Consume All Media! Superman: "Secret Agent"

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 watched the third chapter of Batman. This time, they wrap up the Superman cartoons.

Superman: “Secret Agent” - 7:40 (Available on YouTube)

Film Info

Release date: July 30th, 1943

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Written by Carl Meyer

Based on the National/DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

Produced by Sam Buchwald

Directed by Seymour Kneitel

Writer Highlights

Carl Meyer (1894-1972)

Other comic book media credits: Writing previous Superman animated shorts The Bulleteers (1942), The Magnetic Telescope (1942), Volcano (1942), Japoteurs (1942), & Eleventh Hour (1942)

Producer Highlights

Sam Buchwald (Unknown-1951)

Other comic book media credits: Previous animated Superman short Japoteurs (1942), Showdown (1942), Eleventh Hour (1942), Destruction, Inc. (1942), The Mummy Strikes (1943), Jungle Drums (1943), & The Underground World (1943)

Director Highlights

Seymour Kneitel (1908-1964)

Other comic book media credits: Writing previous Superman animated shorts Superman (1941), The Mechanical Monsters (1941), & Billion Dollar Limited (1942), & Electric Earthquake (1942), as well as directing Japoteurs (1942) & The Underground World (1943)

Due to its high budget and waning theatrical interest, the Superman series of shorts was canceled and Famous Studios moved on to making Little Lulu shorts in its place. So how does the final chapter of this animated saga hold up? Let’s find out!

A car crashes into a drugstore Clark happens to be in.

Hearing gunfire, Clark runs out and sees a car chase/gunfight in progress. He leaps onto the back of the pursuing vehicle. The cops join the chase and Clark has to save them from being shot at by the men in the car he’s currently riding. The car stops pursuing the other car and slips away into the night with Clark still on it.

The previously pursued car comes to a stop and out steps a woman who looks like a blonde Lois Lane. She’s even voiced by the same actress, Joan Alexander.

I thought she was maybe Lois undercover, but she’s not. She’s just a completely new character who looks and sounds an incredible amount like Lois. Not Quite Lois.

Oh no! Clark has been taken hostage! And he’s unconscious!

It’s okay, though. He’s just faking so he can listen in to Not Quite Hitler’s plans.

That monocle looks like it was drawn on. I mean… everything is drawn, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, Not Quite Lois has information about the bad guys and their evil plans. She tells the police that she needs to get it to Washington D.C. as soon as possible. The police are going to escort her to the airport, but the bad guys are waiting for her and shoot all of the cops. But Not Quite Lois manages to get away from the gunfire and drive towards the airport.

However she has to ditch the car when the bridge she is on begins to rotate out towards the river. She winds up unconscious on the bridge’s machinery with a giant cog rolling towards her.

Meanwhile, Clark changes into Superman and ties the bad guys up in an elevator. He then rescues Not Quite Lois and flies her all the way to the White House. After dropping her off, he salutes the US flag like a goddamn American hero.

I guess Lois doesn’t get the scoop this time. Clark doesn’t either. This is a No Scoop entry.

Should you watch it, though? This is a pretty good one with some fun action and set pieces. But it’s sad that this is the last one and doesn’t feature Lois Lane at all, especially considering the Not Quite Lois character could have very easily been adjusted to be Lois. She’s practically Lois already anyway.

And that’s it for the animated Superman shorts. Seventeen gloriously animated shorts with lots of fun and excitement packed inside. With only a little bit of propaganda and racism. But putting that small handful aside, these cartoons are well worth checking out. And they’re fun for the whole family too! I know I grew up watching these on a very worn-out VHS tape and they are just as good today as they were when I was a kid. So if you’re looking for a fun short cartoon to watch, well… that seems like a job for Superman.

And if you’re sad that we’re leaving Superman behind so soon, don’t worry. He’s got a serial coming along in 1948. However, if you want to see more cartoons, you’re going to have to wait until 1966 for The Marvel Super Heroes!

Tune in next time for Batman: "Chapter Four: Slaves of the Rising Sun" (Available on Archive.)

A version of this article was previously published on The Dipp.

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