Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)

Director:

Spencer Gordon Bennet

Writers:

George H. Plympton (screenplay) and
Joseph F. Poland (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 July 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

TRAPPED BY DEADLY FUMES! (original poster-all caps)

Plot:

Superman battles Lex Luthor who is using a teleportation device and a new identity as Atom Man in his criminal plans.

Plot Keywords:

Serial | Kryptonite | Stock Footage | Teleportation | Scheme

Cast

Kirk Alyn	...	Superman / Clark Kent
Noel Neill	...	Lois Lane
Lyle Talbot	...	Luthor / The Atom Man
Tommy Bond	...	Jimmy Olsen
Pierre Watkin	...	Perry White
Jack Ingram	...	Foster - Henchman
Don C. Harvey	...	Albor (as Don Harvey)
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Carl - Henchman
Terry Frost	...	Baer -Henchman
Wally West	...	Henchman Dorr [Chs. 1, 6, 9]
Paul Stader	...	'Killer' Lawson [Chs. 1-4] (as Paul Strader)
George Robotham	...	Earl - TV Truck Cameraman-driver [Chs. 10-12]
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Oil Field Worker (archive footage) (uncredited)
Robert Barron	...	Rozan (Chief of the Council) (stock footage from original 'Superman' serial) [Ch. 7] (uncredited) (archive footage)
Stanley Blystone	...	Joe Evans - Interviewee [Ch. 12] (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford	...	Mr. Taylor [Ch. 6-7] (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Eddie - TV Truck Crewman [Chs. 10-12] (uncredited)
John Elliott	...	Council Member (stock footage) [Ch. 7] (uncredited)
Frank Ellis	...	Lawson's Police Escort [Ch. 1] / Phoney News Photographer [Ch. 3] (uncredited)
Tommy Farrell	...	Man Observing Ship Rescue / Briggs, Chs. 2, 10 (uncredited)
William Fawcett	...	Mayor of Metropolis [Ch. 7] (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston	...	Thug Loading Truck [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Eddie Foster	...	Chief Thug Loading Truck [Ch.1] (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Cave Entrance Guard [Chs. 8, 14] (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Impatient Man at Bridge [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Observer [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
John Hart	...	Henchman in Car [Ch. 3] (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Prof. Stone [Chs. 3-4] (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Police Chief Forman [Chs. 5, 13-14] (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Eavesdropping Robber at Daily Planet [Ch. 10] (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Jor-El (stock footage from original 'Superman' serial) [Ch. 7] (uncredited) (archive footage)
Pierce Lyden	...	Henchman Garland [Ch. 9] (uncredited)
Knox Manning	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
George Morrell	...	Bank Guard [Ch. 8] (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Train Passenger [Ch. 5] (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Power Company Truck Driver [Ch. 9] (uncredited)
Hugh Prosser	...	HQ Henchman [Ch. 2] (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Policeman on Road [Chs. 11-12, 14] (uncredited)
Guy Teague	...	Policeman at Bridge [Ch. 1] (uncredited)
Rick Vallin	...	Power Company Truck Worker [Ch. 9] (uncredited)
Michael Vallon	...	Council Member (stock footage) / Spectator (uncredited)
Luana Walters	...	Lara (stock footage from original 'Superman' serial) [Ch. 7] (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Spencer Gordon Bennet		(as Spencer Bennet)

Writing credits
George H. Plympton		(screenplay) and
Joseph F. Poland		(screenplay) and
David Mathews		(screenplay)
Joe Shuster		characters (uncredited)
Jerry Siegel		characters (uncredited)

Produced by
Sam Katzman	....	producer

Cinematography by
Ira H. Morgan

Film Editing by
Earl Turner

Art Direction by
Paul Palmentola

Set Decoration by
Sidney Clifford

Production Management
Herbert B. Leonard	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derwin Abrahams	....	second unit director
R.M. Andrews	....	assistant director

Special Effects by
Howard Swift	....	special animation effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunt double: Kirk Alyn (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Guy Teague	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally West	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Mischa Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director
David Raksin	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Miklós Rózsa	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Marlin Skiles	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Violet Newfield	....	set continuity

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1950) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1950) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film Aktiebolag (1950) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film Aktieselskap (1950) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Comet Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Comet Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

252 min (15 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

In chapter one the shot of Luthor destroying the bridge is actual footage of "Galloping Gertie" or "Bouncing Betty" at the Tacoma Narrows, Washington, USA.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the Beginning of Chapter Six, the outline of the hole Superman's about to make in the barn door is already visible.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse (1940)

Who could have thought the sequel could be worse?

Now that I've seen the second of the two Superman serials, I am convinced that Kirk Alyn is the worst actor ever to don Superman's tights. He may be the worst actor to ever don tights, period. George Reeves made Superman and Clark Kent human beings in his television characterization, despite every tendency of the scripts and effects to drag him down to cartoon level. Kirk Alyn's Superman IS a cartoon, even more so than the animated Superman in the flying scenes. He simply has no reality, no thought process, no human believability, and in a fantasy character like Superman, that's fatal. He's not helped, of course, by the terrible dialog inflicted upon the actors, none of whom come within a zillion miles of their best work (and for some of them, that's saying something!). One cannot come to a serial with the expectation of seeing great art or even the believability of a popular art of which Casablanca or Gone With the Wind are examples. But the two Superman serials were complete disappointments to me, even within my limited experience of serials. The Dick Tracy serials, the Batman serials, even the John Wayne serials, seem miles ahead of these two, though I wanted very much to like them. Maybe if George Reeves had been in them.... But poor George had it rough enough. Let's not inflict these on him.