Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman Page #3

He was at the New York world's Fair

played by actor Ray Middleton.

And he was at

the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade...

. . .impersonated by a balloon.

Now seen as a symbol of hope

to a struggling nation...

...Superman was bigger

and more powerful...

... than even his creators

could have imagined.

Look, up in the sky.

It's a bird,

it's a plane, it's Superman.

On February 12, 1940...

. . .The Adventures of Superman debuted

on radio stations across America.

Yes, it's Superman.

Today, as we begin

the Man of Steel's new adventure. . .

. . .a cunning trap is being set

for the girI reporter, Lois Lane.

Within a year an estimated 20 million

listeners were tuning in.

Now, for the first time,

comic-book fans could hear...

... what a Superman story sounded like.

We didn't have television

but, boy. . .

I mean you know you'd stare at that Atwater Kent (radio),

or that little dial, and you were there.

I mean, it's the theater of the mind.

Hey! that roof's

gonna fall in a second!

I'II just wrap my cape

around these two like this--

Here comes that roof.

The dual role of Superman and Clark Kent

was played by Clayton Bud Collyer...

. . . who would perform the characters

in over 2,000 programs.

He got the concept of doing

clark up in sort of his tenor voice:

''This looks like a job for Superman. ''

This is a job for Superman.

The radio-show writers

added plot devices...

... that became part

of the DC universe.

Superman didnn't just leap

over buildings, he flew.

Up, up and away.

The writers also changed the name

of the Daily Star to the Daily planet. . .

...and the name of editor

George Taylor to perry White.

-Mr. White, I'd like to thank you.

-Let it go, Kent.

You get a story

and you get a job.

They made copy boy and cub

reporter Jimmy Olsen a key member...

...of Superman's supporting cast.

And get this, Miss Lane, Mr. White

gave me all the buried treasure.

It comes to almost 1 0,000 dollars.

And it was on radio

that Kryptonite was introduced...

...as the only substance powerful enough

to harm the Man of Steel.

Superman discovered to his horror

that if he approached. . .

. . .within a distance of 1 0 feet

of the strange green glowing meteor. . .

. . .he lost all his strength.

The 1940 radio show also fueled interest

in a shower of Superman merchandise...

... that exploded onto the marketplace.

There are probably only

two characters on the planet. . .

...that you could peg its popuIarity

to its merchandising.

And that's Mickey Mouse

and Superman.

More precious than a Superman toy

was membership...

...in the Superman of America Club

founded in 1939.

You had to keep

sending in coupons. . .

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