Super-Homem

A great serial especially in noting this was made 6 years after the golden era of serials. This serial features an outstanding and large serial cast led by Kirk Alyn as Superman. Mr. Alyn played the role in fine fashion and though he lacked the Roman jaw of George Reeves he easily makes a favorable impression. The rest of The Daily Planet crew also are quite good especially Noel Neill who is as feisty as Lois Lane as Kidder or Coates in later versions. Villains Carol Foreman and Charles Quigley both are memorable. The flying sequences are animated. I think it gave the screenwriters much more flexibility to the character than an actor or dummy on wires would have. This a film that is fun to watch more than once. It has a lot of spunk and humor as well as action.

This is one good serial! There is a lot of action and decent SFX and fairly good (if now stereotypical) characterization.

Kirk Alyn is great as Superman and Clark Kent...a performance that really wasn't surpassed in any media until Christopher Reeve's triumph in 1978. Lois and Jimmy are suitably doltish...though even Lois was a bit more intelligent in the comics than in this serial.

I've been told that the producers had some remorse at the cheapness of the effects (i.e., using animation for Superman flying), but I really don't think it comes off as shoddy...in fact I think it comes off fairly well, or at least better than using a derivative of Republic's effects for making Captain Marvel fly seven years earlier.

Superman is supposedly the most popular chapterplay in history. I don't know about that, but it is very enjoyable and an excellent example of the genre of the movie serial.

I wish to say that ten years ago on this very day I personally met Kirk Alyn when I helped him with a chore. He was quite elderly and frail, but still it was an honor to meet him. So this comment is dedicated to the memory of Kirk Alyn.

This is the first time The Man of Steel ever appeared on the screen. And guess what? It's great all thanks to Kirk Alyn and a cast that makes it good fun. Yeah I grant you, the special effects are hokey, but you don't need rock'em-sock'em visuals to make a movie, just a great sense of pure enjoyment. Along with Kirk there is Noel Neil as a very spunky Lois Lane. Carol Forman makes a great villain (and a very sexy one too) as the Spider Lady. And former Little Rascal Tommy "Butch" Bond plays Jimmy Olsen (which in itself is another beginning... Bond was the first person to have ever played this role!). But it's Alyn that makes it all great. He gives Superman a sense of real superhero pizazz without making the Son of Krypton look pompous. So run, or fly, out and get a copy and pop it in your player. This is one time where your entertainment time really does become "A job for Superman"!

Superman, the 15-chapter serial, is the best of it's kind. Kirk Alyn is excellent as Superman/Clark Kent, Noel Neill is the best Lois Lane ever to hit the screen, Carol Forman makes Spider Lady one of the most hated serial villains of all time!

Some say that the animation is terrible, but I'd prefer it over using real people. The special effects are very amusing, and Mischa Bakaleinikoff's musical score fits the themes of the movie perfectly.

The story goes like this, Jor-El is the only scientist who knows that the planet Krypton is going to explode. He builds a rocket and sends his son far off to the planet earth before the doomed planet explodes. Clark grows up and moves to Metropolis, where he becomes better known as Superman. As Superman he fights for "Truth, Justice, and Tolerance", but the evil Spider Lady plans to destroy everything he represents.

I give it 10/10 Stars

This is a great serial. What people tend to forget when watching it today, is that it was made in 1948 and was aimed at the Saturday matinee crowd.

The special effects, to be sure, are primitive by today's standards, but take a closer look. Remember this was 1948. The opening sequence and Superman's flying effects were achieved through some excellent animation.

Don't forget that Superman IS a comic book character. The transition from live action to animation in the flying sequences, is performed seamlessly and realistically. I thought that this was pretty innovative for its' time.

Kirk Alyn was born to play Superman. He gives a realistic and credible performance as both Superman and Clark Kent. The diminutive Noel Neill makes an excellent Lois Lane, girl reporter, Timmy Bond (Formerly "Butch" of the Our Gang comedies) is good as Jimmy Olsen and veteran Pierre Watkin is suitably cranky as Perry White.

Carol Forman brings a cold and icy sexiness to the role of the Spider Lady, Superman's chief nemesis. Serial veterans Charles Quigley, Charles King, Terry Frost and Rusty Wescoatt round out the cast in various villain roles.