DVD : Superman - The 1948 & 1950 Theatrical Serials Collection

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- The First Live-Action Superman
Warner Home Video delivers value for money by including both "Superman" serials in this DVD collection. Unfortunately, the Columbia chapterplays were low-rent Sam Katzman productions with embarrassing "visual effects" (such as the notorious animated flying sequences). There was no excuse for the cost-cutting, since Republic Pictures had the opportunity to produce a first-rate Superman serial in 1940 - a project turned down by DC Comics. (Undaunted, Republic chose another comic-book hero and made the far-superior "Adventures of Captain Marvel.") Though popular with Saturday Matinee audiences, DC kept both serials out of circulation for decades because of the low-budget shortcomings.

Rating:

- It's About Time...What took so long?
How lucky are we to finally be able to enjoy these two classic Superman serials now available on DVD. These have long been around on bootleg VHS or home-burned dvds, with poor picture quality and sound. The home-burned dvds I got off Ebay did not have the capability to fast forward or rewind, and were not formatted chapter-per-chapter. It's possible that only the die-hard Superman fans and fanboys alike have ever seen Kirk Alyn's portrayal of Superman. Most people think that George Reeves was the first screen Superman not realizing that there were two complete chapter serials starring Alyn as the Man of Steel long before the iconic tv show of the 50s.
That being said, this is a real delight to watch! The fanboys, to this day, continue to cry over the fact that in these serials, Superman's flying sequences were animated. Okay, so it wasn't the high-tech CGI of today's production capabilities. If you're able to get past that, you can enjoy these serials for what they are; pure escapist fun! It's a comic book that's come to life! Kirk Alyn's Superman is not like George Reeves' or Christopher Reeves' or anyone else who ever donned the cape and tights. You've got to see him and judge for yourself. His portrayal of Clark Kent is a little more "mild-mannered" in keeping with the character from the comics, and that's nice to see. Tommy Bond, who played "Butch" in the "Our Gang" and "Little Rascal" shorts is awesome as Jimmy Olson. For me, the real delight was Noel Neill as Lois Lane, the FIRST screen Lois Lane! She was about 27 or 28 when first cast as Lois and she is just too darn cute! She's absolutely adorable with her big hat that she wears in nearly every scene. She's assertive and risk-taking, just like the Lois in the comics of that era, while still remaining feminine. Her Lois Lane of these serials are night and day from her Lois Lane of the tv show and once again, it's very interesting to see both and make the comparison yourself.
The first serial, has Carol Forman, as the Spider Lady. The 1950 Serial, Atom Man Vs. Superman is a better serial than the first one in my opinion. The production values and the writing are a little better and more developed than the first. The flying sequences were still animated but there were "close-ups" of Alyn flying, which were actually him standing upright with his arms extended over his head and the camera laid over on its side to give a horizontal effect. Lyle Talbot's Lex Luthor/Atom Man is great! Talbot was a veteran screen and television actor and many fans will immediately recognize him as Police Commissioner Gordon from Columbia's 1949 chapter serial, "Batman & Robin." In fact, if you're a fan of old movie serials in general, you'll recognize some of the faces of the actors who play Luthor's goons and thugs from other serials. One of the Atom Man's chief lackeys is an actor who is Dr. Daka's henchman in Columbia's 1943 chapter serial, Batman...too cool!

These serials were made on shoe-string budgets in 1948 and 1950 and weren't meant to be more than what they were. They weren't designed to be big screen blockbusters, and they were made for the kids of that time. We've become so sophisticated and demanding of "our" superhero movies, that to me, it seems to quite unfair to deride these two works because of shortcomings with special effects, writing or even the acting. Indeed, how lucky we are to finally be able to enjoy these two classic Superman serials now available at long last on dvd! ENJOY!!!

Rating:

- looks good
looks good . I have the old VHS tapes it would be nice to see clear pictures. It says color...but is it?????

Rating:

- At Last, the Serials on DVD
This DVD should contain all the episodes for the movie serials of Superman (1948) and Atom Man v. Superman (1950). These first attempts to do a live action man of steel were a disappointment to fans because, whenever Superman flew, the movie cut to a cartoon version of Superman. So you got to see an animated Superman fly through the air, land behind a rock, and then the live action Superman, played by Kirk Alyn, would run out from behind the rock. We had to wait until the Christopher Reeve before the technology was good enough for us to really believe a man could fly.
That said, I'm sure these serials will thrill die-hard fans of Superman. I paid a pretty penny to buy used copies of these serials on VHS tape. Now I can get them on DVD. Hooray!

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