Superman in his first film still stands the test of time in many ways, it has a great story thats well put together, theres not much action but it really didnt need much, the light tone worked. The fleischers were also well into production on their second, mr. The fictional character superman, an american comic book superhero in dc comics publications, has appeared in movies almost since his inception. How the first shazam film helped lead to captain marvels. Supermen the first wave of comic book heroes 19361941. Superman comes to earth superman 1948 is a 15part blackandwhite columbia film serial based on the comic book character superman.
Zorro is technically considered a superhero, hell he inspired the creation of batman both in the fictional universe of batman and in the real life world o. The first film appearance of superman, max and dave fleischers animations originated many aspects of superman mythology, including supermans ability to fly. A definitive timeline of superman at the movies syfy wire. Alyn portrayed the man of steel in two 15part movie serials in 1948 and 1950. Columbia pictures hired him because he looked like supermans mildmannered, comic book alter ego, clark kent, and had dance training that helped. The seventeen animated superman adventures aside the first superhero cartoons ever. Supermans first film appearance was in an animated series of seventeen superman technicolored cartoons released by paramount pictures, beginning with fleischer studios creations from 19411942, in an agreement with dc comics. Superman 1941 is the first installment in a series of seventeen animated technicolor short films based upon the dc comics character superman. The first superman film was an animated short made in 1941. On the eve of yet another superman movie rebootcoming tomorrow with all. This is the first superman animation short produced. First superman short film 1941 liked by gregory james. The book includes several rarely seen photographs of the actors who have brought superman to life for. That may sound kind of funny considering i am from the baby boomer generation im 55.
Their original plan was to do a superman film, but as i described in an earlier edition of movie legends revealed, those plans were squelched by a threatened lawsuit by paramount pictures, who insisted that, despite national comics thinking otherwise, the film deal that national had cut with. Superman theatrical cartoons western animation tv tropes. Watching the first three fleischer superman cartoons superman retroactively the mad scientist, the mechanical monsters, and billion dollar limited i begin to think these shorts mustve played an early role in pushing superman from merely a superstrong peoples champion to the man who can do literally anything with bottomless power we know today. Superman is the first in the series of seventeen animated technicolor short films based upon the dc comics character superman. Superman ranked number 33 in a list of the fifty greatest cartoons of all time sourced from a 1994. Also known as the mad scientist, superman was produced by fleischer studios and released to theaters by paramount pictures on september 26, 1941. What was the first superhero movie to be made, and when. Surprizing how well this material holds up over the years save for the antijapanese propaganda cartoons of ww2. Captain marvel was created as a comic book shortly after superman, in 1939, and was just as popular. Where can i get the unaltered versions with the original sound.
This is the first super man animation which was created on 1941. A funny aspect about those old radio shows is that superman is always trying to keep his existence a secretnot just his secret identity, but the fact that there is a superman at all. The first appearances of superman in liveaction film were in a serial for columbia pictures in the 1948 superman serial starring kirk alyn as superman, noel neill as louis lane and tommy bond as jimmy olsen. By mid1941, brothers max and dave fleischer were running their own animation studio in miami, florida, and had recently finished their first animated feature film, gullivers travels. His first film role was a minor part in gone with the.
With bud collyer, joan alexander, jackson beck, jack mercer. The animation is very welldetailed, and has lots of action. In 1935, he joined the pasadena community playhouse. From the studio that brought you such classics as betty boop and popeye, fleischer studios played a major role in cementing the man of steel as a pop culture icon by means of these lavishly animated, massive budget short subjects which served to bring superman to the big screen, from the golden age of animation. New adventures of superman 19661970 while it may seem unfair for bud collyer to be the only superman voiceactor to make a list devoted entirely to guys. That means i was a kid during the marvel age of comics. Dave and max fleischer were responsible for the first nine superman cartoons the pilot and eight subsequent shorts.
This amazing stranger from the planet krypton the man of steel, superman. Supermans first film appearance came a few years later he debuted in an animated series of seventeen superman cartoons, beginning with fleischer studios creations from 19411942, in an agreement with dc comics. The result was a great film series that set the standard of excellence in animated cinematic art. First introduced in a 1938 comic book, superman has since become an iconic character in american entertainment. Superman or the mad scientist, 26 september 1941, the first of the 1940s superman animated technicolor short films released by paramount pictures. The first fleischer superman cartoon, simply named superman although later referred to as the the mad scientist took almost six months to complete and was released on september 26th, 1941. Supermanclark kent is voiced by budd collyer and lois lane is voiced by joan alexander. He laughs and turns his machine on to its higher force. The first liveaction film was a black and white serial made in 1948. Superman in film hey kids comics wiki fandom powered. It lost to lend a paw, a pluto cartoon from walt disney productions and rko pictures.
The first actor to play the role of superman on film was kirk alyn who passed away march 14, 1999 at the age of 88. An evil mad scientist threatens to attack the city at midnight. These cartoons were a big deal back in the 40s the first short, the mad. Superman 1940s cartoons harvey comics database wiki. The first time big blue appeared in theaters was in 1941, when an animated short film produced by the legendary fleischer studios was released by paramount pictures. Keep this tab open and open a new tab to for the best experience. This complete history covers supermans appearances in film and television, from the 1941 introduction of the first superman cartoon to the 2006 liveaction film superman returns. In 1941 paramount pictures set out to put superman comics on the big screen for the first time. The mad scientist, which is the first of the fleischer superman cartoons. The first episode of the 1940s superman cartoons made by fleischer studios. The mechanical monsters a bigbudget animated adaptation of the popular superman comics of that period, in which a mad scientist unleashes robots to rob banks and loot museums, and superman, naturally, saves the day. Directed by dave fleischer the film is in the public domain.
In 1941, director dave fleischer and paramount pictures animators steve muffati and george germanetti produced superman. Superman animated movie 19411943 original movie with original. The first animated superman series was a string of eightminute cartoon shorts produced by max and dave fleischer for fleischer studios. Possibly, though the radio shows that ran from 19401951 also had him flying. They spared no expense to hire the most talented artists in the business, such as legendary filmmakers max and dave fleischer, and composer sammy timberg. It begins with a short recap of supermans origin showing the explosion of krypton. Superman is the first installment in a series of seventeen animated technicolor short films cartoons based upon the dc comics character superman. The mechanical monsters 1941 directed by dave fleischer. An independent studio, lippert pictures, released the first superman feature film, superman and the mole men, starring. The book includes several rarely seen photographs of the actors who have brought superman. This was not the film that republic pictures wanted to do as their first superhero film.
The first cartoon in the series, simply titled superman a. Depends on what you want to count as a movie and what you want to count as a superhero. The 1940s superman animations are based on superman comics from 1941 and 1943. Supermans first film appearance was in an animated series of seventeen superman technicolored. Superman on film, television, radio and broadway bruce. The pilot and first eight shorts were produced by fleischer studios from 1941 to 1942, while the final eight were produced by famous studios, a successor company to fleischer studios, from 1942 to 1943. But the serial that beat superman to the finish line was the adventures of captain captain marvel, that was released just months before the first superman film. Superman saves the daily planet building in superman, the first of the technicolor cartoons produced by fleischer studios the first cartoon in the series, simply titled superman, was released on september 26, 1941, and was nominated for the 1941 academy award for best short subject. Also known as the mad scientist, superman was produced by fleischer studios and released to theaters by paramount pictures on october 26, 1941. It stars an uncredited kirk alyn billed only by his character. It was one of seventeen films that raised the bar for. Unlike superman, captain marvelshazam is a normal human being called billy batson.
Watch superman 1941 episodes, get episode information, recaps and more. Superman on film, television, radio and broadway mcfarland. The mad scientist, was released on september 26, 1941, and was nominated for the 1941. Superman on film, television, radio and broadway kindle. He debuted in cinemas in a series of animated shorts beginning in 1941, and then starred in two movie serials in 1948 and 1950. The first wave of comic book hereos 18361941 is a great collection, and in a way is kind of nostalgic for me. Superman ranked number 33 in a list of the fifty greatest cartoons of all time sourced from a 1994 poll of animation. Film noir was just beginning as a live action style in the 1941 that spawned the first theatrical superman animated shorts. This is the first of a series of bigbudget animated short films featuring the comic book haracter superman. Then superman blocks the ray with his indestructible body and flies against it.
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