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The Adventures of Superman (radio series)

The Adventures of Superman is a long-running radio serial that originally aired from 1940 to 1951 featuring the DC Comics character Superman.

The Adventures of Superman
National (DC) Comics publisher Harry Donenfeld (left) with Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander
Other names"Superman"
Genre
Running time15 min, 30 min
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
Home stationWOR-AM
SyndicatesMutual Broadcasting System, Citadel Media
StarringBud Collyer, Joan Alexander
AnnouncerJackson Beck
Written byGeorge Putnam Ludlam
Recording studioNew York
Original releaseFebruary 12, 1940 –
March 1, 1951
No. of episodes2088
Sponsored byKellogg's Pep Cereal
PodcastStream from Archive.org

The serial came to radio as a syndicated show on New York City's WOR on February 12, 1940. On Mutual, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942, to February 4, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949, it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman aired on American radio.[1]

History Edit

Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Man of Steel first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. The following year, the newspaper comic strip began and four audition radio programs were prepared to sell Superman as a radio series. When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance, the character 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 and justice" 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, which changed slightly as the series progressed. Most familiar today is the television opening, which copied the radio opening from 1945 onward (save for "and the American Way" line, which was an even later addition), but the most often heard radio opening through the mid-1940s was:

Presenting the transcription feature, Superman. [followed by Superman's "flying" audio effect]
Up in the sky! Look!
It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's Superman!
Yes, it's Superman—strange visitor from the planet Krypton who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, race a speeding bullet to its target, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice.

By September 5, 1945, the opening (repeated at the close) had morphed into:

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Look! Up in the sky!
It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's Superman!

Narrative notes Edit

In the first few episodes, Superman's home planet of Krypton is located on the far side of the sun, as opposed to a distant star system as it is in most stories. During the journey to Earth, baby Kal-el grows into an adult and emerges fully grown from his ship after it lands on Earth. He is never adopted by the Kents but immediately begins his superhero career. This was eventually retconned in later episodes to match the narrative of the comic books.

This serial introduced the fictional mineral kryptonite, the radiation from which can weaken and even (in some continuities) kill Superman. Aside from giving Superman's foes a plausible way to fight him, it also allowed Superman's voice actor to take the occasional break: Superman would spend the next episode incapacitated, his groans voiced by a substitute actor.

Ratings Edit

In January 1945, the show was listened to on 3.1% of radios. In January 1946, it was listened to on 4.4% of radios.[2]

Jackson Beck Edit

That well-known signature opening, one of the most famous in radio history, was delivered by Jackson Beck, the announcer-narrator for the program from 1943 to 1950. He also had recurring roles, voicing an occasional tough guy and also portraying Beany Martin, the Daily Planet's teenage copy boy. On Superman episodes featuring Batman, he played Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Decades later, Beck portrayed Perry White, Clark Kent's boss, in Filmation's The New Adventures of Superman (1966–1970), in addition to serving as the show's narrator.[3]

Bud Collyer Edit

Just as Superman's true identity remained a secret, the identity of radio actor Collyer also remained a secret from 1940 until 1946, when the character of Superman was used in a promotional campaign for racial and religious tolerance and Collyer did a Time magazine interview about that campaign.

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 allowed Superman to be incapacitated and incoherent with pain while the secondary characters took the focus instead. At other times, Batman (Stacy Harris) and Robin (Ronald Liss) appeared on the program 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.

Many aspects associated with Superman, such as kryptonite, originated on radio, as did certain characters, including Daily Planet editor Perry White, copy boy Jimmy Olsen and police inspector Bill Henderson.[4] On March 2, 1945, Superman met Batman and Robin for the first time.

Paramount's animated Superman short films used voices by the radio actors, and Columbia's Superman movie serials (1948, 1950) were "adapted from the Superman radio program broadcast on the Mutual Network".

"Clan of the Fiery Cross" Edit

In 1946, the series delivered a powerful blow against the Ku Klux Klan's prospects in the northern US. Stetson Kennedy, a human rights activist, infiltrated the KKK and other racist/terrorist groups.[5] Concerned that the organization had links to the government and police forces, Kennedy decided to use its findings to strike at the Klan in a different way. He contacted the Superman producers and proposed a story where the superhero battles the Klan. Looking for new villains, the producers eagerly agreed. Kennedy provided information, including details of Klan rituals and the like to the writers. The result was a series of episodes, "Clan of the Fiery Cross", in which Superman took on the Klan. The trivialization of the Klan's rituals and natures had a negative impact on Klan recruiting and membership numbers.[6]

Reportedly, Klan leaders denounced the show and called for a boycott of Kellogg's products. However, the story arc earned spectacular ratings, making Superman the most highly rated kids' radio program, and the food company stood by its support of the show.

Superman historian Michael Hayde has cast doubt on whether actual KKK codewords and details were broadcast in the Clan of the Fiery Cross story arc. He wrote: "[O]ne is hard pressed to uncover anything that might be construed as proprietary to the KKK, with the exception of one – and only one – sequence, heard in episode #2".[7]

The story-arc was loosely adapted for a DC Comics limited series, Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang, and was released in October 2019.[8]

Stories Edit

The syndicated series, titled simply Superman, first aired via pre-recorded transcription disks over 11 stations beginning on February 12, 1940, with an origin story, "The Baby from Krypton". The series aired in 15-minute episodes three times a week until May 9, 1941, with the conclusion of the "Nitrate Shipment" storyline. By that time, it had expanded to 63 stations.[9]

Start of run: February 1940 Edit

The first 19 episodes had individual titles that told three overall stories:

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"The Baby from Krypton"
February 12, 1940 (1940-02-12)
On the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El warns that the planet is doomed, but his plan to build spaceships and evacuate the planet meets with jeers. Jor-El only has time to build a model spacecraft. He and his wife Lara send their infant son, Kal-El, off in the spaceship just before the planet explodes. The child is sent off on a one-way trip to the planet Earth.
2"Clark Kent, Reporter"
February 14, 1940 (1940-02-14)
Kal-El has arrived in Metropolis all grown up. He saves a young boy, Jimmy and his father but asks them to keep it a secret. The two offer him the alias, "Clark Kent", as he gets accustomed to the planet. Clark goes searching for a job at the Daily Planet, where he meets Mr. Perry White. Mr. White gets a mysterious call from a "The Wolf" and offers Clark a temporary offer to put together a story on this "Mr. Wolf" and the Silver Clipper.
3"Keno's Landslide"
February 16, 1940 (1940-02-16)
Clark has received orders to head west and investigate his assignment. Meanwhile, Keno, an assailant for "The Wolf", is discussing what their plans are, which is to paralyze the railroads. Keno is questioning whether he wants to be a part of these diabolical plans. Clark is determined to foil "The Wolf's" plan and saves the train from being pummeled by a landslide, but after saving the train, he gets the attention of the "The Wolf", who is ready to meet this "Clark Kent".
4"Kent Captured by the Wolf"
February 19, 1940 (1940-02-19)
5"Locomotive Crew Freed"
February 21, 1940 (1940-02-21)
6"The Silver Clipper"
"Yellow Mask Intro-Train Switch Thrown"
February 23, 1940 (1940-02-23)
7"The Atomic Beam Machine"
"Dr. Dalgrin's Atomic Beam"
February 26, 1940 (1940-02-26)
8"Fuel"
"Yellow Mask Steals Fuel For Atomic Beam"
February 28, 1940 (1940-02-28)
9"Threat to the Planet Building"
"Yellow Mask Throws Lois Out of Plane"
March 1, 1940 (1940-03-01)
10"Fire in the Sterling Building"
March 4, 1940 (1940-03-04)
11"The Stabbing of June Anderson"
"Relative Stabs June Anderson in Hospital"
March 6, 1940 (1940-03-06)
12"North Star Mining Company"
March 8, 1940 (1940-03-08)
13"The Steamship Madison"
"Bart & Joe Set Fire on Steamer Madison"
March 11, 1940 (1940-03-11)
14"Plane to Canyon City"
"Kent Falls off Plane to Canyon City, Idaho"
March 13, 1940 (1940-03-13)
15"Left to be Killed"
"Superman Saves June From Mine Explosion"
March 15, 1940 (1940-03-15)
16"The Prison Riot"
"Prison Riot With Keno & Wolfe"
March 18, 1940 (1940-03-18)
17"The Steam Plant"
"Keno & Wolfe Head for Steam Plant With Lois"
March 20, 1940 (1940-03-20)
18"The Wolf vs the Yellow Mask"
March 22, 1940 (1940-03-22)
19"The Yellow Mask Escapes"
"Superman Saves Jefferson Bridge"
March 25, 1940 (1940-03-25)

Multi-part cliffhangers: March 1940 – May 1941 Edit

The series then moved to multi-part cliffhanger stories, beginning with "The Mystery of Dyerville". Some stories spanned just a few episodes; others, like "The Last of the Clipper Ships", went on for up to 20 parts.

  • "The Mystery of Dyerville" (March 1940) (2 parts, actually concludes the story begun on March 18)
  • "The Emerald of the Incas" (April 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Donelli's Protection Racket" (April 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Airplane Disasters at Bridger Field" (April–May 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Buffalo Heights" (May 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Alonzo Craig, Arctic Explorer" (May–June 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Horace Morton's Weather Predictions" (June 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Hans Holbein's Doll Factory" (June–July 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Happyland Amusement Park" (July 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Lighthouse Point Smugglers" (July–August 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Pillar of Fire at Graves' End" (August 1940) (3 parts)
  • "The Mayan Treasure" (August 1940) (6 parts)
  • "Professor Thorpe's Bathysphere" (August–September 1940) (12 parts)
  • "The Curse of Dead Man's Island" (September–October 1940) (6 parts)
  • "The Yellow Mask and the 5 Million Dollar Jewel Robbery" (October–November 1940) (15 parts)
  • "The Invisible Man" (November 1940) (6 parts)
  • "The 5 Million Dollar Gold Heist" (November–December 1940) (8 parts)
  • "The Howling Coyote" (December 1940–January 1941) (14 parts)
  • "The Black Pearl of Osiris" (January–February 1941) (11 parts)
  • "The Dragon's Teeth" (February–March 1941) (10 parts)
  • "Last of the Clipper Ships" (March–April 1941) (20 parts)
  • "The Nitrate Shipment" (April –May 1941) (9 parts)

End of run: August 1941 – February 1942 Edit

Beginning on August 25, 1941, a second series of transcriptions designed to air five days per week (although many stations continued the previous three-per-week schedule) aired. These concluded after 26 weeks with the final installment of "A Mystery for Superman" airing on February 20, 1942:

  • "The Grayson Submarine" (August 1941) (6 parts)
  • "Dr. Deutsch and the Radium Mine" (September 1941) (12 parts)
  • "The White Plague" (September 1941) (8 parts)
  • "Fur Smuggling" (September–October 1941) (6 parts)
  • "Dr. Roebling and the Voice Machine" (October 1941) (16 parts)
  • "Metropolis Football Team Poisoned" (October - November 1941) (15 parts)
  • "Crooked Oil Association" (November–December 1941) (10 parts)
  • "The Silver Arrow" (December 1941) (7 parts)
  • "The Pan-Am Highway" (December 1941–January 1942) (15 parts)
  • "The Mechanical Man" (January 1942) (10 parts)
  • "Lita the Leopard Woman" (January–February 1942) (12 parts)
  • "The Ghost Car" (February 1942) (8 parts)
  • "A Mystery for Superman" (February 1942) (5 parts)

In February 1942, the syndicated series ceased production. At that time, it was airing in 85 North American markets.

First revival: August 1942 – June 1949 Edit

In June, the Mutual Network discovered it would be losing its #1 juvenile show, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy to NBC's Blue Network at the end of August. To counter, MBS decided to revive the show, now officially titled The Adventures of Superman, on August 31, 1942.[10] The new series aired live, five days a week. The revival began with two individual episodes, and then returned to the cliffhanger serial format.

The stories were of varying lengths—some stories were only five parts, while others could go into the dozens. Some of the longer stories include "Looking for Kryptonite" (25 episodes), "The Hate Mongers' Organization" (25 episodes) and "Superman vs Kryptonite" (33 episodes).

All stories broadcast from August 31, 1942, to September 3, 1945, are either wholly or partially missing. For those stories where some episodes are available in circulation, it will be noted which parts are available.

  • "Superman Comes to Earth" (August 31, 1942)
  • "Eben Kent Dies in Fire, Clark Goes to Metropolis" (September 1, 1942)
  • "The Wolfe" (September 1942) (11 parts, Parts 4, 5, and 11 available)
  • "The Tiny Men" (September 1942) (9 parts, Parts 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 available)
  • "Mystery in Arabia" (September–October 1942) (10 parts, Parts 1, 3-9 available)
  • "The Black Narcissus" (October 1942) (9 parts, Parts 1-7 available)
  • "The Headless Indian" (October–November 1942) (18 parts, Parts 1-16 and 18 available)
  • "The Midnight Intruder" (November–December 1942) (14 parts, Parts 2, 5–10, and 14 available)
  • "The Lost Continent of Atlantis" (December 1942) (9 parts, parts 1–5, 7, 8 available)
  • "The Mystery Ship" (December 1942) (7 parts, Parts 1, 2, 4–7 available)
  • "The Tin Men" (January 1943) (15 parts, parts 2–15 available)
  • "Trouble in Athabascus" (January–February 1943) (9 parts)
  • "The Island of Ghost Ships" (February 1943) (11 parts)
  • "The Model Plane Mystery" (February–March 1943) (17 parts)
  • "Dr. Cameron's Helicopter" (March 1943) (4 parts)
  • "The Vulture and the Thunderbolt Express" (March–April 1943) (16 parts, Parts 3, 4, 9 available)
  • "The Bainbridge Disaster" (April 1943) (12 parts)
  • "Master of the Dream World" (April–May 1943) (14 parts)
  • "The Ghost Squadron" (May–June 1943) (10 parts)
  • "The Meteor from Krypton" (June 1943) (7 parts, Parts 3, 4 available)
  • "Society of the Flamingo" (June–July 1943) (16 parts)
  • "Mr. Prim and the Dragonfly Adventure" (July 1943) (12 parts, Part 12 available)
  • "The Genie in the Bottle" (July–August 1943) (8 parts)
  • "The World of the Future" (August 1943) (11 parts)
  • "The Civil Air Patrol" (August–September 1943) (14 parts)
  • "Penrose Salvage Company" (September 1943) (8 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Death Plane" (September 1943) (4 parts)
  • "Adventures in the Capitol City" (September - October 1943) (7 parts)
  • "German Submarine Menace" (October 1943) (8 parts)
  • "The New German Weapon" (October 1943) (11 parts, Parts 3–6 available)
  • "The Mystery of Prince Philip" (October–November 1943) (14 parts)
  • "Military Espionage" (November–December 1943) (16 parts)
  • "Stolen War Information" (December 1943 - January 1944) (17 parts)
  • "Lois and Jimmy Disappear" (January 1944) (8 parts, Part 7 available)
  • "The Green Death" (January 1944) (9 parts, Part 4 available)
  • "The Mystery of the $100,000 Stamp" (January–February 1944) (12 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Transport Plane Crashes" (February 1944) (6 parts)
  • "Lighthouse Point" (February–March 1944) (7 parts, one episode is available, but which part it is has not been determined)
  • "The Rocket Plane" (March 1944) (4 parts)
  • "The Mystery of Clifftown" (March 1944) (14 parts)
  • "The Golden Homing Pigeon" (March–April 1944) (21 parts, part 10 available)
  • "The Mystery of Desert Springs and the Birdmen" (April - May 1944) (21 parts)
  • "The Hurdy-Gurdy Man" (May–June 1944) (12 parts)
  • "The North Woods Story" (June 1944) (15 parts)
  • "The Seagull, North Pacific Adventure" (July 1944) (9 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Aviation Freight Lines" (July 1944) (11 parts)
  • "The Society of the Crimson Robe" (July–August 1944) (11 parts)
  • "Ghosts of the Air" (August 1944) (10 parts)
  • "The Scorpion" (August–September 1944) (9 parts)
  • "Der Teufel's Atomic Pistol" (September 1944) (13 parts, Part 4 available)
  • "The Mystery of the Mummy Case" (September–October 1944) (21 parts)
  • "Dr. Roebling and the Voice Machine" (October–November 1944) (14 parts)
  • "Planet Utopia" (November·December 1944) (13 parts)
  • "Lois' Uncle John and the Missing Plans" (December 1944) (11 parts, parts 1, 4, 11 available)
  • "The Missing Santa Claus" (December 1944) (6 parts, part 2 available)
  • "The Man in the Velvet Shoes" (December 1944 – January 1945) (12 parts, parts 1, 5, 6, 10-12 available)
  • "The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty" (January–February 1945) (20 parts, parts 11, 13, 14, 16-20 available)
  • "The Space Shell" (February 1945) (12 parts, parts 3, 6–10 available)
  • "The Mystery of the Waxmen" (March 1945) (12 parts, parts 2, 3 available)
  • "The Mystery of the Golden Nail" (March 1945) (12 parts, parts 3, 4, 8 available)
  • "The Ghost Car" (April 1945) (9 parts, part 7 available)
  • "The Boy King of Moravia" (April 1945) (9 parts, parts 3, 7 available)
  • "Lair of the Dragon" (May 1945) (14 parts, part 8 available)
  • "The Mystery of the Counterfeit Money" (May 1945) (10 parts)
  • "Valley of the Giants" (May–June 1945) (10 parts)
  • "The Desert Adventure" (June–July 1945) (19 parts)
  • "The Underseas Kingdom" (July–August 1945) (19 parts, parts 16, 17 available)
  • "The Flood" (August 1945) (13 parts, parts 4-6 available)
  • "The Black Market" (August–September 1945) (7 parts)

From September 4, 1945 (part 1 of "Dr. Bly's Confidence Gang") to September 2, 1948 (part 3 of "The Mystery of the Silver Buffalo") all stories are fully available in circulation except for "The Hate Mongers' Organization", "Pennies for Plunder", and "Hunger, Inc." which are all missing a handful of episodes. For these three serials, it will be specified which parts are missing.

  • "Dr. Bly's Confidence Gang" (September 1945) (14 parts)
  • "The Meteor of Kryptonite" (September 1945) (2 parts)
  • "The Scarlet Widow" (September–October 1945) (11 parts)
  • "The Atom Man" (October–November 1945) (19 parts)
  • "Atom Man in Metropolis" (November–December 1945) (19 parts)
  • "Looking for Kryptonite" (December 1945 – January 1946) (26 parts)
  • "The Talking Cat" (January 1946) (14 parts)
  • "Is There Another Superman?" (January–February 1946) (13 parts)
  • "The Radar Rocket" (February–March 1946) (20 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Dragon's Teeth" (March 1946) (10 parts)
  • "The Story of the Century" (April 1946) (12 parts)
  • "The Hate Mongers' Organization" (April–May 1946) (25 parts, Part 6 missing)
  • "Al Vincent's Corrupt Political Machine" (May–June 1946) (14 parts)
  • "Clan of the Fiery Cross" (June–July 1946) (16 parts)
  • "Horatio F. Horn, Detective" (July 1946) (22 parts)
  • "The Secret Menace Strikes" (August 1946) (15 parts)
  • "Candy Meyer's Big Story" (August–September 1946) (8 parts)
  • "George Latimer, Crooked Political Boss" (September 1946) (17 parts)
  • "The Dead Voice" (September–October 1946) (15 parts)
  • "Counterfeit Money" (October–November 1946) (14 parts)
  • "The Disappearance of Clark Kent" (November 1946) (13 parts)
  • "The Secret Letter" (November–December 1946) (7 parts)
  • "The Phony Song Publishing Company" (December 1946) (8 parts)
  • "The Phony Housing Racket" (December 1946) (9 parts)
  • "The Phony Restaurant Racket" (December 1946 – January 1947) (8 parts)
  • "The Phony Inheritance Racket" (January 1947) (8 parts)
  • "Drought in Freeville" (January–February 1947) (16 parts)
  • "The Monkey Burglar" (February 1947) (10 parts)
  • "Knights of the White Carnation" (February–March 1947) (14 parts)
  • "The Man Without a Face" (March–April 1947) (16 parts)
  • "Mystery of the Lost Planet" (April 1947) (13 parts)
  • "The Phantom of the Sea" (April–May 1947) (12 parts)
  • "Superman vs. Kryptonite" (May–June 1947) (33 parts)
  • "The Secret Rocket" (September–October 1947) (19 parts)
  • "The Ruler of Darkness" (October–November 1947) (24 parts)
  • "Pennies for Plunder" (November–December 1947) (21 parts, Parts 19–21 missing)
  • "Hunger Inc." (December 1947 – January 1948) (12 parts, Parts 1–3 missing)
  • "Dead Man's Secret" (January - February 1948) (14 parts)
  • "Batman's Great Mystery" (February 1948) (11 parts)
  • "The Kingdom Under the Sea" (February–March 1948) (15 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Stolen Costume" (March–April 1948) (17 parts)
  • "The Skin Game" (April 1948) (9 parts)
  • "The Crossword Puzzle Mystery" (April–May 1948) (13 parts)
  • "The Ghost Brigade" (May 1948) (11 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty" (May–June 1948) (18 parts)
  • "The Secret of Meteor Island" (June–July 1948) (17 parts)
  • "The Voice of Doom" (July 1948) (18 parts)
  • "The Secret of the Genie" (August 1948) (10 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Letter" (August 1948) (11 parts)

The remaining serialized stories are all either wholly or partially missing. For those stories where some episodes are available in circulation, it will be noted which parts are available.

  • "The Mystery of the Silver Buffalo" (August–September 1948) (11 parts, Parts 1–3, 8, 9 available)
  • "The Secret of Stone Ridge" (September–October 1948) (17 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Unknown" (October–November 1948) (17 parts)
  • "Murder Scores a Touchdown" (November 1948) (10 parts)
  • "The Riddle of the Mystery Message" (November–December 1948) (13 parts)
  • "The Vanishing Killers" (December 1948) (11 parts)
  • "Superman's Secret" (December 1948) (8 parts, Part 5 available)
  • "The Return of the Octopus" (December 1948 – January 1949) (16 parts)
  • "The Mystery of the Spellbound Ships" (January–February 1949) (11 parts)

Beginning on February 7, 1949, The Adventures of Superman episodes expanded to 30 minutes each. All were transcribed. Each episode was self-contained and had an individual story title. Only "The Mystery of the $10,000 Ghost", "The Mystery of the Flying Monster", and "The Case of the Double Trouble" are available in circulation.

  • "The Frozen Death" (February 7, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Golden Eagle" (February 9, 1949)
  • "The Riddle of the Chinese Jade" (February 11, 1949)
  • "The Curse of the Devil's Creek" (February 14, 1949)
  • "The Lost Civilization" (February 16, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Voice Machine" (February 18, 1949)
  • "The Mystery if the Little Men" (February 21, 1949)
  • "The Story of Marina Baum" (February 23, 1949)
  • "Death Rides the Roller Coaster" (February 25, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Singing Wheels" (February 28, 1949)
  • "The Case of the Poisoned Town" (March 2, 1949)
  • "Mystery of the $10,000 Ghost" (March 4, 1949)
  • "Mystery of the Flying Monster" (March 7, 1949)
  • "Case of Double Trouble" (March 9, 1949)
  • "Superman's Mortal Enemy" (March 11, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Disappearing Diamonds" (March 14, 1949)
  • "The Cat as Big as an Elephant" (March 16, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Walking Doll" (March 18, 1949)
  • "The Return of Terror" (March 21, 1949)
  • "How Time Stood Still" (March 23, 1949)
  • "The World's Greatest Secret" (March 25, 1949)
  • "Crime by the Carload" (March 28, 1949)
  • "Fangs of Fury" (March 30, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Citadel of Doom" (April 1, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Death Train" (April 4, 1949)
  • "Terror Under the Big Top" (April 6, 1949)
  • "The Man of a Thousand Faces" (April 8, 1949)
  • "The Lost King" (April 11, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of Skull Cave" (April 13, 1949)
  • Untitled story (April 15, 1949)
  • "The Secret of the Sahara" (April 18, 1949)
  • "A Voice from the Grave" (April 20, 1949)
  • "The Deadly Double" (April 22, 1949)
  • "The Adventure of the Impractical Joker" (April 25, 1949)
  • "An Experiment in Danger" (April 27, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Phantom Fleet" (April 29, 1949)
  • "The Triangle of Crime" (May 2, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Vibrating Death" (May 4, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of Butte Valley" (May 6, 1949)
  • "The Eye of Balapur" (May 9, 1949)
  • "The Horseman of Doom" (May 11, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the New Face" (May 13, 1949)
  • "The Vengeful Ghost" (May 16, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Flaming Forest" (May 18, 1949)
  • "The Winged Horse" (May 20, 1949)
  • "Death on the Diamond" (May 23, 1949)
  • "The Riddle of the Tapestry" (May 25, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Singing Wheels" (May 27, 1949)
  • "The Speedway of Terror" (May 30, 1949)
  • "Crime at a Bargain" (June 1, 1949)
  • "The Vanishing Ships" (June 3, 1949)
  • "The Case of the Double Double Cross" (June 6, 1949)
  • "The Portrait of Satan" (June 8, 1949)
  • "The Ghost of Shipwreck Island" (June 10, 1949)
  • "Eleven for Death" (June 13, 1949)
  • "Forecast for Crime" (June 15, 1949)
  • "Murder on the Midway" (June 17, 1949)
  • "The Borrowed Corpse" (June 20, 1949)
  • "Killer at Large" (June 22, 1949)
  • "The Mystery of the Frozen Monster" (June 24, 1949)

The series left MBS with the 60th half-hour show, "The Mystery of the Frozen Monster", on June 24, 1949.

Adult themed revival: October 1949 – January 1950 Edit

It returned as a mystery program targeted toward adults[11] on Saturday, October 29, 1949, at 8:30pm over the ABC network. ABC aired this adult-themed version for 13 weeks, concluding with "Dead Men Tell No Tales" on January 21, 1950. This broadcast marked the final radio appearance of Bud Collyer as Clark Kent/Superman.

  • "Mystery of the Walking Dead" (October 29, 1949)
  • "One Minute to Death" (November 19, 1949)
  • "Puzzle of the Poison Pomegranate" (November 26, 1949)
  • "Death Rides the Roller Coaster" (December 3, 1949)
  • "Diamond of Death" (December 17, 1949)

Re-used scripts revival: June 1950 – March 1951 Edit

On June 5, 1950, ABC revived The Adventures of Superman as a twice-weekly afternoon half-hour series. This version reused the scripts for the 60 MBS half-hour episodes and the 13 "adult" ABC episodes but with new cast members. Michael Fitzmaurice replaced Collyer as Kent/Superman, Jack Grimes replaced Jackie Kelk as Jimmy Olsen, and Ross Martin replaced Jackson Beck as narrator. A total of 78 episodes were produced, with the final broadcast, "The Mystery of the Prehistoric Monster", on March 1, 1951. By then, producer Robert Maxwell was actively preparing Adventures of Superman for television.

Cast Edit

From 1949 to 1954 there was also an Australian version of the series. This series included 1040 15-minute episodes. It was cast with Australia actors such as Leonard Teale as Superman and Margaret Christensen as Lois Lane.[12][13]

References Edit

  1. ^ Harmon, Jim (2011). Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media. McFarland & Co. pp. 197–218. ISBN 9780786485086. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. ^ Harrison B. Summers (1958). A Thirty-Year History of Programs Carried on National Radio Networks in the United States.
  3. ^ Mclellan, Dennis (July 31, 2004). "Jackson Beck, 92; Radio, TV Voice Performer for 70 Years". The Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ DeForest, Tim (2004). "Superman". Storytelling in the Pulps, Comics, and Radio: How Technology Changed Popular Fiction in America. McFarland. p. 169. ISBN 0-7864-1902-4.
  5. ^ Pilgrim, David (July 2009). "Question of the Month Superman Busts the KKK". Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. Ferris State University. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011
  6. ^ Whiteside, Thomas (March 3, 1947b). "Up, Up and Awa-a-y!". New Republic. pp. 15–17.
  7. ^ Hayde, Michael J. (2009). Flights of Fantasy. BearManor Media. p. 77.
  8. ^ Pinion, Kyle (10 July 2019). "The long-awaited Superman Smashes The Klan debuts this October". The Beat. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Up, Up and Awa-a-y! The Rise of Superman, Inc." by John Kobler, The Saturday Evening Post, June 21, 1941.
  10. ^ "Hi-Yo, Silver, Plated", Time, June 8, 1942
  11. ^ "Superman Program For Adult Audience", Winona Republican-Herald, Winona, Minnesota, October 28, 1949
  12. ^ THE TRUE BLUE AUSSIE FIGHTING THE FORCES OF EVIL ON RADIO
  13. ^ Superman - the Australian radio serial

External links Edit

  • "Superman... in the Media", Radio Recall, February 2005
  • Superman Radio Episode List
  • Episodes of The Adventures of Superman from Dumb.com
  • Episodes of The Adventures of Superman from Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library 2021-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
  • at the Wayback Machine (archived 2012-02-06)

adventures, superman, radio, series, adventures, superman, long, running, radio, serial, that, originally, aired, from, 1940, 1951, featuring, comics, character, superman, adventures, supermannational, comics, publisher, harry, donenfeld, left, with, collyer, . The Adventures of Superman is a long running radio serial that originally aired from 1940 to 1951 featuring the DC Comics character Superman The Adventures of SupermanNational DC Comics publisher Harry Donenfeld left with Bud Collyer and Joan AlexanderOther names Superman GenreSuperhero fiction Action adventureRunning time15 min 30 minCountry of originUnited StatesLanguage s EnglishHome stationWOR AMSyndicatesMutual Broadcasting System Citadel MediaStarringBud Collyer Joan AlexanderAnnouncerJackson BeckWritten byGeorge Putnam LudlamRecording studioNew YorkOriginal releaseFebruary 12 1940 March 1 1951No of episodes2088Sponsored byKellogg s Pep CerealPodcastStream from Archive orgThe serial came to radio as a syndicated show on New York City s WOR on February 12 1940 On Mutual it was broadcast from August 31 1942 to February 4 1949 as a 15 minute serial running three or usually five times a week From February 7 to June 24 1949 it ran as a thrice weekly half hour show The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29 1949 and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5 1950 continuing on ABC until March 1 1951 In all 2 088 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman aired on American radio 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 Narrative notes 2 Ratings 3 Jackson Beck 4 Bud Collyer 5 Clan of the Fiery Cross 6 Stories 6 1 Start of run February 1940 6 2 Multi part cliffhangers March 1940 May 1941 6 3 End of run August 1941 February 1942 6 4 First revival August 1942 June 1949 6 5 Adult themed revival October 1949 January 1950 6 6 Re used scripts revival June 1950 March 1951 7 Cast 8 References 9 External linksHistory EditCreated by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster the Man of Steel first appeared in Action Comics 1 in 1938 The following year the newspaper comic strip began and four audition radio programs were prepared to sell Superman as a radio series When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance the character 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 and justice 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 which changed slightly as the series progressed Most familiar today is the television opening which copied the radio opening from 1945 onward save for and the American Way line which was an even later addition but the most often heard radio opening through the mid 1940s was Presenting the transcription feature Superman followed by Superman s flying audio effect Up in the sky Look It s a bird It s a plane It s Superman Yes it s Superman strange visitor from the planet Krypton who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men Superman who can leap tall buildings in a single bound race a speeding bullet to its target bend steel in his bare hands and who disguised as Clark Kent mild mannered reporter for a great Metropolitan newspaper fights a never ending battle for truth and justice By September 5 1945 the opening repeated at the close had morphed into Faster than a speeding bullet More powerful than a locomotive Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound Look Up in the sky It s a bird It s a plane It s Superman Narrative notes Edit In the first few episodes Superman s home planet of Krypton is located on the far side of the sun as opposed to a distant star system as it is in most stories During the journey to Earth baby Kal el grows into an adult and emerges fully grown from his ship after it lands on Earth He is never adopted by the Kents but immediately begins his superhero career This was eventually retconned in later episodes to match the narrative of the comic books This serial introduced the fictional mineral kryptonite the radiation from which can weaken and even in some continuities kill Superman Aside from giving Superman s foes a plausible way to fight him it also allowed Superman s voice actor to take the occasional break Superman would spend the next episode incapacitated his groans voiced by a substitute actor Ratings EditIn January 1945 the show was listened to on 3 1 of radios In January 1946 it was listened to on 4 4 of radios 2 Jackson Beck EditThat well known signature opening one of the most famous in radio history was delivered by Jackson Beck the announcer narrator for the program from 1943 to 1950 He also had recurring roles voicing an occasional tough guy and also portraying Beany Martin the Daily Planet s teenage copy boy On Superman episodes featuring Batman he played Bruce Wayne s butler Alfred Pennyworth Decades later Beck portrayed Perry White Clark Kent s boss in Filmation s The New Adventures of Superman 1966 1970 in addition to serving as the show s narrator 3 Bud Collyer EditJust as Superman s true identity remained a secret the identity of radio actor Collyer also remained a secret from 1940 until 1946 when the character of Superman was used in a promotional campaign for racial and religious tolerance and Collyer did a Time magazine interview about that campaign 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 allowed Superman to be incapacitated and incoherent with pain while the secondary characters took the focus instead At other times Batman Stacy Harris and Robin Ronald Liss appeared on the program 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 Many aspects associated with Superman such as kryptonite originated on radio as did certain characters including Daily Planet editor Perry White copy boy Jimmy Olsen and police inspector Bill Henderson 4 On March 2 1945 Superman met Batman and Robin for the first time Paramount s animated Superman short films used voices by the radio actors and Columbia s Superman movie serials 1948 1950 were adapted from the Superman radio program broadcast on the Mutual Network Clan of the Fiery Cross EditIn 1946 the series delivered a powerful blow against the Ku Klux Klan s prospects in the northern US Stetson Kennedy a human rights activist infiltrated the KKK and other racist terrorist groups 5 Concerned that the organization had links to the government and police forces Kennedy decided to use its findings to strike at the Klan in a different way He contacted the Superman producers and proposed a story where the superhero battles the Klan Looking for new villains the producers eagerly agreed Kennedy provided information including details of Klan rituals and the like to the writers The result was a series of episodes Clan of the Fiery Cross in which Superman took on the Klan The trivialization of the Klan s rituals and natures had a negative impact on Klan recruiting and membership numbers 6 Reportedly Klan leaders denounced the show and called for a boycott of Kellogg s products However the story arc earned spectacular ratings making Superman the most highly rated kids radio program and the food company stood by its support of the show Superman historian Michael Hayde has cast doubt on whether actual KKK codewords and details were broadcast in the Clan of the Fiery Cross story arc He wrote O ne is hard pressed to uncover anything that might be construed as proprietary to the KKK with the exception of one and only one sequence heard in episode 2 7 The story arc was loosely adapted for a DC Comics limited series Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and was released in October 2019 8 Stories EditThe syndicated series titled simply Superman first aired via pre recorded transcription disks over 11 stations beginning on February 12 1940 with an origin story The Baby from Krypton The series aired in 15 minute episodes three times a week until May 9 1941 with the conclusion of the Nitrate Shipment storyline By that time it had expanded to 63 stations 9 Start of run February 1940 Edit The first 19 episodes had individual titles that told three overall stories No TitleOriginal air date1 The Baby from Krypton February 12 1940 1940 02 12 On the planet Krypton scientist Jor El warns that the planet is doomed but his plan to build spaceships and evacuate the planet meets with jeers Jor El only has time to build a model spacecraft He and his wife Lara send their infant son Kal El off in the spaceship just before the planet explodes The child is sent off on a one way trip to the planet Earth 2 Clark Kent Reporter February 14 1940 1940 02 14 Kal El has arrived in Metropolis all grown up He saves a young boy Jimmy and his father but asks them to keep it a secret The two offer him the alias Clark Kent as he gets accustomed to the planet Clark goes searching for a job at the Daily Planet where he meets Mr Perry White Mr White gets a mysterious call from a The Wolf and offers Clark a temporary offer to put together a story on this Mr Wolf and the Silver Clipper 3 Keno s Landslide February 16 1940 1940 02 16 Clark has received orders to head west and investigate his assignment Meanwhile Keno an assailant for The Wolf is discussing what their plans are which is to paralyze the railroads Keno is questioning whether he wants to be a part of these diabolical plans Clark is determined to foil The Wolf s plan and saves the train from being pummeled by a landslide but after saving the train he gets the attention of the The Wolf who is ready to meet this Clark Kent 4 Kent Captured by the Wolf February 19 1940 1940 02 19 5 Locomotive Crew Freed February 21 1940 1940 02 21 6 The Silver Clipper Yellow Mask Intro Train Switch Thrown February 23 1940 1940 02 23 7 The Atomic Beam Machine Dr Dalgrin s Atomic Beam February 26 1940 1940 02 26 8 Fuel Yellow Mask Steals Fuel For Atomic Beam February 28 1940 1940 02 28 9 Threat to the Planet Building Yellow Mask Throws Lois Out of Plane March 1 1940 1940 03 01 10 Fire in the Sterling Building March 4 1940 1940 03 04 11 The Stabbing of June Anderson Relative Stabs June Anderson in Hospital March 6 1940 1940 03 06 12 North Star Mining Company March 8 1940 1940 03 08 13 The Steamship Madison Bart amp Joe Set Fire on Steamer Madison March 11 1940 1940 03 11 14 Plane to Canyon City Kent Falls off Plane to Canyon City Idaho March 13 1940 1940 03 13 15 Left to be Killed Superman Saves June From Mine Explosion March 15 1940 1940 03 15 16 The Prison Riot Prison Riot With Keno amp Wolfe March 18 1940 1940 03 18 17 The Steam Plant Keno amp Wolfe Head for Steam Plant With Lois March 20 1940 1940 03 20 18 The Wolf vs the Yellow Mask March 22 1940 1940 03 22 19 The Yellow Mask Escapes Superman Saves Jefferson Bridge March 25 1940 1940 03 25 Multi part cliffhangers March 1940 May 1941 Edit The series then moved to multi part cliffhanger stories beginning with The Mystery of Dyerville Some stories spanned just a few episodes others like The Last of the Clipper Ships went on for up to 20 parts The Mystery of Dyerville March 1940 2 parts actually concludes the story begun on March 18 The Emerald of the Incas April 1940 6 parts Donelli s Protection Racket April 1940 6 parts Airplane Disasters at Bridger Field April May 1940 6 parts Buffalo Heights May 1940 6 parts Alonzo Craig Arctic Explorer May June 1940 6 parts Horace Morton s Weather Predictions June 1940 6 parts Hans Holbein s Doll Factory June July 1940 6 parts Happyland Amusement Park July 1940 6 parts Lighthouse Point Smugglers July August 1940 6 parts Pillar of Fire at Graves End August 1940 3 parts The Mayan Treasure August 1940 6 parts Professor Thorpe s Bathysphere August September 1940 12 parts The Curse of Dead Man s Island September October 1940 6 parts The Yellow Mask and the 5 Million Dollar Jewel Robbery October November 1940 15 parts The Invisible Man November 1940 6 parts The 5 Million Dollar Gold Heist November December 1940 8 parts The Howling Coyote December 1940 January 1941 14 parts The Black Pearl of Osiris January February 1941 11 parts The Dragon s Teeth February March 1941 10 parts Last of the Clipper Ships March April 1941 20 parts The Nitrate Shipment April May 1941 9 parts End of run August 1941 February 1942 Edit Beginning on August 25 1941 a second series of transcriptions designed to air five days per week although many stations continued the previous three per week schedule aired These concluded after 26 weeks with the final installment of A Mystery for Superman airing on February 20 1942 The Grayson Submarine August 1941 6 parts Dr Deutsch and the Radium Mine September 1941 12 parts The White Plague September 1941 8 parts Fur Smuggling September October 1941 6 parts Dr Roebling and the Voice Machine October 1941 16 parts Metropolis Football Team Poisoned October November 1941 15 parts Crooked Oil Association November December 1941 10 parts The Silver Arrow December 1941 7 parts The Pan Am Highway December 1941 January 1942 15 parts The Mechanical Man January 1942 10 parts Lita the Leopard Woman January February 1942 12 parts The Ghost Car February 1942 8 parts A Mystery for Superman February 1942 5 parts In February 1942 the syndicated series ceased production At that time it was airing in 85 North American markets First revival August 1942 June 1949 Edit In June the Mutual Network discovered it would be losing its 1 juvenile show Jack Armstrong the All American Boy to NBC s Blue Network at the end of August To counter MBS decided to revive the show now officially titled The Adventures of Superman on August 31 1942 10 The new series aired live five days a week The revival began with two individual episodes and then returned to the cliffhanger serial format The stories were of varying lengths some stories were only five parts while others could go into the dozens Some of the longer stories include Looking for Kryptonite 25 episodes The Hate Mongers Organization 25 episodes and Superman vs Kryptonite 33 episodes All stories broadcast from August 31 1942 to September 3 1945 are either wholly or partially missing For those stories where some episodes are available in circulation it will be noted which parts are available Superman Comes to Earth August 31 1942 Eben Kent Dies in Fire Clark Goes to Metropolis September 1 1942 The Wolfe September 1942 11 parts Parts 4 5 and 11 available The Tiny Men September 1942 9 parts Parts 1 2 4 6 and 8 available Mystery in Arabia September October 1942 10 parts Parts 1 3 9 available The Black Narcissus October 1942 9 parts Parts 1 7 available The Headless Indian October November 1942 18 parts Parts 1 16 and 18 available The Midnight Intruder November December 1942 14 parts Parts 2 5 10 and 14 available The Lost Continent of Atlantis December 1942 9 parts parts 1 5 7 8 available The Mystery Ship December 1942 7 parts Parts 1 2 4 7 available The Tin Men January 1943 15 parts parts 2 15 available Trouble in Athabascus January February 1943 9 parts The Island of Ghost Ships February 1943 11 parts The Model Plane Mystery February March 1943 17 parts Dr Cameron s Helicopter March 1943 4 parts The Vulture and the Thunderbolt Express March April 1943 16 parts Parts 3 4 9 available The Bainbridge Disaster April 1943 12 parts Master of the Dream World April May 1943 14 parts The Ghost Squadron May June 1943 10 parts The Meteor from Krypton June 1943 7 parts Parts 3 4 available Society of the Flamingo June July 1943 16 parts Mr Prim and the Dragonfly Adventure July 1943 12 parts Part 12 available The Genie in the Bottle July August 1943 8 parts The World of the Future August 1943 11 parts The Civil Air Patrol August September 1943 14 parts Penrose Salvage Company September 1943 8 parts The Mystery of the Death Plane September 1943 4 parts Adventures in the Capitol City September October 1943 7 parts German Submarine Menace October 1943 8 parts The New German Weapon October 1943 11 parts Parts 3 6 available The Mystery of Prince Philip October November 1943 14 parts Military Espionage November December 1943 16 parts Stolen War Information December 1943 January 1944 17 parts Lois and Jimmy Disappear January 1944 8 parts Part 7 available The Green Death January 1944 9 parts Part 4 available The Mystery of the 100 000 Stamp January February 1944 12 parts The Mystery of the Transport Plane Crashes February 1944 6 parts Lighthouse Point February March 1944 7 parts one episode is available but which part it is has not been determined The Rocket Plane March 1944 4 parts The Mystery of Clifftown March 1944 14 parts The Golden Homing Pigeon March April 1944 21 parts part 10 available The Mystery of Desert Springs and the Birdmen April May 1944 21 parts The Hurdy Gurdy Man May June 1944 12 parts The North Woods Story June 1944 15 parts The Seagull North Pacific Adventure July 1944 9 parts The Mystery of the Aviation Freight Lines July 1944 11 parts The Society of the Crimson Robe July August 1944 11 parts Ghosts of the Air August 1944 10 parts The Scorpion August September 1944 9 parts Der Teufel s Atomic Pistol September 1944 13 parts Part 4 available The Mystery of the Mummy Case September October 1944 21 parts Dr Roebling and the Voice Machine October November 1944 14 parts Planet Utopia November December 1944 13 parts Lois Uncle John and the Missing Plans December 1944 11 parts parts 1 4 11 available The Missing Santa Claus December 1944 6 parts part 2 available The Man in the Velvet Shoes December 1944 January 1945 12 parts parts 1 5 6 10 12 available The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty January February 1945 20 parts parts 11 13 14 16 20 available The Space Shell February 1945 12 parts parts 3 6 10 available The Mystery of the Waxmen March 1945 12 parts parts 2 3 available The Mystery of the Golden Nail March 1945 12 parts parts 3 4 8 available The Ghost Car April 1945 9 parts part 7 available The Boy King of Moravia April 1945 9 parts parts 3 7 available Lair of the Dragon May 1945 14 parts part 8 available The Mystery of the Counterfeit Money May 1945 10 parts Valley of the Giants May June 1945 10 parts The Desert Adventure June July 1945 19 parts The Underseas Kingdom July August 1945 19 parts parts 16 17 available The Flood August 1945 13 parts parts 4 6 available The Black Market August September 1945 7 parts From September 4 1945 part 1 of Dr Bly s Confidence Gang to September 2 1948 part 3 of The Mystery of the Silver Buffalo all stories are fully available in circulation except for The Hate Mongers Organization Pennies for Plunder and Hunger Inc which are all missing a handful of episodes For these three serials it will be specified which parts are missing Dr Bly s Confidence Gang September 1945 14 parts The Meteor of Kryptonite September 1945 2 parts The Scarlet Widow September October 1945 11 parts The Atom Man October November 1945 19 parts Atom Man in Metropolis November December 1945 19 parts Looking for Kryptonite December 1945 January 1946 26 parts The Talking Cat January 1946 14 parts Is There Another Superman January February 1946 13 parts The Radar Rocket February March 1946 20 parts The Mystery of the Dragon s Teeth March 1946 10 parts The Story of the Century April 1946 12 parts The Hate Mongers Organization April May 1946 25 parts Part 6 missing Al Vincent s Corrupt Political Machine May June 1946 14 parts Clan of the Fiery Cross June July 1946 16 parts Horatio F Horn Detective July 1946 22 parts The Secret Menace Strikes August 1946 15 parts Candy Meyer s Big Story August September 1946 8 parts George Latimer Crooked Political Boss September 1946 17 parts The Dead Voice September October 1946 15 parts Counterfeit Money October November 1946 14 parts The Disappearance of Clark Kent November 1946 13 parts The Secret Letter November December 1946 7 parts The Phony Song Publishing Company December 1946 8 parts The Phony Housing Racket December 1946 9 parts The Phony Restaurant Racket December 1946 January 1947 8 parts The Phony Inheritance Racket January 1947 8 parts Drought in Freeville January February 1947 16 parts The Monkey Burglar February 1947 10 parts Knights of the White Carnation February March 1947 14 parts The Man Without a Face March April 1947 16 parts Mystery of the Lost Planet April 1947 13 parts The Phantom of the Sea April May 1947 12 parts Superman vs Kryptonite May June 1947 33 parts The Secret Rocket September October 1947 19 parts The Ruler of Darkness October November 1947 24 parts Pennies for Plunder November December 1947 21 parts Parts 19 21 missing Hunger Inc December 1947 January 1948 12 parts Parts 1 3 missing Dead Man s Secret January February 1948 14 parts Batman s Great Mystery February 1948 11 parts The Kingdom Under the Sea February March 1948 15 parts The Mystery of the Stolen Costume March April 1948 17 parts The Skin Game April 1948 9 parts The Crossword Puzzle Mystery April May 1948 13 parts The Ghost Brigade May 1948 11 parts The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty May June 1948 18 parts The Secret of Meteor Island June July 1948 17 parts The Voice of Doom July 1948 18 parts The Secret of the Genie August 1948 10 parts The Mystery of the Letter August 1948 11 parts The remaining serialized stories are all either wholly or partially missing For those stories where some episodes are available in circulation it will be noted which parts are available The Mystery of the Silver Buffalo August September 1948 11 parts Parts 1 3 8 9 available The Secret of Stone Ridge September October 1948 17 parts The Mystery of the Unknown October November 1948 17 parts Murder Scores a Touchdown November 1948 10 parts The Riddle of the Mystery Message November December 1948 13 parts The Vanishing Killers December 1948 11 parts Superman s Secret December 1948 8 parts Part 5 available The Return of the Octopus December 1948 January 1949 16 parts The Mystery of the Spellbound Ships January February 1949 11 parts Beginning on February 7 1949 The Adventures of Superman episodes expanded to 30 minutes each All were transcribed Each episode was self contained and had an individual story title Only The Mystery of the 10 000 Ghost The Mystery of the Flying Monster and The Case of the Double Trouble are available in circulation The Frozen Death February 7 1949 The Mystery of the Golden Eagle February 9 1949 The Riddle of the Chinese Jade February 11 1949 The Curse of the Devil s Creek February 14 1949 The Lost Civilization February 16 1949 The Mystery of the Voice Machine February 18 1949 The Mystery if the Little Men February 21 1949 The Story of Marina Baum February 23 1949 Death Rides the Roller Coaster February 25 1949 The Mystery of the Singing Wheels February 28 1949 The Case of the Poisoned Town March 2 1949 Mystery of the 10 000 Ghost March 4 1949 Mystery of the Flying Monster March 7 1949 Case of Double Trouble March 9 1949 Superman s Mortal Enemy March 11 1949 The Mystery of the Disappearing Diamonds March 14 1949 The Cat as Big as an Elephant March 16 1949 The Mystery of the Walking Doll March 18 1949 The Return of Terror March 21 1949 How Time Stood Still March 23 1949 The World s Greatest Secret March 25 1949 Crime by the Carload March 28 1949 Fangs of Fury March 30 1949 The Mystery of the Citadel of Doom April 1 1949 The Mystery of the Death Train April 4 1949 Terror Under the Big Top April 6 1949 The Man of a Thousand Faces April 8 1949 The Lost King April 11 1949 The Mystery of Skull Cave April 13 1949 Untitled story April 15 1949 The Secret of the Sahara April 18 1949 A Voice from the Grave April 20 1949 The Deadly Double April 22 1949 The Adventure of the Impractical Joker April 25 1949 An Experiment in Danger April 27 1949 The Mystery of the Phantom Fleet April 29 1949 The Triangle of Crime May 2 1949 The Mystery of the Vibrating Death May 4 1949 The Mystery of Butte Valley May 6 1949 The Eye of Balapur May 9 1949 The Horseman of Doom May 11 1949 The Mystery of the New Face May 13 1949 The Vengeful Ghost May 16 1949 The Mystery of the Flaming Forest May 18 1949 The Winged Horse May 20 1949 Death on the Diamond May 23 1949 The Riddle of the Tapestry May 25 1949 The Mystery of the Singing Wheels May 27 1949 The Speedway of Terror May 30 1949 Crime at a Bargain June 1 1949 The Vanishing Ships June 3 1949 The Case of the Double Double Cross June 6 1949 The Portrait of Satan June 8 1949 The Ghost of Shipwreck Island June 10 1949 Eleven for Death June 13 1949 Forecast for Crime June 15 1949 Murder on the Midway June 17 1949 The Borrowed Corpse June 20 1949 Killer at Large June 22 1949 The Mystery of the Frozen Monster June 24 1949 The series left MBS with the 60th half hour show The Mystery of the Frozen Monster on June 24 1949 Adult themed revival October 1949 January 1950 Edit It returned as a mystery program targeted toward adults 11 on Saturday October 29 1949 at 8 30pm over the ABC network ABC aired this adult themed version for 13 weeks concluding with Dead Men Tell No Tales on January 21 1950 This broadcast marked the final radio appearance of Bud Collyer as Clark Kent Superman Mystery of the Walking Dead October 29 1949 One Minute to Death November 19 1949 Puzzle of the Poison Pomegranate November 26 1949 Death Rides the Roller Coaster December 3 1949 Diamond of Death December 17 1949 Re used scripts revival June 1950 March 1951 Edit On June 5 1950 ABC revived The Adventures of Superman as a twice weekly afternoon half hour series This version reused the scripts for the 60 MBS half hour episodes and the 13 adult ABC episodes but with new cast members Michael Fitzmaurice replaced Collyer as Kent Superman Jack Grimes replaced Jackie Kelk as Jimmy Olsen and Ross Martin replaced Jackson Beck as narrator A total of 78 episodes were produced with the final broadcast The Mystery of the Prehistoric Monster on March 1 1951 By then producer Robert Maxwell was actively preparing Adventures of Superman for television Cast EditSuperman Kal El Clark Kent Bud Collyer 1940 1950 Michael Fitzmaurice 1950 1951 Lois Lane Rolly Bester Helen Choate Joan Alexander Perry White Julian Noa Jimmy Olsen Jackie Kelk Jack Grimes Batman Matt Crowley Stacy Harris Gary Merrill Robin Ronald Liss Inspector Henderson Matt Crowley Earl George Jor El Ned Wever Lara Agnes Moorehead Ro Zan Jay Jostyn Professor Jay Jostyn Jimmy Professor s son Junior O Day The Wolfe Ned Wever Keno Arthur Vinton Railroad Conductor Julian Noa The Yellow Mask Julian Noa Dr Dahlgren Ned Wever June Anderson Marian Shockley Bartley Pemberton Ned Wever Captain Anderson Frank Lovejoy Beany Martin Daily Planet copyboy Jackson Beck Alfred Pennyworth Jackson Beck Narrator George Lowther 1940 1942 Jackson Beck 1943 1951 Ross Martin 1951 From 1949 to 1954 there was also an Australian version of the series This series included 1040 15 minute episodes It was cast with Australia actors such as Leonard Teale as Superman and Margaret Christensen as Lois Lane 12 13 References Edit Harmon Jim 2011 Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film Television and Other Media McFarland amp Co pp 197 218 ISBN 9780786485086 Retrieved 8 April 2020 Harrison B Summers 1958 A Thirty Year History of Programs Carried on National Radio Networks in the United States Mclellan Dennis July 31 2004 Jackson Beck 92 Radio TV Voice Performer for 70 Years The Los Angeles Times DeForest Tim 2004 Superman Storytelling in the Pulps Comics and Radio How Technology Changed Popular Fiction in America McFarland p 169 ISBN 0 7864 1902 4 Pilgrim David July 2009 Question of the Month Superman Busts the KKK Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia Ferris State University Archived from the original on May 16 2011 Whiteside Thomas March 3 1947b Up Up and Awa a y New Republic pp 15 17 Hayde Michael J 2009 Flights of Fantasy BearManor Media p 77 Pinion Kyle 10 July 2019 The long awaited Superman Smashes The Klan debuts this October The Beat Retrieved 11 July 2019 Up Up and Awa a y The Rise of Superman Inc by John Kobler The Saturday Evening Post June 21 1941 Hi Yo Silver Plated Time June 8 1942 Superman Program For Adult Audience Winona Republican Herald Winona Minnesota October 28 1949 THE TRUE BLUE AUSSIE FIGHTING THE FORCES OF EVIL ON RADIO Superman the Australian radio serialExternal links Edit Superman in the Media Radio Recall February 2005 Superman Radio Episode List Episodes of The Adventures of Superman from Dumb com Episodes of The Adventures of Superman from Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library Archived 2021 02 08 at the Wayback Machine Botar s Old Time Radio free mp3 downloads at the Wayback Machine archived 2012 02 06 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Adventures of Superman radio series amp oldid 1173074959, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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