Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
Moderators: Scott Sebring, Ben Bentley
Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
Rodger Hunter Hall, impresario of the Facebook group "The 100% Truly Official Classic 1966 BATMAN TV SHOW. Accept no substitutes!" has shared a clip from a 1976 episode of "Monster Squad" that Julie Newmar evidently shared with him. The episode was written show was created by Stanley Ralph Ross and features Ms. Newmar as villainess Ultra Witch and Richard Bakalyan, Joe E. Tata and Victor Paul as henchmen. It also reunites Newmar with actor Buck Kartalian, who played the Wolfman on Monster Squad and served as cat burglar John in Hot off the Griddle/The Cat and the Fiddle.
It's a lot of fun, and a nifty assemblage of Batman alumni but, as I learned from the IMDB summary of the episode, it also resurrects a gag the Batman producers nixed when Ross wrote it into his script for The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra. In the Monster Squad episode, Ultra Witch uses a weapon called the “Ronald Raygun” to turn members of the Monster Squad into flattened cardboard cutouts.
Ross infamously gave Dr. Cassandra that very weapon in his original Batman script, but Greenway (or ABC?) asked him to change the name in deference to then-California Governor Ronald Reagan. Ross renamed it the Alvino Raygun for the Batman episode but finally got to use its original name nearly a decade later.
It's a lot of fun, and a nifty assemblage of Batman alumni but, as I learned from the IMDB summary of the episode, it also resurrects a gag the Batman producers nixed when Ross wrote it into his script for The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra. In the Monster Squad episode, Ultra Witch uses a weapon called the “Ronald Raygun” to turn members of the Monster Squad into flattened cardboard cutouts.
Ross infamously gave Dr. Cassandra that very weapon in his original Batman script, but Greenway (or ABC?) asked him to change the name in deference to then-California Governor Ronald Reagan. Ross renamed it the Alvino Raygun for the Batman episode but finally got to use its original name nearly a decade later.
- Ben Bentley
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Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
I’ve never actually seen any of Monster Squad (probably more of an active decision than I previously realised upon thinking about it ) but this was some very timely fun to see these Bat-Alumni on Halloween week.
- Therin of Andor
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Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
Very cool that Dr Cassandra's invention was still around. She probably couldn't renew her patent and trademark while in her polka-dotted prison cell.
Dr Cassandra in her cell by Ian McLean, on Flickr
Dr Cassandra in her cell by Ian McLean, on Flickr
"Holy nostalgia, Batman!"
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
Therin of Andor
(aka Ian McLean, from Sydney, Australia)
- Dan E Kool
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Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
Jim, great stuff. Thanks for sharing!!
One nitpick--just for the record, the episode technically was written by a guy named Roy Kammerman, but of course it is one of Ross' darlings as he not only developed the series, but is credited as executive story consultant.
Similarly, there's one with a musical-themed villain in which SRR is one of three credited writers. The names of the villain's two henchmen? Allegro and Andante!
That episode was directed by James Sheldon, who also helmed Julie's season 1 Catwoman arc.
One nitpick--just for the record, the episode technically was written by a guy named Roy Kammerman, but of course it is one of Ross' darlings as he not only developed the series, but is credited as executive story consultant.
Similarly, there's one with a musical-themed villain in which SRR is one of three credited writers. The names of the villain's two henchmen? Allegro and Andante!
That episode was directed by James Sheldon, who also helmed Julie's season 1 Catwoman arc.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
Thanks for the correction. The Facebook post credited SRR, and I never thought to fact-check it in light of the recycled business from Ross's Batman script.
Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
No biggie. It's clear he had his hand on all the scripts. There are a lot of bad Ross-style puns, but the show is fun to watch if you're in the mood.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
- Ben Bentley
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Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
"if" being the operative word in that sentence...High C wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 6:44 pmNo biggie. It's clear he had his hand on all the scripts. There are a lot of bad Ross-style puns, but the show is fun to watch if you're in the mood.
Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
True. IMO, the worst of Stanley Ralph Ross > the worst of Stanford ShermanBen Bentley wrote: ↑Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:09 pm"if" being the operative word in that sentence...
Not a high bar to vault over, I grant you.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.
'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
If SRR had written the episode where he made his unbilled cameo, the name of his character I am convinced would have been Ballpoint Penn.
- clavierankh
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Re: Ross's Revived "Ronald Raygun"
Well Ballpoint was in the Pen.