SUPERMAN, (1938 to 1966)
SUPERMAN, (1938 to 1966) |
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The writer, Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster sold the rights of Superman to Detective Comics for just $130. The first comic was released in 1938 (one of these was recently sold for $137,500) and they didn't start to receive anymore money until 1975 when they were both awarded an annual pension of $20,000, this was later moved to $30,000 but by this time they were both impoverished and Shuster was nearly blind.
The Man of Tomorrow was honored at "The World of Tomorrow" when DC Comics hosted "Superman Day" at the New York World's Fair, featuring the first public appearance of Superman in full costume and a live radio broadcast from the fairgrounds. "Superman Day" was the brainchild of publicist Allen 'Duke' Ducovny, held to promote the sales of DC's "New York World's Fair Comics", a 96-page special edition sold exclusively at the World's Fair for the extravagant sum of fifteen cents. Ray Middleton was the man in the costume and is often credited as being the first actor to ever play Superman. He later starred in the Broadway hits South Pacific,, Annie Get Your Gun, and others. "Worlds Fair Comics" turned into "Worlds Best Comics" (Spring 1941), which with its second issue became "Worlds Finest Comics" (Summer 1941).
In February of 1940, the first episode of SUPERMAN was aired on the radio. But it was not till the second chapter that a reluctant Clayton "Bud" Collyer brought Superman to life. Collyer voiced the Man of Steel until 1949, when he was replaced by Michael Fitzmaurice. During the years Collyer voiced Superman on the radio, he also voice the character in a series of animated shorts created by Max Fleisher from 1941 till 1943. After George Reeves' death, Filmation aired "The New Adventures Of Superman", Collyer and the rest of the radio cast returned to voice their characters from 1966 tll 1969.
Michael Fitzmaurice took over as ABC's Superman on 5, June 1950 and played the role for 78 broadcasts of a revived final season. Fitzmaurice was a radio veteran and the long-time announcer of Land of the Lost and Mutual's Nick Carter, Master Detective. His rich baritone voice was well-suited for the Man of Steel, though he was regrettably unable to match Bud Collyer's marvelous ability to create distinctively different voices for Superman and Clark Kent. The show ended a year later.
The first live-action film adventure of the man of steel was "Superman" made in 1948. This rip-roaring 15-chapter serial staring Kirk Alyn, Noel Neill, and Carol Forman was brimming with wild-and-woolly action, inventive cliffhangers, and the diadolical Spider Lady villainess extraordinaire.
The follow up movie in 1950 was called "Atom Man Vs. Superman" with Kirk Alyn, Lyle Talbot, and Noel Neill. In this 15-chapter serial actionfest criminal genius Lex Luther in the guise of the diabolical Atom Man has Metropolis at his mercy. But can he bring Superman to his knees with his feindish inventions?
Kirk Alyn also had a cameo appearance in the 1978 Christopher Reeve movie, Superman:The Movie. He played Lois Lane's father on the train that young Clark Kent raced on his way home from school.
In November of 1951" Superman and the Mole Men" was released theatrically and became an immediate success. The film acted as a pilot for the TV series "The Adventures of Superman". The show ran from 1951 to 1957; in all 104 episodes were broadcast, the last half of which were shot in color but originally broadcast in black and white. Except for the one early change from Phyllis Coats to Noel Neill as Lois Lane, the cast remained the same throughout the series: Jack Larson played Jimmy Olson, John Hamilton played Perry White, Robert Shayne played Inspector Henderson and, of course, George Reeves played Superman. The production crew for the first half of the series included executive producer Robert Maxwell, co-producers Barry Sarecky and Bernard Luber and directors Tommy Carr and Lee Sholem. The overall feel of these shows had more to do with 1930s and '40s gangster films than with comic-book characters and stories. In fact, many of the shows had a distinct film noir look, especially in terms of the dark, expressionistic lighting and the alinated, trapped characters. The episodes depicted people full of fear and tension: blackmailers, killers, smugglers. The sets were empty warehouses and back allys (many of which Clark would run into to change).
For the production years 1953-57, the shows staff underwent some key changes. Unhappy with the violence of the first 26 episodes, National Comics brought in one of its own, Whitney Ellsworth, to produce the series. Ellsworth, who had been with National when the Fleischer series was made, visualized Superman as family entertainment. Beginning with the 1954 shows, "The Adventures of Superman" seemed tamer, showing crooks as bumblers rather than villans. The budget limitations facing Ellsworth forced him into reusing sets, and designing utilitarian costumes that the major characters could wear in all the episodes (Clarks double breasted suit, Jimmy's bow tie, and Lois Lane's dark tailored suit). The series had, unfortunately, become a kiddie show. "The Adventures of Superman" left the air in 1957.
It's a Bird... It's a Plane ... It's Superman opened on Broadway, at the Alvin Theatre on March 29, 1966, and after 129 performances closed on July 17, 1966. Bob Holiday, played the title role as Superman, but Jack Cassidy, who played the villain Max, got top billing while Bob Holiday, got last billing just above the scenery and costume credits. In between were listed a young Linda Lavin (former star of "Alice") playing Sydney, Patricia Marand playing Lois Lane and the wonderful Michael O'Sullivan playing Dr. Abner, the mad scientist. The New York Times said "fun, easily the best musical so far this season ... it would be enjoyable in any season". The play "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" was written by David Newman and Robert Benton, who would later collaborate on the scripts for the Cristopher Reeve Superman movies. Songs by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams include "Superman", "You've Got Possibilities", and "Revenge".
THE STORY
Superman (Bob Holiday) must save himself and Metropolis from the Mad Scientist (Michael O'Sullivan) while coping with a super bout of depression. Aiding the villain is Daily Planet columnist Max Mencken (Jack Cassidy), much to the horror of fellow writers Lois Lane (Patricia Marand) and Sydney Carlton (Linda Lavin).
Return to Superman
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Superman created by Jerry Seigel & Joe Shuster.
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