Dr Strange.... In A TV Movie and Comic Books...

Dr. Strange was a 1978 made-for-TV movie based on the Marvel Comics fictional character Dr. Strange, which was co-created by both Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

The 1978 movie was both written and directed by Philip DeGuere. Stan Lee served as a 'consultant' on the film, which was created as a pilot for a proposed TV series, which never made it to the small screen.

The TV Movie Plot was as follows:

A young woman named Clea Lake becomes the pawn of the Sorceress Morgan LeFay. (Morgan was from the legends of King Arthur of Camelot).

The primary defender of our world against threats of a magical nature, called the Sorcerer Supreme, was a man named Thomas Lindmer (a scramble name of Merlin). 

Thomas and his man-servant Wong contact a psychiatrist named Stephen Strange, who actually is the heir to his father's potential to become Lindmer's disciple and the next Sorcerer Supreme. Strange bears his father's magical ring as a sign of this, and he has already sensed something wrong, but does not recognize the importance of what is going on. 

Lindmer must somehow convince Strange of the reality of the mystical world were the battle between good and evil is being played out on a magical level, all unbeknownst to the real world, to save Clea and thwart Morgan's plans.

This plot was based on a later series of Doctor Strange comics but just didn't flow as well on the screen as it did in the comic book series.

The TV Movie Cast were as follows:

• Peter Hooten as Dr. Stephen Strange
• Clyde Kusatsu as Wong
• Jessica Walter as Morgan LeFay
• Anne-Marie Martin as Clea Lake

By the middle of the 1970's Producers were checking out Marvel's properties for additional possible TV series, as the Incredible Hulk had been on for a few seasons and was considered successful, and Spider-Man was running for two seasons.  However this Doctor Strange just wasn't a hit for the mainstream viewing public as a TV movie.

Personally, I would not seek out this movie to view either, unless I was a Dr Strange fanatic and had to have it for my collection.... as the beginning of the film was very talkative, and without using any mystical powers or showing any costumes. 

About the best use of the cast was that Peter Hooten did resemble the Dr Strange of the 1970's comics. Otherwise the ensemble are dated as well as the music and scenes where the action took place.      

My interest in Doctor Strange goes back to the Strange Tales Comics where Dr Strange first was introduced in 1963.  He later took over the Strange Tales comic when it changed its' name to Doctor Strange. The series continued for about a year. Later he had a couple more short run solo series.  For those interested in Doctor Strange comic books, we have several in both our eBay Featured Store and eBay Pro Store.

Michael

Michael Selling Marvel Super-heroes at the San Diego Comic-Con in 1973 !