Consume All Media! Superman: "Chapter One: Superman Comes to Earth"
- Joseph Heath
- Feb 24
- 8 min read
Joe Heath is a big fan of comic books and watching things in order. So they made this spreadsheet containing every serial, short, film, television episode, commercial, motion comic, and web series based on a comic book. Now they're watching them all. Previously, Joe vigilantly viewed the 1947 serial The Vigilante. This time, they leap to 1948 to watch the first live-action Superman.
Superman
Film Info
Release date: January 5th, 1948
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Written by Lewis Clay, Royal Cole, Arthur Hoerl, George H. Plympton, & Joseph F. Poland
Based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
Produced by Sam Katzman
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet & Thomas Carr
Writer Highlights
Lewis Clay (1909-1995)
Other comic book media credits: The Vigilante (1947) & Congo Bill (1948)
Royal Cole (1907-1993)
Other comic book media credits: Captain America (1944), Batman and Robin (1949), Blackhawk (1952), & the 1954 episode of Adventures of Superman: “Beware the Wrecker”
Arthur Hoerl (1891-1968)
Other comic book media credits: The Vigilante (1947) & Congo Bill (1948)
George H. Plympton (1889-1972)
Other comic book media credits: Hop Harrigan (1946), The Vigilante (1947), Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)
Other comic book media credits: Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941), Spy Smasher (1942), Captain America (1944), Batman and Robin (1949), & Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Producer Highlights
Sam Katzman (1901-1973)
Other comic book media credits: Hop Harrigan (1946), The Vigilante (1947), Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)
Director Highlights
Spencer Gordon Bennet (1893-1987)
Other comic book media credits: Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)
Thomas Carr (1907-1997)
Other comic book media credits: Congo Bill (1948) & multiple episodes of Adventures of Superman (1952-58)
After the success of the animated Superman shorts, it was inevitable that the Man of Steel would make his live-action debut. In fact, Republic Pictures had already tried to get a live-action serial going twice, but hit roadblocks with rights issues. Republic eventually gave up, but in 1948, Columbia Pictures picked up the reins. And to ensure it would be as accurate as possible, they hired Superman himself to play the lead role.
Or at least that’s how they marketed it. In reality, he would be played by Kirk Alyn, the same guy who was playing that goofball Clark Kent. Alyn would reprise the role in 1950’s Atom Man vs. Superman. He would also play the title role in The Miraculous Blackhawk: Freedom’s Champion and have a cameo in the 1978 film Superman.
Though he turned down the offer to reprise the role for The Adventures of Superman television series out of fear of being typecast, he would eventually embrace his super legacy. He wound up touring with a Superman exhibit that eventually became The Super Museum in Metropolis, Illinois. When Jim Hambrick, the Super Museum owner, got married, Kirk Alyn was his best man.
But where did it all start and how did Alyn’s portrayal of Superman compare to versions before him?
Let’s dive in further to find out.
Superman: “Chapter One: Superman Comes to Earth” - 20:03 (Available on Amazon)
The serial begins much like the first animated short did, giving us a brief description of the planet Krypton.
This serial takes it a step further though and actually shows us what it looks like on the planet. It’s mostly rocks and this really cool painting.
The narrator mentions that Kryptonians are basically superpowered beings. This differs from later interpretations that maintain that Kryptonians only become superpowered after being exposed to energy from the Earth’s sun. Yes, I am a nerd.
We meet a Kryptonian scientist named Jor-El (Nelson Leigh) who believes the planet is doomed and is working to save it.
Actor Highlights
Nelson Leigh (1905-1985)
Other comic book media credits: Dr. Greenway in Congo Bill (1948) & Doctor Carr in a 1955 episode of Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
Superman creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel originally created a character named Jor-L for a comic strip called Federal Men in 1937, a year before Superman first appeared in Action Comics. Jor-L wasn’t even a real person in the strip, but rather a character from a story one of the Federal Men proposes as to how crime would be handled in the future.
The Kryptonian father of Superman is referenced in Action Comics #1, but remained unnamed. In 1939, he was given the name Jor-L in a Superman comic strip and would eventually get that extra E in the 1942 novel The Adventures of Superman.
We also meet Jor-El’s wife, Lara (Luana Walters).
Lara also went through a bit of a name change, being introduced in the Superman comic strips as Lora. The 1942 Superman novel that gave Jor-El his “E” also shifted Lora into Lara and that change carried over into the comics.
We then meet their baby.
This is technically the first actor to play Superman in live-action. I can’t find any information at all about who played him. Poor kid established the role and gets no credit for it whatsoever. What a shame.
A council is called by Ro-Zon, president of Krypton (Robert Barron).
Actor Highlights
Robert Barron (1989-1958)
Other comic book media credits: Prince Hamil in The Vigilante (1947)
Ro-Zon (or Rozan) appeared in The Adventures of Superman radio series, novel, and television series, but apparently never made his way into the comics.
Jor-El tells the Kryptonian council that the planet is in trouble and they need to fix things or else it’s going to get worse. The council mocks him and his dumb science ideas.
I can’t help but feel reminded of some people’s dismissive response to the pandemic. Or you know... the state of the world in general.
Uh-oh, this article is getting too heavy! Let’s go back to talking about the serial, where I’m sure much more light-hearted things are happening.
Nope! Volcanoes erupt, buildings topple, and Jor-El sends his only child off in a spaceship.
As soon as the spaceship shoots off into space, the physical prop is replaced by a 2D animation!
In order to save money, the serial employed animation for some of its trickier effects. But more on that later. For now, let’s watch Krypton explode.
Wear a mask, people. (I originally wrote this in 2021. Can you tell?)
After darting its way through space, the ship crash lands on Earth right in front of Martha and Eben Kent (Virginia Carroll & Ed Cassidy).
Actor Highlights
Virginia Carroll (1913-2009)
Trivia: Married to Ralph Byrd who played the titular character in The Vigilante (1947)
Other comic book media credits: Mrs. Williams in the 1952 episode of The Adventures of Superman: "The Birthday Letter"
Ed Cassidy (1893-1968)
Other comic book media credits: Dodge, Captain of 'The Carfax' in The Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) & Gate Guard in Captain America (1944)
In Action Comics and the first Superman animated short, Clark was raised in an orphanage. Ma and Pa Kent didn’t come around until Superman #1, released in 1939. Throughout the years their names would fluctuate. Ma Kent was initially introduced as Mary, then became Sarah, before finally settling on Martha. Pa Kent initially had no name then became Eben before finally settling on Jonathan. Their fates would fluctuate as much as their names with various combinations of them being dead or alive, depending on which universe they were from.
Once the animated spaceship lands, it returns to being a prop. The Kents discover the baby inside, take him home, and name him Clark.
We see Clark grow up in a montage displaying some of his superpowers.
I can’t find any information on the actor playing this Superboy either. Guessing he’s a Stunt Boy, though. Look at him carrying that heavy cart!
Later in life, he uses his X-Ray vision to find his mom’s watch in a haystack.
This actor is Mason Alan Dinehart who went on to play Bat Masterson in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Finally! He’s the third actor to play Superman in this serial and the first one whose name I could find!
In his later teenage years, Clark has to save his dad from a tornado…
And unlike in Man of Steel, Clark is able to save his dad, no problem. (Personal side note: I hate that scene in Man of Steel so much. Maybe I’ll get to talk about it one day!)
This actor is Ralph Hodges! Two out of four child Clarks have been accounted for! If you have any leads on the other two, be sure to leave a comment!
Clark grows into an adult Kirk Alyn and his parents finally tell him his origin story. He takes it pretty well.
His dad tells him that with great power comes great responsibility (a full 14 years before Uncle Ben could impart this on a young Peter Parker). So Clark decides to go out into the real world and make it a better place.
His mom gives him a uniform made from the blanket they found him in.
She says it resists both fire and acid. How does she know that? Did she just dip it in acid? Also, how did she even sew it, if it’s so invulnerable? Of course, the comics have the answer...
Clark exits the house, headed for Metropolis, as the narrator informs us that shortly afterwards, the Kents passed away.
WHAT? Why? It is literally never brought up again and has zero narrative repercussions. They don’t even get any real emotion out of it. It’s just casually mentioned in the narration. Weird choice.
Anyway, we jump on a train and meet news reporter Lois Lane (Noel Neill).
Actor Highlights
Noel Neill (1920-2016)
Trivia: In 2010, The Super Museum erected a Lois Lane statue dedicated to and designed after Neill. After her passing in 2016, an episode of Supergirl honored her legacy by featuring a character named Noel Neill (played by Erica Durance who played Lois Lane in Smallville!)
Other comic book media credits: Lois Lane in Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), the second Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman (1953-58), Ella Lane in Superman (1978), Alexis in the 1991 Superboy episode “Paranoia,” and Gertrude Vanderworth in Superman Returns (2006)
Also on the train is a news photographer (Tommy Bond). Unless you count that guy from the Superman animated short Showdown (which I totally do, by the way), this is the first on-screen appearance of Jimmy Olsen.
Actor Highlights
Tommy Bond (1926-2005)
Other memorable roles: The bully Butch in numerous Our Gang/The Little Rascals films
Other comic book media credits: Jimmy Olsen in Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Lois and Jimmy are absolutely adorable and they play off of each other incredibly well. I was instantly onboard to follow these two characters anywhere. Though it looks like they are headed straight for disaster.
While waiting for the train, Clark notices that a piece of the track is broken when he uses his telescopic vision. (Superman’s had a lot of different vision-related powers over the years. X-Ray vision, heat vision, microscopic vision, and my personal favorite… masonry vision.)
Clark ducks behind a bush while his inner monologue declares “This looks like a job for Superman!” This piece of dialogue carries over from the radio series and the animated shorts, including the change from tenor to bass midway through.
And with that, we get our first look at the man of tomorrow as he exits from behind the bush and prepares to run faster than a locomotive.
Should you watch it, though? Yes! It’s nice to actually see an in-depth origin for Superman and the extended scenes on Krypton give this a different feeling than the other serials I’ve covered so far. The cast is wonderful and play their iconic roles extremely well. And while we don’t really get to see much of Superman in this first chapter, we do get a good feel for who Clark is as a person. Plus the cliffhanger makes you want to jump right into the next chapter to see Superman in action! So let’s get to it!
Tune in next time for Superman: "Chapter Two: Depths of the Earth" (Available on Amazon)
Comments