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Superman on Radio

The Superman radio series consisted of five distinct eras:

February 1940 to February 1942: A syndicated transcribed (recorded in advance), 15-minute children's serial. Initially broadcast iii times a week (upward until May 1941), then five times a week (from August 1941).

August 1942 to February 1949: A alive, fifteen-infinitesimal children's series that aired Monday through Fri over the Common Broadcasting System (MBS).

February 1949 to June 1949: A transcribed, thirty-minute children'south series that aired over the MBS three times a week.

October 1949 to Jan 1950: A transcribed, 30-infinitesimal series, targeted to adults, which aired on Saturday evenings on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

June 1950 to March 1951: A transcribed, 30-infinitesimal children'south serial that aired twice a calendar week over the ABC.

The Adventures of Superman

"Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single spring!"

"Wait! Up in the sky!"
"Information technology'southward a bird!"
"Information technology's a plane!"
"It'due south Superman!"

"Yes, it'southward Superman - strange visitor from another planet who came to Globe with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman - defender of constabulary and order. champion of equal rights, valiant, courageous fighter against the forces of hate and prejudice, who disguised as Clark Kent, balmy-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way."

The to a higher place signature was heard in many variations over the airwaves, and has get as much a part of the public'south perception of Superman as his blue, carmine and yellow costume. What well-nigh people don't know, is that this widely recognised opening did not originate from the 4-color pages of Superman comics, but rather on the long-running adventures serial that was one of the hallmarks of the Golden Age of Radio.

We all know that Superman outset appeared in 1938 within the pages of Action Comics #ane, but much of the mythology associated with Superman and many of the supporting cast of characters originated in his radio adventures. Daily Planet characters such as Perry White and Jimmy Olsen, along with Inspector Neb Henderson, were originally created for the radio series. Superman first discovered his greatest weakness, Kryptonite, in his radio adventures long before it appeared within the pages of the Superman comics. He also regularly teamed up with Batman and Robin on radio before the trio joined forces in the comic books. The radio series' influence likewise extended to the big screen. The Fleischer Superman moving-picture show-cartoons were nominated for Academy Awards, and featured voices from the bandage of the radio serial, while the screenplays of Columbia'south 1948 and 1950 Superman movie serials were adapted from the radio program rather than from the stories within the comic books.

Upwards, Up and Abroad!

Superman first flew onto the radio airwaves on Monday, 12 February, 1940 as a transcribed series for Hecker's H-O Oats. DC's press agent Allen Ducovny and former pulp fiction writer Robert Joffe Maxwell developed the new series. The ii were quick to realise that Superman'south popularity could be boosted past the vast radio audiences.

In 1939, Maxwell and Ducovny prepared several sample audition disks to sell the idea to prospective sponsors, co-writing the first version of Superman's famous opening signature: "Faster than an airplane, more powerful than a locomotive, impervious to bullets. 'Up in the heaven - look!' 'It's a giant bird.' 'Information technology'south a airplane.' 'It's SUPERMAN!' And at present, Superman - A being no larger than an ordinary man but possessed of powers and abilities never earlier realised on Globe: able to leap into the air an eigth of a mile at a single jump, hurtle a 20-story building with ease, race a high-powered bullet to its target, elevator tremendous weights and rend solid steel in his blank hands equally though it were paper. Superman - a strange visitor from a distant planet: champion of the oppressed, physical marvel extraordinary who has sworn to devote his existence on Earth to helping those in need." "Nosotros had a lot of fun writing that opening," Ducovny once said. "It was a typical radio action slice that fully utilized sound effects."

The new show was purchased by Hecker's H-O Oats, who tried to buy time on the networks simply were turned down. Withal, Hecker's bought airtime on ten stations and distributed the prerecorded series on xvi-inch "electrical transcription" disks. Superman achieved a Crossley rating of 5.6 10 weeks after its debut, the highest rating of any thrice-weekly juvenile plan on the air. Frank Chase produced the early episodes of Superman, George Ludlam scripted, and a repertory of the finest actors in New York radio was assembled. Ned Wever (CBS'southward Bulldog Drummond) and Agnes Moorehead (The Shadow's "lovely Margot Lane") portrayed Jor-50 and Lara, Superman'due south Kryptonian parents in the premier broadcast, with Jay Josten (Mr. District Attorney) every bit Rozan. Other early episodes featured the versatile Santos Ortega (Nero Wolfe) and future film star Frank Lovejoy (radio's Bluish Beetle). The success or failure of the serial would largely residual upon the actor chosen to portray the dual leads. Bob Maxwell was agape he might have to rent an player to play both of Superman's personalities, unless he could obtain the services of a particular who initially wanted nothing to do with Superman.

A Job for Superman

To pull of the dual roles of the Homo of Steel and the balmy-mannered Clark Kent, a special actor was needed. Producers Bob Maxwell and Frank Chase found such a performer in Clayton "Bud" Collyer. Ironically, the human who would eventually portray the Man of Tomorrow during three decades first refused to office when it was showtime offered to him. "I really fought to unload it!" recalled Collyer later. "It was a funny affair; I fought with Bob Maxwell, who endemic the rights to the affair... The whole idea embarrased me, so I said no!" Maxwell tricked Collyer into returning to the studio to tape the second show, which featured the first on-air appearance of Superman.

Bud Collyer hadn't even wanted to audition for the role, but Bob Maxwell reassured the young radio star. "He said, 'Just audition and we'll employ you all in some parts if it does go on the air.'" Collyer recalled in 1966. "Well, it did get on the air, and when I came in, he said, 'You're Superman!' I once again picked up the scripts, handed them to him and tried to walk out of the studio and get out of the bear witness."

Maybe Bud Collyer was afraid of becoming typecast in the comic stip roles. The veteran radio actor had already starred as Milton Caniff's heroic globe-trotting charlatan Pat Ryan on NBC's Terry and the Pirates radio series, and too portrayed the championship office on Renfrew of the Mounted. Collyer was i of radio's most versatile actors, playing the part of Abie on Abie's Irish Rose, impersonating world leaders on The March of Time and announcing the prestigious Column of America. Among his other achievements were performances on a variety of soap operas including Young Widder Chocolate-brown and Only Plain Bill, and also announcing Ripley'due south Believe It or Not.

And Who Disguised every bit Clark Kent

"When we came to audition for this new idea, this Superman affair, nosotros knew virtually the comic strip merely they didn't know whether they wanted one human for both of the parts, Clark Kent and Superman, or if they wanted two," Collyer explained to Richard Lamparski in 1966 on WBAI'due south Any Become Of. "They didn't know how he should exist played or annihilation." Bud Collyer, being a master of radio acting, easily won the office of both characters with his ability to differentiate the two roles vocally, using his grooming as a vocaliser to create distinct song registers for the "balmy-mannered reporter" and the powerful "Man of Steel." "The difference between Kent and the Homo of Steel was unmistakable, yet there was no doubt both voices came from i human being," wrote radio historian Jim Harmon. "None of the many other people who take portrayed Superman in various media could indistinguishable this vocal duality."

Bud Collyer was the first actor to portray Superman in whatsoever medium, therefore it was up to him to create the audio autograph that would define the grapheme to the listening audition. Collyer explained, "I played Clark Kent just a petty bit college to requite myself somewhere to go with the 'UP, UP AND AWAY!'" Collyer portrayed Clark Kent as a tenor, dropping an octave in mid-judgement into Superman'south deep baritone as he proclaimed: "This looks like a job - FOR SUPERMAN." Bud Collyer's portrayal of the Homo of Steel would remain the definitive estimation throughout the 1940s.

Collyer would besides provide the voice of Superman beginning in 1941 for the popular theatrical cartoon series produced and directed by Max and Dave Fleischer and released by Paramount Pictures. Collyer's masterful portrayal would afterward be echoed by Kirk Alyn in the 1948 and 1950 Columbia movie serials. Collyer received no billing in the function and kept his superheroic alter ego a hole-and-corner from the listening public, much as the fictional Superman concealed his dual identity as Clark Kent. Superman Inc., the licensing arm of DC Comics, wanted the true identity of radio's Man of Steel kept a secret, to maintain the illusion that the "real" Superman was starring in the broadcasts, and Bud Collyer was only too happy to comply, afraid that publicity would injure his career as a serious actor. Although he played Superman for three decades, in radio and animation features, Bud successfully escaped the typecasting that would afterwards plague Kirk Alyn, George Reeves and Christopher Reeve.

During the 1960s, Bud Collyer would as well provide the voice for Superman on record albums, TV's blithe The New Adventures of Superman (1966-67), Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967-68) and Batman-Superman Hour of Adventure (1968-69).

Eventually, Bud came to capeesh the role he had nearly turned downwardly. "I loved Superman, the guy who could wing through the air. It was the ultimate in unabashed corn." Collyer explained. "So many people go the least bit embarrassed by fantasy when they're directing it or performing it and it loses all the great charm it could have, only if played honestly and whole-hog all the manner, it'south great."

Mild Mannered Reporter for a Great Metropolitan Newspaper

Although absent from the premiere episode as Superman, Bud Collyer was heard in a background role in the classic story of the doomed planet Krypton'south destruction. In the radio version of Superman's origin, Krypton was a big planet orbiting on the opposite side of earth'southward sun. The baby Kal-50 would grow to manhood during his journey through space in the rocket ship Jor-L created, emerging as a total grown man when arriving on World in the second episode. The first earthlings he see give him the advice to assume the guise of Clark Kent, and utilise for a chore at "a peachy metropolitan newspaper" to better study the ways of men.

Earlier the second episode came to an end, Clark Kent was hired every bit a cub reporter by editor Perry White (introduced as "Paris White" on the earliest prototype adition shows). Beingness a totally new graphic symbol, created for the radio program by Bob Maxwell and Allen Ducovny, actor Julian Noa was allowed to develop his portrayal of the Daily Planet editor contained of the comic book and paper features. Julian Noa'south blustery style prepare the standard for the grapheme's later appearances in comic strips, and would eventually exist echoed by actors Pierre Watkin and Jackie Cooper in film and John Hamilton, Jackson Beck and Lane Smith on television.

Superman investigated the theft of an diminutive ray gun in the seventh episode of the radio series, and met Daily Planet's veteran reporter, the eternally inquisitive Lois Lane ("the simply young, developed woman regularly to co-star in this type of afternoon thriller," noted radio historian Jim Harmon). Lois Lane was initially portrayed by Rollie Bester, a respected radio grapheme extra and the wife of science fiction, radio and Green Lantern comic book author Alfred Bester.

In the earliest days of the radio serial, Lois Lane was portrayed past Rollie Bester and Helen Choate, earlier Joan Alexander made the office her own for the residual of the run. Although she would portray Lois Lane in more than a thousand broadcasts, Alexander came close to losing the role during her first year as Lois. "I was fired from the office of Lois Lane about three months after I got it, and Bud said: 'If yous're going to audience other girls, let Joan audience back for her role.' I auditioned blind dorsum for the function and won information technology once again."

In the 28th program, Kent was recruited by the Daily Planet's copyboy to investigate the protection noise that was victimizing his mother's candy store. The program aired on 15th April, 1940 was the kickoff appearance in any medium of copyboy (eventually cub reporter) Jimmy Olsen, somewhen portrayed by Jackie Kelk (for vii years) and Jack Grimes. The character of "Superman'due south Pal" Jimmy Olsen sooned moved onto the comic book pages (in 1942) and later starred in 163 issues of his own DC comic book (beginning in 1954).

Faster than a Speeding Bullet

The Man of Tomorrow was honored at "The World of Tomorrow" when DC Comics hosted "Superman 24-hour interval" at the New York Earth's Off-white, featuring the first public appearance of Superman in full costume and a live radio circulate from the fairgrounds. The brainchild of publicist Allen 'Duke' Ducovny, "Superman Twenty-four hours" was held to promote the sales of DC's New York World's Fair Comics, a 100-page special edition oroginally sold exclusively at the World's Fair.

Radio veteran Jack Johnstone was hired to direct Superman early in its first season and wrote some of its finest scripts. No stranger to radio science fiction, Johnstone had spent years as the director and master scriptwriter of CBS's start science fiction series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Although the programs were directed at children from 10 to sixteen years of age, a phone survey showed amazingly plenty, that 35% of the listeners were adults.

Johnstone worked closely with the sounds artists to create the audio effects that would make radio listeners believe a homo could fly. The series' well-nigh famous sound upshot was reportedly created by combining a recording of an artillery beat out streaking through the air with a divide recording of a wind tunnel played backward. The sound furnishings team slowed down the recording by hand to create the result of Superman swooping down, and stopped the turntable completely to create the outcome of the Human of Steel dropping to the ground.

George Lowther joined the production team as the serial' narrator and primary scriptwriter during Jack Johnstone's fourth dimension as director on the Superman radio series. in 1927, the xiv-year-onetime Lowther dropped out of school when he was hired equally NBC's outset page. Working his manner up in the then young company, Lowther went on to create many of Superman'southward finest scripts, and succeeded Jack Johnstone every bit the director of the serial in 1942 when the series returned over the entire Mutual Network. Beginning 4 January 1943, The Adventures of Superman was sponsored past Kellogg'due south Pep and began its nearly memorable era of audio hazard.

A Never-Ending Boxing

The radio Superman, like his comic book predecessor, traveled effectually the world and even into outer space in a 'never-ending battle' against evil and injustice. During the early seasons, Clark Kent and his friends and colleagues travelled to the Chill, the American frontier, the high seas, and even battled Nazi agents earlier the U.S. entered the second World War.

In 1943 when writer/narrator George Lowther succeeded Jack Johnstone every bit managing director of the series, Jackson Brook took over as narrator. Jackson Beck, who had played a character called Alfredo on the plan in the previous year, was 1 of the greatest activity/adventure narrators from the aureate age of radio. His forceful vocal delivery sounded "more than powerful than a locomotove" and perfectly prepare the stage for The Adventures of Superman.

Radio listeners learned of Superman's Achilles' heel long before kryptonite was featured in the Man of Steel's comic strip adventures. "Superman for the commencement time in his life faces an enemy against which he is entirely powerless," proclaimed the serial' narrator. "That enemy is a piece of the planet Krypton - kryptonite, it is called - which a few days ago struck Earth in the form of a shooting star. A full agreement of his danger came to Superman when he approached the kryptonite for the starting time fourth dimension. As he came within v anxiety of the mass of metal, which glowed like a light-green diamond, he suddenly felt weak, as if all his strength had been tuckered from him."

The comic book version of Clark Kent remained a civilian, merely his radio counterpart was quickly commissioned as an undercover Underground Service operative. He battled enemy agents both in the U.S. and overseas, such equally Lita the Leopard Woman, the evil Nazi scientist Der Teufel (German for "the devil") and Teufel's creation, the greatest menace Superman ever encountered during his radio career, the kryptonite-powered Atom Human. Luckily Superman didn't have to go up against the Atom Human alone. In his time of greatest need, Superman was able to call on the help of his friends Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, better known as Batman and Robin.

The Globe's Finest Squad

On 5 September 1945, the Human of Steel came to the rescue of an unconcious boy afloat in a rowboat. Quick to notice the young lad was wearing a red vest with the letter of the alphabet "R" under his street apparel, Superman exclaimed, "Great Scott. If this is who I think it is, this is serious concern!" Superman had rescued Robin, the Male child Wonder, Batman's sidekick. Later Superman would also rescue Batman, who would repay the favor by pinch-hit for Superman during the years to come up - peculiarly when Collyer needed time off for family vacations.

Stacy Harris was the first actor to play Batman on radio. Matt Crowley took over the office in the middle of the 2d Superman-Batman serial and would become the voice most associated with Batman on radio. Ronald Liss played Robin in all the radio team-ups. He and Crowley had worked together on many radio programs previously.

Although Superman and Batman had appeared on symbolic comic book covers and in a brief cameo in a 1941 issue of All Star Comics, the 10 September 1945 broadcast was the start to feature the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader working together equally a team. Batman and Robin would invitee-star with Superman in 13 radio serials over the side by side several years, including the greatest adventure serial in the history of the series, "The Cantlet Man".

Bricklayer Adams portrayed the Atom Man, an atomic super-soldier within whose veins flows radioactive kryptonite. The Atom Man story line was the longest and greatest adventure serial in the history of the Superman radio plan and inspired the second Superman movie serial starring Kirk Alyn. However, a story line dealing with religious and racial persecution would soon propel the series to its greatest heights and prestige.

Truth, Justice and the American Mode

The Adventures of Superman radio series catapulted into the media spotlight with its "Unity House" story line in 1946. "Recently the Superman programme underwent a change equally desperate and unprecedented as some of its hero's exploits," wrote columnist Harriet Van Horne. "It became a program with a bulletin." Having fought mad scientists, atomic weapons and other supernatural menaces for years, Superman took upward the battle against racial and religious intolerance when a rabbi and a Catholic priest were menaced by young vigilantes out to destroy an interfaith community business firm. After saving the day, Superman gives this bulletin to the gang members who had been taking orders from a human being who was a former enemy spy, "Remember this equally long as yous live: Whenever you come across up with anyone who is trying to cause trouble between people - anyone who tries to tell you that a man can't be a proficient citizen considering he is a Catholic or a Jew, a Protestant or what you will - you lot can exist sure he's a rotten denizen himself and an inhuman being. Don't ever forget that!"

Although at showtime anxious over what reaction this show for tolerance would insight, the sponsors (Kellogg Co. and Mutual) were relieved when the testify's new management began attracting the highest ratings in the history of the series. "Superman's Hooper rating has risen perceptibly since the change in plot," reported the New York World Tribune on 4 June 1946. "The prove is at present Number One among the radio juveniles." The story line attracted endoresements from dozens of organizations, only it as well generated hate mail. After years of jealously protecting his dual identity, Bud Collyer finally stepped into the media spotlight to proudly promote the "Unity House" story line.

The success of the "Unity House" series led to follow-up story lines on juvenile delinquency and school absenteeism. Information technology was the finest moment in the history of ane of radio'due south greatest take a chance programs as Superman truly fought "a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way!"

This Looks Like a Job for...

Clayton "Bud" Collyer's decade-long stay on radio's Superman was the longest run of any star on a juvenile radio adventure series, lasting more than 2000 shows. "Bud loved portraying the Man of Steel," narrator Jackson Beck recalled. "He was clumsily proud of existence Superman." The 15-infinitesimal Mutual series ran v days a week through 28 January 1949, so continued until 17 June 1949 equally a thrice-weekly half-hour program. The actor who had initially tried to plough downwardly the function portrayed Superman and Clark Kent in 325 syndicated episodes, through 1610 15-minute shows and 73 half-hour episodes on Common and ABC. All practiced things come to an finish, withal, and Collyer's long run as radio'due south Superman was ended not by kryptonite but by his growing popularity in the new medium of television. During the 1950s and 1960s, Bud Collyer would attain his greatest fame as the host of television game shows like Shell the Clock, Quick as a Flash and To Tell the Truth.

Michael Fitzmaurice took over equally ABC's Superman on 5 June 1950 and played the role for 78 broadcasts of a revived final season. Fitzmaurice was a radio veteran and the long-fourth dimension announcer of Land of the Lost and Mutual's Nick Carter, Principal Detective. His rich baritone voice was well-suited for the Man of Steel, though he was regrettably unable to lucifer Bud Collyer'due south marvelous ability to create distinctively different voices for Superman and Clark Kent.

one March 1951 saw Superman fly off the ABC radio airwaves, but he successfully landed on television screens the following year. Bob Maxwell, the co-creator of the radio program, produced the start season of the television series. Radio characters, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen and Inspector Henderson were prominently featured alongside Clark Kent and Lois Lane on the new series.

Though the Superman television series continues in syndication to this day, upkeep restraints and primitive special effects prevented the series from reaching the imaginative levels of epic adventure that were commonplace on the radio series. Suspended from wires on a audio stage, Superman was never able to wing as high on television equally he had for an adventure-filled decade in radio's theater of the imagination.

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Sources:
Adapted from the Smithsonian Historical Performances "Superman on Radio" CD set booklet, written by Anthony Tollin.
"Flights of Fantasy: The Unauthorized by Truthful Story of Radio & TV's Adventures of Superman" by Michael J. Hayde.

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