Television That's Super

Author: Jeff Little

More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! It's…TELEVISION!!!

IT'S SUPERMAN ON TELEVISION!!!

Even though Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June of 1938, its large audience became even larger in 1952 when The Adventures of Superman first aired on television. Syndicated television. And having no network affiliation meant having no network budget.

Production funds available for the series weren't exactly enough to "change the course of mighty rivers." Producers could only afford to pay the actors $200 apiece per episode. Not much for TV stars…even in 1952 (by today's standards that would equate to approximately $800).

Fortunately, the modest budget somehow allowed for a fine cast. There were even two Lois Lanes. Phyllis Coates was the first, but was replaced in 1953 by Noel Neill. The remainder of the cast, George Reeves (Superman), Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen), and John Hamilton (Perry White) played their roles throughout the run of the series. There was even enough change left in the coffers to employ Robert Shayne (Inspector Henderson) on a semi-regular basis. But reportedly, the cast even had to make numerous requests later for a $50 per episode raise. GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!

Budgetary Kryptonite aside, the show's popularity grew "faster than a speeding bullet" and became a television mainstay. No thanks to cheesy special effects, overly-repeated stock footage, and the fact that Clark Kent looked just like Superman with glasses.

Through 104 episodes (1952-1957), audiences thrilled to the exploits of The Man Of Steel and his chums as they came into our living rooms in glorious black and white (Reeves' original Superman costume was actually brown, so that it would appear more clearly on black and white televisions) and eventually in color for its last 54 episodes. In fact, The Adventures of Superman was one of the first weekly television shows to switch to full color.

The cast became beloved (as did most successful TV actors of the '50's). So beloved in fact that the actors became identified as the characters they played…especially George Reeve.

Despite previous rolls in such cinematic milestones as Gone With the Wind and From Here To Eternity, George Reeve was so identified with the "strange visitor from another planet" character that he had difficulty securing roles after the end of the series. Reeve would be typecast as Superman until 1959, when he died under mysterious circumstances.

On June 16, 1959, three days before his scheduled wedding to Lenore Lemmon, she and a group of houseguests were alarmed by a gunshot barking out from Reeves' room. Reeves was found dead at the age of 45 and the incident was officially deemed a suicide. And even though several friends questioned this theory and believed he was murdered, no further inquiries were made and the case was officially closed.

Even after George Reeves death, The Adventures of Superman retained its popularity and continues to excite new generations. Generations that enjoy (usually grouped with the daily television cartoons) the thrilling stories that are presented as new to them in the form of syndicated re-runs. "Re-runs, which came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Re-runs, etc., etc., etc."