The Adventures of Ellie Wood Walker

Look! Up in the sky! Is it Gal Gadot? Is it Lynda Carter? No, it’s Ellie Wood Walker, the world’s first Wonder Woman!

Hop in an invisible plane and journey with us to yesteryear as we explore Walker’s exciting origin. Our story begins, not on the shores of Paradise Island, but on the banks of the Ohio River. That’s right! This amazing amazon hails from the center of the universe, Maysville, Kentucky!

Ellie Wood Walker was born Ellie Wood, the daughter of Clarence and Dot Wood. Many remember Dot Wood as the beloved Twilight Lady who charmed the Maysville community with her storytelling on WFTM during the 1950s.

From the age of five, Walker grew up in Maysville. She’s best remembered for her beauty, talent and kindness.

“Ellie was my teenage idol,” confessed Maysville native, Linda Woodmansee of Memphis Tennessee.

“I was younger and I wanted to look like her and dance like her, etc. I was one of many who felt that way.”

Walker attended Maysville High School. She played clarinet in the MHS band and was crowned prom queen her Senior year in 1953. This wouldn’t be the last time we’d see her in a tiara.

After graduating, Walker left Maysville to attend Northwestern University in Chicago. She went on to leap tall dreams in a single bound and landed a career in show business as a June Taylor dancer.

In 1962, she married actor, Robert Walker Jr, who is best remembered for his role as Charles Evans in the original “Star Trek” series.

Along with her work as a dancer, Walker acted in summer stock productions and would eventually land roles in films such as the thriller, “Targets” and the cult classic, “Easy Rider.”

Meanwhile, beneath stately Wayne Manor, “Batman” producer, William Dozier, decided it was time to bring another comic book hero to the small screen. This looks like a job for…Ellie Wood Walker! Maysville’s own won the coveted role of the world’s first Wonder Woman!

Filming of the five-minute TV pilot took place at Greenway Studios in 1967. Unlike the sophisticated camp of the successful “Batman” series, the tone of the Wonder Woman pilot was downright goofy. Written by Mad Magazine writers, Stan Hart and Larry Siegel, this was a far cry from the Wonder Woman we knew from the comics.

The story opens on a dark and stormy night in a typical middle-class home. A plain-clothed Diana Prince falls off the couch while trying to fold a newspaper. Diana’s mother, played by character actress, Maudie Prickett, spends the entire show nagging Diana to settle down and get married. With dialogue like, “How do you expect to get a husband when you’re flying around all the time?,” this obviously wasn’t the noble Queen of the Amazons.

Suddenly, Diana fears that Steve Trevor may be in danger and that the world needs Wonder Woman! Against her mother’s wishes, Diana changes into her iconic costume. Actually, the costume Walker wears is pretty close to the one that Wonder Woman wears in the comics except that her star-spangled shorts are baggy boxers and her eagle-emblazoned bustier loosely hangs on her.

The oddest moment in the pilot may be when Wonder Woman spends an entire minute admiring herself in the mirror. Walker is hilarious as she waves and blows kisses to herself to the classic tune, “Oh, You Beautiful Doll.” Strangely, the actress in the reflection is not Ellie Wood Walker, but actress, Linda Harrison, (best known for playing Nova in “Planet of the Apes”) in a more attractive, form-fitting costume. Eventually, Wonder Woman is able to tear herself away from… herself as she runs to a window and steps out on a ledge. “Away, you vision of enchantment!,” she chants as she flies away fluttering and flapping like a deranged canary.

Despite Walker’s best effort, no TV network was interested in this absurd, yet, very funny, version of Wonder Woman. The pilot never aired and was soon forgotten.

An animated version of Wonder Woman made it to television as a founding member of “Superfriends,”in 1973, but it took two more tries and almost a decade before a live-action Wonder Woman would find success on television.

A second pilot starring Cathy Lee Crosby aired on ABC in 1974. Again, this was not the Wonder Woman that fans were familiar with. Crosby seemed more secret agent than superhero. Dressed in a red, white, and blue polyester jumpsuit, the blonde actress looked more like Carol Brady at a 4th of July picnic than she did Wonder Woman.

Finally, just a year later, a pilot movie that was appropriately titled “The New Original Wonder Woman” premiered on ABC. With a sincere character portrayal and storylines taken directly from the comics, this was the Wonder Woman that all the world was waiting for. It was an instant hit with fans and critics. Even feminist icon Betty Friedan liked it. The series ran from 1975 to 1979, making its star, Lynda Carter, a household name.

Today, the Wonder Woman character is more popular than ever with a big screen blockbuster under her golden belt and a comic book run surpassed only by Superman and Batman. As the amazing amazon celebrates her 80th anniversary, one may wonder what it is about this character that attracts decades of devoted fans.

Shannon Farnon, who many consider the official voice of Wonder Woman, was kind enough to share her thoughts on the character’s longevity and loyal fan base.

“Wonder Woman is the archetype of the strong, intelligent, capable woman, not subservient to the male energy but equal,” Farnon explains. “She brings the wisdom of the gods to conquer problems without guns and bloodshed. So, men, women, and children relate to the goodness and sense of justice for all that she exemplifies, Fans are devoted to the ideal. Many have brought their girls up with that sense of wholeness, which was sorely lacking before she was created and published in 1941.”

Farnon was the voice of Wonder Woman on “Superfriends” from 1973 to 1983. She has portrayed the character longer than any other actress.

Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice, justice has finally been served to the forgotten 1967 Wonder Woman pilot. There’s been a resurgence of interest in the pilot over the years thanks to viewings at comic book conventions, podcast reviews, and DVD bonus extras. Many in Maysville are familiar with it thanks to Ron Bailey’s “You May Be From Maysville” facebook page. Most consider the silly pilot a train wreck, but many fans are won over by the absurdity of it all and Walker’s comic spin on the character.

“It’s hilarious!,” claims Walker’s sister, Dorothy Braudy of Los Angeles, Calif. “Ellie always liked clowning around. Still does!”

However, many hardcore Wonder Woman fans don’t find it funny at all and consider the pilot an insult to everything that is wonderful about Wonder Woman. Christie Marston, granddaughter of Wonder Woman creator, William Moulton Marston, agrees.

“I didn’t even remember that it existed until I started helping with the museum,” admits Marston, who is also curator of the Wonder Woman Family Museum in Bethel, Connecticut. “ I really thought it was a spoof until I did some research.”

Still, its popularity keeps growing. Even The Hollywood Reporter recently reviewed the ‘67 pilot stating, “It’s so bad, it’s almost a work of art!”

Love it or hate it, the little five-minute pilot that was long forgotten over 50 years ago has reached cult status. Probably seen more than any other un-aired TV pilot in history, The 1967 Wonder Woman pilot has earned its place in the history books and has earned Ellie Wood Walker the title of first person to ever play Wonder Woman!

But, what about Walker? Where is our woman of the hour with her superpower? Whatever became of Maysville’s hometown superhero?

Fear not, good citizens! Ellie Wood Walker is alive and well and living a wonderful life in Taos, New Mexico. She’s the mother of three — Michelle, David, and Charlie. She still plays the clarinet. She also plays the drums and she’s still dancing!

Walker also has wonderful memories of the Wonder Woman pilot and growing up in Maysville which she detailed in this exclusive interview for The Ledger Independent.

Q. How did the role of Wonder Woman come about? Was there an audition process or did Greenway Productions already have you in mind for the part?

A. At the time, I thought it was an audition, but we ended up filming immediately. My step-father-in-law, David Selznick, promoted me, having seen me in an off-Broadway show. He was a fan and friend of William Dozier, the producer of “Wonder Woman.”

Q. Were you familiar with the Wonder Woman character before being cast in the pilot?

A. I never read the comics, but, yes, I knew that creature did exist and that she was definitely part of the culture.

Q. Did you find it odd that you were cast as a klutzy, “plain Jane” version of Wonder Woman, when you, yourself, were so well known for your beauty and grace?

A. (Laughing) No, I did not find it odd because I AM a klutz and a clown.

Q. Are you aware of the resurgence of popularity and interest in the Wonder Woman pilot over the past several years thanks to screenings at comic book conventions, etc?

A. That’s funny! No, I did not know that.

Q. Do you have any favorite memories of growing up in Maysville?

A. My fondest memories of Maysville… Playing in the Maysville High School Band with the great John K. Farris and dancing in the Brown Dance Studio Reviews. And living on the Ohio River before the flood wall.

Q. Do you have any advice for kids in Maysville with dreams of going into show business?

A. Don’t! (laughing). No, I’m kidding. Yes, I would definitely urge kids to express themselves and go after their dreams. And they don’t have to go to Hollywood. They don’t have to leave Maysville! With today’s technology, you can do anything… make anything. Be creative! There are so many things you can do. Break free from the dogma! Yes, go into show business! I am so grateful to have grown up in Maysville when I did. There were so many creative outlets! Playing in the Maysville High School band under Johnny Farris meant so much to me. Everyone working together to make it happen. It was a wonderful time. So, break free from the dogma! Go after your dream. And with the way things are going in the world today, I wish for every kid to go to bed well-fed, in a safe home… always praying for peace.

Wise words, indeed! It seems behind all the klutziness and mirror-gazing beats the heart of a true Wonder Woman… and her name is Ellie Wood Walker! The 1967 pilot is available for viewing on Youtube and has also been shared on Ron Bailey’s You May Be From Maysville facebook page. DC comics will be releasing a Wonder Woman 80^th Anniversary 100 Page Spectacular in October.