| Superman | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Superman_serial.jpg) Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Spencer Gordon Bennet Thomas Carr |
| Written by | Lewis Clay Royal K. Cole Arthur Hoerl George H. Plympton Joseph F. Poland |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Sam Katzman |
| Starring | Kirk Alyn Noel Neill Carol Forman Tommy Bond Forrest Taylor |
| Cinematography | Ira H. Morgan |
| Edited by | Earl C. Turner |
| Music by | Mischa Bakaleinikoff |
| Color process | Black and white |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 15 chapters (244 minutes) |
| Language | English |
Superman is a 1948 15-part Columbia Pictures film serial based on the comic book character Superman. It stars an uncredited Kirk Alyn (billed on-screen only by his character's name, Superman; but credited as Kirk Alyn on the promotional posters) and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. Like Batman (1943), it is notable as the first live-action appearance of Superman on film, and for the longevity of its distribution. The serial was directed by Thomas Carr, who later directed many early episodes of the Adventures of Superman television series, and Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Sam Katzman, and shot in and around Los Angeles, California. It was originally screened at movie matinées, and after the first three scene-setting chapters, every episode ends in a cliffhanger. The Superman-in-flight scenes are animations, in part due to the small production budget.
A "tremendous" financial success,[1] the serial was a popular success that made Kirk Alyn famous and launched Noel Neill's career. A sequel serial, Atom Man vs. Superman, also directed by Bennet, was released in 1950.