I was watching the Kirk Allen Superman serial Superman versus the Atom Man when I realized I couldn't recall if there was ever a Lex Luthor in the 1952 tv series. Was there?
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I'm pretty sure there never was. Most of the scientific geniuses in that series were of the well-meaning, befuddled kind. Lex would have been a nice change of pace. I don't think there were any "name" villains (it's not like the Puzzler would have put them over budget), and I don't think any of the crackpot scientists were the same guys as their similar comic book counterparts--did Prof. Potter exist by 1952?
I've not seen the serial. I believe the Luthor/Atom Man storyline was based on one from the Adventures of Superman radio show. Many episodes of the show can be listened to at Internet Archive.
This made me realize that I've never seen either Superman serial, except for clips. Used to see Kirk Alyn at the San Diego Con years ago. I found a cheap DVD (not a bootleg) containing both serials and ordered it.
I loved Talbot's Luthor--the serial's take on Lex as both a mad scientist and a respectable businessman worked better than most of the later takes on "respectable" Luthor.
I liked how Luthor went from cold and calculating at the start to just plain frustrated and nearly crazy at the end. I actually didn't find anyone not to like in the cast, Noel Neil didn't even bother me as Lois and I've found the character of Lois to be someone easily disliked if played wrong.
There was a balding villain that appeared several times and was always the boss when he showed up. He might as well have been playing Luthor. When watching it I imagine it's Luthor using different phony names and except that Superman keeps falling for them it works pretty good.
Sometime circa 1972 I got to see a local theater group in the Chicago area perform the musical play It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman! [sic].
Now, I'd already read about the (1965?) Broadway show and heard the soundtrack album, but in these performances, the villian -- Dr. Abner Sedgwick in the original -- was called "Doctor Luthor." He was still a ten-time Nobel Prize loser and rather goofy -- only the name was changed*.
In fact, the character name appeared clumsily inserted into the text of the playbill, as if an afterthought.
This was interesting. I could understand their changing a lesser character name (say "Perry White") to avoid paying additional royalties, but to go back to an actual National Comics handle -- that's odd.
I'm wondering if some real-life Abner Sedgwick objected to the use of his name. Or did they just want more connections to the original franchise?
*It even turned up in a song lyric, with some damage to the meter!
"Call me Abner! Lex!"
To which Max Mencken replies "Abner? Lex? I love that name!"
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I'm pretty sure there never was. Most of the scientific geniuses in that series were of the well-meaning, befuddled kind. Lex would have been a nice change of pace. I don't think there were any "name" villains (it's not like the Puzzler would have put them over budget), and I don't think any of the crackpot scientists were the same guys as their similar comic book counterparts--did Prof. Potter exist by 1952?
I've not seen the serial. I believe the Luthor/Atom Man storyline was based on one from the Adventures of Superman radio show. Many episodes of the show can be listened to at Internet Archive.
Strange that they didn't have a Luthor, the Luthor int he serial is very good.
This made me realize that I've never seen either Superman serial, except for clips. Used to see Kirk Alyn at the San Diego Con years ago. I found a cheap DVD (not a bootleg) containing both serials and ordered it.
The one with Luthor is the better of the two.
Just finished watching it and Superman Versus Atom Man was better than the Spider Lady serial. Talbot really made a good Luthor.
I loved Talbot's Luthor--the serial's take on Lex as both a mad scientist and a respectable businessman worked better than most of the later takes on "respectable" Luthor.
I liked how Luthor went from cold and calculating at the start to just plain frustrated and nearly crazy at the end. I actually didn't find anyone not to like in the cast, Noel Neil didn't even bother me as Lois and I've found the character of Lois to be someone easily disliked if played wrong.
Sometime circa 1972 I got to see a local theater group in the Chicago area perform the musical play It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman! [sic].
Now, I'd already read about the (1965?) Broadway show and heard the soundtrack album, but in these performances, the villian -- Dr. Abner Sedgwick in the original -- was called "Doctor Luthor." He was still a ten-time Nobel Prize loser and rather goofy -- only the name was changed*.
In fact, the character name appeared clumsily inserted into the text of the playbill, as if an afterthought.
This was interesting. I could understand their changing a lesser character name (say "Perry White") to avoid paying additional royalties, but to go back to an actual National Comics handle -- that's odd.
I'm wondering if some real-life Abner Sedgwick objected to the use of his name. Or did they just want more connections to the original franchise?
*It even turned up in a song lyric, with some damage to the meter!
"Call me Abner! Lex!"
To which Max Mencken replies "Abner? Lex? I love that name!"
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