DVD Review: Adventures of Superman - The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons

By April MacIntyre Dec 21, 2006, 14:30 GMT

Great for young kids to get a peek at this innocent and fictional American life before Britney, school shootings and the quality of English spoken that was instilled in a public education that actually taught something.

To the joy of millions of kids from the fifties through the series repeats into the early seventies, was the clarion call of “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive..."

George Reeves starred as the Kryptonian crusader, who came to Earth and fought for truth, justice and the American way, in the classic adventure series that ran in syndication from 1952-1957. The series also featured Phyllis Coates (and later Noel Neill) as Lois Lane, Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, and John Hamilton as Perry White.

Warner Brothers has released a beautifully packaged collection of Adventures of Superman. This set comprises the final two seasons and 26 episodes on five discs of the original incarnation of the fated George Reeves as television's Superman.

For all ages, especially those of a certain age who want to have a cheerful reminder of their youth, this boxed set is a lot of fun.

This is a classic fifties television show, and by today's standards seems stilted and perhaps odd at times to younger audiences.  But it is a delightful study in its scripted crispness and earnest moral outrage at the fedora wearing "Lefties" and gangster elements plaguing society in their sprawling metropolis.

Promotional image from Adventures of Superman

In the film, Hollywoodland, starring Ben Affleck, portraying actor George Reeves' as a struggling actor, and a private eye's investigation following Reeves' death that happened not even a year after the last show aired.   The movie shows Affleck as Reeves taking a bit of a contemptuous attitude toward the show and its fans.

You have to bring a childlike innocence and open mind to this series, remembering it was made in a time where people were a bit more polite, men wore hats, were formal in their dress and diction, and certainly more observant of stricter standards in proper behavior and rigid sexual role play. 

Adventures of Superman production on these last two seasons that aired during 1957-58 had overcome earlier tight budgetary concerns, and the writing became a bit more fantastical as gangsters would shoot at Reeves, and their bullets would bounce off Superman's chest.  Out of sheer frustration they actually threw their empty guns at the superhero.   My own favorite scenes are when Lois plays the manipulating patsy to gangster Lefty, tricking him into believing he was in charge, and all of Jimmy Olsen's earnest ,  sly humorous comments. 

Fitting with the political times the TV show was made, Superman fought for truth and justice, and "the American Way."   Instead of the later produced Superman movies with alien super-villains like Lex Luthor, TV Superman's enemies were grounded in the vein of lefty, communist types and gangsters.

An example of life imitating art, an interesting side note was actor Robert Shayne, Superman's ally Inspector Henderson of the Metropolis Police, was actually subpoenaed to appear before McCarthy-era House Un-American Activities Committee and unimaginably nearly lost his role were it not for producers, cast and crew who came to Shayne's defense.

The series fed on the lack of any discernible common sense displayed by Lois and Jimmy, used throughout these later seasons as the modus operandi necessary for Superman / Clark Kent to play savior.

Adventures of Superman: The Complete Fifth & Sixth Seasons in Full Color is presented in its original full frame format with episodes of varying quality.

Opening titles on the shows are grainy and flawed-but I enjoyed that, it made me remember the thrill of hearing the opening voice over when I was a little kid in the latter part of the sixties, when the reruns were part of the television line up along with Three Stooges in black and whites as well.

Effects wise-the show featured really basic stuff.  The same shots of Superman leaping out of windows and being in flight were used over and over, and noticeably don't mesh with the look of the rest of the footage. The mono audio makes it authentically retro, and features optional subtitles in French and Spanish too.

The timing for this DVD released set is nice, it will make an excellent Christmas present for anyone who loves classic television and is a fan of the iconic Superman. From kitschy Gangsters, unbelievable situations and schemes, Lois and Jimmy in peril, the show delights on may levels.

George Reeves as The Man of Steel

A side note on actor George Reeves.   Despite the costume he donned, with its oddly cut short pants against tights, he managed to give his Superman role an air of believability and class, and his facial cues were wonderful, especially when entertaining a long winded implausible story from a bad guy, or suffering a Jimmy Olsen tall tale. 

Olsen was many people's favorite character of the series, played by talented actor Jack Larson. The only extra in this boxed set features Olsen, in a brief tribute to Jack Larson's charming performances throughout the run of the series.

The image preserves its original full frame ratio. There are scratches and marks, mostly during the opening and closings, again, I fully expect to see this in reissues of fifties tv shows.

Extras Features:
The only extra is Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olson, a brief tribute to Jack Larson's charming performances throughout the run of the series.  Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen, and  runs about eight minutes. This takes a look at Jack Larson and how he came to be Jimmy and how popular he came to be. It includes interviews with Larson, Noel Neill, and a few historians. It is interesting and a good watch.

Great for young kids to get a peek at this innocent and fictional American life before Britney, school shootings and the quality of English spoken that was instilled in a public education that actually taught something.

Adventures of Superman - The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.