The Arctic Giant (1942)

Superman versus a thawed-out Tyrannosaurus.

Director:

Dave Fleischer

Writers:

Jerry Siegel (characters), Joe Shuster (characters),

Stars:

Joan Alexander, Jackson Beck, Bud Collyer

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Joan Alexander	...	Lois Lane (voice) (uncredited)
Jackson Beck	...	Perry White (voice) (uncredited)
Bud Collyer	...	Clark Kent / Superman (voice) (uncredited)
Julian Noa	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Storyline

An expedition unearths a frozen Tyrannosaurus in the Siberian tundra and brings it back to the USA. Naturally, it accidentally thaws and runs amok. Can Superman handle it?

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Plot Keywords:

tyrannosaurus | frozen | suspended animation | el train | machine gun | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

El gigante del Ártico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fleischer Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

9 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this short (as in some of the others) Superman leaps from place to place (like later Marvel's Incredible Hulk), rather than flying. This is from the original comics version, in which he didn't fly either. He was given the ability to fly, in the comics as well as the animated series when the creators realized that what looked good in heroic static drawings made him look like a red-and-blue kangaroo bouncing over buildings.

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Goofs

In reality, if a 160 foot dinosaur was encased in ice, it would take hours or possibly days for the ice to melt if exposed to heat. Not ten seconds.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Voices: Up in the sky, look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!
Narrator: Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, this amazing stranger from the planet Krypton, The Man of Steel: Superman! Possessing remarkable physical strength, Superman fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice, disguised as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter, Clark Kent.

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Connections

Followed by Electric Earthquake (1942)

User Reviews

Superman Defends Metropolis - Again

A SUPERMAN Cartoon

A tremendous tyrannosaurus rex, discovered in Siberian snows, is put on display in Metropolis encased in a huge block of ice. A freak accident causes a thaw and the monster reawakens - with intrepid reporter Lois Lane nearby. Escaping, the dinosaur cuts a huge swath of destruction across town. With its unbelievable prehistoric strength, is even SUPERMAN any match for THE ARCTIC GIANT?

This was another in the series of excellent cartoons Max Fleischer produced for Paramount Studio. They feature great animation and taut, fast-moving plots. Meant to be shown in movie theaters, they are miles ahead of their Saturday Morning counterparts.