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Adventures of Superman!
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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IMDB has several interesting trivia items for this production. Very Happy
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~ When the series was picked up by Kellogg's, the breakfast cereal manufacturer, some of the cast members were able to make extra money by appearing in Kellogg's commercials. This did not include Phyllis Coates or Noel Neill. It was felt that Lois Lane having breakfast with Clark Kent was too suggestive.

Note from me: "Mommy, if Clark and Lois have breakfast together, does that mean they live together and sleep together like you and daddy?" Confused

"Ummm . . . Honey, why don't you ask Daddy about that when he gets home." Embarassed

~ George Reeves was a real hero off-camera. He came to Noel Neill's (Lois Lane) rescue when he felt that she was being treated too gruffly by a director. He also came to the rescue of Robert Shayne (Inspector Bill Henderson) when he was about to be dropped from the series due to the witch hunts of the early 1950s.

Note from me: It's nice to know the George was an generous man.
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Trivia challenge: Does anybody remember which episode featured a shocking scene in which Clark is forced to change into Superman right in front of Lois and Jimmy . . . shocking them when they see that their friend and colleague really is the Man of Steel! Shocked

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Pow
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

An interesting trend that I see nowadays, which is also terrific, is that an actor's career doesn't automatically die after they portray a superhero.

George Reeves was a fine, theater trained actor with charisma. But once he donned the super-suit and appeared on the Adventures of Superman television series, his performing career was all but history. The Hollywood studios and networks could not see beyond the heroic character he played so well. They would refuse to take him seriously for future roles.

And to a degree, the public at that time had the same mindset about such actors.

Speculation for decades after Reeves's suicide was that it involved the fact that his career had all but dried up on him.

Adam West said that his mega-hit camp Batman TV show hurt his career, although he did press on and manage to somewhat salvage it. However, he would never really obtain anymore fine acting roles.

Van Williams felt the same for his turn as Britt Reid on his Green Hornet series. Williams wasn't as concerned about it as other actors would have been. He was a successful businessman outside of his acting career at that time. He was also tired of showbiz and was ready to mostly leave it behind him. He did pop up now and then after the Hornet in such TV shows as Mission: Impossible, How the West was Won, and the superb epic western TV miniseries Centennial.

However, Williams was no longer scrambling for acting roles and waiting by the phone to hear about an offer. He was pleased that he could move on, but he also was wise enough to realize that his having played the Green Hornet part was never going to help him secure really splendid acting jobs in the future.

That has fortunately changed in the 21st century.

The actors in the expensive huge hit superhero films based upon DC & Marvel characters move right along into new and different parts. They aren't held back or cursed by their having played a spandex wearing superhero. This is even after some of these performers have appeared in multiple movies as a superhero, not just one movie.

I don't know if this is because movie studios, TV networks, and audiences have evolved along the way. Maybe we're more sophisticated about this kind of thing where neither the studios, or networks, or audiences typecast these actors? We understand that they are merely an actor performing a role, no matter how colorful and larger than life it may be. It could also be that there are now so many popular superhero films and television shows with a plethora of good actors that we just cannot reduce them all into pigeonholes anymore. We want to see actors we like do other roles for a change of pace, as much as we love their superhero personas.

In any case, it's a situation that is much, much better for these actors and fans. The tragedy is that this more enlightened attitude did not exist for George Reeves and the other performers from the past.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

__________________________________________________

A fine essay on this interesting subject, Mike.

It occurred to me that perhaps the main reason actors like Adam West and George Reeves were not given the respect they deserved was because pf the series (and their roles in them) were not taken seriously.

Batman, of course, was outrageously silly on purpose, but The Adventures of Superman was be no means a dramatic show intended for adults.

For that reason, George Reeves was not allowed to show his real talent as an actor. Naturally we all admire the intelligence and dignity he brought to the role — but the role itself was so limited that George had no chance to portray a real human being in dramatic scenes which would impress adult viewers.

Conversely, the superhero movies and series made today do a much better job of presenting believable adult characters (even the ones with super powers. And the stories themselves — no matter how fantastic — are adorned with special effects which make the events seem realistic!

Even the costumes used in today's movies and series are greatly improved, as shown in the comparison below. We've come a long way from the days of George's version of Superman and the one now portrayed in Superman & Lois.




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Pow
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Adventures of Superman's first season which ran from 1952 to 1953 was done as a serious and mature drama. From the second season on the direction of the series changed to a more tepid show with comedic tones aimed at a young audience.

I believe that the producers were responding to parents, and the PTA, over their being alarmed at the violence on the show and not wishing their children to be exposed to it. Comic books themselves were also under attack in the 1950s for their violent content. So the pressure was on.

Once the Superman show became a more lighthearted series for the kids, it remained that way. This contributed to its not being taken seriously by teenagers or adults.

Even if it had continued to be a sober and dramatic show throughout its entire run, it may not have made any difference in Reeve's career later on and still have hurt him.

Batman, of course, was entirely a different case. It was essentially a sitcom along the lines of My Favorite Martian or The Munsters. Those kinds of shows were outrageous and comedic with science fiction elements.

Still, it hurt Adam West's career even with the audience realization that they were watching a superhero series intended to go for lots of laughs and not be taken seriously.

The Green Hornet was produced by William Dozier who also produced Batman.

To his great credit, Dozier did not make the Hornet another camp comedy superhero show like his wildly successful Batman. The Hornet series was performed in an earnest and straight forward manner. Van Williams did not have to wear a tight fitting spandex costume. Other than his mask, he wore conventional looking business suit, hat, and evening coat.

Yet even with all that going for him, Van just knew that he would not be taken seriously after the cancellation of his series.

Stephen J. Cannell was smart enough to comprehend that in creating his enjoyable The Greatest American Hero TV show (1981~1983), that you could dance around a fine line. Hero was both serious and amusing. The audience was supportive of high school teacher Ralph Hinkley/Hanley and even kind of felt sorry for him.

Ralph was no fan of wearing the costume that the mysterious aliens gifted to him in the pilot episode. It looked silly, Ralph was embarrassed to put it on. However, he knew it was the only way he could perform his super heroic acts that would help innocent people and save lives.

Still, using the colorful costume constantly disrupted Ralph's life in numerous ways. It affected his teaching career, his romance with Pam Davidson, as he was out saving the world and not revealing his identity in the process.

In addition, working closely with F.B.I. agent Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp) was always tense because both men had very different ideas regarding the use of the super suit, as well as their respective outlook about life.

Cannell was able to put this all together and make it work for an audience. It did not appear to end William Katt's acting career. The times they were a changing.

As you write, Bud, the superhero films of today are very dramatic and not produced to be a joke or satire. They employ first rate writers, directors, and actors.They are supported by superb visual effects.

The costume designers of today are able to make wardrobes that are stunning to behold with their fine details. These superheroes aren't wearing long-johns anymore.

These actors can be confident that if they accept a superhero role in a feature film or television series, their careers will not end.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow, I think your take on the genre is right on.

It was not until Burtons' BATMAN, (Although the Donner SUPERMAN had influence as well.) that the superhero genre got some serious story telling. Both contained some elements of comedic self parody but were able to be taken seriously.

It was really not until Marvel took control (not to include a bunch of semi-Marvel films like THE PUNISHER, GHOST RIDER , the unreleased FANTASTIC FOUR and CAPTAIN AMERICA) with THE HULK and Sony's X-MEN and SPIDERMAN FILMS, that the superhero films got some gravitas and reached a broader appeal.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

__________________________________________________

Well done, gentlemen. Those are fine analyses of a subject near and dear to the hearts of all if us armchair superheroes.

But it will come as no surprise that MY favorite superheroes continue to be those four crazy boys who spent their super vacation prior to their senior year in high school, dressed in blue jeans, blue T-shirts, and blue masks — the latter of which were custom made by the kindly little tailor in their home town.

Add archery equipment with rubber balls and fire crackers on the arrows, and home-made billy clubs made from broom handles covered by hard rubber automotive hoses — and you've got a Crime Fighting Quartet who spent the summer living the superhero dream we all share!






Their snazzy mode of transportation was the family Jeep Wagoneer — which was also dark blue.





Put all this together and you've got the world's first "real" superheros, driving around in the one-and-only Bow Mobile! Cool

During the many hours I spent making the elaborate images for All Sci-Fi's illustrated version of The Hero Experience the one thing I couldn't figure out how to do was make pictures of the actual boys in their Bowmen outfits.

The closet picture I found which I could perhaps alter to show one of the Bowmen was this photo.



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But he needed to be wearing a dark blue shirt and the custom mask. And his arrow needed to be one of the "sluggers" the boys invented by epoxy gluing "super balls" to the ends.

However, since making all those illustrations several years ago I've learned a great deal more about how to use Paint.net. And so today I spent a few hours modifying the image above to make the version below.

This is the very first illustration of Brad Jones, the captain of the Bowmen! Cool

~ Click on the image to see a 2500 pixel version that really shows how hard I worked to get it right. You can zoom in close enough to see the pimples on his face that he covered up with Clearasil™. Wink



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From the site 13th Dimension: 13 Best episodes of the Adventures of Superman.

(1.) "Panic in the Sky."

(2.) "The Face and the Voice."

(3.) "The Stolen Costume."

(4.) "The Defeat of Superman."

(5.) "Five Minutes to Doom."

(6.) "Around the World with Superman."

(7.) "The Human Bomb."

(8.) "No Holds Barred."

(9.) "The Mind Machine."

(10.) "The Mystery of the Broken Statues."

(11.) "The Perils of Superman."

(12.) "The Wedding of Superman."

(13.) "The Deadly Rock."
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

R.I.P. Phyllis Coates (Gypsie Ann Evarts Stell), January 15, 1927 ~ October 11, 2023.

You were one heck of a Lois.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 01, 2024 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

I must agree, Pow. Miss Noel Neil is a sweet lady . . . but In my opinion, her acting skills were not equal to those of Phyllis Coates'. The role of Lois Lane, as portrayed by Phyllis Coates, is very different from the way Noel Neil played the part.

This was NOT Miss Neil's fault. The producers of the series changed the nature of Adventures of Superman dramatically, turning it into a lighthearted version that differed greatly from the first season.

We can only imagine what this beloved series would have been like if it remained a more serious and intelligent presentation of the Superman concept.

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Jan 25, 2024 4:17 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 01, 2024 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So very true, Bud. The series started out on a very exciting note, with the episodes done in a serious and straight manner. Then it became simple and childlike which was a sad route for the show to take.
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tmlindsey
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I imagine the shrinking budgets and complaints about violence were mostly to blame.

I loved the show as a kid but was always frustrated that Supes never fought any super villains. Even a mad scientist with a death ray and stock footage urban destruction would have been great to me as a kid. When they did try something, like a robot, it was usually with lackluster results.

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with you, tmlindsey, regarding the routine looking villains that Superman went up against on the series. Guys in business suits and fedoras and nothing really intriguing or colorful about any 'em.

As you write, at least throw in some mad scientists now and then if they were unable to introduce elaborate Superman enemies from the DC comic books due to tight budgets and shooting schedules.

As a fan of the Green Hornet television show, I read one critic complaining that all the foes for Britt Reid & Kato on the series were ordinary crime mobsters. However, that is exactly who the GH&K were created to engage. They were never given these larger-than-life comic book bad guys; crime lords right out of the newspaper headlines were their meat & potatos. Plus, Producer William Dozier wanted the show to be played seriously with a film noir look and atmosphere. Having wild, colorful adversaries would have worked against that kind of approach.
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tmlindsey
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
As a fan of the Green Hornet television show, I read one critic complaining that all the foes for Britt Reid & Kato on the series were ordinary crime mobsters. However, that is exactly who the GH&K were created to engage.

Typical reviewer; criticize without knowing anything about what you're critiquing Rolling Eyes

Having just recently watched the GH serials for the first time, yeah, mobsters were, as you said, exactly who he was supposed to fight!

I never got into the GH TV series, but I think that was mostly because I never saw it listed as a kid. I only knew of him from the guest stop on Batman and, at that age, had no interest in a non-flashy hero.

Superman could have done so much more even with so little money.

I recall one episode where there's a lookalike pretending to be Superman and commits crimes. They could have had a scientist duped into creating a robot Superman double to, he thinks, aide Superman, but his patrons actually use it to commit crimes. Same basic plot but made a little more fantastical and it could have opened the door to the same scientist being forced to create an evil robot later. Or many robot duplicates; Perry White, Lois Lane, etc.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

______________________________________________

God a'mighty, Tim — more spectacular ideas that I wish I'd thought of myself! Very Happy

The idea that George Reeves could have portrayed a "robot Superman" is damn good. It's MUCH better than the lame story about a dimwit who endlessly practices talking like Superman . . . and then blunders around imitating him badly in front of morons who are fooled by the performance! Rolling Eyes

The reason I finally gave away my box set of the series is because I knew I'd outgrown it so completely that I simply couldn't enjoy it anymore. Sad

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tmlindsey
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 10:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
God a'mighty, Tim — more spectacular ideas that I wish I'd thought of myself! Very Happy

Thanks! That's the problem with imagination, mine races sometimes Laughing

I don't understand how no one on the show thought "Gee, if we rent or throw together a giant death ray prop and have a bunch of stock footage of it being used to destroy things, that would be an exciting and cheap episode!"

They could have had a recurring mad scientist villain creating a number of these things once or twice a season.

I never understood why they didn't do any recurring villains on the show, especially one of such limited budget.

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