"Adventures of Superman" (1952) TV series 1952-1958

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Writers:

Roy Chanslor (writer)
Jay Morton (contributing writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

19 September 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!

Plot:

The Man of Steel fights crime with help from his friends at the Daily Planet.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Superhero | Lois Lane | Clark Kent | Cult TV

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

George Reeves	...	Clark Kent / ... (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Bill Kennedy	...	Announcer / ... (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Jack Larson	...	Jimmy Olsen / ... (102 episodes, 1952-1958)
John Hamilton	...	Perry White (102 episodes, 1952-1958)
Robert Shayne	...	Inspector Henderson / ... (90 episodes, 1952-1958)
Noel Neill	...	Lois Lane (78 episodes, 1953-1958)

(more)

Series Directed by
Thomas Carr		(37 episodes, 1952-1958)
George Blair		(27 episodes, 1953-1958)
Harry W. Gerstad		(20 episodes, 1955-1957)
Lee Sholem		(14 episodes, 1951-1953)
Philip Ford		(8 episodes, 1956-1958)
George Reeves		(3 episodes, 1958)
Lew Landers		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Howard Bretherton		(2 episodes, 1958)

Series Writing credits
David T. Chantler		(34 episodes, 1953-1958)
Jackson Gillis		(15 episodes, 1953-1956)
Whitney Ellsworth		(14 episodes, 1951-1958)
Ben Peter Freeman		(8 episodes, 1952-1953)
Robert Leslie Bellem		(8 episodes, 1956-1958)
Robert Maxwell		(6 episodes, 1951-1953)
Peggy Chantler Dick		(5 episodes, 1955-1958)
Dick Hamilton		(4 episodes, 1952-1953)
Roy Hamilton		(4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Leroy H. Zehren		(4 episodes, 1955-1957)
Wilton Schiller		(4 episodes, 1957)
Eugene Solow		(3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Dennis J. Cooper		(3 episodes, 1952)
Peter Dixon		(2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Monroe Manning		(2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Lee Backman		(2 episodes, 1952)
Oliver Drake		(2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Roy Chanslor		(unknown episodes)
Jay Morton		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Whitney Ellsworth	....	producer / associate producer (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Robert H. Justman	....	associate producer (78 episodes, 1953-1958)
Robert Maxwell	....	producer (52 episodes, 1951-1954)
Barney A. Sarecky	....	associate producer (52 episodes, 1951-1954)
Bernard Luber	....	producer (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Clem Beauchamp	....	associate producer (26 episodes, 1955-1956)
Edward Donahue	....	associate producer (26 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Cinematography by
Harold E. Stine		(43 episodes, 1953-1955)
Clark Ramsey		(26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Joseph F. Biroc		(26 episodes, 1956-1958)
Harold E. Wellman		(13 episodes, 1957)
William P. Whitley		(9 episodes, 1952-1953)

Series Film Editing by
Sam E. Waxman		(56 episodes, 1954-1958)
Albrecht Joseph		(26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Harry W. Gerstad		(26 episodes, 1953-1954)

Series Casting by
Harold Chiles		(26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Art Direction by
Lucius O. Croxton		(52 episodes, 1953-1958)
Ralph Berger		(46 episodes, 1952-1954)
John B. Mansbridge		(26 episodes, 1956-1957)
Ernst Fegté		(7 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Set Decoration by
Glenn P. Thompson		(26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Jerry Welch		(26 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Makeup Department
Gustaf Norin	....	makeup artist (78 episodes, 1953-1958)
Harry Thomas	....	makeup artist (52 episodes, 1951-1954)

Series Production Management
Clem Beauchamp	....	production manager (39 episodes, 1953-1955)
Barney A. Sarecky	....	production manager (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Edward Donahue	....	production manager (26 episodes, 1956-1957)
David S. Garber	....	production manager (26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ben Chapman	....	production manager (13 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Hammond	....	assistant director (15 episodes, 1951-1953)
Nathan Barrager	....	assistant director (15 episodes, 1952-1953)
John Pommer	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1955)
Gene Anderson Jr.	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1956)
Grayson Rogers	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1956)
Bob Barnes	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957-1958)
Edward Haldeman	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957-1958)
Dick Dixon	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957)
Louis Germonprez	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957)
Ivan Volkman	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1953-1954)
Jack R. Berne	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1953)
Robert H. Justman	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Art Department
George Bahr	....	props (26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Sound Department
Jean L. Speak	....	sound engineer / sound editor (39 episodes, 1953-1955)
Barton Hayes	....	sound editor (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Harry Smith	....	production sound mixer / sound engineer (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Earl Snyder	....	sound engineer (13 episodes, 1956)
Herman Lewis	....	production sound mixer / sound engineer (13 episodes, 1957-1958)
Robert Post	....	production sound mixer / sound engineer / ... (13 episodes, 1957)

Series Special Effects by
Thol Simonson	....	special effects (92 episodes, 1952-1958)
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (29 episodes, 1951-1953)
Ray Mercer	....	special effects (9 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Visual Effects by
Jack R. Glass	....	photographic effects (78 episodes, 1953-1958)
Jack Rabin	....	photographic effects (58 episodes, 1951-1958)
Louis DeWitt	....	photographic effects (26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ray Mercer	....	photographic effects (3 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts (25 episodes, 1951-1954)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (13 episodes, 1952-1954)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (10 episodes, 1952-1953)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (7 episodes, 1952-1954)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Schwartz	....	assistant camera (26 episodes, 1957-1958)
William P. Whitley	....	camera operator (15 episodes, 1952-1953)
Clark Ramsey	....	camera operator (12 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Izzy Berne	....	wardrobe (26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Music Department
Leon Klatzkin	....	composer: theme music (104 episodes, 1951-1958)

Series Other crew
Winnie Rich	....	script supervisor (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Mort Weisinger	....	story editor / script supervisor (86 episodes, 1951-1958)
Stephen Carr	....	script supervisor / dialogue director (52 episodes, 1951-1954)
David S. Garber	....	production coordinator (52 episodes, 1953-1956)
Whitney Ellsworth	....	story editor / script supervisor (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Robert Maxwell	....	story editor / script supervisor (26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Production Companies

• Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV)

Distributors

• Flamingo Films (1951-1978) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD) (season 1)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (seasons 3 and 4)
• Radio Tokyo Television (1956) (Japan) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Television
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 1-5)

Other Companies

• DC Comics  DC Comics characters

Also Known As:

Superman (Australia)

Runtime:

30 min (104 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1952-1954) | Color (1955-1958)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp | USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV)

Trivia:

It is now common knowledge that Clark Kent's Earth parents were named Jonathan and Martha. However, in the first episode, "Superman on Earth", Kent's parents were named Eben and Sarah. This is because the comics themselves were inconsistent with the Kents' given names until the characters became major players in "Superboy" comics stories at about this same time. The names Sarah and Eben were first used in the novel The Adventures of Superman (1942) and in the first Superman serial.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In some shots where Superman used the springboard to leap out of frame, the tip of the springboard would bounce back up and appear at the very bottom of the frame.

Quotes:

[title sequence]
Announcer: Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!
Voices: Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!
Announcer: 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 mighty 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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: I Accuse My Parents (#6.7)" (1993)

A good "Spirit" behind the whole thing

The general consensus seems to be that the first season of this all time classic TV show was the best and I would probably agree with that. Although, I'm a dedicated fan of the entire series.

The injection of color into the closing stages of the production run gave those final episodes a special quality of their own.

George Reeves was positively born to play the title role. The previously inconsequential journeyman actor brought the character to life with great conviction, charm and a wonderful enthusiasm which never faltered. Of course, he had some fine support with John Hamilton as Perry White, Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson.

As for the portrayal of Lois Lane, it really depends on which approach you preferred. Phyllis Coates created a prickly, no-nonsense big city reporter who wouldn't hesitate to smack 'ya across the face with a wet mackerel if you tried to get fresh with her. Noel Neil was more of your good natured "Girl Next Door" who was always ready with a cheery word and a polite laugh whenever Clarke Kent or Jimmy made a clumsy attempt at humor (which usually backfired).

So it's all a bit corny when you look back now from our jaded perspective of life as we know it in the year 2003. But, who cares? It's still good, clean fun which is more than you can say for most of the vile, mind numbing garbage that spews forth out of the television these days. And there was a good spirit behind the whole thing ...obey the law, salute the flag, say "Please" and "Thankyou", be kind to your fellow human beings, take in stray cats, brush your teeth (and the cat's teeth) twice a day.

It was a different era and a better world in some ways.