Rating:  -
My only disappointment with this DVD edition of the first season is the absense of the one minute preview scenes of the next show which originally followed each episode of the first season: A great montage of actions scenes with thrilling narration and exciting music.
"Don't miss the next thrill packed episode in the amazing adventures of Superman!
"Join with the Man of Steel as he wages war against the forces of evil...
"Thrilling adventures and tense excitement!
"Pounding action and spine tingling mystery!
"You'll find them all in the next startling episode in the adventures of Superman!
"So don't miss it! There's action! Adventure and mystery! in the Adventures of Superman!"
A sidenote to look for is that one of the actors in the opening episode "Superman on Earth" is wearing a slightly disguised Captain Marvel costume which was used by Republic to dress Tom Tyler in the great 1940's serial "The Adventures of Captain Marvel". The actor is the one who is so adamantly opposed to Jor-El's plan of escape from Krypton.
Great DVD!!!
Rating:  -
I am a mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper (no kidding) and I just wrote a story about this DVD set.
First, the positives: This is the first and best season of the "Adventures of Superman," largely because of George Reeves, the greatest Superman (and Clark Kent) of them all, and Phyllis Coates, the best Lois Lane. The rest of the cast (regulars Jack Larson, John Hamilton and Robert Shayne and various supporting players) was terrific. The show was played straight, with dramatic story lines and hard-hitting action, and was filmed in black and white with a true film noir quality. Not to be overlooked is the score -- not just the classic theme song, but the tense background music as well. These early episodes, filmed in 1951 but not aired until late 1952, were aimed primarily at an adult audience (though kids loved them, too, of course) and hold up remarkably well today. They are, in short, classics.
Now, unfortunately, the negatives: This is NOT the "complete" first season. First, the episodes have been released without the original Kellogg's opening and announcer voiceover. Second, the bumpers leading into the commercials ("We will return to the 'Adventures of Superman' in just a moment," uttered by the announcer as the Superman crest fills the screen) have been dropped. And third, and most disappointingly, the previews have not been included. This was the thrust of the newspaper story I wrote.
These previews, which are like old-time movie trailers, haven't been seen on commercial television in more than half a century. These rarest elements from the "Superman" series were originally part of each first-season episode, with 30 seconds devoted to previewing the next show. This means that almost 15 minutes are missing from the DVDs. It also means that all 26 episodes are incomplete.
Many "Superman" fans have waited all their lives to see these previews. It would have been a golden opportunity for Warner Home Video to grant their wish -- after all, aren't DVD sets supposed to include stuff such as this? -- but the company blew it. As Jimmy Olsen would say, "Jeepers!"
Other reviewers, while correctly praising the overall good quality of the shows, have rightly complained about the poor quality of "The Stolen Costume." Also, "The Unknown People, Part II" contains the version of the closing theme that was used in the second season. And the first part of the closing credits has been cut off.
As for the extras: It's nice to see the Kellogg's commercials, and the commentaries are OK, but the set does not benefit from "Pony Express Days," the 1940 George Reeves short subject, because it wasn't part of the series and therefore doesn't belong in this collection.
Warner Home Video deserves credit for releasing this DVD set and for doing a decent job with the material. But the company could have done so much better. It should have released these episodes the way they were originally shown, not the truncated way fans have seen them in reruns for so many years. Either Warner should rerelease the DVDs with the original Kellogg's opening, the bumpers and, especially, the previews included, or it should reduce the $39.98 price so fans of the series won't feel ripped off. Now that would be truth, justice and the American way.
Rating: -
I RECIEVED THIS WONDERFUL DVD, THIS EVENING.AND I OPENED THE AMAZON PACKAGE AND BOY WAS I IMPRESSED BY THE BEAUTIFUL PACKAGING BY WARNER BROTHERS, THE DVD"S ARE JUST BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED AND SOME OF THE EPISODES HAVE VARIOUS RUNNING COMMENTERIES IF YOU CHOSE TO ACTIVATE THEM...ALL IN ALL THIS A WONDERFUL RETURN TO SOME FIFTY YEARS AGO , WHEN WE WERE KIDS AND WATCHED AS "KELLONGS THE GREATEST NAME IN CEREALS" BROUGHT US THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN..........AND WE WERE GLUED TO OUR BLACK AND WHITE TV"S.........ENJOY.........
Rating: -
Like most baby boomers, I grew up watching George Reeves as Superman. I was both excited and apprehensive when I heard that an "official" DVD set of the first season was being released. Excited about having a full set of the (somewhat darker and more "adult") shows that were produced by Robert Maxwell and Bernard Luber, and apprehensive about the fact that the quality of the available prints seems to vary widely. Even Warner Bros. acknowledged early in the process that "element issues" existed with respect to the films. I purchased the set and have watched several episodes and am pleased to report that, by and large, the shows look REALLY good. "The Stolen Costume" is a little rougher than the others, and I suspect that this one may have simply been digitized and tranferred to DVD without much restoration work. The rest of the episodes I've watched so far are quite clear and apparently uncut, running about 25 to 26 minutes apiece. This was typical for most shows of that era. The set includes both the TV and theatrical releases of the "The Unknown People" (a/k/a "Superman and the Mole-Men"). A few episodes also have commentary from various parties knowledgable about the show and/or its stars. There's also a George Reeves short from 1940 and a featurette about how the character evolved from the comic books to TV and the movies (though I haven't watch either of these as yet). Overall, I think the set is a terrific value and a "must-have" for any Superman fan.
Rating: -
Yes, it finally happened. One of the greatest TV series ever to hit the planet earth has arrived on DVD, "The Adventures of Superman". Starring George Reeves as Superman and mild mannered reporter Clark Kent, the show debuted on November 23, 1952, followed by the theatrical success of "Superman and the Mole Men, which was later shown in two parts as "The Unknown People".
The program was shown in glorious black and white. While Superman's costume looked black and white on TV, it really was brown and white for contrast and clarity.
It is said that after several actors screened for the role of Superman, George Reeves was chosen because of his Olympian looks and he just looked the part. Reeves made the character of Superman believable and genuine and through the eyes of the young and old, he became a hero. The show became very popular then, and is just as popular today. I have nothing but good thoughts about the DVD. All the first season's programs are there and in good quality. Considering the age of the series, all fans of this popular show should be happy to own it
in their library.
The DVD was released on October 18, 2005, and consists of 26 episodes plus the full length feature film, "Superman and the Mole Men". Also, the DVD has some special features. The special features are: Retrospective Documentary, Vintage Warner Brothers historical short starring George Reeves, original Kellogg's cereal commercials, and more.
Running for 662 minutes and digitally mastered on a deluxe 5-Disc set, this DVD is a must have. The fine cast of actors includes George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, Jack Lawson, John Hamilton, and Robert Shayne. Warner Brothers did a superb job on the packaging and content of this DVD. The price is reasonable too. Enjoy "The Adventures of Superman".
******Look for the Release of the 2nd. season on 1/17/2006******
|
