20151010

WONDER WOMAN

"The key to 'Wonder Woman' is reviving the old-fashioned Forties' code of ethics when everyone knew who the bad guys were," Lynda Carter observed. "Wonder Woman was obviously before my time (Lynda was born in 1951), but I've done a lot of research on the 1940s when the show takes place and seen a lot of films from the period, probably the best method to get the feel of the time. The thing that amazes me is how unified and patriotic America was in those days. It's certainly different from now (in 1977), with the Watergate scandals and all the different interest groups causing dissension."

Of 'Wonder Woman', Lynda maintained, "We're not on a soapbox. There are definitely messages in the show, but they're reasonably subtle. Otherwise, people would turn off the television in 2 minutes. I want people to enjoy the show, most of all. It's exciting. It's fun. Seeing the show should make people feel great! It's not preaching – it's a dramatic action comedy about a very special lady."

Ron Samuels believed, "Superstars are a very special and rare breed. They've got something you don't see in most actors or actresses. This is not just a question of talent; I'm talking about extraordinary, physical beauty. Even if Paul Newman was not a famous actor, he would attract your attention in a crowd because he's such a remarkable handsome man. Elizabeth Taylor in her prime, would grab you the same way, as would Gene Tierney and Lauren Bacall. They are in a class by themselves."

On reflection, Lynda acknowledged, "I don't make myself any illusion. I know that my name shines in shiny letters thanks to my celebrity in television . . . Success, it is a fantastic thing but it is also the hardest of the victories in an artist's life! 'Wonder Woman' has given me the vis­ibility I needed. When people hear my name they know who Lynda Carter is."

Lynda also recognized, "I've grown into the responsibility I have to my audience - the people who keep me working. Whenever I've gotten into a big ego thing, something has happened to bring me back to reality, like God's saying, 'Cut it out!' I get mail from almost every age group, some scribbled in crayon, some typed. I got one recently (back in 1978) from a deaf girl that really made me think how much I take things for granted." As a role model for audiences between the ages of 8 and 16, Lynda described 'Wonder Woman' as "the epitome of idealism. A woman who hasn't been subjected to negatives. The good old-fashioned happy ending where reality isn't shoved down your throat. All girls, everybody, wants to believe there is a Santa Claus."

The trend of women as lead in a regular prime time TV series began in the 1974-75 season with Angie Dickinson in 'Police Woman'. Then came Lindsay Wagner in 1976 as 'The Bionic Woman' followed by 'Charlie's Angels' (Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd) and for the 1977-78 season, 'Wonder Woman'. Lynda had said, "People thought I got some workout, leaping from buildings, running for miles. Not really. I'd run about 30 feet, stop, do it again, stop, film it, just so. Those stunts didn't add up to much. I always had to exercise conscientiously."

Back in 1980, Lynda told the British 'Weekend' magazine, "I don't know how my sister Pamela and I came up with levitation. I was about 6 (back in 1956) and Pam about 8 when we would sit down and 'ask' the table to rise. We concentrated as hard as we could and said: 'Rise, table, rise.' While we were kneeling, the table would rise above us. We would stand up and the table would go above our heads. It was just a game to us but my father thinks to this day that we had rigged the table with wires. Pam and I have tried to levitate tables since, but without success.

"At one time we passed telepathic messages to each other. One of us would think of an object and the other would get it right 9 times out of 10. Pam would think of a rose and I'd see a daisy but it was still a flower. Once, I dreamed that I was talking to director Francis Ford Coppola. The 2 of us were wearing muddy boots. At the time, it sounded ridiculous but I thought that one day I would work with him and it happened. I was offered a part in his 'Apocalypse Now'. Later, the 2 of us were sitting and talking and we were wearing muddy boots.

"I was talking to a stuntman and I heard myself saying: 'Don't ride in the motorcycle race this weekend.' The message wasn't from me. I didn't even know that he was racing. During the race he decided to drop out because of a problem with the handlebars and he was uninjured." It was reported, "Lynda believes that her powers come from God and her faith as a 'born-again Christian.'"

Lynda made the confession in 1987, "I weaned myself off junk food. It's difficult. At times, I think the furthest I'll go is just a bite of 'Wendy's' or a 'Roy Rogers' or a pizza, but then I feel guilty and have salad for 2 days. I like complex carbohydrates, like wheat bread with no butter. I don't eat fat. When you feel like you'll just die without a candy bar, I've discovered that it's a good idea to wait as long as you can and get busy with something else. When I feel that I absolutely must eat a rich dessert, I have it in a restaurant. Eating a dessert in public keeps me from having doubles because of social awareness."

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