Superman (1948) User Reviews

This looks like a job for...............!

[beejer · 8/10 · 15 October 1999]

This is a great serial. What people tend to forget when watching it today, is that it was made in 1948 and was aimed at the Saturday matinee crowd.

The special effects, to be sure, are primitive by today's standards, but take a closer look. Remember this was 1948. The opening sequence and Superman's flying effects were achieved through some excellent animation.

Don't forget that Superman IS a comic book character. The transition from live action to animation in the flying sequences, is performed seamlessly and realistically. I thought that this was pretty innovative for its' time.

Kirk Alyn was born to play Superman. He gives a realistic and credible performance as both Superman and Clark Kent. The diminutive Noel Neill makes an excellent Lois Lane, girl reporter, Timmy Bond (Formerly "Butch" of the Our Gang comedies) is good as Jimmy Olsen and veteran Pierre Watkin is suitably cranky as Perry White.

Carol Forman brings a cold and icy sexiness to the role of the Spider Lady, Superman's chief nemesis. Serial veterans Charles Quigley, Charles King, Terry Frost and Rusty Wescoatt round out the cast in various villain roles.

Good start for live action Superman

[greggbray · 8/10 · 15 January 2006]

If you've read any reviews of this first set of serials, most of them say the same thing. Superman turns into a cartoon (which I found fun!), the acting is wonderful, and the adventure is a real good yarn.

The problem is the Spider Lady. Not an interesting character, and she doesn't really give Superman enough challenges. The same 2 thugs seem to be beat up and nearly caught in every episode, and the plot really gets sluggish between episodes 9 through 13, and then picks up at 14 to a quick finish at episode 15.

The best are the first few--krypton, Jor-El, the Kents, Superman first meets Kryptonite, early use of his vision, 'up up and away,' etc.--and the last 2 episodes.

The 2nd serial set is superior, but this is still great fun to look at from time to time.

Superman, Return...please!

[flapdoodle64 · 7/10 · 14 January 2008]

I first saw this serial back in the 1990's when it was broadcast on the AMC cable network. As a fan of the 1950's George Reeves TV show, which was not known for being high tech or big budget, I figured the 2 versions would be similar. Well, even though this serial was filmed in 1948, only 3 years before the George Reeves series began, it might as well have been 25 years difference. Smiling, prancing, wooden, and just all around goofy, Kirk Alyn probably would have been well suited in the silent era of movies. As a Superman, I found him generally unsatisfactory.

That was my opinion until 2006, when I saw the big budget mess called 'Superman Returns.' Since Brandon Routh, the Superman of that film, was such a big categorical dud, I have revised my opinion of Kirk Alyn. He is still prancing and goofy, and he looked just completely ridiculous during close ups when they tried to show his 'X-Ray Vision.' But he was earnest, more likable and more manly than Brandon Routh. It was pretty cool when Alyn would smile at crooks when they shot at him and the bullets bounced off his chest, a rare moment of toughness. Physically, Kirk Alyn probably resembled the original comic book Superman better than any Superman since. And there are some moments when he is convincing. The early sequence when he first gets clobbered by Kryptonite and befriends a scientist who saves him is very effective.

One of the worst things about this serial, and the superior 1950 sequel, 'Atom Man Vs. Superman,' is the method the directors used to simulate flying: they simply overlaid an animated cartoon version over the film, switching a cartoon for poor Kirk Alyn. This is every bit as bad as you could imagine, only worse. Republic Pictures, 7 years earlier, had done very convincing flight sequences in 'Adventures of Captain Marvel,' also a low-budget serial, so there is no excuse for the cartoons. This should serve as a caution to CGI geeks: in 30 years, CGI will probably look just as stupid, since it is, in principle, the same thing as a cartoon.

Of some interest to adults would be the main villain of this film: the Spider Lady. She does not seem, innately, to possess sufficient intellect, charisma, or raw power to be the head of a criminal enterprise. Yet she is, and countless male thugs kowtow to her. Physically, she is rather unimpressive, and the actress who played her, Carol Foreman, well let's just say she makes me appreciate Kirk Alyn as a thespian! But the Spider Lady is dressed a slinky black evening gown, and she wears a black domino mask, just like the actors in porn movies made in the 40's did. And there is a strong S/M overtone to her method of executing enemies.

Besides curiosities such as the Spider Lady, this serial has other positives. The supporting cast at the Daily Planet is good to great. Pierre Watkin is probably as good a Perry White as the TV guy. Former Our Gang/Little Rascal kid Tommy 'Butch' Bond is good as Jimmy Olsen, especially since he was essentially blazing a trail in the role. Best of all is Noel Niell, who was much spunkier and animated in this serial than she would be when she reprised her role a few years later on TV. Also, she wore her hair longer and straighter, and she wore a really cute/silly suit, which also adds to her appeal. One of the secrets to making Superman work is that you have to get involved with the supporting characters for Superman to be interesting, since they are the ones who are vulnerable. And in this serial, the characters work.

This serial has all the flaws of Columbia serials, and all the characteristic flaws of the whole serial genre. There are moments when the plot makes no sense, when characters break even the foam rubber logic of the serial. In case you didn't get the point, there's lots of bad acting. But the miracle is that despite having no money, almost no time, and no special effects, this serial is escapist fun, and it is never boring. There are many well-directed scenes scattered amidst the turkeys: one of the directors, Tommy Carr, went on to direct many of the very best episodes of the George Reeves series.

Ultimately, I find engaging that the cast and crew, despite all their obstacles, despite being paid virtually nothing, they plugged away, gave it the old college try. They had heart, something sadly lacking in the most recent versions of this character.

Pretty Good, Could Have Been Better.

[rudge49 · 3 December 2005]

I have read that in 1940-41 Republic Pictures was negotiating to make a Superman serial, when that fell through they made their classic "Captain Marvel", the flying sequences in that were done with a combination of shots of actor Tom Tyler, stuntman Dave Sharpe and the use of a slightly oversize dummy (later used in the Rocketman/Commando Cody serials, even today those flying sequences hold up. Historians of the B-movies and serials have said Republic had the best special effects, Columbia tended to cut corners-Lois Lane wears the same outfit in all 15 chapters. That said, the 2 Columbia "Superman" serials are pretty enjoyable, they do a good job within their budget limits, the actors are much better than those in a lot of big budget productions, they take their roles seriously. You can watch this as a period piece or as an adventure in its own right.

Up! Up! (And) - Away!!

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 8 May 2020]

This low-budget, live-action Superman serial from 1948 is, literally, loaded with all sorts of unintentionally hilarious moments that are sure to keep all of the nostalgia buffs out there thoroughly entertained and chuckling away from start to finish.

Starring actor, Kirk Alyn in the dual-role of Clark Kent/Superman - This multi-chaptered cliffhanger pits our brave caped hero against the sinister Spider Woman (and her equally ruthless henchmen) who has (at her wicked disposal) a Relativity Reducer Ray (Wow! That's some weapon!) that poses all sorts of problems for Superman which he must quickly address and, then, set things right again.

All-in-all - I certainly don't have any hesitations when it comes to recommending this vintage presentation (on DVD) to potentially interested viewers.

"This looks like a job for Superman".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 April 2016]

I don't think you can watch or evaluate an old time serial like this in the same way you would watch a modern day super hero movie. The evolution in special effects makes films like "Dawn of Justice" possible whereas the constraints on a serial like "Superman" were such that the film makers were making it all up as they went along. For 1948, they didn't even think about rigging up Superman with ropes or wires to simulate flying, it was done with animation each time actor Kirk Alyn yelled "Up, up and away". If you weren't around for this picture in 1948 or the Fifties for "The Adventures of Superman", watching the effects today for the first time make them seem hopelessly hokey and corny. At the same time, I think that's what adds to their charm.

But you really have to want to watch serials like this. Personally I find the repeated openings of each chapter and rehashing of the last one's cliff hanger to be incredibly tedious. So I make liberal use of the fast forward button to relieve some of the anxiety of all that while trying to make sense of the story line. This fifteen chapter serial begins with the origin of Superman that most fans are familiar with. This very first time put to film, the destruction of Krypton is a consequence of the planet being drawn toward it's sun, unable to escape it's gravitational pull. Future reboots would allow for different interpretations which is all well and good. The point is that the baby Kal-El arrives on earth and in due time, exhibits extraordinary powers that go far beyond those of normal men.

The familiar characters of the Superman comic book stories are mostly here. When Clark Kent (Alyn) takes a job at The Daily Planet, he works along side of managing editor Perry White (Pierre Watkin) and reporters Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and Jimmy Olsen (Tommy Bond). Watkin is a one-note character actor and I found it amusing when more than once, but definitely in Chapter #11, Perry White picks up the phone in his office, says "Send Kent in", and immediately hangs up. On the other side of his door in the reporters room, Kent picks up the phone and says "I'll be right in". Which begs the question, who were each of those guys talking to?

So anyway, the serial is chock full of stuff like this, scenarios and events that weren't very well thought out. Superman's very first on screen major villain is a woman called the Spider Lady (Carol Forman), who's primary power seems to be keeping her male henchmen under control to do her bidding, any one of which could have taken her out with a single knockout blow. Most of the story has to do with getting her hands on a scientist's 'Reducer Ray' having power greater than an atomic bomb. Somewhat a misnomer I would say, since the 'Ray's' power didn't shrink anything, it just blew things up.

Other familiar concepts in the story include the introduction of Superman's only known Achilles heel, the dreaded Kryptonite. Clark Kent and Superman 'both' have brushes with Kryptonite that threaten harm, but each situation is dealt with handily. In terms of his super powers, Superman regularly relies on his 'super-vision', super-strength', invulnerability and gift of flight. One is forced to suspend disbelief the very first time the live action transitions to animation and back for Superman to fly, but if you're able to put up with all the rest it's a small price to pay to catch Superman in action on the big screen for the very first time. And today, you don't have to return to your neighborhood theater each week to do it.

Kirk Alyn makes this Superman a blast

[atomicpunk40 · 10/10 · 21 June 2008]

I wish to say that ten years ago on this very day I personally met Kirk Alyn when I helped him with a chore. He was quite elderly and frail, but still it was an honor to meet him. So this comment is dedicated to the memory of Kirk Alyn.

This is the first time The Man of Steel ever appeared on the screen. And guess what? It's great all thanks to Kirk Alyn and a cast that makes it good fun. Yeah I grant you, the special effects are hokey, but you don't need rock'em-sock'em visuals to make a movie, just a great sense of pure enjoyment. Along with Kirk there is Noel Neil as a very spunky Lois Lane. Carol Forman makes a great villain (and a very sexy one too) as the Spider Lady. And former Little Rascal Tommy "Butch" Bond plays Jimmy Olsen (which in itself is another beginning... Bond was the first person to have ever played this role!). But it's Alyn that makes it all great. He gives Superman a sense of real superhero pizazz without making the Son of Krypton look pompous. So run, or fly, out and get a copy and pop it in your player. This is one time where your entertainment time really does become "A job for Superman"!

SUPERMAN THE SERIAL

[antonio1952 · 9/10 · 1 April 2000]

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.

This makes the Superman TV series look like Godfather II.

[JimB-4 · 3/10 · 12 November 2006]

Despite years of immersion in various aspects of the Superman character, I've only just now seen one of the Kirk Alyn serials. I'm not a huge fan of serials, but I've enjoyed several. This one is shot pretty effectively, but what a chore to get through. Primary culprit: Kirk Alyn. Granted, I'm extremely biased in favor of George Reeves's portrayal of the character. And granted, I think that Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, and Brandon Routh all did fine work in the same role. But I was unprepared for how bad Kirk Alyn was. Much has been made of his "balletic grace," his experience as a dancer, but I found these aspects the most ludicrous when it came to playing Superman. Alyn comes off as unmasculine and sort of child-like, neither of which stands him in good stead as the greatest superhero of all. He kind of bounces around, waving his arms and grinning sort of dopily, coming off more like a horribly miscast Tinkerbell than the Man of Steel. Carol Forman must be the worst actor in the history of serial villains (that's saying something), and she manages to make the actors around her look like the Royal Shakespeare Company. Tommy Bond is a bit tougher and a bit nastier than any subsequent Jimmy Olsen. Noel Neill is cute and perky and easily distinguished from Meryl Streep. Pierre Watkin's Perry White is incredibly one-note (though he does get to have a fistfight and fall out a window!) The story is not complex enough to fill out even one chapter, let alone fifteen. And worst of all, Superman doesn't even do much that's super. Some bullets bounce off him, and he flies (sort of), but even the Fifties TV series, on a fraction of the budget, managed some spectacular effects. This was just boring, and could have been about a big Boy Scout instead of a superhero. Which is kind of the way Alyn plays it.

An excellent serial...and true to the source material of the times

[Vigilante-407 · 8/10 · 26 March 1999]

This is one good serial! There is a lot of action and decent SFX and fairly good (if now stereotypical) characterization.

Kirk Alyn is great as Superman and Clark Kent...a performance that really wasn't surpassed in any media until Christopher Reeve's triumph in 1978. Lois and Jimmy are suitably doltish...though even Lois was a bit more intelligent in the comics than in this serial.

I've been told that the producers had some remorse at the cheapness of the effects (i.e., using animation for Superman flying), but I really don't think it comes off as shoddy...in fact I think it comes off fairly well, or at least better than using a derivative of Republic's effects for making Captain Marvel fly seven years earlier.

Superman is supposedly the most popular chapterplay in history. I don't know about that, but it is very enjoyable and an excellent example of the genre of the movie serial.

Cheap serial

[mhorg2018 · 4/10 · 14 July 2018]

While Kirk Alyn brought a lot of fun to the role of Superman, this serial, cheap like most, has a lackluster villain and some really cheap effects. Still the character of Superman is done well and the supporting cast is decent.

First live-action Superman is good in parts, but flawed

[BrianDanaCamp · 19 December 2003]

The 15-chapter serial, SUPERMAN (1948), is best in its early chapters as it details the more familiar parts of the Superman story, including an elaborate sequence on Krypton dealing with the planet's destruction and Jorel's sending his son off in a rocket to Earth. We see Clark growing up with the Kents and heading off to Metropolis and a job at the Daily Planet where he meets Perry White, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. We see Superman doing superheroic things in these early episodes like rescuing people from a burning building or rescuing miners trapped in a tunnel.

However, after roughly the first third, each episode follows tried-and-true serial formula with standard cliffhanger endings as Superman gets hit with kryptonite or Lois gets trapped somewhere and only Superman can save her. There are even long stretches where Superman doesn't use his powers at all. It all comes to a disappointingly abrupt ending and anticlimactic resolution.

Superman fights an unlikely villain in the Spider Lady (Carol Forman) and her gang of standard-issue thugs--middle-aged crooks in suits, ties and fedoras who are constantly slugging Jimmy and kidnapping Lois. The Spider Lady gets help from a renegade scientist who has an agenda of his own, but he's so badly acted that he slows the film down considerably. The Spider Lady (who loses her ridiculous mask after her first few appearances) is more of a standard serial villain, and, while not unattractive, is coiffed and dressed like a film noir floozie and would probably have been more at home sidling up to Humphrey Bogart in a gambling joint than fighting Superman.

That said, there are considerable points of interest here. When Superman flies, the effect is created through animation as a fluidly animated Superman cartoon figure takes over for the live actor (Kirk Alyn). This tactic allows the makers to show Superman flying through a variety of locales and settings. While the contrast may be jarring at first, it does acknowledge the comic book origins of the character.

Noel Neill is a perfect Lois Lane and is as spunky as they come. When thugs attack, she recklessly plunges into each fight with the verve and daring normally associated with the standard square-jawed cliffhanger hero. When she's not fighting, she's smiling, always eager to get the story and clearly loving her job. A seedy character named Hawkins (played by Frank Lackteen with undetermined accent) is an informant who gives Lois tips about Spider Lady's activities. Lois is always happy to see him and at one point pays for his tips by taking him to lunch at a restaurant called Luigi's (surely a foolhardy act for an informant). None of the characters gets a single change of costume throughout the serial, but it's more noticeable on Lois. Neill played Lois in a second serial, ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN, and later in the TV series, "Superman," opposite George Reeves.

Jimmy Olsen, on the other hand, gets little of consequence to do, other than getting constantly knocked out by thugs and stating the obvious when needed. He's played by Tommy Bond, better known as Butch from "The Little Rascals." (In the TV series, Jack Larson was a vast improvement in the role.) Pierre Watkin makes a good, dyspeptic Perry White, behaving more like J. Jonah Jameson from "Spiderman" than the Perry we know and love.

A point should be made here about the sequel, ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN (1950). It improved on this serial greatly and had a more comic book-like villain in Lex Luthor (well played by Lyle Talbot). It also had Superman doing a great many more Superman-like things and offered a new twist in each episode. It had a better story structure and more satisfying resolution. The characters also got to change their outfits.

Super serial soars...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 25 October 2010]

Looking like the life-model for Curt Swan's (much later) rendition of The Man Of Steel, Kirk Alyn soars in SUPERMAN. The one and only (albeit glaring) fault to be found is, of course, in the flying sequences (in which our hero literally turns into a cartoon); other than that, the first SUPERMAN serial is arguably the best Big Screen treatment so far. Likewise, Noel Neill as the first Big Screen Lois Lane is- by far- the best of the bunch: in Chapter 11, she pulls off one of the great movie coups when she calls the police to report that her car's been stolen and then hands rival reporter Clark Kent the keys. His subsequent incarceration is loud-out-loud funny, but a little thing like steel bars never stopped Superman... In a twist that far predates the limp-wristed BATMAN teleseries of the 1960s, Superman, in Chapter 15, thinking ahead, wears lead-lined underwear to a showdown with The Villain (the sometimes sultry Spider Lady, as good a villainess as any in a serial), who has figured out that Kryptonite can kill him. With all that it has going for it, it's impossible to rate this one lower than a solid ten. Super.

hysterical

[disdressed12 · 10/10 · 20 July 2010]

(note:this is not the 1950's George Reeves series)how this has not been given the MST3K treatment,i don't know.it's astoundingly bad.my roommate and i laughed our a#%es off.it definitely falls under the category of so bad,it's good.i don't want to give too much away,lest i spoil anyone's enjoyment.suffice to say,it is definitely worth watching if you have a chance.i bought the whole 15 chapter serial cheap and i don't regret it for a minute.i'm guessing budget constraints had something to do with how bad the show was,but that doesn't explain away every thing.all i know is,it's endlessly entertaining,and a great cure for depression.for me,Superman is a 10/10

Shallow & Sloppy Superman Serial

[zardoz-13 · 5/10 · 22 February 2014]

Seasoned serial directors Spencer Gordon Bennett and Thomas Carr contended with several complications to bring the DC Comics' character Superman to the silver screen as a live-action yarn. This serial contained 15 episodes. The weaknesses grow out in the primitive technology and the lackluster, sometimes sloppy scriptwriting. Ultimately, despite its distinction as the first screen appearance of the Man of Tomorrow, "Superman" ranks as a lame serial with fleeting moments of humor. The story suffers from lapses of logic the size of a black hole. Performances are good enough, considering the sketchy characterization. Kirk Alyn looks like Clark Kent's double. Alyn makes a better impression as the perspicuous Clark Kent than he does Superman with his booming voice. His Superman behaves as if he were rehearsing for the ballet after he dons his distinctive outfit. He tilts his arms away from his hips as if he were performing a balancing act. Of course, this serial was designed for adolescents whose critical faculties lacked sophistication. Noel Neill plays a smart aleck Lois Lane. She likes to play jokes on Clark. Tommy Bond makes his Jimmy Olsen a presumptuous pup who typically succumbs to the first blow that a henchman delivers. Pierre Watkin is feisty as cigar-smoking Daily Planet editor Perry White. I. Stanford Jolley has a bit part as a skeptical jailer. The humorous finale when White, Olsen, and Lois find Clark sleeping and he claims that he was dreaming about being Superman is cute. Of course, Superman doesn't kiss Lois and Lois doesn't daydream about the Last Son of Krypton the way she did in the graphic counterpart.

Initially, neither leading man Kirk Alyn nor the special effects crew could conjure up a way to make Superman fly. Producer Sam Katzman resorted to the alternative of cartoon Superman. Any feats of derring-do that Alyn couldn't physically perform, the cartoon Superman carries out. Usually, Superman is shown flying, but one time he smashes through a wall. This novel effect of morphing an individual into a cartoon is clever. Sometimes, the transitions are neat. When Alyn leaps toward the camera, the filmmakers reverse the perspective so that his cartoon counterpart appears sweeping over our heads and to fly into the image. This gimmick, however, serves to undermine your "willing suspension of disbelief." Furthermore, whenever the cartoon Superman lands, he touches down behind objects such as trees, rocks, buildings, or other obstructions. This exemplifies the 'Texas Switch' where a stunt does the stunt and then disappears behind something without revealing his face and the actor walks out. At the heart of any serial were the inevitable cliffhanger conclusions. For example, as his first feat of heroism, Superman prevents a train from derailing by bending the rail back into conformity. Bennett and Carr put the action on pause with a train bearing down on Superman. The common complaint about most serials is the heroes appear in jeopardy, but they are rarely in jeopardy. In other words, like skilled magicians, Bennett and Carr set up predicaments that generate considerable suspense and tension. Unfortunately, they don't consistently pay off these incidents with credible resolutions. Superman spends his most of his time rescue Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen from peril. This complaint concerns Superman's incredible escape from Kryptonite in the final chapter. Sometimes, they goof up the cliffhangers as when Jimmy Olsen hides in a packing crate and the consequences are depicted inconsistently. First, two men are shown firing into the packing crate and in the next episode only one man is shooting at the packing crate while his accomplice is just climbing out the truck to admire his handiwork!

As a narrative, "Superman" works best when The Man of Steel demonstrates his unique abilities. Unfortunately, Superman is rarely called on to do anything truly extraordinary like he did in the Max Fleischer cartoons. Alyn doesn't swap blows with ray guns; keep skyscrapers from falling, or battle robots. Indeed, he does save a woman by flying with her in his arms from a smoke-filled house. When he peers into the camera, we see his X-ray vision penetrating opaque objects. Naturally, when he is ogling Lois, his vision doesn't undress her. Typically, Clark Kent must conceal himself before he changes his wardrobe. The chapter where he is imprisoned for stealing Lois' car creates an interesting challenge and serves efficiently to conceal his transition.

Scenarists George H. Plympton and Joseph F. Poland pit the Man of Steel against the treacherous 'Spider Lady.' She is a harmless looking dish in a wig with a cocktail party mask that exposes her nose. Hardly a disguise! We never learn her true identity. The villainous Spider Lady is after the Relatively Reducer Ray, a weapon whose potential far exceeds the destructive capability of an atomic bomb. An unscrupulous scientist Dr. Hackett (Charles Quigley) abets her in her criminal endeavors. Of course, neither are matches for the Man of Tomorrow. The filmmakers do a fine job of establishing Superman's origins on planet Krypton with his father warning his peers about their impending disaster. Bennett and Carr have neatly encapsulated Superman's upbringing with Ebem Kent and his wife. Ebem is a pipe-smoking good old boy who doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth when he sees it. The childless couple appropriate the baby. They raise Superman and exhort him to protect "truth, justice, and tolerance." As an adult, Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, tangles with the Spider Lady. She manages to hold sway over several men who could easily overpower her. Sadly, the scenarists don't provide the Spider Lady with any backstory. She kidnaps the scientist, Dr. Graham (Herbert Rawlinson of "Perils of Nyoka"), and forces him against his will to operate the Reducer Ray. Later, Graham refuses to cooperate, and Hackett devises some mysterious way of coercing him.

Happily, the heinous Spider Lady gets her just comeuppance in her own web of intrigue. Although she never actually kills anybody, she orders the deaths of several characters without a qualm.

The Man of Steel making his debut!

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 9/10 · 8 August 2017]

This 1948 serial show of "Superman" was the Man of Steel's debut. The production is decidedly low budget and the special effects for the flying scenes are slightly disappointing. However, there is still much to enjoy here. "Superman" captures the essence of the comic book of the era and includes the superhero's origin story in the opening episode. The scenes based on the planet Krypton are very imaginative. Kirk Alyn is a great Clark Kent/Superman and is physically suitable for the dual role. For her first appearance as Lois Lane, Noel Neill displays tenacity and determination in trying and failing to scoop Kent in presenting the latest stories of the mastercriminal known as the Spider Lady. Speaking of whom, that is how the serial's plot unfolds. Superman manages to thwart the evil plans of the Spider Lady and usually saving Lois Lane or Jimmy Olson. As with all programmes of this kind, all episodes finish with the traditional "cliff- hanger" ending. The pace and action are fast and furious.

Four is a rather generous mark!

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 14 March 2018]

U.S. release: 1948. U.K. release: 1949. 2 reels each episode. Total running time: 284 minutes. In 1953, Columbia cut the serial down to a mere 7,923 feet (88 minutes). This cutdown was released in England in September 1953, but it was never released in any medium, either theatrically or to television, in Australia or the U.S.

SYNOPSIS: Superman, alias Clark Kent, reporter, assisted by his Daily Planet colleagues Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, thwarts the nefarious plans of the self-styled Spider Lady, mistress of crime.

COMMENT: Katzman's Columbia serials are a sorry lot. And this one alas is no exception. Produced on an obviously miniscule budget, this one can't even afford a change of clothes for Lois Lane. Throughout almost the entire film, she wears a ridiculously plate-shaped cap, both indoors and out, whether in peril or in repose. She finally gets rid of it in chapter 13.

All the cliffhangers are as tame as iced tea, with obvious resolutions that wouldn't excite a six-year-old child. Also noticeably juvenile was the decision to have Superman fly not with the aid of wires or special effects but crude animation. I'm afraid this Superman would be jeered off the screen by today's youngsters.

The players do what they can against a trite, talky, amateurishly plotted script. The "B" grade shuffle is much in evidence with the players using up an unconscionable amount of screen time making entrances and exits, walking to the telephone, and general bouts of just twiddling around.

If you must have an episode for your collection, I would suggest 13. Not only does it feature all the principals, but it ends with a chair thrown at the camera, the one sole trace of directorial flair in the entire movie. And the preceding fist fight is not too badly staged either.

Otherwise a pedestrian effort in all respects, this Superman is best forgotten.

The original title of this serial/ Kirk Alyn

[shrfchasg · 10 September 2009]

I remember for years this serial being titled "Superman Vrs. The Spider Lady". I was fortunate enough, to have lived in the nick of time to see this at a theater. I have read articles through the later year since, discussing all the Superman related creations. One, for example, was in TV Guide, listing all who played the hero. Included the title "...Vrs. The Spider Lady". I also have noticed it elsewhere, too. What happened now this is not acknowledged? When I looked to order it on DVD I therefore had a problem to recognized it. I've always have believed Kirk Alyn is the best convincing actor to portray him. To me he would be able to not be detected while in his Clark disguise with his glasses. The others who has since took the role, has distinct voice or features enough to be discovered.

Great serials.

[wkozak221 · 9/10 · 21 May 2021]

I love movie serials. My dad got me hooked on them. My parents grew up during The Depression. This one and the sequel are great. The cast and scripts are top notch. The action keeps moving along at a fast pace. The only 2 minuses are: I wish Republic made the serials. The special effects would be A+. Also, I wish the wardrobe budget was higher. It is sad to see the cast in the same outfits throughout the serials.

THE BEST SERIAL EVER MADE

[mst86 · 18 March 2000]

Superman, the 15-chapter serial, is the best of it's kind. Kirk Alyn is excellent as Superman/Clark Kent, Noel Neill is the best Lois Lane ever to hit the screen, Carol Forman makes Spider Lady one of the most hated serial villains of all time!

Some say that the animation is terrible, but I'd prefer it over using real people. The special effects are very amusing, and Mischa Bakaleinikoff's musical score fits the themes of the movie perfectly.

The story goes like this, Jor-El is the only scientist who knows that the planet Krypton is going to explode. He builds a rocket and sends his son far off to the planet earth before the doomed planet explodes. Clark grows up and moves to Metropolis, where he becomes better known as Superman. As Superman he fights for "Truth, Justice, and Tolerance", but the evil Spider Lady plans to destroy everything he represents.

I give it 10/10 Stars

thoroughly enjoyed viewing it.

[oscar-35 · 1 April 2013]

*Spoiler/plot- Superman, 1948. An alien baby is sent to Earth and develops superpowers. He hides his identity as a newspaper reporter to do good for his adopted planet and human race.

*Special Stars- Kirk Alyn, Noel Neil, Tommy Bond, Pierre Watkin, Carol Foreman, Doodles Weaver.

*Theme- American values are good.

*Trivia/location/goofs- B & W, Theatrical serial. 15 episodes. Rocky area locations was courtesy of Iverson Movie ranch, Chatsworth California. Watch for the live action Superman fly through animation. Noel Neil was kept for the famous George Reeves TV show in the 50's.

*Emotion- I just found this VHS double tape 40's matinée serial and thoroughly enjoyed viewing it. Great to see the WW2 vintage cars and clothes fashions of this fine show. It was well edited, shot, written and expertly acted. Great and interesting Superman/Kent casting. I always felt that in the 50's Superman TV show, the actor's Clark being the same actor as Superman was a mistake, but it worked. Also I found out that the makers of Superman copyright sued and won against the copyright holders of Captain Marvel. It was a battle against Superman was lost and as part of the Superman winning settlement was that Capt Marvel took a cash settlement to stop making it's projects. Captain Marvel disappeared from the popular minds. Republic Pictures is back and re-releasing their archive of films. The home studio of early John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and other matinée serials was in the present CBS Radford studio lot in Studio City, CA. The flying figure on a wire of CM was done and the same as Republic's 50's Commander Cody's rocket pack shows. The show still manages to hold-up in today's superheroes and was refreshing to see the stunt work and physical special effects and NO over used CGI.

An Error In Counting

[GermanParis · 23 December 2006]

I actually have the episodes, and, there are 16, not 15. There are actually TWO Episodes numbered 5. The first episode is Superman comes to earth . 2. depths of the earth 3. the reducer ray 4. man of steel 5. a job for superman 5. Atom man tricks superman etc (and then there are title errors from the previous listing)

6. Atom Man's Challenge 7. At The Mercy of Atom Man 8. Into the Empty Doom 9. Superman Crashes Through 10. Atom Man's Heat Ray 11. Luthor's Strategy 12. Atom Man Strikes 13. Atom Man's Flying Saucer 14. Rocket of Vengeance 15. Superman Saves the Universe.

I honestly don't know why there were so MANY errors listed in the previous posts, but I do have them copied from VHS now on DVD. So, I can say in all honesty I have the proof.

The joke is I had them all written out as they appeared but the silliness of this page said no shouting ... well pardon me, but that is the way they were authored some 60 years ago. I guess back then people weren't so silly.

I hadn't seen them since about 1974 or so, and I was actually impressed at the drawings of Superman flying since they didn't have the special effects of today. The acting could have been better, but, it was fun to watch again. I am giving a few copies to some people for nostalgia. They will bring a smile to your face if you get the chance to see them!

Turner Classics just recently aired them, so watch for them, they may air them again!