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''The Adventures of Superman'' is a long-running
radio serial Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...
that originally aired from 1940 to 1951 featuring 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 ...
. The serial came to
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
as a syndicated show on
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's WOR on February 12, 1940. On Mutual, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942, to February 4, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949, it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of ''The Adventures of Superman'' aired on American radio.


History

Created by
Jerry Siegel Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996)Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, in ...
and
Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 (c ...
, the Man of Steel first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 in 1938. The following year, the
newspaper comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st c ...
began and four audition radio programs were prepared to sell ''Superman'' as a radio series. When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance, the character took on an added dimension with
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 ...
in the title role. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the post-war years, the juvenile adventure radio serial, sponsored by
Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toaste ...
Pep Pep is energy or high spirits; it may refer to: * Pep band, an ensemble of instrumentalists * Pep, the dog in ''Putt-Putt'' (series) * Neilson Dairy confectionery brand * Pep, New Mexico * Pep, Texas * Pep Cereal, by Kellogg * Pep Comics, by MLJ ...
, was a huge success, with many listeners following the quest for "truth and justice" in the daily radio broadcasts, the comic book stories and the newspaper comic strip. Airing in the late afternoon (variously at 5:15pm, 5:30pm and 5:45pm), the radio serial engaged its young after-school audience with its exciting and distinctive opening, which changed slightly as the series progressed. Most familiar today is the television opening, which copied the radio opening from 1945 onward (save for "and the American Way" line, which was an even later addition), but the most often heard radio opening through the mid-1940s was: By September 5, 1945, the opening, (repeated at the close), had morphed into:


Narrative notes

In the first few episodes, Superman's home planet of Krypton is located on the far side of the sun, as opposed to a distant star system as it is in most stories. During the journey to Earth, baby Kal-el grows into an adult and emerges fully grown from his ship after it lands on Earth. He is never adopted by the Kents but immediately begins his superhero career. This was eventually
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...
ned in later episodes to match the narrative of the comic books. This serial introduced the fictional mineral
kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...
, the radiation from which can weaken and even (in some continuities) kill Superman. Aside from giving Superman's foes a plausible way to fight him, it also allowed Superman's voice actor to take the occasional break: Superman would spend the next episode incapacitated, his groans voiced by a substitute actor.


Ratings

In January 1945, the show was listened to on 3.1% of radios. In January 1946, it was listened to on 4.4% of radios.


Jackson Beck

That well-known signature opening, one of the most famous in radio history, was delivered by
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 ...
, the announcer-narrator for the program from 1943 to 1950. He also had recurring roles, voicing an occasional tough guy and also portraying Beany Martin, the ''
Daily Planet The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
s teenage copy boy. On ''Superman'' episodes featuring
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, he played
Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
's butler,
Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...
. Decades later, Beck portrayed
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 ...
,
Clark Kent 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 publish ...
's boss, in
Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
's ''
The New Adventures of Superman ''The New Adventures of Superman'' is a half-hour series of six-minute animated Superman adventures produced by Filmation that were broadcast Saturday mornings on CBS from September 10, 1966, to September 5, 1970. The 68 segments appeared as part ...
'' (1966–1970), in addition to serving as the show's narrator.


Bud Collyer

Just as Superman's true identity remained a secret, the identity of radio actor Collyer also remained a secret from 1940 until 1946, when the character of Superman was used in a promotional campaign for racial and religious tolerance and Collyer did a ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine interview about that campaign. Since there were no reruns at that time, the series often used plot devices and plot twists to allow Collyer to have vacation time. Kryptonite allowed Superman to be incapacitated and incoherent with pain while the secondary characters took the focus instead. At other times, Batman ( Stacy Harris) and Robin (Ronald Liss) appeared on the program in Superman's absence. The scripts by B. P. Freeman and Jack Johnstone were directed by
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
and Jessica Maxwell, George Lowther, Allen Ducovny and Mitchell Grayson. Sound effects were created by Jack Keane, Al Binnie, Keene Crockett and John Glennon. Many aspects associated with Superman, such as kryptonite, originated on radio, as did certain characters, including ''
Daily Planet The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
'' editor Perry White, copy boy
Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and has ...
and police inspector Bill Henderson. On March 2, 1945, Superman met Batman and Robin for the first time. Paramount's animated ''Superman'' short films used voices by the radio actors, and Columbia's ''Superman'' movie serials (1948, 1950) were "adapted from the Superman radio program broadcast on the Mutual Network".


"Clan of the Fiery Cross"

In 1946, the series delivered a powerful blow against the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
's prospects in the northern US. Stetson Kennedy, a human rights activist, infiltrated the KKK and other
racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
/
terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
groups. Concerned that the organization had links to the government and police forces, Kennedy decided to use its findings to strike at the Klan in a different way. He contacted the ''Superman'' producers and proposed a story where the superhero battles the Klan. Looking for new villains, the producers eagerly agreed. Kennedy provided information—including details of Klan rituals and the like to the writers. The result was a series of episodes, "Clan of the Fiery Cross", in which Superman took on the Klan. The trivialization of the Klan's rituals and natures had a negative impact on Klan recruiting and membership numbers. Reportedly, Klan leaders denounced the show and called for a boycott of Kellogg's products. However, the story arc earned spectacular ratings, making ''Superman'' the most highly rated kids' radio program, and the food company stood by its support of the show. Superman historian Michael Hayde has cast doubt on whether actual KKK codewords and details were broadcast in the Clan of the Fiery Cross story arc. He wrote, " e is hard pressed to uncover anything that might be construed as proprietary to the KKK, with the exception of one – and ''only'' one – sequence, heard in episode #2". The story-arc was loosely adapted for a
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 ...
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
, ''
Superman Smashes the Klan ''Superman Smashes the Klan'' is a three-part superhero limited series comic book written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Gurihiru and published by DC Comics. It is a Superman story which is loosely based on the 1946 '' The Adventures of Superman'' ...
'' by
Gene Luen Yang Gene Luen Yang (Chinese Traditional: 楊謹倫, Simplified: 杨谨伦, Pinyin: ''Yáng Jǐnlún''; born August 9, 1973) is an American cartoonist. He is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of graphic novels and comics, at comic book conventions a ...
, and was released in October 2019.


Stories

The syndicated series, titled simply ''Superman'', first aired via pre-recorded transcription disks over 11 stations beginning on February 12, 1940, with an origin story, "The Baby from Krypton". The series aired in 15-minute episodes three times a week until May 9, 1941, with the conclusion of the "Nitrate Shipment" storyline. By that time, it had expanded to 63 stations. The first 19 episodes had individual titles that told three overall stories: The series then moved to multi-part cliffhanger stories, beginning with "The Mystery of Dyerville". Some stories spanned just a few episodes; others, like "The Last of the Clipper Ships", went on for up to 20 parts. *"The Mystery of Dyerville" (March 1940) (2 parts, actually concludes the story begun on March 18) *"The Emerald of the Incas" (April 1940) (6 parts) *"Donelli's Protection Racket" (April 1940) (6 parts) *"Airplane Disasters at Bridger Field" (April–May 1940) (6 parts) *"Buffalo Heights" (May 1940) (6 parts) *"Alonzo Craig, Arctic Explorer" (May–June 1940) (6 parts) *"Horace Morton's Weather Predictions" (June 1940) (6 parts) *"Hans Holbein's Doll Factory" (June–July 1940) (6 parts) *"Happyland Amusement Park" (July 1940) (6 parts) *"Lighthouse Point Smugglers" (July–August 1940) (6 parts) *"Pillar of Fire at Graves' End" (August 1940) (3 parts) *"The Mayan Treasure" (August 1940) (6 parts) *"Professor Thorpe's Bathysphere" (August–September 1940) (12 parts) *"The Curse of Dead Man's Island" (September–October 1940) (6 parts) *"The Yellow Mask and the 5 Million Dollar Jewel Robbery" (October–November 1940) (15 parts) *"The Invisible Man" (November 1940) (6 parts) *"The 5 Million Dollar Gold Heist" (November–December 1940) (8 parts) *"The Howling Coyote" (December 1940–January 1941) (14 parts) *"The Black Pearl of Osiris" (January–February 1941) (11 parts) *"The Dragon's Teeth" (February–March 1941) (10 parts) *"Last of the Clipper Ships" (March–April 1941) (20 parts) *"The Nitrate Shipment" (April –May 1941) (9 parts) Beginning August 25, 1941, a second series of transcriptions designed to air five days per week (although many stations continued the previous three-per-week schedule) aired. These concluded after 26 weeks with the final installment of "A Mystery for Superman" airing on February 20, 1942: *"The Grayson Submarine" (August 1941) (6 parts) *"Dr. Deutsch and the Radium Mine" (September 1941) (12 parts) *"The White Plague" (September 1941) (8 parts) *"Fur Smuggling" (September–October 1941) (6 parts) *"Dr. Roebling and the Voice Machine" (October 1941) (16 parts) *"Metropolis Football Team Poisoned" (October - November 1941) (15 parts) *"Crooked Oil Association" (November–December 1941) (10 parts) *"The Silver Arrow" (December 1941) (7 parts) *"The Pan-Am Highway" (December 1941–January 1942) (15 parts) *"The Mechanical Man" (January 1942) (10 parts) *"Lita the Leopard Woman" (January–February 1942) (12 parts) *"The Ghost Car" (February 1942) (8 parts) *"A Mystery for Superman" (February 1942) (5 parts) By the time the syndicated series ceased production, it was airing in 85 North American markets. In June, the Mutual Network discovered it would be losing its #1 juvenile show, "
Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy ''Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy'' was a radio adventure series which maintained its popularity from 1933 to 1951. The program originated at WBBM (AM), WBBM in Chicago on July 31, 1933, and was later carried on CBS, then NBC and finally Cita ...
" to NBC's Blue Network at the end of August. To counter, MBS decided to revive the show, now officially titled ''The Adventures of Superman'', on August 31, 1942. The new series aired live, five days a week. The revival began with two individual episodes, and then returned to the cliffhanger serial format. The stories were of varying lengths—some stories were only five parts, while others could go into the dozens. Some of the longer stories include "Looking for Kryptonite" (25 episodes), "The Hate Mongers' Organization" (25 episodes) and "Superman vs Kryptonite" (33 episodes). All stories broadcast from August 31, 1942, to September 3, 1945, are either wholly or partially missing. For those stories where some episodes are available in circulation, it will be noted which parts are available. *"Superman Comes to Earth" (August 31, 1942) *"Eben Kent Dies in Fire, Clark Goes to Metropolis" (September 1, 1942) *"The Wolfe" (September 1942) (11 parts, Parts 4, 5, and 11 available) *"The Tiny Men" (September 1942) (9 parts, Parts 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 available) *"Mystery in Arabia" (September–October 1942) (10 parts, Parts 1, 3-9 available) *"The Black Narcissus" (October 1942) (9 parts, Parts 1-7 available) *"The Headless Indian" (October–November 1942) (18 parts, Parts 1-16 and 18 available) *"The Midnight Intruder" (November–December 1942) (14 parts, Parts 2, 5–10, and 14 available) *"The Lost Continent of Atlantis" (December 1942) (9 parts, parts 1–5, 7, 8 available) *"The Mystery Ship" (December 1942) (7 parts, Parts 1, 2, 4–7 available) *"The Tin Men" (January 1943) (15 parts, parts 2–15 available) *"Trouble in Athabascus" (January–February 1943) (9 parts) *"The Island of Ghost Ships" (February 1943) (11 parts) *"The Model Plane Mystery" (February–March 1943) (17 parts) *"Dr. Cameron's Helicopter" (March 1943) (4 parts) *"The Vulture and the Thunderbolt Express" (March–April 1943) (16 parts, Parts 3, 4, 9 available) *"The Bainbridge Disaster" (April 1943) (12 parts) *"Master of the Dream World" (April–May 1943) (14 parts) *"The Ghost Squadron" (May–June 1943) (10 parts) *"The Meteor from Krypton" (June 1943) (7 parts, Parts 3, 4 available) *"Society of the Flamingo" (June–July 1943) (16 parts) *"Mr. Prim and the Dragonfly Adventure" (July 1943) (12 parts, Part 12 available) *"The Genie in the Bottle" (July–August 1943) (8 parts) *"The World of the Future" (August 1943) (11 parts) *"The Civil Air Patrol" (August–September 1943) (14 parts) *"Penrose Salvage Company" (September 1943) (8 parts) *"The Mystery of the Death Plane" (September 1943) (4 parts) *"Adventures in the Capitol City" (September - October 1943) (7 parts) *"German Submarine Menace" (October 1943) (8 parts) *"The New German Weapon" (October 1943) (11 parts, Parts 3–6 available) *"The Mystery of Prince Philip" (October–November 1943) (14 parts) *"Military Espionage" (November–December 1943) (16 parts) *"Stolen War Information" (December 1943 - January 1944) (17 parts) *"Lois and Jimmy Disappear" (January 1944) (8 parts, Part 7 available) *"The Green Death" (January 1944) (9 parts, Part 4 available) *"The Mystery of the $100,000 Stamp" (January–February 1944) (12 parts) *"The Mystery of the Transport Plane Crashes" (February 1944) (6 parts) *"Lighthouse Point" (February–March 1944) (7 parts, one episode is available, but which part it is has not been determined) *"The Rocket Plane" (March 1944) (4 parts) *"The Mystery of Clifftown" (March 1944) (14 parts) *"The Golden Homing Pigeon" (March–April 1944) (21 parts, part 10 available) *"The Mystery of Desert Springs and the Birdmen" (April - May 1944) (21 parts) *"The Hurdy-Gurdy Man" (May–June 1944) (12 parts) *"The North Woods Story" (June 1944) (15 parts) *"The Seagull, North Pacific Adventure" (July 1944) (9 parts) *"The Mystery of the Aviation Freight Lines" (July 1944) (11 parts) *"The Society of the Crimson Robe" (July–August 1944) (11 parts) *"Ghosts of the Air" (August 1944) (10 parts) *"The Scorpion" (August–September 1944) (9 parts) *"Der Teufel's Atomic Pistol" (September 1944) (13 parts, Part 4 available) *"The Mystery of the Mummy Case" (September–October 1944) (21 parts) *"Dr. Roebling and the Voice Machine" (October–November 1944) (14 parts) *"Planet Utopia" (November·December 1944) (13 parts) *"Lois' Uncle John and the Missing Plans" (December 1944) (11 parts, parts 1, 4, 11 available) *"The Missing Santa Claus" (December 1944) (6 parts, part 2 available) *"The Man in the Velvet Shoes" (December 1944 – January 1945) (12 parts, parts 1, 5, 6, 10-12 available) *"The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty" (January–February 1945) (20 parts, parts 11, 13, 14, 16-20 available) *"The Space Shell" (February 1945) (12 parts, parts 3, 6–10 available) *"The Mystery of the Waxmen" (March 1945) (12 parts, parts 2, 3 available) *"The Mystery of the Golden Nail" (March 1945) (12 parts, parts 3, 4, 8 available) *"The Ghost Car" (April 1945) (9 parts, part 7 available) *"The Boy King of Moravia" (April 1945) (9 parts, parts 3, 7 available) *"Lair of the Dragon" (May 1945) (14 parts, part 8 available) *"The Mystery of the Counterfeit Money" (May 1945) (10 parts) *"Valley of the Giants" (May–June 1945) (10 parts) *"The Desert Adventure" (June–July 1945) (19 parts) *"The Underseas Kingdom" (July–August 1945) (19 parts, parts 16, 17 available) *"The Flood" (August 1945) (13 parts, parts 4-6 available) *"The Black Market" (August–September 1945) (7 parts) From September 4, 1945 (part 1 of "Dr. Bly's Confidence Gang") to September 2, 1948 (part 3 of "The Mystery of the Silver Buffalo") all stories are fully available in circulation except for "Looking for Kryptonite", "The Hate Mongers' Organization", "Pennies for Plunder", and "Hunger, Inc." which are all missing a handful of episodes. For these four serials, it will be specified which parts are missing. *"Dr. Bly's Confidence Gang" (September 1945) (14 parts) *"The Meteor of Kryptonite" (September 1945) (2 parts) *"The Scarlet Widow" (September–October 1945) (11 parts) *"The Atom Man" (October–November 1945) (19 parts) *"Atom Man in Metropolis" (November–December 1945) (19 parts) *"Looking for Kryptonite" (December 1945 – January 1946) (26 parts, Parts 20-22 missing) *"The Talking Cat" (January 1946) (14 parts) *"Is There Another Superman?" (January–February 1946) (13 parts) *"The Radar Rocket" (February–March 1946) (20 parts) *"The Mystery of the Dragon's Teeth" (March 1946) (10 parts) *"The Story of the Century" (April 1946) (12 parts) *"The Hate Mongers' Organization" (April–May 1946) (25 parts, Part 6 missing) *"Al Vincent's Corrupt Political Machine" (May–June 1946) (14 parts) *"Clan of the Fiery Cross" (June–July 1946) (16 parts) *"Horatio F. Horn, Detective" (July 1946) (22 parts) *"The Secret Menace Strikes" (August 1946) (15 parts) *"Candy Meyer's Big Story" (August–September 1946) (8 parts) *"George Latimer, Crooked Political Boss" (September 1946) (17 parts) *"The Dead Voice" (September–October 1946) (15 parts) *"Counterfeit Money" (October–November 1946) (14 parts) *"The Disappearance of Clark Kent" (November 1946) (13 parts) *"The Secret Letter" (November–December 1946) (7 parts) *"The Phony Song Publishing Company" (December 1946) (8 parts) *"The Phony Housing Racket" (December 1946) (9 parts) *"The Phony Restaurant Racket" (December 1946 – January 1947) (8 parts) *"The Phony Inheritance Racket" (January 1947) (8 parts) *"Drought in Freeville" (January–February 1947) (16 parts) *"The Monkey Burglar" (February 1947) (10 parts) *"Knights of the White Carnation" (February–March 1947) (14 parts) *"The Man Without a Face" (March–April 1947) (16 parts) *"Mystery of the Lost Planet" (April 1947) (13 parts) *"The Phantom of the Sea" (April–May 1947) (12 parts) *"Superman vs. Kryptonite" (May–June 1947) (33 parts) *"The Secret Rocket" (September–October 1947) (19 parts) *"The Ruler of Darkness" (October–November 1947) (24 parts) *"Pennies for Plunder" (November–December 1947) (21 parts, Parts 19–21 missing) *"Hunger Inc." (December 1947 – January 1948) (12 parts, Parts 1–3 missing) *"Dead Man's Secret" (January - February 1948) (14 parts) *"Batman's Great Mystery" (February 1948) (11 parts) *"The Kingdom Under the Sea" (February–March 1948) (15 parts) *"The Mystery of the Stolen Costume" (March–April 1948) (17 parts) *"The Skin Game" (April 1948) (9 parts) *"The Crossword Puzzle Mystery" (April–May 1948) (13 parts) *"The Ghost Brigade" (May 1948) (11 parts) *"The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty" (May–June 1948) (18 parts) *"The Secret of Meteor Island" (June–July 1948) (17 parts) *"The Voice of Doom" (July 1948) (18 parts) *"The Secret of the Genie" (August 1948) (10 parts) *"The Mystery of the Letter" (August 1948) (11 parts) The remaining serialized stories are all either wholly or partially missing. For those stories where some episodes are available in circulation, it will be noted which parts are available. *"The Mystery of the Silver Buffalo" (August–September 1948) (11 parts, Parts 1–3, 8, 9 available) *"The Secret of Stone Ridge" (September–October 1948) (17 parts) *"The Mystery of the Unknown" (October–November 1948) (17 parts) *"Murder Scores a Touchdown" (November 1948) (10 parts) *"The Riddle of the Mystery Message" (November–December 1948) (13 parts) *"The Vanishing Killers" (December 1948) (11 parts) *"Superman's Secret" (December 1948) (8 parts, Part 5 available) *"The Return of the Octopus" (December 1948 – January 1949) (16 parts) *"The Mystery of the Spellbound Ships" (January–February 1949) (11 parts) Beginning February 7, 1949, ''The Adventures of Superman'' episodes expanded to 30 minutes each. All were transcribed. Each episode was self-contained and had an individual story title. Only "The Mystery of the $10,000 Ghost", "The Mystery of the Flying Monster", and "The Case of the Double Trouble" are available in circulation. *"The Frozen Death" (February 7, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Golden Eagle" (February 9, 1949) *"The Riddle of the Chinese Jade" (February 11, 1949) *"The Curse of the Devil's Creek" (February 14, 1949) *"The Lost Civilization" (February 16, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Voice Machine" (February 18, 1949) *"The Mystery if the Little Men" (February 21, 1949) *"The Story of Marina Baum" (February 23, 1949) *"Death Rides the Roller Coaster" (February 25, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Singing Wheels" (February 28, 1949) *"The Case of the Poisoned Town" (March 2, 1949) *"Mystery of the $10,000 Ghost" (March 4, 1949) *"Mystery of the Flying Monster" (March 7, 1949) *"Case of Double Trouble" (March 9, 1949) *"Superman's Mortal Enemy" (March 11, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Disappearing Diamonds" (March 14, 1949) *"The Cat as Big as an Elephant" (March 16, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Walking Doll" (March 18, 1949) *"The Return of Terror" (March 21, 1949) *"How Time Stood Still" (March 23, 1949) *"The World's Greatest Secret" (March 25, 1949) *"Crime by the Carload" (March 28, 1949) *"Fangs of Fury" (March 30, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Citadel of Doom" (April 1, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Death Train" (April 4, 1949) *"Terror Under the Big Top" (April 6, 1949) *"The Man of a Thousand Faces" (April 8, 1949) *"The Lost King" (April 11, 1949) *"The Mystery of Skull Cave" (April 13, 1949) *Untitled story (April 15, 1949) *"The Secret of the Sahara" (April 18, 1949) *"A Voice from the Grave" (April 20, 1949) *"The Deadly Double" (April 22, 1949) *"The Adventure of the Impractical Joker" (April 25, 1949) *"An Experiment in Danger" (April 27, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Phantom Fleet" (April 29, 1949) *"The Triangle of Crime" (May 2, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Vibrating Death" (May 4, 1949) *"The Mystery of Butte Valley" (May 6, 1949) *"The Eye of Balapur" (May 9, 1949) *"The Horseman of Doom" (May 11, 1949) *"The Mystery of the New Face" (May 13, 1949) *"The Vengeful Ghost" (May 16, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Flaming Forest" (May 18, 1949) *"The Winged Horse" (May 20, 1949) *"Death on the Diamond" (May 23, 1949) *"The Riddle of the Tapestry" (May 25, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Singing Wheels" (May 27, 1949) *"The Speedway of Terror" (May 30, 1949) *"Crime at a Bargain" (June 1, 1949) *"The Vanishing Ships" (June 3, 1949) *"The Case of the Double Double Cross" (June 6, 1949) *"The Portrait of Satan" (June 8, 1949) *"The Ghost of Shipwreck Island" (June 10, 1949) *"Eleven for Death" (June 13, 1949) *"Forecast for Crime" (June 15, 1949) *"Murder on the Midway" (June 17, 1949) *"The Borrowed Corpse" (June 20, 1949) *"Killer at Large" (June 22, 1949) *"The Mystery of the Frozen Monster" (June 24, 1949) *"Mystery of the Walking Dead" (October 29, 1949) *"One Minute to Death" (November 19, 1949) *"Puzzle of the Poison Pomegranate" (November 26, 1949) *"Death Rides the Roller Coaster" (December 3, 1949) *"Diamond of Death" (December 17, 1949) The series left MBS with the 60th half-hour show, "The Mystery of the Frozen Monster", on June 24, 1949. It returned as a mystery program targeted toward adults"Superman Program For Adult Audience", ''Winona Republican-Herald'', Winona, Minnesota, October 28, 1949 on Saturday, October 29, 1949, at 8:30pm over the ABC network. ABC aired this adult-themed version for 13 weeks, concluding with "Dead Men Tell No Tales" on January 21, 1950. This broadcast marked the final radio appearance of Bud Collyer as Clark Kent/Superman. On June 5, 1950, ABC revived ''The Adventures of Superman'' as a twice-weekly afternoon half-hour series. This version reused the scripts for the 60 MBS half-hour episodes and the 13 "adult" ABC episodes but with new cast members. Michael Fitzmaurice replaced Collyer as Kent/Superman, Jack Grimes replaced Jackie Kelk as Jimmy Olsen, and
Ross Martin Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sout ...
replaced Jackson Beck as narrator. A total of 78 episodes were produced, with the final broadcast, "The Mystery of the Prehistoric Monster", on March 1, 1951. By then, producer Robert Maxwell was actively preparing '' Adventures of Superman'' for television.


Cast

*
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 ...
/Kal-El/
Clark Kent 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 publish ...
: **
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 ...
(1940–1950) ** Michael Fitzmaurice (1950–1951) *
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 ...
: **
Rolly Bester Alfred Bester (December 18, 1913 – September 30, 1987) was an American science fiction authors, science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books. He is best remembered for h ...
** Helen Choate **
Joan Alexander Joan Alexander (born Louise Abrass; April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009)
''
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 ...
: ** Julian Noa *
Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and has ...
: **
Jackie Kelk John Daly "Jackie" Kelk (August 6, 1923 – September 5, 2002) was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for portraying the role of Homer Brown on the radio series ''The Aldrich Family'' a ...
** Jack Grimes *
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
: **
Matt Crowley Matt Crowley (June 20, 1905 – March 7, 1983) was an American film, television and radio actor. Life and career Matt Crowley was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was a student of George Pierce Baker at Yale University. As an actor, Crowl ...
**
Stacy Harris Stacy Harris (July 26, 1918 – March 13, 1973) was an American actor with hundreds of film and television appearances. His name is sometimes found misspelled Stacey Harris. Early years Harris was an Army pilot whose leg was injured in a ...
**
Gary Merrill Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of television guest appearances. He starr ...
* Robin: ** Ronald Liss *
Inspector Henderson Inspector William Henderson is a supporting character in Superman comics published by DC Comics. Along with comic books, Henderson has made appearances in various television shows like '' Adventures of Superman'' where he was portrayed by Robert S ...
: **
Matt Crowley Matt Crowley (June 20, 1905 – March 7, 1983) was an American film, television and radio actor. Life and career Matt Crowley was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was a student of George Pierce Baker at Yale University. As an actor, Crowl ...
** Earl George *
Jor-El Jor-El, originally known as Jor-L, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 with Superman. ...
: **
Ned Wever Ned Wever (born Edward Hooper Weaver; April 27, 1902 – May 6, 1984) was an actor on stage and on old-time radio. Garyn G. Roberts wrote in his book, ''Dick Tracy and American Culture: Morality and Mythology, Text and Context'', "Wever's most f ...
*
Lara Lara may refer to: Places * Lara (state), a state in Venezuela *Electoral district of Lara, an electoral district in Victoria, Australia * Lara, Antalya, an urban district in Turkey * Lara, Victoria, a township in Australia * Lara de los Infa ...
: **
Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...
* Ro-Zan: **
Jay Jostyn Jay Jostyn (December 13, 1901 – June 25, 1976) was an actor in the era of old-time radio. He is best known for portraying the title role in ''Mr. District Attorney'' on radio.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical D ...
* Professor: ** Jay Jostyn * Jimmy (Professor's son): ** Junior O'Day * The Wolfe: ** Ned Wever * Keno: ** Arthur Vinton * Railroad Conductor: ** Julian Noa * The Yellow Mask: ** Julian Noa * Dr. Dahlgren: ** Ned Wever * June Anderson: ** Marian Shockley * Bartley Pemberton: ** Ned Wever * Captain Anderson: **
Frank Lovejoy Frank Andrew Lovejoy Jr. (March 28, 1912 – October 2, 1962) was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He is perhaps best remembered for appearing in the film noir '' The Hitch-Hiker'' and for starring in the radio drama '' Night Beat ...
* Beany Martin (
Daily Planet The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
copyboy): **
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 ...
*
Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...
: **
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 ...
*
Narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
: ** George Lowther (1940–1942) **
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 ...
(1943–1951) **
Ross Martin Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sout ...
(1951) In the 1950s, an Australian version of the series had a different cast with Superman played by
Leonard Teale Leonard George Thiele AO (26 September 192214 May 1994), professionally Leonard Teale, was a well-known Australian actor of radio, television and film and radio announcer, presenter and narrator known for his resonant baritone voice. He is be ...
.


References


External links


"Superman... in the Media," ''Radio Recall'', February 2005

Superman Radio Episode ListEpisodes of ''The Adventures of Superman'' from Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Superman, The Superman radio series American radio dramas American science fiction radio programs 1940 radio programme debuts 1951 radio programme endings Mutual Broadcasting System programs Superhero fiction ABC radio programs