This was reportedly the highest grossing American movie serial of all time.
Episode titles:
- 1. Superman Flies Again
- 2. Atom Man Appears!
- 3. Ablaze in the Sky!
- 4. Superman Meets Atom Man!
- 5. Atom Man Tricks Superman
- 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 Saucers
- 14. Rocket of Vengeance
- 15. Superman Saves the Universe
In chapter one the shot of Luthor destroying the bridge is actual footage of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge that opened in 1940 (also known as "Galloping Gertie"). The footage used is that of the bridge in its final moments prior to its collapse on November 7, 1940, shot on 16mm Kodachrome motion picture film by Barney Elliott and Harbine Monroe of a Tacoma-area camera shop.
The Empty Doom, a desolate alternate-dimension that seems nigh-inescapable to anyone cast into it, is essentially a forerunner to the Superman comics' concept of the Kryptonian penal dimension called The Phantom Zone where numerous dangerous Kryptonian criminals are held.
Lex Luthor was in neither the animated shorts nor the later TV series starring George Reeves; Lyle Talbot was the first actor to ever play the character.