Adventures of Superman (TV Series) Superman on Earth (1952) User Reviews

The Super Genesis as retold for the Television Generation.

[redryan64 · 8/10 · 13 May 2007]

When beginning a new film, series or whatever on a character and American institution like Superman, care has to be exercised in two areas. First of all, one would have to be careful to be as faithful to the original origin story. (original origin? You know what I mean.)The second problem is to make the necessary adjustment ts to insure that the current audience will be able to take it in as being believable, within the context of the fictional character being portrayed.

The first or 'origin' episode has to contend with this.Giving all above and to provide the viewer with a little sense the tone of the story line. The writing and directing team did an excellent job of accomplishing these ends. Their efforts were successful beyond their expectations in bringing a good inaugural episode to the series.

First of all, we are told by narrator (Jack Narz) of the great civilization of super scientifically advanced people living on the great planet, Krypton. We view the Council of Krypton in session. The Planet's greatest Scientist and Father to the baby Kal-el, Jor-el is having no success in warning the Kryptonian leaders of the impending doom that awaits their world. He is warned that to continue to be alarmist or to make any preparations on his own would be treasonous.

The catastrophe comes sooner than expected, and Jor-el instructs his wife, Lara to take their baby, Kal-el (the infant and future Superman) into the miniature rocket he has developed as prototype to a great spaceship, and go together. Lara the mother refuses, insisting that she must remain with her husband. The tiny spaceship is launched with only the infant Superman inside.

The rocket goes to Earth, where the Kents find it with him in it. They raise the boy, who discovers that there are many things different about him. Pa Kent cashes in his chips, and after the Funeral, Ma Kent sees Clark Kent, now a grown man (from the baby Kal-el), sees him off to the 'Big City'.

All of the above, with very little variance, is the way the Origin of Superman has been told. The little differences were only in not being to settle on the given names for the Kents. Was it John & Mary, Eben & Sarah, Jonathon & Martha? The rest of the pilot installment involved Kent getting his Reporter gig and rescuing the man from falling from the Blimp ( Dabbs Greer). It also sets up his relationship with a blustery Editor, Perry White (John Hamilton), a feisty Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) and a bumbling Jimmy Olsen (Jack Larson).

All in all, the production did a very credible job of covering all the bases for all viewers, be they new or old fans of the Super Saga.

Nicely Don Inception Story

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 27 January 2015]

In a very short time, we are given all we need to set this series in motion. We are taken to Krypton where Superman's father, Jor-el tries but fails to convince the planetary elders to build rocket ships to escape the doomed planet. Little Kal-el makes his way to Earth as the planet explodes. He is discovered by Ma and Pa Kent and ultimately hears the story of his arrival on Earth. At the age of 25 he heads to the city to become the reporter Clark Kent, warned by his mother that he must use his powers to do good. We are introduced to Perry White, the Editor of the Daily Planet, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, cub reporter. The problem for Superman is that he must somehow get a job at the newspaper and he manages this in a unique way. By the way, having seen several of these episodes numerous times, this is the first time in my recollection that I have seen this one. Obviously, as a single entity, it stands alone.

The Beginning of a Great Ride

[brandonshw-47399 · 9/10 · 6 July 2022]

Everyone knows the Superman inception story. I can watch this episode any number of times and have an emotional reaction every time.

I'm going to sneak in an explanation of why the series is great. It's very low budget and, not surprisingly, for a television show of this era, is very naively written. Yet, it's one of my favorite shows out of the thousand or so I've seen. It presents the Superman story in a very compelling way. It's exciting. It has a great chemistry. I'm 68 years old as I write this and some episodes of the series still have the capacity to make me cry.

Watch this one and watch the others and if your mind is remotely like mine, you'll love it.

An Outstanding Start to the Six Year "Superman" TV Show

[zardoz-13 · 10/10 · 29 June 2013]

The premiere episode of the "Superman" television series with George Reeves as the Last Son of Krypton recounts the saga of the Man of Steel's journey to Earth. This efficient, 28-minute epic covers Superman's life from the time his father stuffed him into a rocket ship to Earth, the Kents rescued him, and eventually he landed his job as a newspaper reporter for the Daily Planet. Richard Donner's blockbuster "Superman the Movie" (1978) spun the same basic yarn, right down to Clark's Earth-bound father dying from a heart attack. "Rawhide" director Thomas Carr keeps the story moving like a bullet. He delivers everything from the Krypton high council meeting to Superman's rescue of a airship ground crewman with celerity and clarity. George Reeves plays it straight as Clark Kent/Superman. The only time he displays a sense of humor occurs when he delivers the last line of dialogue. Amusing, exciting, and laconic, "Superman on Earth" launched the series off to a good start after the superficial "Superman and the Mole Men."

The narrator (Jack Narz) opens this episode with this prologue: "Come with us now on this far journey. A journey that takes us millions of miles from the Earth where many years ago, the planet Krypton burned like a green star in the endless heavens. Here, civilization was far advanced. It had brought forth a race of superman. Men and women like ourselves but advanced to the absolute peak of human perfection." The crack about "human perfection" strikes an ironic note. The action unfolds in the magnificent Temple of Wisdom with its marble columns and burning torches. Superman's father, Jor-El (Robert Rockwell of "The Red Menace"), warns his distinguished peers that all is not well. "I have come to the conclusion that Krypton is about to be destroyed. The sun is gradually drawing Krypton closer to it." They refuse to believe that Krypton will drawn into the orbit of the sun and blow-up like "a giant bubble." They refuse to endorse his method of leading an exodus from Krypton. When they refuse to help him with his evacuation, Jor-El packs his son into a small spaceship and shoots him into space. The Kents rescue the infant superman from his burning rocket. He grows up with his mystical powers, but he doesn't understand why he is different until his Earth parents tell him about his past.

After Eben's heart attack, Clark leaves his mother and ventures into Metropolis. The narration provides many of the answers to the questions involving Clark's decision to go to the big city. "And so Clark Kent, strange visitor from another planet takes the first step toward dedicating his amazing powers to the cause of justice. He has resolved to keep secret his Superman identity and to adopt a pose of mild-mannered timidity as Kent in order to safeguard the masquerade. And in order to be at a place where he can learn immediately of any emergency that might require his help he seeks a job as reporter on a great metropolitan newspaper." During this narration, actor George Reeves is obviously walking in place with luggage in both hands while a montage of urban cityscape footage is projected onto the shot of Kent. After he arrives at the skyscraper housing The Daily Planet newspaper, Clark tries to secure an interview with the editor, Perry White (John Hamilton), but White is in a furious lather and refuses to interview him. Instead, White summons ace reporter Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates of "Girls in Prison"), while Kent enters the stockroom, steps through the window and strolls onto the balcony. Afterward, he enters White's office, and the Daily Planet editor is predictably upset at his appearance. Initially, White threatens to take action against his receptionist for permitting Kent to enter his office, but Kent comes to her defense and explains that he did it of his own volition. "That window' is 28 stories above the ground and the side of the building's flat as this desk except for a narrow ledge," clamors White.

No sooner has he utters this than Jimmy Olsen (Jack Larson) bursts into his office. Jimmy tells White about "a dirigible over the airport with a guy hanging from a rope." Lois snatches the paper from Jimmy and reads it aloud: "A blimp attempting to land at Metropolis Airfield in a high wind pulled eleven men aloft, clinging to the ropes. Ten dropped off safely, but one is still hanging on while the blimp cruises 1000 feet above the field." White dispatches Lois and Jimmy to cover the story. Clark asks a preoccupied White if he obtained an interview with the man dangling from the rope, would he give him a job. White assures Kent he will give him the job under those circumstances. Wasting no time, Kent scrambles to the stock room again. This time, however, he lunges out the window dressed in his familiar Superman outfit. This occurs about 22 minutes into this 28 minute episode. Superman rescues the worker (Dabbs Greer of "The Green Miles") after the poor employee plunges from the airship. Naturally, Perry White finds this yarn incredible. The crewman retorts, "I know it, Mr. White, but it happened." Lois contributes her two cents to the conversation. "As we got to the airport, we saw something streak across the sky and catch this man." Jimmy is just as baffled. "We thought we were crazy, too." Anyway, the rescued man explains Superman carried him to a hanger where he fainted and woke up at The Daily Planet. Clark gets his name on the byline of the front page story, and White hires him. Mind you, Lois is suspicious. She doesn't understand how Clark beat them to the airport. Clark grins coyly, "Maybe I'm a superman, Miss Lane." This is precisely the point at which the episode "Superman On Earth" neatly wraps up.

"Superman on Earth" qualifies as a good way to get the series airborne.

now THIS is Superman

[brianhemstreet · 10/10 · 1 August 2006]

This is the official first episode of the series, although the show's pilot, "The Unknown People" aired sometime before. For you aspiring writers of blockbuster films, check out this episode. In this half-hour show--which probably equated to about 20 actual minutes of programme, we watch Superman's dad--Jor-El--tell the ruling powers that their planet was about to explode. No one listened, so Jor-El sends his little baby off to earth in a rocket. Krypton explodes. The little baby--which of course is the future Man of Steel--lands on the Kent Farm. We meet his earthly parents, watch him grow up, and then move to Metropolis. In the last 5 minutes of the show we get to meet every character from the series, each with their own idiosyncrasies--and we even get to see Superman catch some poor guy who fell out of an air plane. Incredible character development, story, and action in under a half-hour.

So, let me ask the writers of "Superman Returns" this question: why did it take you 140 minutes to say nothing?

The Beginning, Evolving, Remaining a Classic Series

[biorngm · 10/10 · 16 October 2017]

Review - S 1 Ep 1 Superman on Earth This initial episode of the series, save The Unknown People, is my favorite by far, as it introduces all the recurring characters, making a smooth transition from the origins of the characters, the familiar sets we will view on a continuum and the plausibility of the main character. The adage for television is 'buy the premise, and you will buy the program' in addition to good acting, acceptable story lines in the context of the premise. It can be so cumbersome, and oft times sloppy, when the transition of the initial story is not done to near perfection. Consider this was early 1950's television, a limited budget, and an audience geared to children, it was special to see the first showing as comprehensive, and fulfilling all at the same instance. George Reeves was Superman, there were no others afterward, and there will never be. I bought the premise immediately, and did not balk at any of the stories throughout its run. There was a change to the formatting post Phyllis Coates, and even later in the beginning season, in order to gear to the children. Watching the three phases of this story, Krypton, Kent's farm and Metropolis, all were synched perfectly for the half-hour format. Watch and enjoy viewers, as there will never be another series like this, no matter how they try.

Superman; The Baby Boomers Hero

[williammaceri · 10/10 · 17 September 2022]

Today I watched the first episode of The Adventures of Superman "Superman on Earth". It took me back to my childhood growing up in the 60s watching the reruns that were on every afternoon Monday through Friday. I was lucky to live in a San Fernando Valley neighborhood that was filled with kids my age, we were always together. There were many days where we would all gather at one of our houses to watch Superman together, then we would go outside and and create our own Superman adventure. We had fun, but one of the boys loved playing Superman to the point that he had his mom make him a red cape with a silver boarder. He wore that cape everyday, even when we weren't playing Superman, after a while it got to be more than a little weird, his Kriptonite rock was balled up aluminum foil, like I said it was more than a little weird. We did this for years until we out grew it, thinking about it I hope our cape boy did too. I also agree with the other poster, Superman taught us right from wrong, respect for others, and values that I use to this day. Like I said we were lucky. With shows like Superman, Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best, along with others, we had great roll models to teach us to be good, responsible people. Clearly there are a lot of people around today that can't say that and it shows. People my age are the Baby Boomers raised in the Bugs Bunny era that the world will never see again. Our parents saw everything from the depression, WW ll , great American cars, first time color TV, man on the moon, to microwave ovens, and so much more that changed the world in a great way. All these things and of course Superman made us Baby Boomers, like I said-- luckier than any other generation before us and after us that the world will never see again.

Taught 1950s 1960s Kids Right From Wrong

[mps-35068 · 10/10 · 26 August 2018]

For kids 4 or 5 yrs age this B&W tv serial was just great. Growing up i never saw this episode until newer channels brought back about 3 yrs ago. I like it better than Brando Superman about 78. Loved his costume

A wonderful and engaging story

[oscar-35 · 15 August 2013]

The Adventures of Superman: TV show. *Spoiler/plot- Superman on Earth, 1952. Sets up the story of how Superman arrives on Earth, grows up, and helps his nation and city of Metropolis.

*Special Stars- George Reeves, Jack Larson, Phyllis Coats, John Hamilton

*Theme- Truth, justice and the American way is honorable.

*Trivia/location/goofs- TV show, episode #1. Shot around Hollywood, California.

*Emotion- A wonderful and engaging story of mythical superhero's work on planet Earth.

*Based On- D.C. Comics Superman legend.