Broken Frontier

With Superman Returns, and Brandon Routh’s turn as the Man of Steel, just weeks away, Broken Frontier looks back at the first of 13 men who have played Earth’s greatest hero over the years.

Ray Middleton was the first actor to bring Superman into the real world. Born in 1907, Middleton was primarily a stage actor/singer prior to being recruited as the Man of Steel for the 1940 World’s Fair. Donning a costume that was very similar to Joe Shuster’s original design (excepting the inclusion of the bold lettered name of “SUPERMAN” over the S-shield), Middleton’s Superman was on hand for “Superman Day” to promote National Comics’ New York World’s Fair Comics. Following his brief but significant turn as Superman, Middleton made a career primarily out of stage musicals including Annie Get Your Gun and Man of La Mancha. Middleton also made several films, and through the 70s and 80s appeared in many TV shows and commercials. He continued working until his death at the age of 77 in 1984.

Middleton may have been the “real” Superman, but Kirk Alyn was the first to bring the character to life. Born in 1910, the vaudevillian performer was cast as the dual lead role of Superman/Clark Kent in Columbia pictures 15-part Superman movie serial. Joined by Noel Neill and Tommy Bond as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen respectively, Alyn first turn as Superman in 1948 pitted him against the Queen of the Underworld, Spider Lady. Producer Sam Katzman put together an entertaining serial, but initial efforts to make Alyn fly by wires were laughable. Due to the tight production schedule, Katzman had his team improvise – to fly, Superman leapt over the camera and the picture switched into cartoon animation. Despite these faults, Superman became one of the most popular serials of all time.

A sequel, Atom Man vs. Superman, debuted in 1950 and faced Alyn off against the first on screen depiction of Lex Luthor, as portrayed by Lyle Talbot. A hooded Luthor adopted the guise of Atom Man and menaced Metropolis with synthetic kryptonite, flying saucers, torpedoes, sonic vibrators and the Phantom Zone. The special effects were greatly improved in this serial as well, featuring live-action scenes of Alyn flying and animated bullets bouncing of his chest.

Beyond the obvious historical significance of his time as Superman, Alyn also was credited for his performance as Clark Kent. Borrowing from radio serial Superman, Bud Collyer, Alyn played the two roles very differently, adding to the illusion of a dual identity. Based on this strength, Alyn was offered the opportunity to continue the role on the planned Adventures of Superman television show. Fearing typecasting, Alyn refused. He continued his acting career, primarily in minor film and television roles as his concerns proved correct and he was never able to shake the stigma of being Superman. When production began on the 1978 Superman motion picture, nostalgia created a renewed interest in Alyn’s career, even leading his to accept a cameo role opposite Noel Neill as the parents of Lois Lane. Not long after, Alyn retired from acting and passed away in 1999.

The Adventures of Superman television program debuted with the theatrical release Superman and the Mole Men. Former stuntman and B-movie actor, George Reeves (born 1914), was selected to succeed Alyn as the Man of Steel. Alongside Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane, Reeves’ Superman journeyed to a small mining town where an underground civilization was discovered. Seemingly menaced by the strange Mole Men, the citizens of the town form a mob to stop them. Ultimately, Superman learns that the Mole Men are benevolent and stops the mob, preaching a message of tolerance and unity. Superman and the Mole Men had a successful theatrical release, which lead to the filming of 26 episodes of The Adventures of Superman.

Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen) and John Hamilton (Perry White) joined the cast, along with Robert Shayne as the new character, Inspector Henderson. Unfortunately, the show was unable to land a major sponsor, leading it to be shelved until 1953 when Kellog’s agreed to sponsor it. The producers cut down Superman and the Mole Men into two 30-minute chapters (re-titled The Unknown People) and used it as the series premiere. The show was an instant hit, and a second season was ordered. In the intervening years, Coates had found other work, but the producers did not need to look far for a new Lois. Noel Neill joined the cast for the second season, reprising her role from the serials.

In 1957, The Adventures of Superman was cancelled after 104 episodes. The series attempted to revive its popularity in the final season by switching to colour. Unfortunately, this switch required a larger budget, which resulted in a reduction in special effects. As such, the focus largely shifted from Superman, to the Daily Planet staff. The sponsors also continually demanded a more juvenile program, and the show had begun to descend into camp. Reeves was increasingly unhappy with becoming typecast as Superman (in his last major motion picture, From Here to Eternity, his role was cut down to an uncredited cameo after test audiences laughed and yelled “There’s Superman!”) and uncomfortable with children (they would often kick or punch Reeves to test “Superman’s” invulnerability). One story tells of a child who arrived at a George Reeves autograph session with a loaded gun. Reeves talked the boy out of firing the pistol at him, explaining that the bullet ricocheting off his invulnerable chest could hurt somebody else.

On June 16, 1959, George Reeves was found dead in his bedroom. The coroner ruled that the death was due to a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, but conspiracy theories soon surfaced. Two years earlier, Reeves had been romantically linked with the common-law wife of the vice-president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The year before his death, he began a relationship with a wealthy New York socialite. It was suggested by various sources that either one of the women, the vice-president, or the mob had murdered Reeves. Additional bullet holes were reportedly found in the wall of Reeves’ bedroom, and to this day, the exact cause of his death remains clouded (Hollywoodland, a motion picture exploring the circumstances of Reeves death, is scheduled for later this year and stars Adrien Brody, Dianne Lane and Ben Affleck as Reeves). A short while after Reeves’ death, a proposal came forward to launch a Jimmy Olsen television show. The pitch stunned Jack Larson, the producers planned to splice in old footage of Reeves as Superman. Larson immediately rejected the project, calling it “a sick case of necrophilia.” 

The same year that The Adventures of Superman ended, DC editor Whitney Ellsworth attempted to launch a new series - The Adventures of Superpup. Using props and sets from The Adventures of Superman, the pilot episode of Superpup featured little people in dog costumes. Billy Curtis (1909-1988, who had played the Mayor of the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz and one of the Mole Men in Superman and the Mole Men) starred in the title roles of Superpup and Bark Bent. The show featured Perry Bite’s star reporter, Pamela Poodle, being kidnapped by the evil Professor Sheepdip. Not surprisingly, no networks picked up the series. 

In 1961, Whitney Ellsworth undertook a new effort to bring the Last Son of Krypton back to TV. This time, the focus shifted to Superboy, with a pilot for The Adventures of Superboy. Unknown actor John Rockwell landed the lead role over a game of gin rummy with Ellsworth. The only episode shot involved a friend of Lana Lang and Clark Kent’s being ashamed that his father is a lowly doorman. When the father helps Superboy thwart a crime, the boy’s opinion changes. The show was never picked up, and the only other piece of Superboy footage shot was a brief teaser ad.

After several failed TV proposals, Superman next prepared to tackle a new venue – the Broadway stage. In 1966 It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman debuted. Written by David Newman and Robert Benton (who would later help script Superman: The Motion Picture), the musical featured numbers by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams including “Superman”, “You’ve Got Possibilities” and “Revenge.” Bob Holiday donned the tights as Superman but took a lower billing then Jack Cassidy as the evil reporter, Max Menckan. The show ran for 128 performances, before closing in the red. While the show is often mocked for its forgettable music and low quality special effects, it did have some redeeming qualities (such as the inclusion of sets designed like comic book panels). The show debuted at the same time as the very successful television program, Batman, creating stiff competition and certain preconceptions about it.

Partly based on the popularity of their animated series, The Super Friends, ABC filmed a revival of It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman. Featuring David Wilson as Superman, the 100-minute production cut many of the musical numbers and only aired once, in 1975. In the years since this failed revival, Wilson has continued to act for stage, screen and television.

Of these Supermen, only George Reeves work is currently available on DVD. The first two seasons of The Adventures of Superman are currently available, with The Complete Third and Fourth Season due on June 20th, 2006.