Hero at Large (1980)

Being an out of work New York City actor in 1980 isn’t easy. You’ll find yourself taking any job that will help pay the bills.
Even being one of dozens of guys hired to dress up as Captain Avenger to help promote his latest big screen adventure for the
crowds. That’s the setup to 1980’s ‘ Hero At Large’.

John Ritter stars as Steve Nichols, a struggling actor who manages to land a gig playing the fictional superhero Captain Avenger. Being one of dozens of Captains hired, Steve stands outside movie theaters to help promote the new Captain Avenger film, signs autographs for the kids and gets mocked by cynical New Yorkers. However, fate steps in and Steve finds himself playing the heroic Captain for real.

Stumbling into a robbery and performing some derring do, Steve anonymously leaves the scene feeling pumped and will eventually feel compelled to continue wearing his bright red costume. Soon he’s stopping crimes in progress creating headlines and producing a wave of hope all over the city.

Co-starring Anne Archer, Burt Convey and Kevin McCarthy, I take a look at what is still remembered as a favorite childhood film by the ones who saw it at the time and has become one of John Ritter’s more popular and beloved films.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/106679808]

This article originally appeared on John’s site Haphazard Stuff. For more original content, also check out his blog here.