I don't think you can watch or evaluate an old time serial like this in the same way you would watch a modern day super hero movie. The evolution in special effects makes films like "Dawn of Justice" possible whereas the constraints on a serial like "Superman" were such that the film makers were making it all up as they went along. For 1948, they didn't even think about rigging up Superman with ropes or wires to simulate flying, it was done with animation each time actor Kirk Alyn yelled "Up, up and away". If you weren't around for this picture in 1948 or the Fifties for "The Adventures of Superman", watching the effects today for the first time make them seem hopelessly hokey and corny. At the same time, I think that's what adds to their charm.
But you really have to want to watch serials like this. Personally I find the repeated openings of each chapter and rehashing of the last one's cliff hanger to be incredibly tedious. So I make liberal use of the fast forward button to relieve some of the anxiety of all that while trying to make sense of the story line. This fifteen chapter serial begins with the origin of Superman that most fans are familiar with. This very first time put to film, the destruction of Krypton is a consequence of the planet being drawn toward it's sun, unable to escape it's gravitational pull. Future reboots would allow for different interpretations which is all well and good. The point is that the baby Kal-El arrives on earth and in due time, exhibits extraordinary powers that go far beyond those of normal men.
The familiar characters of the Superman comic book stories are mostly here. When Clark Kent (Alyn) takes a job at The Daily Planet, he works along side of managing editor Perry White (Pierre Watkin) and reporters Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and Jimmy Olsen (Tommy Bond). Watkin is a one-note character actor and I found it amusing when more than once, but definitely in Chapter #11, Perry White picks up the phone in his office, says "Send Kent in", and immediately hangs up. On the other side of his door in the reporters room, Kent picks up the phone and says "I'll be right in". Which begs the question, who were each of those guys talking to?
So anyway, the serial is chock full of stuff like this, scenarios and events that weren't very well thought out. Superman's very first on screen major villain is a woman called the Spider Lady (Carol Forman), who's primary power seems to be keeping her male henchmen under control to do her bidding, any one of which could have taken her out with a single knockout blow. Most of the story has to do with getting her hands on a scientist's 'Reducer Ray' having power greater than an atomic bomb. Somewhat a misnomer I would say, since the 'Ray's' power didn't shrink anything, it just blew things up.
Other familiar concepts in the story include the introduction of Superman's only known Achilles heel, the dreaded Kryptonite. Clark Kent and Superman 'both' have brushes with Kryptonite that threaten harm, but each situation is dealt with handily. In terms of his super powers, Superman regularly relies on his 'super-vision', super-strength', invulnerability and gift of flight. One is forced to suspend disbelief the very first time the live action transitions to animation and back for Superman to fly, but if you're able to put up with all the rest it's a small price to pay to catch Superman in action on the big screen for the very first time. And today, you don't have to return to your neighborhood theater each week to do it.
But you really have to want to watch serials like this. Personally I find the repeated openings of each chapter and rehashing of the last one's cliff hanger to be incredibly tedious. So I make liberal use of the fast forward button to relieve some of the anxiety of all that while trying to make sense of the story line. This fifteen chapter serial begins with the origin of Superman that most fans are familiar with. This very first time put to film, the destruction of Krypton is a consequence of the planet being drawn toward it's sun, unable to escape it's gravitational pull. Future reboots would allow for different interpretations which is all well and good. The point is that the baby Kal-El arrives on earth and in due time, exhibits extraordinary powers that go far beyond those of normal men.
The familiar characters of the Superman comic book stories are mostly here. When Clark Kent (Alyn) takes a job at The Daily Planet, he works along side of managing editor Perry White (Pierre Watkin) and reporters Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and Jimmy Olsen (Tommy Bond). Watkin is a one-note character actor and I found it amusing when more than once, but definitely in Chapter #11, Perry White picks up the phone in his office, says "Send Kent in", and immediately hangs up. On the other side of his door in the reporters room, Kent picks up the phone and says "I'll be right in". Which begs the question, who were each of those guys talking to?
So anyway, the serial is chock full of stuff like this, scenarios and events that weren't very well thought out. Superman's very first on screen major villain is a woman called the Spider Lady (Carol Forman), who's primary power seems to be keeping her male henchmen under control to do her bidding, any one of which could have taken her out with a single knockout blow. Most of the story has to do with getting her hands on a scientist's 'Reducer Ray' having power greater than an atomic bomb. Somewhat a misnomer I would say, since the 'Ray's' power didn't shrink anything, it just blew things up.
Other familiar concepts in the story include the introduction of Superman's only known Achilles heel, the dreaded Kryptonite. Clark Kent and Superman 'both' have brushes with Kryptonite that threaten harm, but each situation is dealt with handily. In terms of his super powers, Superman regularly relies on his 'super-vision', super-strength', invulnerability and gift of flight. One is forced to suspend disbelief the very first time the live action transitions to animation and back for Superman to fly, but if you're able to put up with all the rest it's a small price to pay to catch Superman in action on the big screen for the very first time. And today, you don't have to return to your neighborhood theater each week to do it.