Superman: The Fleischer Version
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Introduction
In 1941, Max and Dave Fleischer produced the first of seventeen animated short films featuring Superman, three years after the character’s debut in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The Adventures of Superman (1952-57) television series introductions borrowed heavily from the Fleischer film introductions.
Bosko Video’s introduction to the two volume set of the Fleischer films states that the films originated hallmark phrases for the Superman character -- Look, up in the sky! and Faster than a speeding bullet! Bud Collyer provides Superman’s voice as he did on the popular Superman radio show.
The Fleischers’ version of Superman added to its animation roster -- Popeye, Betty Boop, and the full-length feature film Gulliver’s Travels (1939). With Disney posing a substantial competition, the Fleischer studio seized the opportunity to animate the Man of Steel. The Fleischers’ contribution to the Superman stories show painstaking detail, animation, and style. The contribution was also an artistic, reputational, and financial risk.
Animation
Bosko Video’s introduction details the drawing method.
These cartoons had the luxury of using pencil tests, and a special effects department that had been created for Gulliver’s travels. The elaborate shading on the characters, the expert cutting of action scenes, and the stylized designs of the backgrounds makes this one of the most elaborate and sophisticated fantasy cartoon series ever produced by any studio. They remain a landmark in animation history, and a legacy for generations.
In addition, the Fleischer animators used the rotoscoping process consisting of tracing a live-action character to create an animated likeness. Les Daniels explains further in his 1996 book DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes.
To enhance realism, animators employed the technique of rotoscoping, in which movies of actual human beings in action were traced. For the most part, however, drawing talent did the trick. The figures, especially Superman and Lois Lane, were broken down into groups of boxes and wedges that the artists could move through their imaginary space.
Leslie Cabarga opines about the Fleischer style in her 1988 book The Fleischer Story.
Even so, some of the animation in these cartoons seem stiff -- but no more so than the somewhat crude and mannered comic book drawings the Fleischers copied.
Besides their artistic relevance, the films broke ground for their lack of reliance on an animation staple, particularly for Disney. Cabarga explains.
This was the first time a cartoon series had relied exclusively upon realistic human characters without the aid of funny animals. It was also the first time the Fleischers played it straight with only a minimum of humor.
Result? According to Cabarga, the Fleischers succeeded. The series furthered their artistic growth and yielded some excellent and memorable cartoons.
Money
Naturally, the Superman project demanded a great deal of financial investment. Money proved to be a tough obstacle, though the Fleischer studio gained the confidence of Paramount. Like all artists of vision, the Fleischer brothers needed substantial funds for their new project. Bosko’s introduction recounts.
The pilot cost $50,000. This is three times what the Popeye cartoons of that time cost. Subsequent cartoons in the series had a budget of $30,000. Cost for all seventeen of the Superman films was $530,000.
Cabarga offers different figures, though still formidable for the era.
When Paramount proposed that the studio tackle Superman, Dave Fleischer was at first reluctant. For one thing, it would be very expensive to animate human anatomy successfully. So, hoping to dissuade them, Dave told Paramount it would cost $90,000 to make each cartoon (according to Dave, a typical cartoon short cost $25,000 to make and grossed an average of $90,000. To his surprise, Paramount approved the budget and Superman went into production. The series received critical acclaim and was very successful.
Daniels gives a slightly higher figure of $100,000 per film.
The Pilot Film
In their first offering, the Fleischers’ aptly titled Superman introduces the background of Krypton’s last son.
In the endless reaches of the universe, there once existed a planet known as Krypton, a planet that burned like a green star in the distant heavens. There civilizations far advanced had brought forth a race of supermen whose mental and physical powers were developed to the absolute peak of human perfection. But there came a day when giant quakes threatened to destroy Krypton forever. One of the planet’s leading scientists, sensing the approach of doom, placed his infant son in a small rocket ship and sent it hurtling in the direction of Earth just as Krypton exploded.
The Fleischers gloss over Superman’s youth and adolescence. They also discount the traditional part of the Superman origin story where the Kents discover the rocket ship and baby.
The rocket ship sped through star-studded space, landing safely on Earth with its precious burden, Krypton’s sole survivor. A passing motorist found the uninjured child and took it to an orphanage.
Over time, the Kryptonian learned of his tremendous powers and physical prowess and growing into the Superman name, using his powers in a ‘never-ending battle for truth and justice’ and adopting the secret identity of Clark Kent, ‘mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.’
The last part of the introduction mirrors the last part of the introduction to the 1950’s television series.
The Super Seventeen
Fall 1941 saw the release of the first two films. The theme of a villain using technology for evil purposes provides the story backbone for Superman. In Superman, the ubiquitous ‘mad scientist’ character sends a letter to The Daily Planet stating plans to use his deathly weapon.
Beware -- you fools! My Electrothanasia-Ray strikes tonight at 12. Total destruction will come to those who laughed at me and failed to heed my warnings. Beware -- I strike at midnight.
Showing her trademark fierce independence, Lois Lane demands the assignment and exits the office before Clark Kent or the Managing Editor can argue otherwise. With a reporter’s lack of fear, Lois flies a plane to the mad scientist’s headquarters and confronts him, hoping to get a scoop.
Well, things don’t go exactly as planned -- the mad scientist abducts and ties up Lois. He makes good on his promise by pointing his ray at the city’s Tower Bridge and destroys it.
Upon hearing the news, Clark Kent quickly changes into Superman, disarms the ray, rescues Lois, and jails the villain. At story’s end, the editor congratulates Lois on her scoop as she gives the real credit to Superman while Clark Kent winks at the audience.
The Mechanical Monsters parallels the pilot film in story structure. National Bank falls victim to a mechanical robot with flying ability. The Daily Planet accounts the robbery with an alert to the prominent House of Jewels exhibit including items valued at $50,000,000, prey for another robbery.
Again, Lois takes an unwitting first step towards abduction by hiding in the robot, a forerunner of ‘transformer’ toys. She goes undercover to pursue the story. Superman rescues Lois from the villainous inventor and destroys the robots.
As in Superman, Lois credits the Man of Steel for her scoop while Clark Kent nods knowingly at the audience. Also, the end shot shows The Daily Planet front page headlines summarizing Superman’s feats and mysterious disappearance, comparable to the Superman ending.
In Billion Dollar Limited, one scene erases any hint of Lois Lane being a defenseless damsel in distress. On assignment, Lois accompanies a train containing a billion dollars. It is the largest single shipment of gold ever attempted. The shipment is destined for the mint.
While Lois finds herself in the middle of a good-old fashioned train robbery, she locates a machine gun and fires at the robbers.
Despite her train robbery scoop, Lois laments her lack of a chance to thank Superman while Clark again smiles knowingly at the audience. The scoop also denotes Superman’s quick vanishing after saving the day.
The Arctic Giant offers an awakened Tyrannosaurus villain discovered on a Siberian archaeological find. It’s a true bonanza for a museum. Subsequently, the museum displaying the discovery keeps it frozen. Because of a freak accident it melts. The Tyrannosaurus revives! It terrorizes the city like Godzilla.
Superman defeats the dinosaur and Lois gets a front page byline.
Other Fleischer stories showcasing Superman include The Bulleteers. In this story, the criminals commit robberies via a sleek bullet-shaped car.
In The Magnetic Telescope, the title item pulls a comet to Earth. An imminent crash puts the planet in severe danger.
The Magnetic Telescope served as the story basis for the Panic in the Sky episode from The Adventures of Superman.
Electronic Earthquake reveals the city setting to be Manhattan, not Superman’s Metropolis. Lois racks up another scoop as Superman saves the island from a man-made disaster.
Lois’ competitive reporter instincts resurface in Volcano when she hides Clark’s press pass to Monokoa, an island experiencing recent activity from a once dormant volcano. Clark learns of Lois’ devious trick at the end of the story.
Terror on the Midway uses a circus setting. Superman battles the animal kingdom when an accident frees a mammoth ape. In turn, other circus animals escape.
World War II inspires several stories in the Fleischer series.
Japoteurs takes its title from a combination of the words Japanese and saboteurs. The latter word is French. It means those who commit sabotage.
When the world’s largest bomber appears ready for a test flight, Lois cannot resist stowing away after a tour for her and Clark.
Unfortunately, Japoteurs have also hidden aboard with the goal of stealing the plane. Superman rescues the bomber, crew, and Lois.
Japanese enemies recur in Eleventh Hour. The title refers to the time of various sabotage acts committed by Superman in Yokohama, Japan -- 11:00 pm.
In Jungle Drums, Superman fights the Nazis. His success causes immense frustration for Hitler when the dictator hears the news of the German army’s defeat.
The Fleischers diversified their settings for Superman. Utilizing the classic story of a villain imitating the hero, Showdown pits Superman against a Superman imitator who uses his disguise to commit thefts. Like The Magnetic Telescope, Showdown inspired an episode of the 1950’s television series The Adventures of Superman. The episode it inspired is The Face and the Voice.
Destruction, Inc. uses a munition plant as the setting and sabotage as the crime of choice by the workers -- an inside job.
The Mummy Strikes contrasts Lois scooping Clark. The roles reverse and Clark scoops Lois on a story involving a museum, mummy, and murder.
In The Underground World, the editor burns the main story. He claims that the readers will likely disbelieve an account including humanoid bird villains.
The Fleischer series concludes with Secret Agent. After receiving an order to cover a routine story, Clark stumbles on to a riveting plot. At the center lies a beautiful, blonde secret agent trying to outrun saboteurs as she heads for Washington, D.C. She wants to alert the powers that be to the saboteurs’ highly significant threat.
They are probably the largest and most ruthless gang of saboteurs in this country. I know. For six months, they thought I was one of them. This briefcase contains a list of their names together with their diabolical plans of destruction. They will stop at nothing to recover these records. I must get them through to Washington.
The saboteurs have other ideas. They wreak havoc with the agent’s plans.
After rescuing the agent and transporting her to the Capitol Dome with her records intact, Superman departs and poignantly salutes Old Glory.
Truth, Justice, and the American Way
In particular, the Fleischer stories with a World War II setting reinforce Superman’s embodiment of patriotic, perhaps propagandizing, values. This factor not only parallels other 1940’s offerings from Hollywood, but also reveals Superman as a uniquely American character, a quality appearing frequently in Superman stories.
Patrick L. Eagan interprets the American aspect of Superman in his essay A Flag With A Human Face in the compendium Superman at Fifty (1988).
It should not be surprising that the Superman comics of the 1940’s reflect such a world view, as other media of the day reveal that this perspective then enjoyed a wide popularity among Americans, as it had, indeed, for decades. This ‘us against them’ approach to international politics was reinforced for many Americans following World War II by the emergence of the Soviet Union as a world power.
The Fleischers used a real-life villain of World War II, although the depiction of Adolf Hitler in Jungle Drums is not the only Superman story to feature the Nazi tyrant.
In 1943, Look magazine presented a story with the scenario What if Superman ended the war? Superman takes Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin to the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. They are held accountable for their actions. Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin -- We pronounce you guilty of modern history’s greatest crime -- unprovoked aggression against defenseless countries.
As a contrast, a 1970’s Saturday Night Live sketch offered an opposite spin featuring the Man of Steel fighting on the German side during World War II as Uberman.
In comic book stories featuring Superman, patriotism is a recurring theme. Superman #395 (May 1984) shows the influence of George Orwell’s 1984 in its full-length story The Power and the People. It illustrates Superman’s dedication to liberty, freedom, and democracy.
When national columnist Bucky Berns’ wacky suggestions become realized, Superman endorses Berns for President to discover the reason. He begins investigating by submitting to a battery of tests in a northern Maine sector inhabited by ‘displaced Vikings.’
After enduring the Fire Test, Path of Pain, and Circle of Wizards, Superman must confront the Dark Cave. This last test holds ‘the worst thing your soul could confront.’
Superman’s ‘worst thing’ is a lack of freedom causing America to shift its political structure to military state status. Perry White publishes an underground newspaper to inform people about the truth. The Real News is aptly titled. How did this happen?
Bucky Berns became President. A Russian thinking ray beams into his brain via satellite.
Superman’s confrontation of his fears helps him overcome the Dark Cave and dismantle a Russian satellite similar to the one in his vision. He needs to achieve success before his worst nightmare becomes a reality.
The story narrative concludes,
Today, the super-powers of Earth are powers of great nations -- of presidents and premiers! Their powers are greater than the power of any man -- even a Superman! All great power needs restraint and protection, so it falls to me -- to see that the home of the brave...remains the land of the free!
Gary Engle summarizes Superman’s essence in his essay What Makes Superman So Darned American?, also in Superman At Fifty.
In the last analysis, Superman is like nothing so much as an American boy’s fantasy of a messiah. He is the male, heroic match for the Statue of Liberty, come like an immigrant from heaven to deliver humankind by sacrificing himself in the service of others. He protects the weak and defends truth and justice and all the other moral virtues inherent in the Judeo-Christian tradition, remaining ever vigilant and ever chaste.
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Title Release Date Running Time
Superman 9/26/41 10:22
The Mechanical Monsters 11/28/41 10:14
Billion Dollar Limited 1/9/42 8:35
The Arctic Giant 2/27/42 8:35
The Bulleteers 3/27/42 8:02
The Magnetic Telescope 4/24/42 7:38
Electric Earthquake 5/15/42 8:42
Volcano 7/10/42 7:56
Terror on the Midway 8/28/42 8:03
Japoteurs 9/18/42 9:05
Showdown 10/16/42 8:14
Eleventh Hour 11/20/42 7:58
Destruction Inc. 12/25/42 8:32
The Mummy Strikes 2/19/43 7:46
Jungle Drums 3/26/43 8:00
The Underground World 6/18/43 8:13
Secret Agent 7/30/43 7:39