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OK...let me preface my remarks with the admission that, at age 53, I am a lifelong Superman fanatic. Not only do I own all four Christopher Reeve "Superman" movies, but I also own the two Kirk Alyn serials from the 40's. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited the inevitable release of the memorable George Reeves TV series of the 50's. And now Season One is here, and there is something in it for young and old alike, for those fully steeped in Superman lore, and for those youngsters who only know him from current cartoons or perhaps from WB's Smallville.
The first thing that all but the youngest viewers will realize is that this Clark Kent is not the weakling we have come to expect, hiding behind a timid persona to throw off any suspicion that he might be the Man of Steel. Rather, George Reeves played his Clark as an almost macho, man's man. He might make lame excuses to cover his frequent absences, but there is no missing the fact that this Clark could take care of himself in almost any situation. Also surprising is the fact that these early Season One scripts are actually darned good. In keeping with Reeves' more assertive Clark and Phyllis Coates' almost abrasive Lois Lane, many of the episodes have an almost film noir feel to them, with actual mysteries and a creepiness that was thought, only one season later, to be inappropriate for the show's primary audience of children.
The down side, of course, is the cheesiness of some of the production values, the obvious bloopers and the fact that, in its early day and limited budget, the special effects leave more than just something to be desired. In these early days Superman's powers seemed to be limited to just flying, superstrength and a sort of "selective" invulnerability whereby Superman stood there and let bullets bounce off his chest, but one second later ducked when the out-of-bullets bad guy threw the gun at his head in fear or frustration. Similarly, after one or two episodes adult eyes will easily pick up the scenes where a stunt man (who looked NOTHING like Reeves) would be cut into and then out of an action sequence. Adult ears will also pick up the unmistakable voice of John Hamilton, the show's regular "Perry White," helping to save on production costs by donning a moustache and darker hair and playing a number of inconsequential supporting characters.
But this classic nonetheless has aged extremely well. From the familiar opening sequences to the invariable scenes where Superman ultimately triumphs, the series has lost none of its luster. Reeves captured not only the character of Superman perfectly, but he also captured the sense of the time in which the series was filmed. While Tom Welling and Brandon Roth may each capture the Superman of the early 21st Century, full of doubts, uncertainties and personal considerations that clash with his destiny, George Reeves embodied the can-do attitude of Post-war America, a time when there was a clear line between right and wrong, where justice was easily dispensed, and where a hero knew instinctively what he had to do. For adults who fondly remember the series, and for parents who would like to introduce their kids to wholesome, entertaining fare, this First Season collection is simply Super.
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Check it out: In the episode "Ghost Wolf," Lois is bunked in a logger's cabin decked out with an "art gallery" of girls cut out of contemporary magazines. Lois is spooked by the "werewolf" and demands to be put in the main lodge. As Clark and Jimmy are taking her bags out the door, you can see on the wall the picture that was used as the cover of Taschen's cool book on fifties culture, "All-American Ads of the 50s" (compiled by by Jim Heimann). Why is a picture of a smirking guy on the wall along with all those girly pics? A private joke?
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I really enjoy watching these old Superman episodes. Takes me back, quite pleasurably, to my childhood. The cheesy special effects of that time period,alone, are worth the price of this DVD set. Enjoy!
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The 1951 season of Superman is probably my favorite TV show. I agree with all the reviewers who mentioned that each episode was a mini film noir and that Phyllis Coates is hotter than a pistol. But while listening to the commentary for the Haunted Lighthouse, I couldn't believe my ears. Gary Grossman, who I thought was an expert on Superman, states that the LA City Hall served as the Daily Planet building during the first season. No way, no how!! The first season Daily Planet is a building at the corner of LaBrea and Wilshire. I know, I was there in October taking pictures. Two blocks east on Wilshire is the Carnation Building, whose entrance was used by the Planet staff in episodes like Superman on Earth and Crime Wave. City Hall was used in later seasons but not the first. They don't even look the same. Didn't anybody edit the commentary? Anybody who lives in LA would see the difference. As Jimmy would say, "Jeepers"!
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This is a wonderful bundle of fun, well priced, silly but superb 50s kiddie drama. The show became increasingly childish (not the same as childlike) as the years went on, but was always fun to watch. Others say more about their various favorite episodes (I love Crime Wave--relatively high-budget noir opening followed by special effects of a lightning chamber in an attempt to kill Superman), or the grainy Stolen Costume episode (not too grainy and so bizarre and morally problematic an ending that it HAD to be included), but I want to add an anachronistic cheer for the other Lois, Noel Neill (or was it one "L"?)who took over in later seasons. Phyllis Coates is great, spunky, tough, and yes, an Olympic-quality screamer, but the differences between the actresses are also a function of script and direction. Noel was a different, but equally great Lois. More flirtatious, bratty, obnoxious, and meddlesome than her predecessor, Noel played to a 1950's boy's ambivalent fascination with young girls. The first season may have been the greatest for Superman as a series, but as for the Loises (as Fred Astaire once said of his various dance partners), they were all divine.
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