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I find it strange that Phyllis Coates did not add any commentary to this DVD. I believe she and Jack Larson (who does have a commentary piece) are the only living persons related to this great show. In the past several years, Phyllis and Jack both had separate roles in the "Lois and Clark" TV series: Phyllis played Lois' mother in a later episode and Jack played old Jimmy Olsen in the "Brutal Youth" episode. Certainly Ms. Coates must have been asked to contribute to this release, unless she is incapable of it (she is 78 according to IMDB.com).
I have met Noel Neill at the annual Metropolis, Illinois Superman festival, and let me tell you, she is a wonderful person. She also was a wonderful Lois Lane. Ms. Coates had the right personality for the first 26 episodes, as they were darker, more serious and more dramatic. Ms. Neill's lighter personality fit perfectly for the later episodes which added a lighter, more comedic and childish slant to the series. Ms. Coates would not have fit in as well there.
Of all the DVDs I have purchased, I cherish this one the most. My only disappointment is the packaging: the disks are not set on "pop-up" buttons and require bending and touching to remove. This is exacerbated by one disc placed partly over another, requiring one to remove the top disc to get to the other one. This all may increase scratch potential.
Also, why does the packaging call this the complete first season? To my knowledge, these 26 episodes filmed in 1951 were aired over two seasons: 13 in 1952-53 and 13 in 1953-54. And I too hope that the next set includes the Kellogg's opening, that season's commercials and the next week's preview.
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Sales of this new, first of several, DVD sets will certainly prove to the "suits" that a lot of us still remember George Reeves. For those of you who would like to know more and have not yet heard about these books, may I recommend you look them up here on amazon.com. 1)Behind the Crimson Cape: The Cinema of George Reeves, isbn 0961959665; 2) Speeding Bullet: Life and Bizarre Death of George Reeves, isbn 0961959649; and 3) Superman on Television, isbn 0961959630. Look forward to Season Two on DVD.
Rating:  -
I'm "only" 50 so I never saw the show first-run. But, I lived in New York City where it was a staple on Channel 11 throughout the 1960s and 1970s. From what I've read and seen, the sponsor bumper "Kellogs, the greatest name in cereals, presents...The Adventures of Superman", would not come until later seasons. There was no voice over in season one saying the name of the show. It's obvious in later seasons (especially the color ones) that the opening begins abruptly with the comet exploding into the stylized block letter opening titles...it was seconds before that where the sponsor bumper was. Considering Kelloggs is still in business today, you'd think they would authorize the use of sponsor bumpers in future reissues as "free publicity".
I feel sorry for Noel Neill in a way. Her and Phyllis Coates are both alive, and both are undoubtedly following the user comments about this set. And every review here is unanimous that Phyllis made the better Lois. That's gotta sting somewhat.
And adding to the color debate, the first run shows were indeed aired in black and white though they were filmed in color starting with season 3, I believe. The producers (along with producers of "The Lucy Show" in seasons 2 and 3) had the foresight to value the future potential of color.
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Just to add an explanation about the Stolen Costume episode - be thankful for the quality you got in this set - it's the ONLY existing print of that episode. All the others were well preserved in 35mm - this print exists only in a worn 16mm print that never went into later syndication. You may have seen a better version in the 1960s, but that was 40 years ago. We ALL looked better then!
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(Edit): I've never been able to confirm this, but I maintain that both George Reeves and Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson) participated in the show's opening. Specifically, I believe it's Robert Shayne who says "Look, Up In The Sky," and George Reeves who says "It's a Bird." Then an unidentifiable female says "It's a Plane." Maybe this is common knowledge, or maybe I'm way off base, but it sure sounds like them to me.
Many thanks to Warner for releasing the first season of Superman. However, as others have noted, there are flaws with this. The biggest problem, of course, is with the Stolen Costume episode. What bothers me the most is not the condition of the episode, though I know I saw relatively clear prints of this when I was growing up in the 1960s, but rather, the lack of an explanation as to WHY the quality is subpar. That would have been interesting, and easy, especially since they provided a commentary on that episode anyway.
The second flaw is the missing stuff. This would be the commercial lead in mid-way through the show, and the Previews that appeared at the end. Very sad these weren't included. They would have added a lot to these shows. Warner should realize this stuff means a lot to us self-indulgent baby boomers. Still, this is an excellent release. But then, it should be at least excellent since these are great episodes to begin with.
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