SUPERMAN Gum Cards (1940)

SUPERMAN Gum Cards (1940)

MAD's "Superduperman!" by Wally Wood (1953)

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Overlooked Films: SUPERMAN (1948) Watch it here!

I talked with Kirk Alyn at a comic show back in the '70s, and he said he'd never seen this 15-chapter serial. At the time it came out he was too busy working, and he finally got around to asking Columbia to show it to him they denied having a copy. He had it on good authority, though, that they had it locked away in their vault.

Well, somebody sure had a copy, because it was finally released on VHS in 1987. Alyn was around until 1999, so it's pretty likely he finally got to see it. Anyway, here's the whole dang thing. This one's for you, Kirk.

Overblown Films: MAN OF STEEL

Having failed to catch Man of Steel when it played our local second-run pizza and beer theaters, I got the DVD from the library. And even though it was free, I wanted my money back.

This is the most schizophrenic movie I’ve seen since From Dust 'Til Dawn. The important difference is, I liked From Dust 'Til Dawn.

The first three hours of Man of Steel (OK, it was only an hour, but seemed like three) stumbled and sputtered and snoozed until I almost yanked the disc and rushed it back to the library. The last thing this world needs is another retelling of the Superman origin story, especially one with contrived and annoying details. After suffering through thirty minutes of that stuff, there were hints the story might actually be starting. Each time, though, was a false alarm.

Instead, that entire first half was a jumble of disconnected and unnecessary scenes. Someone was trying to be artsy-fartsy in their storytelling, and failing miserably. But right at the halfway point, as my thumb was caressing the stop button, the fighting started, and the mayhem didn’t stop for another hour.

I have to admit the second hour held my attention. It was the most violent and wantonly destructive sequence I’ve yet to see in a superhero film. It was almost like an apology from the producers: Having bored us silly in the first half, they felt compelled to deliver non-stop shock and awe in the second. But while I enjoy a bit of gratuitous violence, it needs a little story to go with it.

As Supes, Henry Cavill showed promise but never got a chance to act. And Amy Adams would have acceptable as Lois Lane if she'd been given a story. But Michael Shannon was abominable as General Zod. He was consistently wooden and boring, and seemed to think he was still on the set of Boardwalk Empire.

Having paid no advance attention to this film, I didn’t know until the end credits that it was a Christopher Nolan production. That explained a lot. I didn’t like his ultra-dark Batman, and liked it less in each sequel. Man of Steel was a new low, and if I can help it, I’ll avoid Nolan's films in the future.

The folks at D.C. have good stable of characters, but they need to put them in the hands of people who can give them the J.J. Abrams/Joss Whedon treatment. These movies should be fun.

Overlooked Films: POPEYE Meets SUPERMAN (sort of)

(This week's Overlooked Film comes to you a day early, because tomorrow I'll be celebrating the release of "Gambler's Don't Win" by W.T. Ballard, the latest in the new line of Black Mask eBooks.)



Back in the early '40s, these two heroes were both working out of Paramount Studios. Superman made his last film there in 1943 (reportedly due to high production costs), but his costume (along with some of his sountrack music) resurfaced in this 1944 Popeye cartoon, "She-Sick Sailors." Fun stuff.

Breakfast with Superman

In response to yesterday's post about the 50s TV series The Adventures of Superman, Mike Doran offered this intriguing comment:

One of the joys of collecting videos of ancient TV shows is finding the occasional local commercial spot, frequently for something like a brewery or a bank.

The Cisco Kid, for example, was sponsored in its original run by Interstate Bakeries, makers of Butternut Bread - in the midwest, at least ("Tut-tut Nothin' but Butternut Bread!"). But I've got a few episodes in my collection with spots for Weber Bread - same packaging, even the same jingle ("Can't get enough o' that Weber Bread!").

I also recall how Lloyd Bridges would appear at the close of Sea Hunt to say a few kind words about Heileman's Old Style Beer - here in Chicago,anyway. I don't doubt that he spoke with equal fondness of other brands in other markets.

During its original run, Kellogg's sponsorship of Superman was proclaimed right in the opening credits, accompanied by commercial spots by the cast members - all of which had to scrapped when the show went into its later syndication phase.

The cast of Superman plugging breakfast cereal? That sounded pretty cool, so I checked YouTube and found quite a few commercials. Thanks, Mike, for hepping us to the jive! Some samples . . .

Overlooked TV: It's a bird! It's a plane! Nope, it's You-Know-Who

Here's one you don't see TV anymore (and least I don't), but it used to be a GIANT. Luckily for kids like me, the whole series is now available on DVD, and I've been watching it again.

The Adventures of Superman ran from 1952 to 1958, for a total of 104 episodes. The show was originally broadcast in black and white, but half the episodes were filmed in color, and are presented that way on DVD.

Though the show was aimed at kids, some of the episodes are surprisingly well done. Two very early adventures seem like mini-movies starring Jimmy (episode 2) and Lois (episode 4), with Superman merely swooping in at the end to save the day. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that these, and perhaps many others, were based on earlier feature films.

Other episosdes, of course, are purely kid stuff. One has an organ grinder's monkey dressed in a Superman suit, and another is about a sick girl whose fondest wish is for Supes to take her to the fair. But even the most sacharin stories have redeeming elements, like bad guys with guns.

The Season One set has 26 episodes, plus the 1951 feature film Superman and the Mole Men. That's where George Reeves debuted in the role, taking over after Kirk Alyn had done his stuff in two 15-chapter serials, Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs Superman (1950) (You can see movie posters for those HERE.)

Superman and the Mole Men also introduced Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane (who had been played by Noel Neill in the serials). Phyllis continues that role in the first season of the TV series, and the more familiar Noel takes over in the second.

Check it out. It ain't too late to be a kid again.

For links to more Super Overlooked Films & Stuff, put on your cape and fly on over to Sweet Freedom.

Super New Year