Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging: ElectraWoman and DynaGirl: "Glitter Rock" (September 18, 1976)

In “Glitter Rock,” the King of Tourembourg, Alex X (Michael Blodgett) visits with Lori (Deidre Hall) and Judy (Judy Strangis) while attending his high school reunion in the States.  

He has brought with him the valuable Key of Tourembourg.  Anyone who wears the key automatically becomes ruler of the country.

Unfortunately, a villain operating out of an abandoned theater, Glitter Rock (John Mark Robinson), tricks Alex into meeting him, and steals the crystal.  

His plan, however, is not to take over Tourembourg…but the world.  Specifically, he wants to put the key’s beautiful crystal into a satellite he plans to launch, and make the world's population his slaves.

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl race to save Alex, but instead fall into Glitter Rock’s trap.  He puts them in a “tight squeeze” and the only thing can get them out of it is the new Electra-Vibe app on their Electro-Comps.

This is the episode of ElectraWoman and DynaGirl that I most clearly remember watching on the series original run in the Bicentennial Year.  I recall, specifically, Glitter Rock’s crazy outfits, and the fact that, just a few years later, Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century 1979-1981) used the same plot line in “Space Rockers.”

Because of Glitter Rock’s outrageous appearance, this episode may qualify as being one of the campier of the bunch.  That notion is amplified by Glitter Rock’s song titles and overall plan for world domination, which involves funny song titles, and a satellite launched into space.  That satellite is represented on-screen by a lunar lander model kit, commercially available at the time.

One thing I noticed watching this time is that “Glitter Rock” and indeed, many EW and DG episodes, have nary a wasted breath. There are many scenes (and camera set-ups...) but all are extremely terse and short, meaning that there weren’t a lot of lines to learn per scene.  

The short, numerous scenes give the series a kind of breathless quality that is commendable, and harks back, in a way to the serials of the 1930s.

This episode also features a good long look at the Electra Car. There’s a scene in which the heroes board the vehicle, and then we track it as it leaves the Electra Tunnel Base.

The camera-work is impressive, and the ca -- though built over the body of a boat, I think -- is still kind of cool in a retro-futuristic way.

Next week: “Empress of Evil.”