George Reeves' Adventures of Superman for Beginners

[EmergencyIan]

^ Yeah, it’s not to be taken as gospel, that’s for sure. But, overall, it seems close and is pretty well done, I think.

- Ian

[Earth 2 Chris]

^I enjoy the movie a lot, but as all biopics do, it takes an angle and sends George's story down that path, because that just makes for better drama. They leave out that George directed episodes of Superman in it's last season, and was going to direct more in the season he was just about to start when he died. The "wrestling" angle isn't quite true either. George went on the road with his pal Natividad Vaccio and sometimes Noel Neil, and he appeared as Superman and Clark Kent, battled an actor/wrestler in tights and cape named "Mr. Kryptonite". I believe their fight was rather brief and wouldn't really constitute "wrestling". George would then return to Clark clothes and play Spanish guitar and sing with Vaccio and Neil. This was all detailed in the book, Superman: From Cereal to Serial, perhaps the first book written on the subject.

I do like that it leaves the cause of his death open. I've vacillated between theories over the years. Lenore Lemon and Eddie Mannix would certainly have reason to see George dead, although I think they villainized both quite a bit in Hollywoodland, again for dramatic purposes.

Chris

[EmergencyIan]

I really enjoyed "Hollywoodland" and the book upon which it was based.

So did I. It’s kind of the hidden Superman movie. Well done, in my opinion.

- Ian

[PNGwynne]

I really enjoyed "Hollywoodland" and the book upon which it was based.

[EmergencyIan]

Those were full cut suits: Additionally, he gained weight as the series went on.

If you guys haven’t seen it, see the movie “Hollywoodland”, you should! It’s all about George Reeves during his “Superman” days.

- Ian

[Mikey]

Did George wear his padding while Clark ?

The early episodes Clark looked awfully skinny compared to Superman

Maybe it was just the super-baggy Kent suit

[thunderbolt]

Does anybody disagree George Reeves Clark Kent was THE best Clark Kent EVER ?

Absolutely the best, there's a reason John Byrne modeled his Kent after George. George played it like he had to restrain himself from doing Superman type things.

[Earth 2 Chris]

George had to carry the show as Clark, because the budget would only allow so much Superman, and George certainly preferred to minimize his time in the suit. So he had to be a competent, strong-willed character to move the stories forward. His Clark Kent is literally the crusading reporter.

Chris had to convince audiences the disguise work, and DIDN'T have to carry the stories as Clark, so it's an entirely different approach. Both are valid, and both worked great for their medium and the time.

Chris

[Brue]

Does anybody disagree George Reeves Clark Kent was THE best Clark Kent EVER ?

He was great. He looked liked a leading man. I think Reeves/Salkinds steered toward awkward Clark, because that was part of the disguise.
G Reeve Clark was simply Superman with a different outfit.

[Megotastrophe]

It has the same flaws that the silver age comics had logic wise. Genius invents something that would conceivably be worth a fortune in the free market and crooks use it to knock over a laundromat and chuckle about how clever they are.

[Mikey]

Does anybody disagree George Reeves Clark Kent was THE best Clark Kent EVER ?

[Earth 2 Chris]

The first season is more pulpy, and the second is still a bit less juvenile-directed than the later seasons, but I still get a big kick out of the later color seasons. Some of the episodes were adapted to the comics, or FROM the comics, with DC big-wig Whitney Ellsworth acting as executive producer on the series.

My favorite episode is probably the second to last, "The Perils of Superman". Superman has to save all of his friends (even Clark Kent!) from a gang of iron-masked revenge seekers. It's a tribute to old serials, and Superman at his most exciting, and also directed by George Reeves! The ending hook is similar to one we'll get on Superman: The Animated Series decades later.

Of course, a classic earlier episode is Season Two's "Panic in the Sky" which as a concept and title has continued to resonate in Superman lore.

Chris

[rykerw1701]

I watched it religiously as a kid on "RocketShip 7" every afternoon, even when i was 5 I thought it looked fake but it didn't bother me. The cast is wonderful but it's of it's time and the plots get pretty repetitive.

My in-laws gifted me the box set a few years back and I watched one or two but it was impossible for me to binge.

RocketShip 7 on channel 7 out of Buffalo was the morning show. Are you thinking of Commander Tom on that channel in the afternoon? He was the guy who wore a modified Mountie jacket, but also had puppets as co-hosts. The 70's were good for local programming like that. Anyway, that's where I watched Adventures off Superman as well as Batman.

I have the first few seasons on DVD, but I agree, it's not something you can binge. The nostalgia factor wears off pretty quickly.

Some unrelated Rocketship 7 trivia. The host was named Dave Thomas. For whatever reason he changed that to Dave Roberts when he became a meteorologist in Philadelphia, where I live now. His son is David Boreanaz who played Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and his own show.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Do what I did as a kid. I saw George first, but after Chris became MY Superman, George was simply the Earth-Two Superman, and Chris was Earth-One. And it worked in my brain whenever the two would meet in the comics too!

Chris

when you watch THINK: EARTH-TWO, even though it is the Daily Planet and NOT the Daily STAR! And it is Perry White and NOT George Taylor!


I just love that everyone wore those SUITS day to day. I wonder did people REALLY Dress like that in everyday real life???


WOuld like to wear a suit like that for Halloween!

Sorry, didn't see this comment above until AFTER I posted mine. But yeah, think Earth-Two.

[palitoy]

I watched it religiously as a kid on "RocketShip 7" every afternoon, even when i was 5 I thought it looked fake but it didn't bother me. The cast is wonderful but it's of it's time and the plots get pretty repetitive.

My in-laws gifted me the box set a few years back and I watched one or two but it was impossible for me to binge.