"Adventures of Superman" (1952) TV series 1952-1958

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Writers:

Roy Chanslor (writer)
Jay Morton (contributing writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

19 September 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!

Plot:

The Man of Steel fights crime with help from his friends at the Daily Planet.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Superhero | Lois Lane | Clark Kent | Cult TV

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

George Reeves	...	Clark Kent / ... (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Bill Kennedy	...	Announcer / ... (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Jack Larson	...	Jimmy Olsen / ... (102 episodes, 1952-1958)
John Hamilton	...	Perry White (102 episodes, 1952-1958)
Robert Shayne	...	Inspector Henderson / ... (90 episodes, 1952-1958)
Noel Neill	...	Lois Lane (78 episodes, 1953-1958)

(more)

Series Directed by
Thomas Carr		(37 episodes, 1952-1958)
George Blair		(27 episodes, 1953-1958)
Harry W. Gerstad		(20 episodes, 1955-1957)
Lee Sholem		(14 episodes, 1951-1953)
Philip Ford		(8 episodes, 1956-1958)
George Reeves		(3 episodes, 1958)
Lew Landers		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Howard Bretherton		(2 episodes, 1958)

Series Writing credits
David T. Chantler		(34 episodes, 1953-1958)
Jackson Gillis		(15 episodes, 1953-1956)
Whitney Ellsworth		(14 episodes, 1951-1958)
Ben Peter Freeman		(8 episodes, 1952-1953)
Robert Leslie Bellem		(8 episodes, 1956-1958)
Robert Maxwell		(6 episodes, 1951-1953)
Peggy Chantler Dick		(5 episodes, 1955-1958)
Dick Hamilton		(4 episodes, 1952-1953)
Roy Hamilton		(4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Leroy H. Zehren		(4 episodes, 1955-1957)
Wilton Schiller		(4 episodes, 1957)
Eugene Solow		(3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Dennis J. Cooper		(3 episodes, 1952)
Peter Dixon		(2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Monroe Manning		(2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Lee Backman		(2 episodes, 1952)
Oliver Drake		(2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Roy Chanslor		(unknown episodes)
Jay Morton		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Whitney Ellsworth	....	producer / associate producer (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Robert H. Justman	....	associate producer (78 episodes, 1953-1958)
Robert Maxwell	....	producer (52 episodes, 1951-1954)
Barney A. Sarecky	....	associate producer (52 episodes, 1951-1954)
Bernard Luber	....	producer (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Clem Beauchamp	....	associate producer (26 episodes, 1955-1956)
Edward Donahue	....	associate producer (26 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Cinematography by
Harold E. Stine		(43 episodes, 1953-1955)
Clark Ramsey		(26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Joseph F. Biroc		(26 episodes, 1956-1958)
Harold E. Wellman		(13 episodes, 1957)
William P. Whitley		(9 episodes, 1952-1953)

Series Film Editing by
Sam E. Waxman		(56 episodes, 1954-1958)
Albrecht Joseph		(26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Harry W. Gerstad		(26 episodes, 1953-1954)

Series Casting by
Harold Chiles		(26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Art Direction by
Lucius O. Croxton		(52 episodes, 1953-1958)
Ralph Berger		(46 episodes, 1952-1954)
John B. Mansbridge		(26 episodes, 1956-1957)
Ernst Fegté		(7 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Set Decoration by
Glenn P. Thompson		(26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Jerry Welch		(26 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Makeup Department
Gustaf Norin	....	makeup artist (78 episodes, 1953-1958)
Harry Thomas	....	makeup artist (52 episodes, 1951-1954)

Series Production Management
Clem Beauchamp	....	production manager (39 episodes, 1953-1955)
Barney A. Sarecky	....	production manager (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Edward Donahue	....	production manager (26 episodes, 1956-1957)
David S. Garber	....	production manager (26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ben Chapman	....	production manager (13 episodes, 1957-1958)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Hammond	....	assistant director (15 episodes, 1951-1953)
Nathan Barrager	....	assistant director (15 episodes, 1952-1953)
John Pommer	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1955)
Gene Anderson Jr.	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1956)
Grayson Rogers	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1956)
Bob Barnes	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957-1958)
Edward Haldeman	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957-1958)
Dick Dixon	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957)
Louis Germonprez	....	assistant director (13 episodes, 1957)
Ivan Volkman	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1953-1954)
Jack R. Berne	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1953)
Robert H. Justman	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Art Department
George Bahr	....	props (26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Sound Department
Jean L. Speak	....	sound engineer / sound editor (39 episodes, 1953-1955)
Barton Hayes	....	sound editor (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Harry Smith	....	production sound mixer / sound engineer (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Earl Snyder	....	sound engineer (13 episodes, 1956)
Herman Lewis	....	production sound mixer / sound engineer (13 episodes, 1957-1958)
Robert Post	....	production sound mixer / sound engineer / ... (13 episodes, 1957)

Series Special Effects by
Thol Simonson	....	special effects (92 episodes, 1952-1958)
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (29 episodes, 1951-1953)
Ray Mercer	....	special effects (9 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Visual Effects by
Jack R. Glass	....	photographic effects (78 episodes, 1953-1958)
Jack Rabin	....	photographic effects (58 episodes, 1951-1958)
Louis DeWitt	....	photographic effects (26 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ray Mercer	....	photographic effects (3 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts (25 episodes, 1951-1954)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (13 episodes, 1952-1954)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (10 episodes, 1952-1953)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (7 episodes, 1952-1954)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Schwartz	....	assistant camera (26 episodes, 1957-1958)
William P. Whitley	....	camera operator (15 episodes, 1952-1953)
Clark Ramsey	....	camera operator (12 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Izzy Berne	....	wardrobe (26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Series Music Department
Leon Klatzkin	....	composer: theme music (104 episodes, 1951-1958)

Series Other crew
Winnie Rich	....	script supervisor (104 episodes, 1951-1958)
Mort Weisinger	....	story editor / script supervisor (86 episodes, 1951-1958)
Stephen Carr	....	script supervisor / dialogue director (52 episodes, 1951-1954)
David S. Garber	....	production coordinator (52 episodes, 1953-1956)
Whitney Ellsworth	....	story editor / script supervisor (26 episodes, 1951-1953)
Robert Maxwell	....	story editor / script supervisor (26 episodes, 1951-1953)

Production Companies

• Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV)

Distributors

• Flamingo Films (1951-1978) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD) (season 1)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (seasons 3 and 4)
• Warner Bros. Television
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 1-5)

Other Companies

• DC Comics  DC Comics characters

Also Known As:

"Superman" (Australia)

Runtime:

30 min (104 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1952-1954) | Color (1955-1958)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp | USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV)

Trivia:

Throughout the entire run of the series, one building is seen as the Daily Planet Building. It is really Los Angeles City Hall. The rest of the buildings that stand in for "Metropolis" were back lot facades at the old RKO Forty Acres lot in Culver City, which earlier had been Atlanta for Gone with the Wind (1939), and would later serve as Mayberry for 'The Andy Griffith Show (1961)'.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In some shots where Superman used the springboard to leap out of frame, the tip of the springboard would bounce back up and appear at the very bottom of the frame.

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Perry White: Don't call me Chief!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie - Rugrats II (2000)

Superman The television show

What a great TV show. Sit back in time and watch as TV brought out the best of Superman.I remember as a child watching the reruns and was so amazed how Superman would fight off the bad guys. Bending steel and bullets that just bounced off his chest. He was my favorite super hero. Let yourself go and relive the Adventures of Superman.I just loved his outfit. The man of steel wearing red and blue. We need more shows like these instead of what we have now. Every show was like a cliff hanger. Nail biting action. Would Superman make it in time? Can he get to the bad guys before they hurt Olsen and Miss. Lois Lane? These were questions that were answered every time Superman came on. He made you feel good about the world. He was just simply the best.