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Superman promotional poster.
Superman is an American film serial of the superhero-action genre. It is based on the popular DC Comics character Superman, and is notable for being the first live-action iteration of the character. Produced by Columbia Pictures, this fifteen-part black-and-white serial premiered in the United States on January 5th, 1948. It starred Kirk Alyn in the titular role of Superman, with Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen, and Pierre Watkin as Perry White. The central antagonist of this series was the Spider Lady, who was portrayed by Carol Forman.
The serial was directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Adventures of Superman television series, and Spencer Bennet. The screenplay was written by Arthur Hoerl, Lewis Clay and Royal Cole and adapted by George H. Plympton and Joseph F. Poland. It was produced by Sam Katzman and shot in and around Los Angeles, California. It was originally screened at movie matinées and after the first three scene-setting chapters, every episode ends in a cliffhanger. The Superman-in-flight scenes are animations, in part due to the small production budget.
Plot[]
Superman is sent to Earth by his parents just as the planet Krypton blows up and is later raised as Clark Kent by a farm couple. They discover that he has great powers so they send him off to use his powers to help those in need. After his foster parents die, the Man of Steel heads to Metropolis under the bespectacled guise of Kent and joins the staff of the Daily Planet in order to be close to the news.
Soon after, he is sent out to get the scoop on a new rock that a man has found that he calls Kryptonite and Clark passes out, the director thinks that he died but when he sat up, he was wrong. Then and there Superman discovered that his weakness is Kryptonite. Whenever emergencies happen, he responds in his true identity as Superman. This first serial revolves around the nefarious plot of a villain who calls herself the Spider Lady.
Chapters[]
- Superman Comes To Earth
- Depths Of The Earth
- The Reducer Ray
- Man Of Steel
- A Job For Superman
- Superman In Danger
- Into The Electric Furnace
- Superman To The Rescue
- Irresistible Force
- Between Two Fires
- Superman's Dilemma
- Blast In The Depths
- Hurled To Destruction
- Superman At Bay
- The Payoff
Cast[]
Principal Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kirk Alyn | Superman, Clark Kent |
| Noel Neill | Lois Lane |
| Tommy Bond | Jimmy Olsen |
| Pierre Watkin | Perry White |
| Carol Forman | Spider Lady |
Supporting Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| George Meeker | Driller |
| Jack Ingram | Anton |
| Terry Frost | Brock |
| Charles King | Conrad |
| Charles Quigley | Hackett |
| Herbert Rawlinson | Graham |
| Forrest Taylor | Leeds |
| Stephen Carr | Morgan |
| Rusty Wescoatt | Elton |
Notes[]
- Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. He first appeared in the pages of Action Comics #1 in June, 1938.
- Superman (serial) and Superman (1948 serial) both redirect to this page.
- There are a total of fourteen credited actors in this serial. Twelve of the cast members re male, with only two of them being female (Lois & the Spider Lady).
Crew credits[]
- Co-director Spencer Gordon Bennet is credited as Spencer Bennet in this serial.
- Screenplay writer Royal K. Cole is credited as Royal Cole in this serial.
Cast appearances[]
- Actor Charles King appears in chapters 6-15 only.
- Actor Charles Quigley appears in chapters 6-15 only.
- Actor Herbert Rawlinson appears in chapters 3, 9-11, and 13-15.
- Actor Forrest Taylor appears in chapters 3-4 only.
- Actor Rusty Wescoatt appears in chapters 7-15 only.
- According to the full cast list for this serial at IMDB, there is additional forty-five uncredited actors who participated in this project.