Superman in Media - Part 1
Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 03:59PM This is part of my Superman Files and covers Superman's adaptation into media from 1940 to the 1960s, roughly. To skip ahead to Part 2, where we discuss the Christopher Reeve films and the television shows of the 80s and 90s, Click Here!
THE RADIO ADVENTURES
When Superman exploded onto the comic book world, it wasn't too long before folks decided to introduce him to a larger audience in other mediums. First, he started showing up in newspaper strips. And then, on February 12, 1940, almost two years after his introduction in Action Comics #1, a radio program called The Adventures of Superman made its first broadcast.
The show starred actor Bud Collyer in the role. A professional singer, Collyer was noted for his skill at giving Clark Kent and Superman two distinct voices by altering his own voice up or down an octave. This helped make the character's disguise more palatable to radio fans.
When the radio show started out, it was quite different from the comics. In this adaptation, Superman left Krypton as a baby but arrives as an adult, having aged during the long trip to Earth. He's quickly found by a young man named Jimmy Olsen and his father. This was actually Jimmy's first appearance and it was only later that he debut in comics as a photographer and "Superman's pal."
Superman decides immediately that he should help the people of Earth and wonders what he can do to 
make sure that he is alerted when danger happens. The Olsens suggest he join a newspaper, where he would be among the first to hear whenever disaster struck. They also suggest he disguise himself and use a human name such as "Clark Kent" in order to stay incognito until he's needed. So here, there is no adopted parents nor a childhood spent on a farm, though his main reason for working at a newspaper is still the same.
Other major differences? Well, since there was no visual element for folks at home to enjoy, there wasn't the same emphasis in the comics to keep getting Superman into costume. Instead, stories focused a great deal more on his role as Clark Kent and his interaction with co-workers such as Lois Lane and his editor Perry White. Perry was created for the radio show but, like Jimmy Olsen, would later be brought into the comics as well.
Since there was so much time given to Clark Kent, he was treated as more of a rounder character rather than just Superman's disguise. He was a man with a sense of humor who quickly gained the respect of those around him, willing to risk his life for any story that would expose corruption or help a person in need. He even appeared foolhardy sometimes, rushing off towards danger and ignoring the warnings of his friends and editor who were unaware he had powers to protect him. In several radio stories, criminals were more wary of the crusading journalist Kent than the mysterious Superman.
All of this made it seem a bit bizarre that Lois Lane was so impatient and unimpressed with the man. It seemed she was too cynical to believe that Kent was as nice and as brave as he appeared to be.
Another different from the comics was that the radio Superman was not a public figure. In the first several adventures, he acted clandestinely, doing his best not to be seen. If he was forced to confront a criminal directly, he often threatened them not to report his presence. A few eye-witnesses would claim to see a blurred figure in a red cape, but Clark Kent himself assured his editor that this "Superman" was merely an urban myth. It wasn't until several adventures into the series that Kent, and others, finally admitted there were too many eye-witness accounts for the Man of Steel to be a hoax.
Now, here's an important fact, friends. At this time, Superman still could not fly in the comics. He was only able to leap 1/8 of a mile. However, in the radio program, he could fly and hover at will, hence the radio show's introduction of people on the street shouting "Up in the sky! Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SUPERMAN!", which would become a staple of the character.
It's possible that this ability was added to help the radio incarnation of Superman act more clandestinely than his comic book counterpart, giving him the ability to spy on folks from high above, while also allowing the audience to gain a lot of necessary exposition as he described what he was witnessing. It could also be that the writers and producers figured it would be more exciting for the audience to imagine a person flying than a person who leaped everywhere.
Now, radio isn't a visual medium, so how did the audience know when Superman was flying? Audio cues. Just as the Lone Ranger always shouted "Hi-yo, Silver - Away!" every time he began a chase scene, Superman would declare "Time to go up - UP!" or "Up, up and away!", which was followed by the sound of rushing wind. When he was ready to return to the ground, he would shout "Down! Down!" and the wind would dissipate.
Eventually, the adventures became more akin to the comic books. Superman was known to the public and was a trusted authority figure, fighting strange menaces and corrupt men. And not long after that, the radio program introduced the rest of the world to "Kryptonite."
Kryptonite was based on "The K-metal from Krypton", a story that Siegel and Shuster had been asked to shelve when they proposed it for the comic book. The tale would've involved Superman learning about his adopted planet finally after discovering a metal ore which was poisonous to him.
In the radio program's adaptation, the story was very similar, though instead of a metal sample it was a strange glowing rock from Krypton that Superman discovered. Tracing the deadly rock back to its origins, the radio incarnation of Clark finally learns about his home planet for the first time (he'd been too young to remember the planet since he'd left as a baby). Because this meteorite is from Krypton, he calls it Kryptonite.
Interestingly, Kryptonite would still not appear in the comic books until Superman #61, published in December, 1949, nearly a decade later.
Now here's another fun fact. Part of the reason Kryptonite was introduced was to give actor Bud Collyer a break now and then. The guy was acting in every episode and, due to the nature of the story, had to be in at least half the scenes. So if you wanted to give a guy a vacation without just putting the radio program on hold for a few days, you had to get creative. When Superman suffered Kryptonite poisoning, one effect was that his voice became very weak, even gravelly. This was to disguise the fact that Collyer was gone and a new actor was in his place, speaking in a harsh rasp.
Along the same lines, later radio shows would give Collyer a break by saying that Superman needed to leave Metropolis on special business. To make sure that radio fans still got their regular dose of super-hero action and that the rest of the supporting cast wouldn't have to bow out for several days, the Man of Steel would ask Batman and Robin to come to Metropolis and watch over things while he was gone.
The Dynamic Duo of Gotham City was more than happy to help out and so we'd have the occasional adventure where they worked alongside Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane to take down bizarre criminals. These radio adventures also helped make the two Gotham heroes more of a household name, as there was no Batman and Robin radio series.
The most interesting thing about these stories is that this was technically the first time Batman and Superman ever interacted. Although they appeared together often on the covers of World's Finest Comics, they never actually shared stories together. In fact, it would be several more years still before the comics finally had them team-up for the first time in the 1950s.
When the radio program began, episodes were about 15 minutes and were broadcast three to five times a week. In 1949, it became a half-hour show broadcast three times a week. Months later, it was only broadcast on evenings. In 1950, it returned to afternoon broadcasts, but now only twice a week. The series finally ended in 1951.
Soon after the radio show began, it inspired folks to adapt Superman into yet another form of mainstream media ...
THE FIRST CARTOONS
In 1941, Superman began appearing in the now-famous Max Fleischer cartoons, watched by kids in various theaters. The cartoon helped make Superman more of a champion of the status quo rather than a man who questioned the government.
Each episode followed a basic formula. Clark would be at work or on assignment with Lois and Jimmy. Something weird would happen. And Clark would head for a phone booth or a closet or some such place to change into his costume, saying each time, without fail, "This looks like a job for Superman!"
Interestingly, these cartoons were approached seriously and with a slightly adult mentality. The animation was done in a very professional style, relying heavily on shadows and lighting effects. Its budget was higher than any other animated show at the time. Stories involved body counts and genuinely scary menaces. And there was often the threat of some horrific death such as being tied up and then drowned in molten metal.
Although Superman was clearly more powerful than any normal human being, he wasn't invincible in this cartoon. When a robot punched him, he may not have bruised but he certainly felt it. Likewise, although he was able to survive a direct blast from an energy weapon that could topple buildings, it still knocked him down several times before he was able to defeat it. Thus, there was always a definite element of danger for the hero.
The cartoon cemented the idea for the general public that Superman could actually fly and didn't merely leap from place to place. The animators took a cue from the radio program and gave him the power to defy gravity since it was more visually interesting and easier to depict. Months later, DC Comics finally followed suit and now Superman could actually fly in his comic book adventures as well.
Since this was a visual medium with a high-focus on high-flying action, it was very different from the radio series as Clark Kent took a back-seat to Superman. The reporter was treated more as a disguise than a true alter ego. And since the episodes were so short, audience were given almost nothing that didn't directly relate to the plot. You had to imagine and conclude many things based on just a few moments of dialogue or action here and there.
Since one episode ended with Clark and Lois riding a Ferris wheel together and remarking about how Superman had recently saved the day, one could imagine that the two were on a friendly date, but you didn't see how Clark had asked her out or how the evening concluded. And while it was clear that Lois teased Clark now and then, you had no idea how much time they spent together outside the office or if they were truly rivals or merely colleagues.
The cartoon had a few different introductions, depending on the episode. One thing that was constant was the first few seconds, which copied the radio introduction by having a crowd of onlookers shout "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SUPERMAN!" The credits would roll then and the true introduction would follow.
The first episode began by explaining that there had once been a planet called Krypton which shone like a "green star in the heavens" and which held a race of supermen, people like humans but far more evolved mentally and physically. The planet blew up, but just beforehand a scientist sent his son to Earth ...
“The infant of Krypton is now the Man of Steel - Superman! To best be in a possession to use his amazing powers in a never-ending battle for truth and justice, Superman has assumed the disguise of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper."
After that, the standard intro for most episodes was this:
“Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton - the Man of Steel - SUPERMAN! Possessing remarkable physical strength, Superman fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice, disguised as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter: Clark Kent."
For a couple of episodes, there were slight alterations. For instance, a couple replaced the line about leaping tall buildings in a single bound with the line "Able to soar higher than any plane!"
The last several episodes were different in tone and quality. Max Fleischer was no longer involved in the production and animation and his brother Dave Fleischer was no longer directing the series. As a result, the animation and story quality seemed to lessen. Superman was now being portrayed as a patriotic agent of the American government in his own way, fighting Nazis, Japanese spies and "god-less" cults who believed in human sacrifice. One such story was unfortunately titled "Japateurs."
Another change was to the introduction. Instead of comparing Superman's ability to speeding bullets and trains, the narration now declared that the hero was "Faster than a streak of lightning! More powerful than the pounding surf! Mightier than a roaring hurricane!"
But whatever failings it may have had, the Fleischer cartoons were a great success with critics and fans and is still hailed by many as the best animated adaptation.
LIVE-ACTION AT LAST!
Superman's live-action debut occurred on July 3rd, 1940 at the World's Fair. To join in the festivities, National Periodicals (which is what would one day become DC Comics) and the department store Macy's got together and co-sponsored a "Superman Day" at the Fair's "World of Tomorrow" exhibit. It seemed fitting since, after all, Superman was known not just as the "Man of Steel" but also as the "Man of Tomorrow."
The man who portrayed the Kryptonian hero was Ray Middleton, an actor who would go on to appear in several Broadway plays and various television programs. Along with special edition copies of World's Fair Comics and a live radio-broadcast of The Adventures of Superman, kids got to meet Middleton and ask him questions about his adventures in fighting crime. It was quite a treat for many folks.
Since it was only 1940, the Superman costume and S-shield had not yet achieved a standardized look. So as you can see, his chest symbol is quite different, with the name "Superman" actually printed in bold letters just above the stylized "S". What's more, his boots are laced up, which is slightly reminiscent of the very first Superman design Shuster did which involved golden bands wrapped around the red boots, giving them a sandal-like appearance.
Many years later, Superman finally appeared as a live-action character on the silver screen. In a 15-part movie serial simply called Superman, the character was brought to life by Kirk Alyn. Interestingly, Alyn was the only actor of the main cast to not have his name appear in the credits.
The first 15-part storyline focused around a terrorist known as the Spider Lady, leader of an organization of criminals who did her bidding. Clark Kent, Lois and Jimmy all worked together to track down the Spider Lady and stop her plans.
Kirk Alyn played the character very close to Bud Collyer's interpretation. He didn't have the same ability to give Clark Kent and Superman such different voices, but he did give them different body language and personalities.
In Alyn's serials, Superman always looked ready for action, his face alert and his body seeming very agile. Clark Kent moved slowly and deliberately, with clothes slightly too large for his frame that made him seem heavier than the Man of Steel. While Superman spoke with a vibrant, energetic voice and had loose, wavy hair. Clark Kent came off as very business-like and occasionally condescending, seemingly incapable of unbuttoning his jacket and relaxing, with his hair gelled back and a fedora almost always on his head. The fedora and glasses Kent wore also seemed to give a slightly different shape to his face.
Fans loved Kirk Alyn in the role and many felt he was very faithful to the comics in both behavior and appearance. He also had nice chemistry with his co-star Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane. Both of them would go on to star in a sequel movie serial adventure Superman Vs. The Atom Man. Like the previous storyline, this was divided into episodes of roughly 7 minutes, each one ending in a cliffhanger.
The biggest failing of the Alyn serials was the low budget. Footage was occasionally reused. And Kirk Alyn was not filmed flying through the sky. Instead, a rotoscoping technique would involve Alyn leaping to the air and immediately being replaced by an animated sequence of Superman flying. The cartoon character would then land behind a car or a rock or a tree and the live-action figure of Kirk Alyn in costume would emerge.
Though he would not play Superman again following the second serial, Kirk Alyn did make an appearance in Richard Donner's Superman movie in 1978, starring Christopher Reeve. In a brief scene with a young Lois Lane on a train, Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill played Lois's parents. Although that scene was cut from the theatrical release, it is featured in the director's cut of the film. In the 1980s live-action Superboy series, the two guest-starred in an episode together.
And later, Noel Neill returned to play an elderly woman who leaves her fortune to Lex Luthor in the 2006 film Superman Returns.
THE FIRST TV SERIES
In 1951, a feature film was planned, entitled Superman and the Mole-Men. This film was meant to serve as a pilot for an ongoing TV series. Kirk Alyn was apparently offered the role but turned it down, not wishing to be type-cast. The lead role instead fell to actor George Reeves, who would surpass Kirk Alyn in fame with the general public (though many critics would say that Alyn's performance was superior).
After the film's release, Adventures of Superman began broadcasting in 1952. The first two seasons of the show were filmed in black and white, with subsequent seasons being filmed in color. The first season of Adventures of Superman focused on the Man of Tomorrow facing gangsters and crime lords. Stories were often given a dark, noir-like feel and involved Superman just barely rescuing his friends and innocent victims in the nick of time.
Adventures of Superman had an introduction that would introduce some new catch-phrases which would become synonymous with the character in years to come:
Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!
("Look! Up In The Sky!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!" "It's Superman!")
Yes, it's Superman! Strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Superman, who can change the course of might rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan Newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way!
Note that this is the first time Superman is said to fight for the "American Way." Before then, the cartoons and radio shows always said he just for "truth and justice." But this was the 1950s, during the Red Scare, when everyone was concerned about the Communists and who was or wasn't patriotic. Thus, Superman followed suit.
Phyllis Coates played Lois in Superman and the Mole-Men, as well as in the first season of the series. But 
then she left the show and was replaced by Noel Neill, reprising the character she'd played in the movie serials. It was said by many that she brought more energy and confidence to the character and had a great chemistry with her co-stars.
Noel wasn't the only change in the second season. At the time, comic books were under new rules of censorship by the Comics Code Authority. This was because a lot of parents had grown concerned that comic book super-hero stories engendered violent and rebellious behavior in children. As a result, it was decided the TV series needed to tone down its violence and grittiness. Criminals were now portrayed as ill-tempered rejects rather than dangerous masterminds. Starting with the third season, as the show went to color, the kid-friendly factor increased further. No one ever seemed to be injured during the fight scenes and at times they seemed to emulate a Looney Tunes style of violence.
In one episode, when he realized he was holding a bomb that was ready to go off, Superman tossed it into the arms of a nearby criminal, yelling "Catch!" The bomb went off and the criminal fell down in a daze, his clothes now burnt and tattered. Everyone laughed and no one questioned why Superman would be afraid of an explosive when he had invulnerable skin and would instead choose to endanger the life of a nearby human being.
The program was so popular that they even had George Reeves and the other cast members do commercials for products such as cereal. Since the TV executives didn't want to imply that Lois and Clark ever spent the night together, the commercials always displayed Clark and Jimmy sharing breakfast in a household kitchen. Of course, such scenes became the butt of jokes for entirely different reasons.
Although the series made Superman and his supporting cast even more of a household name, it had its critics. Some felt the cartoony atmosphere lacked the pathos and drama of the original comics and radio drama, both of which occasionally touched on genuine social and political issues. These critics believed the show was more akin to a satire of Superman.
Another criticism came concerning Reeves' performance. Unlike Kirk Alyn and Bud Collyer, Reeve made no real effort to make Clark Kent and Superman appear to be different people. He spoke with the same voice, stood with the same posture, had the same hair style, and acted with the wit and personality in both identities. Some felt this was in keeping with the tongue-in-cheek atmosphere, while others pointed to Reeves' performance as being largely responsible for non-comic readers not taking Clark's secret identity seriously.
Comic book writer and Superman historian Mark Waid once remarked that Reeves' performance had convinced him as a child that Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White were all of sub-par intelligence and no doubt the worst journalists in the world if they were unable to realize that their co-worker was the same hero they interacted with on a daily basis who looked, acted and sounded the same.
But while he may have had his critics outside the show, the cast and crew were great fans of George Reeves. Reeves took his job seriously, quitting smoking once he realized he'd become a role model for children. He insisted on Phillis Coates being given an equal screen credit along with him and defended Noel Neill on her first day when he felt the director was being too harsh with her. He played practical jokes on the other actors and stood up for them when unwarranted accusations of criminal conduct and communism came their way.
Sadly, George Reeves also had a tough time due to his role as Superman. He was only paid as long as the show was in production and his contract limited him in seeking out other roles. A couple of times, he attempted to produce his own projects, but these fell through. The royalties on the show were not enough to pay for his life-style. However, as the 1959 season was approaching, he was told that the show was going to return to the more serious, dramatic tone of the first season and that he would be given creative input.
In 1959, George Reeves was woken up when friends held an impromptu party in the lower level of the house he lived in. He complained to them, but then apparently calmed down and had a drink before returning to bed after several minutes. Some time later, there was the sound of a gunshot and the party guests went upstairs to find George Reeves dead of a bullet wound to the head, lying on his bed with his feet on the floor (apparently he'd been sitting up), the gun lying between his feet.
Police were not called until several minutes after the fact. The fact that all the people present were in shock and/or somewhat drunk was given as the explanation for this delay. Some of George Reeves' friends believed that the actor had become more and more depressed at the thought of being locked into a role he'd held for years which didn't pay him enough nor allow him the full career he wanted. Yet at the same time, other friends remarked how strange it was, that suicide did not seem like something he would do.
The police ruled the death a suicide, but also admitted that they were unable to get a clear story of the facts of what happened that night and how long Reeves was left alone or even when exactly he was found. Everyone seemed to have a different story. Again, inebriation and shock were given as reasons for this.
In later years, these contradicting stories would give rise to the belief that George Reeves was actually murdered. Another thing that contributed to this belief was the fact that Reeves' fingerprints were not on the gun. However, the police report indicated that there was a sufficient amount of oil on the gun as to make it impossible for fingerprints to have formed on it.
Reeves' mother hired a private investigator, believing her son would not have killed himself, but no new evidence was found.
Bizarrely, producers sought to continue the TV series, believing they could spin-off into a new series Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen. The show would focus around Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen, and his playful adventures in foiling criminals. Re-used footage of George Reeves and occasional stunt double shots would allow for Superman to briefly cameo on occasion. Larson found this idea distasteful and refused to do the series and so the show finally came to an end.
Jack Larson wasn't done with Superman entirely though. In the 2006 film Superman Returns, Larson played a bow tie-wearing bartender who is friendly with Jimmy Olsen. Larson would also guest-star with Kirk Alyn and Noel Neil in an episode of the 1980s live-action Superboy series.
STRANGE IDEAS
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen was not the first attempt at a spin-off. A year earlier, the network thought "You know what would be a great spin-off? The exact same show but with dogs instead of people." And so, a pilot was filmed entitled The Adventures of Superpup.
Rather than use puppets or anything akin to that, the network instead hired several dwarves and little people and had them wear dog heads. There was no interest however and so Superpup just became a laughable story of a show that could've been.
In 1961, a pilot for The Adventures of Superboy was shot. It wasn't that long ago that the comics had established the new idea that Clark had actually begun his career as a teenager in Smallville, Kansas, where his best friend was Pete Ross and his love interest was Lana Lang.
Thus, as the title implies, this new spin-off was going to be the adventures of Clark in Smallville, trying to balance a super-heroic career with the normal trials of a teenager. Young Clark was played by John Rockwell and Lana was played by Bunny Higgins. But alas, the pilot did not garner enough interest and never went into series.
The 1960s brought us another strange idea. The makers of Bye, Bye Birdie got together and put on a musical called It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman. The play was shown on Broadway in 1966 and revolved around the every day troubles and angst Superman had to go through in trying to balance both of his identities. A sub-plot involved a new romantic interest who was competing with Lois for Superman's attention. Meanwhile, Superman himself had to deal with a crazy scientist who decided that the world didn't appreciate him so he was going to kill the Man of Steel, the world's greatest symbol of good.
The production starred Bob Holiday as Clark Kent and Patricia Morand as Lois Lane. The show only lasted 129 performances before it closed.
In 1975, a TV adaptation was filmed and broadcast. The TV version starred David Wilson as Superman and Leslie Anne Warren as Lois Lane. As far as I've been able to ascertain, no one enjoyed it.
Interesting trivia note. Leslie Anne Warren later auditioned for the role of Lois in the original Christopher Reeve film. Though she didn't get it, many years later she appeared on Desperate Housewives and played the role of the mother of Terri Hatcher, who herself played Lois in the ABC series Lois and Clark. Ah, connections.
If you're really that interested, you can find the soundtrack for this Superman musical on CD.
BACK TO CARTOONS
In 1966, CBS had Filmation produce a new series of six-minute long animated cartoons called The New 
Adventures of Superman. Because he was just that good, Bud Collyer was once again called on to play the role of Superman/Clark Kent. The cartoon aired alongside Filmation's Adventures of Aquaman, making it known as the Superman/Aquaman hour. Later on, Filmation also did The Adventures of Superboy, showing young Clark Kent fighting crime alongside his faithful dog Krypto. These were shown alongside the mini-episodes of Superman, as well as Filmation's Batman and Robin cartoon, making it the new Superman/Batman hour.
By 1968 though, a conservative group called Action for Children's Television raised a big ruckus over their concerns with the cartoon. The fact that Superman punched enemies and solved super-villain conflicts with violence was, as they saw it, unacceptable and far too detrimental for children to watch. By 1969, they had enough support to ensure that the cartoon was cancelled.
Due to legal battles with the Siegel family, DC has released The New Adventures of Superman on DVD but cannot release The Adventures of Superboy cartoons.
Which brings us to the 1970s, when we got ourselves a cartoon known as Superfriends and a couple of movies starring a guy named Christopher Reeve.
This concludes Part 1. Continue on to Part 2.
Reader Comments (5)
Yogzilla: A friend of mine and I got the soundtrack in high school and used to listen to it all the time. I will never stop laughing at the lyric "Boy, I'm hungry. I could sure use a t-bone steak."