I've seen serials before and so I thought I knew what to expect, but Kirk Alyn pretty much killed off any hype of seeing the first ever live action film adaptation of Superman. In that intro, he just stands there as if to say "I'm Superguy or something." It isn't exactly an epic introduction for the character. Still, it is cool seeing them take plot points from the comic and it is cool to see the introduction of kryptonite on film.
I know what you mean. It's not great stuff, but in his defense, he had nothing to go on. The character had only been around for ten years and the only thing up to that point that even came close to live action were the cartoons and the radio show, so he was pretty much making it up as he went along. Some of his actions do seem a bit strange to us in retrospect, but we have the benefit of almost 70 years worth of different character incarnations since then. Frankly, what really killed it for me more than Kirk's acting were those crummy animated flying sequences. Ecch!
PS...Have you ever seen Atom Man vs. Superman? I haven't, but it was supposed to be a lot better.
Both are available in a box set (4 discs) for about $40US. I actually prefer 'Superman' to 'Atom Man vs Superman', but only for the lovely Carol Forman as The Spider Lady. The story, such as it is, does seem a little tighter in the second series. Also, it features the first (iirc) film appearance of Lex Luthor!
Although the animated flying sequences are somewhat jarring at first, it didn't take long for me to adjust my thinking (or, my suspension of disbelief), and then it just fades into the background. I think it's interesting to see how those early film makers made Superman fly. Compare to the Fleischer cartoons (which these somewhat mimic), which are generally more, um, sleek(?), modern(?).
Just as you stated the reasons for overlooking Kirk Alyn's rather wooden delivery, I think the same apply to the film making process, as well.
If you've seen the George Reeves TV show, 'The Adventures of Superman' (1950's), then you've seen how they probably would have flown Alyn in these serials.
(This is posted for entertainment. Don't get upset.)
I haven't seen Atom Man versus Superman yet, but I intend to after I finish Superman. Atom Man was a sequel, so naturally I want to see Superman first. But yea, it was the first appearance of Lex Luthor in any media other than the comic book. He didn't appear on the radio show or in the Fleischer/Famous Studios cartoons. If I'm not mistaken, he was actually supposed to be the "masked mystery villain," but fans of Superman will know instantly that he's the villain instead of the harmless TV repairman that he pretends to be.
As for the cartoon scenes, they are pretty jarring. Despite having him whirl around and such, as could not have been done by a man on strings, I think the strings holding him up and a traveling matte background would have been better than the use of cartoons. Republic Picture's Adventures of Captain Marvel did it eights years earlier, going back and forth between a man hanging from "invinsible" wires to a a model gliding along a string in the long shots. It isn't perfect, but it looks a lot more realistic than Superman transforming briefly into a cartoon character during the flight scenes.
These actors didn't grow up with the Superman myth, as we have. They hadn't seen any of the movies or TV shows. This was just another low-paying gig for Allyn, dressed in a silly suit. He performed with no sense of the magic the name "Superman" means to baby-boomers and the following generations.
However George Reeves was under the same limitations, (and his disdain for the part is well known). But he was terrific both as Clark Kent and Superman. He had a great comic touch but also a moral forcefulness. He blows Allyn away as if with his super-breath.
I think the performances suffered in large part due to the fact that hardly any prep time was given to the actors. They simply learned their lines then got in front of the cameras, without any time to contemplate how to add color to their delivery. Granted, there have been many 'consumate' actors from the onset of Hollywood down to present day, but none of them, during those days, were making themselves available for serials. Under the circumstances (and the help of low expectations) I don't think Alyn was all that bad, especially seeing Noelle Neill performing much better in the TV series than in the serials.
sharePlaying a superhero isn't easy to do convincingly, in 1948 or today. Kirk Alyn's body language and general demeanor just don't match anything that most people conjure up when they think "Superman." I don't think there's any level of production, special effects, etc., that would have made Alyn the right choice to play Superman.
If you want to see an actor who got it right, check out Tom Tyler in The Adventures of Captain Marvel from 1941. In my opinion, that's the greatest superhero movie made until Superman (1978) with Christopher Reeve changed the game.
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