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I believe there are very few superhero fans
out there who do not count Superman amongst
their favorites. Sure, there are a few Marvel
Comics elitists who say out loud that he
is little more than a big blue boy scout,
but I know when they get home at night they
pull their capes out of the closet and dream
of being a flying alien. Superman made the
leap from comics early on with Kirk Alyn
playing him on the big screen.
But in 1952, George Reeves would fill the
tights in a series that would last for eight
seasons. Though his career suffered greatly
because he became so identified with the
character, he was perfect for the role.
I only wish he could have enjoyed the joy
he brought to millions of children as much
as they did.
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Warner Brothers has been releasing sets of "The
Adventures of Superman" over the last year
and a half and are bringing it to a close this
month with the release of a single set containing
the 5th and 6th seasons. All 26 of the final episodes
are here, in full color no less. In this 5 disc
set, Superman fights all manner of villains from
a life-altering barber to a (believe it or not)
mind-reading burro. For the most part, we don’t
get an endless string of super-villains as we
have various gangsters devoted to a life of crime.
Being that the series was created in the 1950's,
newer audiences who are not willing to stretch
their imaginations might not enjoy it as much
as others. The show is very dated, but that is
part of its charm. Like the early movie serials,
the series was created closer to the time of the
original creation of Superman. It was a simpler
time, with a simpler method storytelling.
As for the viewing of these episodes, I was rather
surprised that Warners did not take more time
cleaning up the images. The original opening credits
are extremely scratched up and while the episodes
themselves look much, much better they still suffer
here and there from the occasional scratch and
glitch. The sound is about what you might expect,
but the mono does not detract at all from the
viewing experience. The episodes are completely
watchable, but it might have been nice to have
a slightly cleaner images.
Along with the main episodes, there is a lengthy
featurette all about the character of "Superman's
Pal: Jimmy Olsen." It is hosted by Jack Larson,
who played Jimmy in the series, and he is joined
by Noelle Neill (Lois Lane) and several Superman
historians as they take a look at the most famous
'sidekick' of the iconic superhero.
With the resurgence of the popularity of Superman,
I am glad to see that more and more of the filmed
versions of the character are being released to
the public. Of late, we have seen releases of
this series, "Lois & Clark", "Superboy"
and many of the animated series, as well as re-issues
and re-cuts of the excellent Christopher Reeve
movies (well, the first two were excellent…).
If you truly want your family to enjoy the Superman
experience, you definitely need to add "The
Adventures of Superman" to your collection.
Episodes:
Season 5 -
Peril In Paris
Tin Hero
The Town That Wasn't
The Tomb of Zaharan
The Man Who Made Dreams Come True
Disappearing Lois
Money to Burn
Close Shave
The Phony Alibi
The Prince Albert Coat
The Stolen Elephant
Mr. Zero
Whatever Goes Up
Season 6 -
The Last Knight
The Magic Secret
Divide and Conquer
The Mysterious Cube
The Atomic Captive
The Superman Silver Mine
The Big Forget
The Gentle Monster
Superman's Wife
Three in One
The Brainy Burro
The Perils of Superman
All That Glitters
Starring: George Reeves, Noel Neill, Jack Larson
Extras: Superman's Pal - Jimmy Olsen
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital Mono
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 11/14/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give The Adventures of Superman: Seasons
5&6 a B.
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