Superman (1948)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Directors:

Spencer Gordon Bennet
Thomas Carr

Writers:

George H. Plympton (adaptation) &
Joseph F. Poland (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

5 January 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Based on the SUPERMAN adventure feature appearing in SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS magazines, in daily and Sunday newspapers coast-to-coast and on the SUPERMAN radio program broadcast over the Mutual Network (original poster)

Plot:

Superman comes to Earth as a child and grows up to be his home's first superhero with his first major challenge being to oppose The Spider Lady. |

Plot Keywords:

Superman | Superhero | Telephone | Orphan | Laboratory

Cast

Kirk Alyn	...	Superman / Clark Kent (as Superman)
Noel Neill	...	Lois Lane
Tommy Bond	...	Jimmy Olsen
Carol Forman	...	'Spider Lady'
George Meeker	...	Henchman Driller
Jack Ingram	...	Henchman Anton
Pierre Watkin	...	Perry White
Terry Frost	...	Henchman Brock
Charles King	...	Henchman Conrad [Chs. 6-15]
Charles Quigley	...	Dr. Hackett [Chs. 6-15]
Herbert Rawlinson	...	Dr. Arnold Graham [Chs. 3, 9-11, 13-15]
Forrest Taylor	...	Prof. Arnold Leeds [Chs. 3-4]
Stephen Carr	...	Morgan [Chs. 3-4]
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Henchman Elton [Chs. 7-15]

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Superman (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

244 min (15 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Due to the crudity of special effects at the time (and the incredibly high cost of portraying it convincingly) all images of Superman in flight were animated in a manner similar to the way Superman flew in the Fleischer studios cartoons of the early 1940s. Sometimes animated images were even superimposed onto live action shots.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: In chapter 14, a very clear boom mic shadow falls on the car just before Jimmy gets into it.

Quotes:

Perry White: [gruffly] What do you want?
Superman: [as Clark Kent] Uh... a job.
Perry White: [sarcasticly] Any special kind? Or would mine do?
Superman: Well, I would like to be a reporter. I haven't had any experience in writing, but... uh...
Perry White: That should help.
Superman: Well, I have other qualifications that might be valuable.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Requiem for Krypton: Making 'Superman Returns' (2006) (V)

SUPERMAN THE SERIAL

A great serial especially in noting this was made 6 years after the golden era of serials. This serial features an outstanding and large serial cast led by Kirk Alyn as Superman. Mr. Alyn played the role in fine fashion and though he lacked the Roman jaw of George Reeves he easily makes a favorable impression. The rest of The Daily Planet crew also are quite good especially Noel Neill who is as feisty as Lois Lane as Kidder or Coates in later versions. Villains Carol Foreman and Charles Quigley both are memorable. The flying sequences are animated. I think it gave the screenwriters much more flexibility to the character than an actor or dummy on wires would have. This a film that is fun to watch more than once. It has a lot of spunk and humor as well as action.