Superman Series 1941 - 1942
SYNOPSIS:
Superman (1941–1943) is a series of 17 American Technicolor theatrical animated shorts produced by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. Based on the Superman comic-book character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the series marked Superman's first animated appearance. The first nine shorts were produced by Fleischer Studios between September 1941 and August 1942, while the final eight were produced by its successor, Famous Studios, from September 1942 through July 1943.
The shorts follow Clark Kent, a reporter for the Daily Planet, who secretly transforms into Superman whenever Metropolis or its citizens are threatened. His adventures involve mad scientists, giant robots, criminals, disasters, prehistoric creatures, spies, and other extraordinary dangers, with Lois Lane frequently becoming involved while pursuing stories. Although each short is essentially self-contained, the series established many elements that became closely associated with Superman, including his spectacular flying abilities and the familiar descriptions of his extraordinary powers.
The Fleischer productions are particularly celebrated for their sophisticated animation, dramatic lighting, detailed backgrounds, multiplane camera work, special effects, and unusually cinematic staging. The Famous Studios entries continued the series but were produced under tighter budgets and with somewhat less elaborate animation. Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander, who also performed Superman and Lois Lane on the radio program, provided the principal voices. The series remains one of the most influential achievements of Golden Age American animation and was restored from original 35mm elements in a major Warner Bros. restoration released in 2023.
EPISODES
Fleischer Studios — 1941–1942
Superman (The Mad Scientist) — September 26, 1941
The Mechanical Monsters — November 28, 1941
Billion Dollar Limited — January 9, 1942
The Arctic Giant — February 27, 1942
The Bulleteers — March 27, 1942
The Magnetic Telescope — April 24, 1942
Electric Earthquake — May 15, 1942
Volcano — July 10, 1942
Terror on the Midway — August 28, 1942
Famous Studios — 1942–1943
Japoteurs — September 18, 1942
Showdown — October 16, 1942
Eleventh Hour — November 20, 1942
Destruction, Inc. — December 25, 1942
The Mummy Strikes — February 19, 1943
Jungle Drums — March 26, 1943
The Underground World — June 18, 1943
Secret Agent — July 30, 1943
CAST
Bud Collyer as Superman / Clark Kent
Joan Alexander as Lois Lane
Jackson Beck as Perry White / Narrator
Julian Noa as Perry White and various characters
Jack Mercer as Jimmy Olsen and various characters
Lee Royce as Superman / Clark Kent in some Famous Studios shorts
CREW
Based on: Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Producers: Max Fleischer; Sam Buchwald
Studios: Fleischer Studios; Famous Studios
Directors: Dave Fleischer, Seymour Kneitel, Isadore Sparber, Dan Gordon and others
Music: Sammy Timberg
Additional Music: Winston Sharples, Lou Fleischer
Character Design: Joe Shuster
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Period: September 26, 1941 – July 30, 1943
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Color Process: Technicolor
Number of Shorts: 17
Running Time: Approximately 8–10 minutes per short
Budget: $50,000 for the first short; approximately $30,000 for each subsequent short
Box Office Return: N/A
IMDb Rating
IMDb Rating = 7.3 / 10 (for the first short; the individual shorts have separate IMDb ratings)
TRIVIA
The series consists of 17 theatrical shorts, all released by Paramount Pictures between 1941 and 1943.
The first nine were produced by Fleischer Studios, while the final eight were produced by Famous Studios.
The series represents Superman's first appearance in animation.
Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander reprised their radio roles as Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
The first short, Superman, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Subject (Cartoons) in 1942.
The first cartoon cost approximately $50,000, an exceptionally large budget for an animated short at the time. Later entries were budgeted at approximately $30,000 each.
Joe Shuster provided model sheets that helped the animators maintain Superman's appearance.
The Fleischer cartoons helped establish Superman as a character who flies, rather than simply making enormous leaps.
The films introduced or popularized several phrases and concepts that became closely associated with Superman's mythology. DC notes that the shorts added significant elements to the character's developing canon.
The Famous Studios cartoons were produced after Paramount reorganized the Fleischer operation in 1942.
The series was produced in Technicolor, with elaborate effects animation and detailed backgrounds that made the shorts unusually cinematic for their period.
The first cartoon was ranked No. 33 in the 1994 poll of the 50 Greatest Cartoons, conducted among animation professionals.
Warner Bros. restored all 17 shorts from original 35mm source elements, using a 4K, 16-bit scan and recombination process, with the restored collection released in 2023.
Although commonly called the "Fleischer Superman cartoons," only the first nine were actually produced by Fleischer Studios; Famous Studios completed the remaining eight.