- "This looks like a job for Superman!"
- ―Clark Kent
| "The Mad Scientist" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Credits | |
| Title: | "The Mad Scientist" |
| Director: | Dave Fleischer |
| Writers: | Seymour Kneitel; I. Sparber |
| Producers: | Max Fleischer |
| Production | |
| Production company: | Fleischer Studios |
| Distributed by: | Paramount Pictures |
| Released: | September 26th, 1941 |
| Running time: | 10 min. |
| Country: | USA |
| Language: | English |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | "The Mechanical Monsters" |
"The Mad Scientist" is the first in a series of Superman animated film shorts developed by Fleischer Studios. It was directed by Dave Fleischer with a story written by Seymour Kneitel and I. Sparber. It was released theatrically in the United States on September 26th, 1941. [1]
Plot[]
The planet Krypton.
The saga opens with a brief recap of Superman's origins. He was the last son of the doomed planet Krypton, which exploded due to a series of natural disasters. Fortunately, his father was able to launch his infant son away from the world in a rocket before it could explode. He arrived on Earth where he ended up in an orphanage until being adopted by a kind and loving family who named him Clark Kent. Growing up, Clark developed incredible superhuman abilities, which he would later use in his crime-fighting career as Superman.
Clark is concerned about the job.
The staff of the Daily Planet receive a letter from a mad scientist threatening to turn loose his Electrothanasia-Ray at the stroke of midnight as revenge against a society that belittled him. Lois Lane jumps at the chance to get the story and is out the door before Clark Kent can even express his concern. Fearing that Lois will get herself into some form of danger, he decides that this might be a job for Superman.
Lois gets ready.
Lois Lane takes an airplane and find the observatory headquarters of the mad scientist. No sooner does she knock on the door than the mad scientist and his crow hench-animal grab her and drag her inside. He ties her up to a chair and waits for midnight to approach.
The Electrothanasia-ray strikes the Island Bridge.
As promised, at precisely 12:00, the mad scientist activates his massive Electrothanasia-ray. The beam stretches out and destroys the Island Bridge. Superman is too late to stop the destruction of the bridge, but he is ready for the scientist's next salvo.
Superman battles the energy ray.
The energy beam strikes again, this time hitting the Daily Planet. As the skyscraper begins to topple, Superman flies up and pushes back against it, restoring it to its proper position. Superman then intercepts the mad scientist's third Electrothanasia-Ray beam. He is unharmed by its destructive power, but its sheer force does manage to slow him down. He delivers a flurry of punches upon the ray beam, beating it back until he can trace it back to its source. Superman destroys the ray emitter, which causes the entire observatory to explode. Fortunately, Lois and the mad scientist manage to run outside just in time. Superman grabs Lois, then scoops up the scientist and drops him off at the local jail.
The next day after the story drops, Lois Lane admires her handiwork, but admits to Clark Kent that things could have gone very different had Superman not been there. Clark turns towards the camera and smiles.
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Bud Collyer | Superman, Clark Kent |
| Joan Alexander | Lois Lane |
| Jackson Beck | Perry White |
| Jack Mercer | The mad scientist |
| Grant Richards | Narrator |
Appearances[]
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
Organizations
Races & Animals
Locations
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
- Bondage
- Exploding buildings
- Jails
- Kidnappings
- Laboratory
- Laser weapons
- Mad scientist
- Natural disaster
- Orphanage
- Planetary destruction
- Smoking
- Spacecraft
- Space travel
Notes & Trivia[]
- Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June, 1938 in a story called "Superman, Champion of the Opressed".
- This film short is certificate number 02966.
- Writer Isadore Sparber is credited as I. Sparber in this film short.
- The original title for this film short was just "Superman". The sub-title of "The Mad Scientist" was added in home video releases.
- "The Mad Scientist" ranked number 33 in a list of the fifty greatest cartoons of all time sourced from a 1994 poll of 1000 animation professionals. [2]
- This film was nominated for the 1942 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject. [3]
- Who knew that Lois Lane was a trained pilot?
Allusions[]
- Electrothanasia is the process of execution through electricity. [4]
Quotes[]
- Superman: This looks like a job for Superman!
....
- Clark Kent: Chief, don't you think that's a dangerous mission?
....
- Mad scientist': So, you want a story? I'll give you the greatest story of destruction the world has ever known!
....
- Mad scientist: I don't believe it! He isn't human!
See also[]
Media
The World of Superman
Superman miscellaneous
External Links[]
- "The Mad Scientist" at IMDB
- "The Mad Scientist" at DCDP
- "The Mad Scientist" at Trakt TV
- "The Mad Scientist" at Themoviedb.org
- "The Mad Scientist" at the Super Friends Wiki
References[]
- ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 139. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7.
- ↑ Beck, Jerry (ed.) (1994). The 50 Greatest Cartoons. Atlanta: Turner Publishing. ISBN 1-878685-49-X
- ↑ Flixens | The Real Heroes of Superman, Part 3 Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Wiktionary; Electrohanasia.