The Adventures of Superman (radio)

The Adventures of Superman is a syndicated radio show depicting the thrilling adventures of Superman, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. The show ran in various timeslots and formats from 1940 to 1951.

History
The character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster arrived on radio not long after the comic book and took on an added dimension with Bud Collyer in the title role. During World War II and the post-war years, the juvenile adventure radio serial, sponsored by Kellogg's Pep, was a huge success, with many listeners following the quest for "truth, justice and the American way" in the daily radio broadcasts, the comic book stories and the newspaper comic strip.

Airing in the late afternoon (variously at 5:15pm, 5:30pm and 5:45pm), the radio serial engaged its young, after-school audience with its exciting and distinctive opening:
 * Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings with a single bound! Look ! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!

Because Superman's true identity was a secret, it is often believed that the identity of radio actor Collyer also remained a secret. But while it is true that Collyer was left off the program's credits, as early as September 14, 1942 Time ran an article identifying the actor and joshing him for his many Sunday school fans. In 1946, Collyer's name was finally added to the radio credits.

Since there were no reruns at that time, the series often used plot devices and plot twists to allow Collyer to have vacation time. Kryptonite was the most famous of these, allowing Superman to be incapacitated and incoherent with pain while secondary characters took the focus instead. At other times, Batman and Robin appeared in Superman's absence.

The scripts by B.P. Freeman and Jack Johnstone were directed by Robert and Jessica Maxwell, George Lowther, Allen Ducovny and Mitchell Grayson. Sound effects were created by Jack Keane, Al Binnie, Keene Crockett and John Glennon.

Timeslots and formats
The show debuted on New York City's WOR radio on February 12, 1940. On the Mutual Netowrk, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942 to January 28, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three to five times a week. From January 31 to June 7, 1949, it ran as a half-hour show, three times a week. The series shifted to Saturday mornings on ABC on November 5, 1949, and then to twice-a-week in June 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951.

Stories
The Adventures of Superman stories included:
 * "Clark Kent, Reporter" (February - March 1940)
 * "Mystery of Dyerville" (March 1940)
 * "The Emerald of the Incas" (April 1940)
 * "Donelli's Protection Racket" (April 1940)
 * "Airplane Disasters at Bridger Field" (April - May 1940)
 * "Buffalo Heights" (May 1940)
 * "Alonzo Craig, Arctic Explorer" (May - June 1940)
 * "Horace Morton's Weather Machine" (June 1940)
 * "Hans Holbein's Doll Factory" (June - July 1940)
 * "Happyland Amusement Park" (July 1940)
 * "Lighthouse Point Smugglers" (July - August 1940)
 * "Pillar of Fire at Graves' End" (August 1940)
 * "The Mayan Treasure" (August 1940)
 * "Professor Thorpe's Bathysphere" (August - September 1940)
 * "The Curse of Dead Man's Island (September - October 1940)
 * "Yellow Mask and the 5 Million Dollar Jewel Robbery" (October - November 1940)
 * "The Invisible Man" (November 1940)
 * "The 5 Million Dollar Gold Heist" (November - December 1940)
 * "The Howling Coyote" (December 1940 - January 1941)
 * "The Black Pearl of Osiris" (January - February 1941)
 * "The Dragon's Teeth" (February - March 1941)
 * "Last of the Clipper Ships" (March - April 1941)

"Clan of The Fiery Cross"
The series is also credited with dealing a powerful blow against the Ku Klux Klan's prospects in the northern USA. The human rights activist, Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan and other racist/terrorist groups. Concerned that the organization had too strong connections to the government and police forces, Kennedy decided to use his findings to strike at the Klan in a different way. He contacted the producers of the Superman series and proposed a story where the superhero battles the Klan. The producers, looking for new villains, eagerly agreed to the idea. To that end, he provided information -- including secret codewords and details of Klan rituals -- to the writers. The result was a series of episodes, "Clan of The Fiery Cross," in which Superman took on the Klan. Kennedy intended to strip away the Klan's mystique, and the trivialization of the Klan's rituals and codewords likely had a negative impact on Klan recruiting and membership.

Reportedly, Klan leaders denounced the show and called for a boycott of Kellogg's products. However, the story arc earned spectacular ratings which prompted the food company to stand by their support of the show.

Cast

 * Superman:
 * Bud Collyer (1940-1950)
 * Michael Fitzmaurice (1950-1951)
 * Lois Lane:
 * Joan Alexander
 * Rollie Bester
 * Helen Choate
 * Perry White:
 * Julian Noa
 * Jimmy Olsen:
 * Jack Grimes
 * Jackie Kelk
 * Batman:
 * Matt Crowley
 * Stacy Harris
 * Gary Merrill
 * Robin:
 * Ronald Liss


 * Inspector Henderson:
 * Matt Crowley
 * Earl George
 * Jor-L:
 * Ned Wever


 * Lara:
 * Agnes Moorehead


 * Beany Martin (Daily Planet copyboy):
 * Jackson Beck


 * Narrator:
 * George Lowther (1940-1942)
 * Jackson Beck (1943-1951)
 * Ross Martin (1951)

Listen to

 * Botar: Adventures of Superman (27 1940 episodes)