of the riotous moment when the Hulk unwittingly finds himself in the body building contest, being greeted with wild applause instead of screams!

TAPE 8– #53049 “Prometheus” (Part 1)

“53050 “Prometheus” (Part 2)

This is it: The single most popular episode in the entire run of the series, “Prometheus” kicked off the series’ fourth season with writer/director/producer Kenneth Johnson demonstrating that he knew how to give viewers a rousing good time. Not to mention a visually arresting time: One of the most surreal moments in the early Hulk comic series was when the Hulk temporarily found himself stuck in his muscled green body, but sporting the head of his alter ego, Dr. Banner. “Prometheus” reverses the concept to tremendous effect.

While aiding a newly-blinded woman (Laurie Prange) in coping with her handicap, David Banner (Bill Bixby) winds up with even bigger problems when radiation from a fallen meteor traps him in mid-transformation. (That look of panic in Banner’s face might not have been acting. Just imagine his realizing that he had to wear those blasted contact lenses for practically two whole episodes.) Captured by the army under the mistaken belief that he’s an extra-terrestrial, Banner must escape from their clutches while avoiding the implacable pursuit of reporter Frank McGee (Jack Colvin.)

Although a heavily made-up Bixby was used to convey Banner’s transitional state for close-ups, actor Ric Drasin stepped in for the medium and far shots to convey a being who physically was somewhere between Banner and the Hulk. Also featured in the guest cast are accomplished character actors Monte Markham and Whit Bissell (whose credits are literally too numerous to list.) The name “Prometheus” harkens back to the Titan of myth who brought fire—and hence, advancement—to humanity. The gods, angered by his indiscretion, punished him by tying him down and allowing various birds of prey flying in to devour his body at will, only to have his body heal itself so that the

suffering could begin anew. Considering the grief that David Banner has suffered in seeking knowledge and advancement—and the pain that he has endured, only to have it happen again and again—the episode is aptly named.

TAPE 9– #53014 “Homecoming”

#53011 “The Snare”

In the majority of the adventures of The Incredible Hulk, David Banner (Bill Bixby) finds himself embroiled in someone else’s difficulties, helping them out of their problems while trying to keep his emerald other identity under wraps. In these two installments, however, Banner finds himself squarely in the emotional heart of the first episode, and squarely in the sights of someone who is gunning for him in the second.

In “Homecoming,” Banner returns home, realizing that he “can’t spend another Thanksgiving alone.” Flabbergasted by the unexpected return of a family member thought dead for three years are his sister (Diana Muldaur, a veteran actress whose credits range from Star Trek to L.A. Law), and father (John Marley). In the comic books, Dr. Banner’s mother is dead and his father was abusive. Although Banner’s mother is likewise dead in the TV version, in “Homecoming” his (non-abusive but still estranged) father is a struggling farmer, battling against threats from both insects and humans who would put him out of business. Interesting bit to look for: A dream sequence recycles footage from a nightmare in the Hawaii-based episode “Married,” evidenced by the fact that Banner is wearing a lei in the dream.

The classic 1932 film, The Most Dangerous Game, in which nutso hunter “Count Zaroff” arranges for a group of shipwrecked people to serve as prey in his private stalking grounds, has inspired a number of similarly themed stories in television, ranging from episodes of Fantasy Island to Gilligan’s Island. But rarely has it been done with greater panache than in “The Snare.” Tracking down Banner (and the Hulk) in his private game preserve is equally nutso hunter Michael Sutton, played by Bradford Dillman (The Mephisto Waltz, Sudden Impact.). A superior episode in that not only do we have the opportunity to see Banner’s brilliance turned to something more mundane than physics (namely surviving from minute to minute), but ultimately we are reminded that sometimes even the most human looking of individuals can be monsters without benefit of gamma radiation.

TAPE 10– #55422 “The First” (Part 1)

#55435 “The First” (Part 2)

In comic books, there’s been any number of opponents who were capable of going toe-to-toe with the green goliath known as the Incredible Hulk. In the TV series, however, the emphasis has always been on human drama, with the occasional bullying thugs tossed in for the purpose of getting David Banner (Bruce Bixby) angry enough to get big and green. From a story and tone point of view (to say nothing of budget considerations), the Hulk remained the only superstrong player in his little universe.

Although this status changed in subsequent Hulk movies (as such Marvel mainstays as Thor and Daredevil were introduced), “The First” was actually the first time that the Hulk was faced with an opponent big enough to give him a real challenge and cause some major property damage.

Legends of another Hulk-like being from decades earlier results in Banner’s investigating the research of a long-dead scientist… research that not only led to the creation of another creature, but to a possible cure for Banner’s own condition. However, it turns out that the late scientist’s assistant, Dell Frye (Harry Townes) was actually the creature in question, and has been waiting years to unleash once again the beast within him (which curiously looks like a cross between the Hulk and Jack Nicholson, sporting Don King’s hair.)

Minor casting amusement: One of the creature’s first victims is played by an actor named Jack Magee… not to be confused with reporter “Jack McGee.” McGee (Jack Colvin) is also on hand in this episode, and a nice bit of continuity occurs when McGee confronts Frye and—believing him to be the Hulk—addresses him as “John Doe,” the name he knew him by back in the “Mystery Man.”

Of greater casting interest is that Frye’s enraged other half is portrayed by Dick Durock, the only actor who has as much experience as Lou Ferrigno in playing large green comic book heros: Durock has appeared as Swamp Thing in both feature film and television incarnations of the swamp-dwelling DC character.

So that’s the “Best of” The Incredible Hulk, a TV series that I now have a lot more fondness for than I used to. Coming soon: The Best of Bewitched. I figure I’ll probably select that episode were Endora cast a spell on Darren, but Samantha made it seem like it was actually an advertising campaign. You remember the one.