On This Date: January 31

1902 Tallulah Bankhead was born in Huntsville, Alabama. In March of 1967, the audacious actress appeared as the deadly Black Widow in the episodes “Caught in the Spider’s Den” and “Black Widow Strikes Again” of the television series Batman. She died in 1968 at the age of 66.

1941 Jessica Walter was born in Brooklyn, New York. The Emmy Award-winning actress, known for her role as Lucille Bluth on the comedy series Arrested Development and as the voice of Malory Archer on Archer, portrayed Morgan le Fay in the 1978 television movie Dr. Strange, based on the Marvel Comics character.

1952 The ape-like creature known as the Marsupilami, created by Belgian cartoonist André Franquin, debuted in the comics magazine Spirou. The spotted, yellow-furred imp was featured in the 2012 CGI/live-action family film Sur la Piste du Marsupilami.

1977 Kerry Washington was born in the Bronx, New York. She played artist (and Ben Grimm’s love interest) Alicia Masters in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).

(Image: Kerry Washington in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Marvel Entertainment/2oth Century Fox)

More Avenging Eye Candy

Because we can never get our fill of concept art around here, we’d like to call your attend to the work of Phil Saunders. He’s been sharing loads of his designs for The Avengers recently, including the Helicarrier (here and here), and the Quinjet as well as the Ch’tauri and their aircraft (here and here). We’re hoping there’s more to come.

(Image: Iron Man lets it rip, Phil Saunders)

Paper Mask

Around here, we don’t shy away from our affection for the 1994 Jim Carrey comedy The Mask. The plotline is simple, the antics are suited for an eight-year-old, and the special effects actually still hold up. Of course, the film version of the frenzied Dark Horse Comics’ character differs somewhat from what appeared in the 1993 pressbook (above) from New Line Cinema.

Dissecting The Dark Knight

If you’ve never read any of Todd Alcott’s multi-part film breakdowns, you may want to start with his examination of The Dark Knight Rises. Regarding police officer John Blake’s ability to correctly deduce of Batman’s true identity, Alcott observes:

“As much as director Nolan wants to ground his Batman movies, the fact remains that they are about a man who dresses up as a bat to fight crime. Thousands of creative and narrative choices flow from that single plot point. Since that single plot point is flat-out absurd, it greatly effects everything that flows from it. In this case, wait, why hasn't anyone, anywhere, even tried to figure out who Batman is?”

Alcott has taken a sharp eye to X-Men: First Class and The Avengers.

(Shout-out: Capes on Film!)

(Image: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as officer John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros. Pictures)

Bidding On The Future

Today, Prop Store kicked off an auction of items from last year’s futuristic action flick Dredd. Over the next two weeks, more than 200 treasures—costumes, gadgets, vehicles—will up be for bid. Some lucky soul will soon be parking a Lawmaster in the garage.

(Image: Judge Dredd costume and utility belt, Prop Store)

Smashing Video

ILM has released the second part of Creating the Hulk for The Avengers. Previous coverage of part one here.

Shameless Plug Of The Day

In the late 1990s, director Tim Burton was tapped to direct Superman Lives with Nicholas Cage as the Man of Steel. The project generated a fair amount of buzz at the time and even entered the pre-production phase, but a combination of script rewrites, personality clashes, and studio politics eventually doomed the effort. After roughly four years and more than $30 million invested, the book was closed on Superman Lives. Well, almost.

Producer and director Jon Schnepp has decided to turn his fascination with Burton’s unmade superhero film into a documentary to examine what the movie might have been like and what actually kept it from being produced. He has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the effort and hopes to interview Burton, Cage, and other key players who worked on the abandoned project.

(Shout-out: Bleeding Cool)

Coming Attractions

Eighties music video vixen Tawny Kitaen played the title role in The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak, which was released in the United States by Image Entertainment on this date in 1985. (The movie debuted in France a year earlier under the title Gwendoline.) Directed by Just Jaeckin and based on the character Sweet Gwendoline by bondage artist John Willie, the tongue-in-cheek adventure film also featured Brent Huff (Willard), Zabou (Beth), and Bernadette Lafont (The Queen).

X-cellent Find

Following his recent correspondence with storyboard artist Raymond Prato, Film Sketchr was extremely pleased to discover a bounty of production art, including some deleted scenes, from the first film in the X-Men series on Prato’s new website.

(Image: storyboard image of Magneto falling from the Statue of Liberty, Raymond Prato)

Out Of The Shell

Jeremy Taylor updates us on what the cast of the 1990 action-comedy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been up to.

(Image: Reporter April O’Neil (Judith Hoag) with the boys . . . er, turtles, New Line Cinema)

Coming Attractions

Director Mario Bava’s action film Danger: Diabolik! was released in Italy on this date in 1968. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and based on the comic book anti-hero Diabolik, the movie stars John Phililip Law (Diabolik), Marisa Mell (Eva Kant), Adolfo Celi (Ralph Valmont), Michel Piccoli (Inspector Ginko), Terry-Thomas (Minister of Finance), Claudio Gora (Police chief), Renzo Palmer (Minister’s assistant), Caterina Boratto (Lady Clark), and Andrea Bosic (Bank manager).

Lights! Camera! Legos!

Lego builder Project Azazel employs the colorful plastic bricks in creating dioramas of scenes from several superhero films including Batman Begins, Iron Man 2, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

(Image: Captain America: The First Avenger, Project Azazel)

Neighborhood Heroes

Today would have been Bill Bixby’s 79th birthday. The Emmy-nominated actor, who died of cancer in 1993 at age 59, appeared on numerous television programs in the 1960s and 70s and starred as Dr. David Banner in The Incredible Hulk. 

We can’t think of a better way to mark the occasion than with a look back at episode 1468 of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (aired February 6, 1980), in which Mister Rogers and Mr. McFeely pay a visit to the set of The Incredbile Hulk. Part two of the above segment here.

Animal Adaptation

Artist Kevin Chen’s early designs for interstellar baddie Boris the Animal of Men in Black 3 reveal a character that appears to be equally suited for a Ghost Rider movie.

(Shout-out: io9)

Holy Auction Block, Batman!

On January 19, the original Batmobile featured in the 1960’s Batman television series sold at auction for the first time. George Barris, who designed and built gadget-filled supercar in just three weeks, announced last fall that he was putting the car up for sale. The bidding began at $100,000 and eventually finished at $4.2 million. Watch all the action here.

(Image: George Barris with his favorite Bat-toy)

RED Again

Apparently, some CIA operatives grow old, but never die. (Though not for lack of trying.) To help underscore that point, Summit Pictures has released a trailer for RED 2. A follow-up to the 2010 action-comedy RED, which was inspired by the eponymous comic book mini-series by Warren Ellis and Cully Hammer, the movie reunites Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, and Brian Cox. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Lee Byung-hun, David Thewlis, and Neal McDonough also join the cast. The film is scheduled for release on August 2.

Shamelss Plug Of The Day

Right on the heels of their Alternate Endings exhibition, the fine folks at Brooklyn’s Bottleneck Gallery present Gizmos & Gadgets, a showcase of more than 50 artists paying tribute to their favorite devices found in pop culture. Among the works featured will be JP Valderrama’s portrait of Tony Stark and his red and gold armor, the Evolution of Batman by Cuyler Smith, and a playful salute to the Mach 5 and Shooting Star by Andrew Kolb. The show, which opens today, continues through February 3. More images and details here.

(Image: Inspector Series 83, Dave Perillo)

X-teriors And Interiors

Concept artist Thomas Whitehouse shares his some of work for the 2011 superhero movie X-Men: First Class including designs of the X-Mansion and Azazel’s swords.

Earlier coverage on the film’s costume design here.

(Image: MIB Base, Thomas Whitehouse, 20th Century Fox)

Seaside Legacy

Director Robert Altman’s 1980 musical comedy Popeye, starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall, holds a rare distinction among live-action movies inspired by comics: the actual set remains standing and is open to the public. During the seven months before filming commenced on January 23, 1980, construction crews erected 20 wooden structures along Anchor Bay on the island of Malta that became the village Sweethaven. Once the film crew departed, locals decided to repurpose the buildings and develop them into a theme park appropriately named Popeye Village.

(Shout-out: Atlas Obscura)

Coming Attractions

Universal Pictures released the science fiction thriller Virus, directed by John Bruno, on this date in 1999. Based on the Dark Horse comic book by Chuck Pfarrer, the film features Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Joanna Pacula, Marshall Bell, Sherman Augustus, Julio Oscar Mechoso, and Cliff Curtis.

Coming Attractions

Jennifer Garner stars as the Marvel Comics assassin Elektra Natchios, created by Frank Miller, in director Rob Bowman’s Elektra, which was released on this date in 2005 by 20th Century Fox. A spin-off of the 2003 movie Daredevil, the cast also includes Goran Višnjić (Mark Miller), Kirsten Prout (Abby Miller), Terence Stamp (Stick), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Roshi), Will Yun Lee (Kirigi), Natassia Malthe (Typhoid), Bob Sapp (Stone), Chris Ackerman (Tattoo), and Edison T. Ribeiro (Kinkou).

Stel–lar Design

Steffen Reichstadt, an art director at the Aaron Sims Company, unveils some of his concept work for director Martin Campbell’s 2011 superhero adventure Green Lantern.

(Image: the robotic Stel of the Green Lantern Corps, Steffen Reichstadt, Aaron Sims Co.)

S Is For Symbolic

Maurice Mitchell soars through 75 years of Superman’s chest art. Recent coverage of Cathryn Lavery’s homage to Batman’s winged logo here.

(Shout-out: io9)

Zoinks! It's Curtain Time

Fans of live theater and Mystery Inc. take note: the gang returns once again in the new production Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries. It is the third time that the youthful investigators and their canine companion have been adapted for the stage. The show kicks off its tour of the United States and Canada in York, Pennsylvania, on January 19.

And The Nomination Goes To . . .

Jarek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, and Dan Sudick have earned themselves seats at this year's Academy Awards after receiving a nomination for their visual effects work on The Avengers. And just yesterday, ILM offered up a look how they brought the Hulk into the mix with his superhero buddies followed today by a tasty little recap of their overall efforts.

(Image: The Hulk clears his throat before stomping some bad guys, The Avengers, 2012, Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Déjà View

Erin Germ takes us to some out of the way places that have managed to garner an awful lot of screen time over the years, including the Quality Cafe (above) and the Hatfield House in England, which has stood-in for Bruce Wayne’s humble abode.

Small Screen Heroics

The PBS series Pioneers of Television returns this month with more insights and recollections from the stars and creators who helped define the medium’s early years. The  episode “Superheroes,” airing on January 29, features Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Lynda Carter, and Lou Ferrigno discussing the do-gooder antics of shows such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Incredible Hulk.

(Image: George Reeves as the Man of Steel in Adventures of Superman (1952–1958); Library of Congress)

Setting The Scene

If you just can’t get enough of the sets appearing in The Avengers, then check out the concept art recently shared by production designer James Chinlund. Featured artists and designers include Bryan Hitch, Luis Hoyos, Steve Jung, Tani Kunitake, Chris Ross, Marisa Frantz, Nathan Schroeder, Amanda Hunter, Paul Ozzimo, Sam Page, and William Hunter. 

(Image: Captain America takes on rush hour in Manhattan, The Avengers, 2012, Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Shameless Plug Of The Day

Upon hearing that Bob Ficcara may lose his 21-year-old comic shop Metro Entertainment due mounting medical expenses, Bongo Comics co-founder Bill Morrison went into action and has organized a benefit auction to help the Santa Barbara-based retailer. You can bid on original art by Eric Powell, Neal Adams, Gilbert Hernandez, Walter Simonson, Tom Richmond, Tone Rodriguez, Dave Gibbons, Stan Goldberg, Robert Pope, Batton Lash, Kelly Jones, and others. But do it now—Ficcara’s facing a deadline of January 14.

(Image: an original V for Vendetta by David Lloyd)

Coming Attractions

Less than a month after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Universal Pictures released the 12-part serial Don Winslow of the Navy, directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor, on this date in 1942. Based on the comic strip created by Commander Frank V. Martinek, the high seas adventure stars Don Terry (Cmdr. Don Winslow), Walter Sande (Lt. Red Pennington), Kurt Katch (the Scorpion), John Litel (Spencer Martin), Wade Boteler (Milke Splendor), Anne Nagel (Misty Gaye), Claire Dodd (Mercedes Colby), and Samuel S. Hinds (Admiral Colby).

Tour Bus Brawl

A lot of film ideas never make it out of the concept stage. Artist Josh Nizzi recently shared some of his work for The Amazing Spider-Man, including a deleted scene (above) in which Spidey and the Lizard slug it out on a runaway double-decker tour bus.

Coming Attractions

Nearly 10 years after his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman made his first live-action appearance in an eponymous 15-chapter serial from Columbia Pictures that was released on this date in 1948. Produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Thomas Carr, the series features Kirk Alyn (Clark Kent*), Noel Neill (Lois Lane), Tommy Bond (Jimmy Olsen), and Carol Forman (Spider Lady). Because Superman’s flight sequences involved animation instead of special effects, the hero often lands behind other objects due to the difficulty of switching back to a live shot of the Man of Steel.

*Alyn was not credited for his portrayal of Superman because the studio felt that audiences should not know who actually played the part.

The Polar Express

Rail travel makes an odd comeback in director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming, post-apocalyptic outing Snowpiercer about a train that tranports the remains of humanity across an environmentally ravaged earth. Based on the graphic novel by La Transperceneige by Jacquer Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette, the film features Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho, Go Ah-sung, Ewen Bremner, Alison Pill, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, and Ed Harris. You’ll find more concept images here.

Property Of . . .

Alexander James Quinn presents a handy visual guide for keeping track of those beloved movie franchises belonging to the major studios. In other words, don’t expect a live-action meeting between Spider-Man and the Avengers anytime soon.

May We Quote You?

“There is enormous profit in pornography, and yet our films don’t routinely depict graphic sex for two reasons: (1) The public wouldn’t stand for it; and (2) Critics would feel on solid ground deploring it.” – Mick LaSalle, film critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, expressing concern over the rising amount of violence in movies. His follow-up here.

(Image: Batman and Bane do the Gotham Scuffle, The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.)