animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
s based upon the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
character
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
. Produced by
Famous Studios
Famous Studios (renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956) was the first animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount seized contro ...
, the cartoon was originally released to theaters by
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
on July 30, 1943. This is the only short in which
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
doesn't appear, although a female federal agent who looks identical to Lois (just with blonde hair) appears, and is also voiced by
Joan Alexander
Joan Alexander (born Louise Abrass; April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009) ''
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
on the gang, who were just trying to gun her down. For six months she tricked them into thinking that she was a part of them and got records of member's names and their plans.
Clark is captured and learns that these gangsters are trying to get the records back from the agent, so they plan to stop her at the bridge to the airport.
She gets a police escort to the airport, but it is attacked by the gangsters. During the gunfight, the policeman that was driving for the agent steps out of his car to shoot back at the gangsters. The agent drives through the fighting to the airport. Another group of the saboteurs positioned at a bridge get to the controls of the bridge. They turn the bridge to block the agent, but she keeps on driving until she realizes that the road is not connected to the bridge and jumps out of the car. The car drives off the bridge and crashes into an electrical tower. The agent tries to reverse the bridge by getting to the bridge controls, but is nearly shot by one of gangsters. She reverses the bridge's turning, but the electric tower begins to fall and smashes into the bridge control room. She falls onto the bridge's turning mechanism and is knocked out while the massive gear in the turning mechanism slowly creeps toward her unconscious body.
The gangster on the bridge telephones his superior and tells him that the agent is trapped on the bridge and he is about to be overrun by cops, but is cut off as the police open fire on him. The gangster's boss locks Clark in another room and leaves with his henchmen to get the agent's records. Clark breaks his bindings, changes into Superman and jumps onto the cable of the elevator the gangsters were taking, pulls their elevator up and ties off the elevator cable with the gangsters above the top floor to keep them from getting to the agent. Superman flies to the bridge and saves the agent. He picks her up, flies her to Washington D.C and flies away, with a salute to the flag.
Voice cast
*
Bud Collyer
Bud Collyer (born Clayton Johnson Heermance Jr., June 18, 1908 – September 8, 1969) was an American radio actor and announcer and game show host who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars. He is best remembered for ...
as
Clark Kent / Superman
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
, Nazi Saboteurs
*
Joan Alexander
Joan Alexander (born Louise Abrass; April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009) ''
Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck (July 23, 1912 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio's '' The Adventures of Superman''Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. . Pp. 1 ...
as Narrator, Police Chief, Nazi Saboteurs
* Julian Noa as
Perry White
Perry White is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the editor-in-chief of the Metropolis newspaper the ''Daily Planet''. The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and i ...
, Police Officer, Nazi Saboteurs
*
Jack Mercer
Winfield B. Mercer (January 31, 1910 – December 7, 1984), professionally known as Jack Mercer, was a prolific American voice actor, animator and TV screenwriter. He is best known as the voice of cartoon characters Popeye the Sailor Man and ...
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...