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| Adventures of Superman - The Complete First Season | 
 enlarge | Directors: George Reeves, B. Reeves Eason, Howard Bretherton, Lee Sholem, Lew Landers
Actors: George Reeves, Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Jeff Corey, Walter Reed
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy Used: $14.54
You Save: $25.44 (64%)
New (41) Used (26) from $14.54
Avg. Customer Rating:  131 reviews
Sales Rank: 10655
Format: Box Set, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 662
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.7 x 1
MPN: WARD4200D
ISBN: 0790798050
UPC: 012569420021
EAN: 9780790798059
ASIN: B000A5046K
Theatrical Release Date: September 19, 1952
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
In 1952 Superman flew right into the hearts and minds of the American TV audience faster than a speeding bullet. Though most people were already familiar with man of steel through his comic books, as well as the popular radio show, it was the new medium's Adventures of Superman that transformed our resident Kryptonian into a timeless icon. For many young baby boomers, Superman was the ultimate symbol of truth, justice and the American way. After watching this nostalgic trip back in time it is easy to see why: George Reeves. Reeves is the quintessential Superman. He is kind, confident, smart, always does the right thing and can literally do anything physically. Even Reeves' Clark Kent is cool, even cocky without any of the trademarked shy, clumsy and hickish traits the character has developed over the years. And then there's Phyllis Coates as the Lois Lane. Coates portrayal of Lois is surprisingly one of the stronger female roles in '50s television. She is one tough cookie able to stand her ground against criminals, fight off bad guys and is not afraid to outwardly express herself. Sadly, Phyllis Coates would be replaced by Noel Neill in subsequent seasons. Adventures of Superman also stands the test of time well as one of the best shows from the early days of television. A lot of it has to do with how the writers, producers and actors approached the making of the show. This first season, as well as the second, were made as if they were making a serious show suitable for kids and adults. Instead of being a kids' comic book show, the episodes have a strong "mini-serial-crime-movie" feel, are very story driven and include loads of elements from the popular film noir style of the 1950s. This is evident in such classic episodes such as the season opener "Superman on Earth," "The Stolen Costume" where Superman has his costume stolen by a burglar, and the tense horror-noir "The Haunted Lighthouse." Also included on this DVD set is the 1951 theatrical release Superman and The Mole Men which later became the televised two-part episode "The Unknown People." --Rob Bracco
Product Description
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 10/18/2005 Starring: George Reeves Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 126 more reviews...
 More that a DVD; Part of our heritage December 24, 2008
The First Season of The Adventures of Superman, is the best of the Adventures of Superman series.
For fans of Superman serials, this series was a major breakthrough in technology. In the earlier serials, the producers neither had the technology nor the budget to make Superman fly, so they used animation (and poor animation at that) for the flight sequences. In contrast, even by today's standards, Superman's flight in the opening sequence looks remarkably real.
The plots reflect the issues and concerns of the 1950's time period. For example, in "The Stolen Costume", Russian spies steal Superman's suit and a troubled Clark Kent struggles to explain to his insurance agent that he was the victim of a theft without actually telling what was stolen. In another episode, another foreign agent tries to get Superman to reveal his identity through the use of drugs.
The first season was filmed in black and white and makes excellent use of the "film noir" technique (known for adding a downbeat, yet melodramatic feel to the shows).
Another one of my favorites is "Mystery in Wax", where an evil fortune teller predicts death, but actually kidnaps the unfortunate victims instead. "Crime Wave" is also a favorite, done in a classic newsreel style which was also popular during the 1950's.
I also like the extras, which adds an excellent narration to key episodes. The narrations in the other seasons lack the detail of those in the first season.
There are only two shortcomings. First, although the quality of the shows are much better than I remember on my old black and white TV, I believe the remastering could have been better. Second, I would have liked to see more extras tying this season, to the mood of this country during the time period in which it was filmed. Not many people today realize that this season was filmed during the McCarthy era, where many writers and performers were blacklisted, mostly due to perceived ties to communism. This was one of the reasons why "Truth, Justice, and THE AMERICAN WAY" were emphasized in each episode.
this collection would make an excellent addition to any DVD library.
Must have for Superman fans August 31, 2008
Being a Superman fan makes it essential that you go to the roots of television's first presentation. We watched this first season and enjoyed every corny minute of it. If you were a child in the 50s and early 60s you will be instantly transported back to wonderful memories.
These are good quality products but remember the technology and budget for these TV show was very low... enjoy!Adventures of Superman - The Complete First Season
 Thanks for the memories June 17, 2008
This brings back many memories of enjoying this with my brothers at a younger age.Thanks
Woww~! April 10, 2008
"Great Caesar's Ghost!" Superman has lept to DVD, courtesy of the fine folks at Warner Brothers.
What a package this is too. While the Columbia House collectors editions contained selected episodes, this one gives you not only the first season (26 episodes), but also the full length feature films, "Superman and the Mole Men". The classic George Reeves photograph adorns the cover, and the eye catching interior design makes this a superior collectible.
The special features include a documentary, "Adventures of Superman, From Inkwell to Backlot", a rare vintage short, "Pony Express Days", and commentaries by Superman experts Gary Grossman ("From Serial to Serial") and Chuck Harter.
As a fan of the original series, this is what the good (bad?) Doctor ordered. George Reeves was born to play Superman, and his portrayal of the mild mannered Clark Kent set the benchmark high for Dean Cain, and soon, Brandon Roth. My favorite episodes? It's gotta be "Ghost Wolf" and "Treasure of the Incas"
"Look up in the sky...It's a bird...It's a plane...No, it's Superman!" Coming soon to a DVD player near you.
Why Did I Wait So Long ??? February 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I saw the customer reviews for months and months, but for some reason could not order this dvd set. When I finally did, I was so glad. It brought back so many happy memories. The picture was cleaned up so well with very few dust particles I remember from watching them on TV for years. I don't miss the commercials either. Watching these episodes gives me so much pleasure, even the bad scenery doesn't bother me. I know I'll have to order more seasons, but the first & second seasons got the best reviews, before the violence was lessened to make it a more "kid friendly" show (per other reviews). Wow, 26 shows for such a low price (I got these first two seasons of 26 episodes each somewhere else for $19.00 each). 5 Stars...most of the 52 shows are classics. I hadn't seen many for over 20 years and really enjoyed them again!
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