Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Superman Homepage has this awesome image of the cover for the DVD collection of Kirk Alyn Superman serials.  Yes, both serials are going to be in the one box.  Is it just me or is this a fantastic design?

(http://supermanhomepage.com/images/serials/serials-dvd.jpg)

Fantastic!

These have always been one of the holy grails for Superman DVDs. To get them both in one set is just perfect!

OH BOY, OH BOY, OH BOY!!!!
I can't wait!  Whoever came up with putting both serials in one set was brilliant! :D

How many discs?

At a decent bit rate, it should be 2 discs per 15 chapter serial.

Here's more details.  Yes, it's four discs:

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/superman-serials.html

As a fan of Republic and Columbia serials of the 1940s, I am really looking forward to getting these.

I have never even seen so much as a snippet of the Kirk Alyn Superman serials.

Nor have I seen videos of them for sale before.

Lee, I hate to be the one to break it to you but he turns into a cartoon when he flies.  That said Ive only seen Atom Man myself with Lyle Talbot as Luthor (looks just like the comics from the 50s!) and its tops! Favorite eps involve the Empty Doom (secret origin of the Phantom Zone!)

Actually, Klar, I did know that, from reading Gary Grossman's book, Superman: Serial to Cereal.

These were available on VHS back in 1988 to celebrate Superman's 50th.  As recently as last year, I found the first serial in a bargain bin at Toys R Us (!) for 4 bucks.

Kirk Alyn is a really fun Superman.  He has this sense of childlike exuberance that really fits my notion of the Seigel and Shuster model. It's like he's thinking "Whee, look at me, I've got super powers!"

On the other hand, whenever he wants to look "tough and no-nonsense," he sets his jaw and puffs out his chest and looks for all the world like Jay Leno doing his mock-angry face.  Also that bit where his voice drops a couple octaves during "This looks like a job for...Superman" worked cool on radio but it just looks silly here.

One fun bit occurs when Superman is consulting with officials at the Pentagon and says, "I must be going, gentlemen," and heads toward the window. "But Superman," says one official, "The door is over there." With a big grin, Superman answers, "Yes, I know.  Up, up and away!!!!"  out the window.  I had that as the "Exit Windows" sound file on my PC for years.  :lol:

Anyway these are definitely worth having.  Not on a par, quality-wise, with the likes of Captain Marvel and Spy Smasher, but miles better than those laughable Batman serials.  

Now if I could just find the serials of Kirk as Blackhawk...

They're out there 'wing.  Just gotta look hard and make sure youre not getting a soft dub

Hot dog! I just finished watching this serial. A friend of mine lent me an old vhs copy off AMC converted to DVD, so I am definitely buying a clean DVD copy.  :D

Actually, Nightwing, they were available BEFORE 1988 on VHS.  They came out in 1986, for the price of $100.00 EACH!  I NEVER thought I'd be able to own either one, until I saw them both at a Suncoast Video Store around 1996 or so for about $20.00 each (I bought several episodes of the George Reeves TV show at the same time).  

A few weeks ago, I looked up these serials on Amazon.com, just for fun.  The FIRST one was going for $60.00, and the second for $50.00!  Both have more sellers now, and a recent check showed 'em at $44.44 and $33.33, respectively!  BIG bargains!  :lol:  

Hey, didn't we have this same conversation a few months ago?  :)

I have both of the serials on VHS... DVD will be a welcome and needed change!

They were done REALLY well and pretty faithful to the comics of the time.. even though Superman DOES become a cartoon when he files it's okay (kind of funny when Kirk Alyn runs behind a big rock and from the other side comes a cartoon Superman bigger than the actor).  The cartoon flying actually works since it gives flying Superman a gracefulness that he hasn't had til Superman Returns.

I'm always puzzled that people feel compelled to mention this.  It's the exact same thing as The Hulk, Superman, Spiderman, or Obi-Wan Kenobi turning into CGI characters whenever they fly through the air.

The cartoon FX probably looked just as realistic (or as fake) to the audience of the 1940s as CGI FX look today.  Maybe even better.

:s:

Yeah, but like I said it kind of works... I was thinking the CGI thing too.

The serials were really good, but the flying compared to "The Adventures Of Captain Marvel" done years earlier looks like a set back, but again made Superman look more graceful.

I lent a friend my VHS copies of the serial, and he was amazed at how good they are.  He contends that they are among the best serials he's ever seen, and he's seen a LOT.  ;)  

The flying is sort of jarring at first, but one gets used to it VERY quickly.

I started watching the Atom Man serial again today, while folding laundry and got through the first 3 or 4 chapters.  The flying parts were kind of ahead of their time... since CGI wasn't around back then, I consider the animation a forerunner to that.  It looks like the producers were kind of meticulous in makeing sure they matched up the live action actors with their "cartoon" counterparts when the switch to and from animation would be used.

I also noted that Lyle Talbot looked exactly like the Luthor of the comics for that time... and he was probably the best rendition of Luthor on the screen, in my opinion, ever.  Evil genius, inventor, etc... Kirk Alyn, as someone posted, looked like he was having fun AND was heroic as well.  I wonder what the TV series would have been like if he stayed on as Supes.  His Clark was capable AND a buffoon at the same time.  No slight to George Reeves, but if Alyn had accepted being cast as the Man of Steel on TV, it would have been a lot more faithful to the comics characterization.

Noel Neill, of course, CLASSIC Lois and played Lois faithfully to the comics counterpart... Tommy Bond and Pierre Watkins were also top notch.  Pierre as Perry putting a cigar in his mouth and never finding a match was a GREAT running joke for the serial too.

For B level budget and actors, really top notch productions in both serials.  Very creatively done!