Studio: Fleischer Studios
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Produced by: Max Fleischer
Short Synopsis
A mad scientist warns the Daily Planet that at midnight he will destroy Metropolis with his Electrothanasia-Ray. Only Lois Lane takes him seriously. She flies a small plane alone to his laboratory on a mountain top, where the scientist seizes her and ties her up. To prove his power, he fires the ray at the city and destroys a bridge. As the disaster is reported on the radio and the police tell people to stay indoors, Clark Kent steps into a storeroom and comes out as Superman. The ray cuts through the base of a skyscraper, which begins to topple; Superman catches it and pushes it upright. Then he flies straight into the beam and forces his way along it to the source, punching back each pulse of energy. At the lab he twists the barrel of the ray gun into a knot, and the machine overloads and explodes. He frees Lois, flies her to safety and delivers the scientist to jail, though the scientist's pet vulture escapes. At the Planet, Lois gets the scoop and credits Superman, and Clark winks at the audience.
Why It Matters
- Watch Superman fighting his way up the energy beam, fists against light. With dramatic lighting, realistic proportions and art deco cityscapes, the Fleischers created a cinematic, almost noir look for superhero action that still feels modern, and the film's style is a direct ancestor of later superhero animation.
- It was the first of seventeen Superman cartoons, and the most expensive cartoon series of its time. It was nominated for the Academy Award, and animation professionals voted it number 33 in The 50 Greatest Cartoons in 1994. Bud Collyer, Superman's radio voice, played him here too.
Notes and Trivia
- The Fleischers reportedly quoted Paramount a very high budget, about $100,000 per film, hoping to be turned down; Paramount negotiated it down and agreed.
- See also: The Arctic Giant (1942).