This is the final segment of the final episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon Superman and Green Lantern team up to save the day when a wild elephant is loose in India.
This is a fun cartoon. Superman and Green Lantern have to save the day without harming the elephants making saving the day feel like a real challenge. The elephants have a great design, and the background art of India is very eye pleasing. The climatic action scene is done quite well. There is some of that very corny superhero dialogue that I love. While there may not be anything new here there is still enough to enjoy.
This is the third segment of the fifteenth (and final) episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon, the villainous Gentleman Ghost (a real comic book supervillain who is called Gentlemen Jim in this episode) once again rises from the grave. He wants to get revenge on Superman and Wonder Woman who stopped his evil deeds the last time he rose from the grave. All the Super Friends team up together to stop him.
This is a wonderful episode. There is a real atmospheric feel here that gives the whole segment a great Halloween-y feel. This is especially seen very well in the great gothic background art. This artwork is reminiscent of the best Scooby-Doo episodes. Gentleman Ghost is a wonderful villain here. He is actually kind of creepy for a Super Friends villain. The way he turns people into ghosts makes him especially creepy. He also feels like a real threat to our heroes here, creating a great sense of suspense throughout. The climax is especially exciting and effectively creepy. Though the villain's plan is aimed against Superman and Wonder Woman, this episode makes great use of each Super Friend.
This is simply a very exciting and atmospheric episode.
This is the third segment of the fourteenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this episode, our heroes must save the day when the evil Professor Korloff brings an ancient mummy to life for his own nefarious reasons.
As a fan of superheroes and the old Universal monster movies, this episode is a pure delight. The whole episode has a delight spooky Halloween-eque feel to it that I find tons of fun. The mummy's design is simple but very effective and his muffled vocal noises give him a delightful spooky feel. On top of this the mummy proves to be a very fun Super Friends villain, feeling like a real threat to our heroes. To name the professor leading the mummy Professor Korloff is a very fun nod to the classic Universal monster movies and to Boris Karloff who was the star of the horror classic, The Mummy (1932). The action scenes are a lot of fun here as well.
If I had one complaint it is that this episode takes place mostly in the daytime. A spooky themed episode like this would have been even more fun and effective with a nighttime setting.
This is the first segment of the fourteenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon Superman and Aquaman team up to stop the evil Sculpin, when he freezes all the world's oceans.
This is a fun cartoon. Sculpin has a wonderful design and voice that makes him a fun and memorable villain. With his freeze way and other technology, he truly does feel like a real threat to our heroes. This leads to some very fun action scenes, especially one involving a whale helping Aquaman. The cartoon also very much benefits from great background art, which gives it a great sense of atmosphere and fun. The story itself is simplistic and breezy, which creates just the kind of corny superhero fun I love.
The only real complaint I have is the obvious didactic dialogue at the end but that was par for the course for a TV cartoon at this time.
This is the final segment of the thirteenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon, Superman and Flash team up to save passengers on a stranded aircraft when they are attacked by Tibetan Raiders.
This is a very well-made cartoon. A Himalayan setting allows for some incredibly atmospheric background art. This atmosphere is enhanced by a great pitch-black sky and some snow effects in front of all the action. Though the villains are no match for Superman or the Flash, the action scenes are well done and fun to watch. This is an extremely simple story but that is its charm. Sometimes we don't need something complex or on a large scale. Sometimes a simple story of superheroes saving the day is all we need and that is exactly what this episode provides.
This is the third segment of the thirteenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon, a group of scientists create a shrinking way. All but one of these scientists seek to use the shrinking ray to help better the world. The other scientist seeks to use it for personal gain. This evil scientist uses the ray to shrink his collogues, so that he can use it the way he pleases. The super friends stop him.
This is a very fun episode. I have always had a fondness for these episodes with a typical person as the villain rather than some great supervillain. I especially love when these villains can actually feel like a threat to our super powered heroes. This is done very well here. There is especially a bit of suspense in the climax. The cartoon really gets good when the Super Friends must shrink themselves to save the other scientists. Seeing them deal with seemingly giant versions of smaller animals and insects is simply the type of corny superhero fun that I love. The design work on these creatures is wonderful and helps make the sci-fi feel even more fun. This episode also once again benefits from some strong background art that enhances the sci-fi feel.
This book marks a perfect introduction to the caped crusader, especially if you are a fan of the movies and/or TV shows and wish to explore the comic book adventures of the superhero. For those of us who have read more than a few Batman comics, it is still a very fun and engaging read. The book consists of some of the best and most historically important Batman comics ranging from 1939 to 2014. Many of these stories are a blast to read and give one a full understanding of who Batman is as a character. This book also contains text giving an historical overview of each different era of Batman's comic history. While many comic book buffs will find this information very basic, newcomers and causal fans will find it very informative.
Here are my thoughts on each of the individual stories.
The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (1939) A very impressive start for the Dark Knight. This first Batman story is still a gem today. Action packed and very atmospheric this is a pure delight.
The Legend of the Batman - Who He Is and How He Came to Be (1940) This comic was the first time Batman's infamous origin story had been told. It is told very quickly, basically but effectively here.
Accidentally on Purpose (1944) A fun golden age romp. This story features an early version of Alfred, when the character was still a comedy relief. He is delightful here and steals the show from our heroes. Despite this, the story has rather weak villains.
The Scoop of the Century (1948) A fun little golden age story about Vicki Vale (girl photographer) believing she has found out Batman's true identity.
The Jungle Cat-Queen (1954) A very silly but fun story with Batman and Robin fighting Cat Woman in the jungle.
The Batman of Tomorrow (1955) An over-the-top story about Batman getting help from a Batman from the future. The story has little logic to it but the future Batman's gadgets are a lot of fun.
The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team (1958) Through a flash back in another story, we get told how Batman and Superman first teamed up. The surrounding story is a bit rushed, and the ending seems a bit forced. However, the actual story of how Superman and Batman teamed up is a lot of fun.
The Mystery of the Menacing Mask (1964) A well done story featuring quite a good one-shot villain with a mind control gimmick. Beware of Poison Ivy (1966) The introduction of Poison Ivy is a bit underwhelming (as the villainess is underdeveloped), but it still has its silver age charms.
The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl (1967) A fun introduction to Batgirl with great artwork.
The Secret of the Waiting Graves (1970) A dark and atmospheric horror-adject story that still works very well.
Death Flies the Haunted Skies (1974) A airborne Batman story involving a ghostly World War One plane. There is a lot to enjoy about this very atmospheric story, even if it can feel a bit rushed.
The Deadshot Ricochet (1977) A well-made and action-packed reinvention of the villain, Deadshot.
Wanted: Santa Claus -- Dead or Alive (1980) A not wholly successful Christmas story that has its moments but is an uneasy mix of dark and corny.
...The Player on the Other Side (1984) I find the evil mirror version of Batman, kind of boring honestly, but the drama about Batman facing his past is very well done.
My Beginning ... And My Probable End (1987) A top notch Batman story in every respect. Batman facing what he has become when Robin has been shot by the Mad Hatter is an incredibly heartfelt and thought-provoking. Probably my favorite comic in this book.
Identity Crisis (1991) A very well-made page turner about Bruce Wayne waking up to find out that he is no longer Batman but someone else is. The ending is a bit of a cop-out, but everything else is so good you may not care. The Broken Bat (1993) This comic was a part of one of the greatest and most important Batman stories of all time, with Batman finally meeting his better in Bane. Unfortunately, reading this comic without reading the rest of the story can feel like reading a single chapter of a great novel. Knight Out (1997) After the darker stories that precede it, this is a welcome change of a pace. Just a humorous and fun story about a woman trying to get a date with Bruce Wayne.
Air Time (2001) A simple story of Batman saving a family in a car that has went into the ocean, proves to be a great examination of what the character is all about. The Beautiful People (2006) A very well written story about Batman fighting a new and dangerous villain, who gives him not clue what to expect. Trust Fall (2011) A overly bloody story of Batman fighting someone who has a vendetta against the Wayne family. A well told story but the gore seems excessive and unnecessary.
The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (2014) A retelling of the first Batman story with new vintage style artwork. The new artwork is great, and the story is still a delight.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with one of my favorite early Bugs Bunny films, The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (1942). One of the things you will notice first about this cartoon is how the characters are drawn. Bugs will often go off model in a way you would never see in a later short (around 1944 this would come to an end). Elmer is also in his heavier set design. Bob Clampett had redesigned the character for his cartoon Wabbit Twouble (1941) and that design would stick for four more cartoons (including this one). The design was based off of Elmer's voice artist, Arthur Q. Bryan. Yet there is so much to enjoy about this cartoon that you won't care how the characters look. Director Friz Freleng is known for how perfectly he could time a gag and this is incredibly evident. There are also plenty of incredibly clever gags from writer Michael Maltese (who would go on to form a writer/director partnership with director Chuck Jones that would result in some of the funniest and most famous cartoons of all time). Many of these gags would take cartoon logic to ridiculous and hilarious extremes. A review in The Film Daily called this short, "Tremendously hilarious." A review in The Exhibitor stated, "This has many humorous moments, even if not ranking with the best of the B.B. series. However with that title and his popularity, this offers an opportunity." The following is an exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Wabbit Who Came to Supper: Merrie Melodies Cartoons- Good. This series is taking off fast. They are asking when we are having our next 'carrot eating rabbit.' - A.H. Goldson, Plaza Theatre, Chicago, Ill."
Up next is the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, La Paloma (1930).
Servants' Entrance (1934) is a delightful comedy starring Janet Gaynor (Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), A Star is Born (1937)). If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend you do. It is a charming little movie that even has some real laugh out loud moments. One of the highlights of the film is the sequence when Janet Gaynor's character has a nightmare. She plays a spoiled rich girl who decides to disguise herself as a working girl. After making a mess of everything, she has a nightmare where various appliances and food come to life to taunt her. These appliances and food were brough to life via animation from the Disney studio. Like all Disney animation at the time, it was brought to you by a top-notch cast of animators. Art Babbitt animated Judge Egg. Ed Smith animated the characters entering from under the door and exiting back towards the door. Roy Williams animated the characters climbing up the foot of the bed and the dresser, the crowd scene at foot of bed and the crowd scene as characters start to exit foot of bed. Archie Robin animates the mustard pot. Cy Young animates the eggbeater. Jack Kinney animates the characters singing on top of the dresser. Don Townsley animated the singing knife and nutcracker. Leonard Sebring animates the fork quartet and the spoon trio. Earl Hurd and Nick George animate the characters running in a frenzy. Louie Schmitt animates Judge Egg falling, cracking and the little chick coming out. Milt Schaffer (under the supervision of Ben Sharpsteen animates the mustard pot climbing up the stand and turning on the light as well as the singing sugar tongs. Woolie Reitherman (under the supervision of Ben Sharpsteen) animates the broken fork singing. The sequence also features a great cast of voice actors. Billy Bletcher voices Judge Egg. Pinto Colvig voices the mustard pot. Allan Watson voices the singing knife. Paul Taylor voices singing nutcracker. Betty Rome voices the sugar tongs. Sid Jarvis voices the broken fork.
Now for Hoot Kloot in As the Tumble Weed Turns (1974).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is the Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoon, Billion Dollar Limited (1942). Paramount (the distributors of the Fleischer cartoons) brought the screen rights to the famous superhero in 1940 and gave it to the Fleischers to make a cartoon series out of. The studio was not quite sure about this venture after all animated cartoons had not yet done anything similar to a pure action film. They tried to dissuade Paramount by asking for four times the usual budget for one of the studio's cartoon shorts ($100,000) thinking Paramount would refuse. Shockingly they accepted and the series began production. Voicing Superman himself was Bud Collyer, who was already the character's voice on radio. The famous lines "Look up in the sky- it's a bird - no, it's a plane - no its superman" made their first appearance in Superman lore with these cartoons. The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald, "Billion Dollar Limited: Okay. Too bad the animation is so jerky, however. - Palace Theatre, Penacook, N.H." "BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED: Superman Color Cartoons — Poorest of this series so far. Even the kids didn't like this one. Too extreme to get by. The other two we have shown got by pretty well. - S.L. George, Mountain Home Theatre, Mountain Home, Idaho. Small town patronage." "SUPERMAN IN THE BILLION DOLLAR LIMITED: Superman Color Cartoons — We hardly know how to rate these cartoons. Played with a Gene Autry western and the program brought in a lot of kids. Maybe it was the cartoon. - Horn and Morgan Inc., Star Theatres, Hay Springs, Neb. Small Town Patronage." The following is a review from The Motion Picture Daily (that includes spoilers), "This version of The Great Train Robbery is quite a departure from the original. It involves a billion dollar train shipment. Bandits in an armored car attempt to take over with dynamite, machine guns and other implements of persuasion. Superman speeds to the scene. When the bridge is blown up and train goes toppling over, he dives down, gets a firm grip on it, and brings it back to the tracks. With bullets bouncing off his chest, he then tows it back into the station. The bandits retreat. Apart from the short's obvious value as children's fare, it is so fantastic that adults too should go for it. Running time, 8 mins. Release Jan. 9, 1942."
Now for a Mickey Mouse Works cartoon, Mickey's Airplane Kit (1999).
Now it is silent movie time with How Animated Cartoons Are Made (1919). Though the view of how these cartoons are made seems simplistic today, back when this film was made movie audiences knew much less about how animation was done. For them this would have been a fascinating look at a fairly new and emerging artform.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Family Portrait (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman show before the animated family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
An excellent superhero movie, despite a few flaws.
What makes this movie work so well is that it truly captures just what makes superhero comic books so wonderful. The best superhero comics mix elements that are corny and silly with a real sense of heart and some serious themes in a way that seems effortless and natural. That is the kind of feel that this movie goes for, and it works quite well. Many of the story elements are quite over the top and silly. Yet while the film makes jokes, it never becomes one. That is because underneath its often-sillier story elements it has a real sense of heart and takes its themes seriously. This movie understands that one of the most important aspects of Superman as a character and of stories revolving around him is the belief in humanities capacity for good and that regardless of how cynical the times may be there is always a place for basic human kindness. This optimism and felt throughout the film and it truly contagious. It also understands despite being born an alien, Superman was raised as a human and understands the world and feels emotions just like them. While I did feel that Superman's intelligence could fluctuate at times depending on where the story was to go (unfortunately a flaw that finds its way into even the best Superhero movies), other than this movie understands the character and what has made him appeal to so many. David Corenswet is actually quite great in the role, despite having big shoes to fill. Another great asset of this film is that it has the best live action movie version of Lex Luther. Not only is Nicholas Hoult simply wonderful in this role (perfect casting in my opinion), but the writing truly understands the essence of this character. No offense to Gene Hackman but this is the first live action movie Lex Luther that actually feels like the iconic comic book villain, we all love to hate. Great visuals and exciting fight scenes don't hurt this movie either.
This film is full of the signature James Gunn (who directed and wrote this movie) humor. However, it does not hit as consistently as it did in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies or The Suicide Squad (2021). There were quite a few moments that made me laugh out loud. However, there were also quite a few that simply feel flat. I also felt that this movie suffered from an excess of characters. Because of this some of the characters ended up feeling quite underdeveloped, especially the Daily Planet staff and unfortunately Ma and Pa Kent.
This movie may not be perfect but the parts that work are simply fantastic. Because of this I whole heartedly give this a full recommendation.
This is the first segment of the thirteenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends (or two in the case of Batman and Robin) teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon, Superman, Batman and Robin must stop Dr. Xra, who has created half-animal, half-man beasts.
This is a delightful cartoon. The whole episode has a wonderful halloween-y look to it. The nighttime lighting and the wonderful background art (especially the swamp leading to Dr. Xra's mansion) create a wonderful sense of atmosphere that can hold its own with the original Scooby-Doo series in this area. The designs of the creatures are also wonderful. They are delightfully creepy and imposing without being too scary to take away from the lighthearted fun. The action scenes are also quite well done and exciting.
This is a wonderful cartoon that provides some great spooky superhero fun.
This is the third segment of the twelfth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest.
In this cartoon an alien race called the Lionmen want to carve up the planet Earth to sell its resources to the highest bidder.
This is a delightful episode. The villains are a lot of fun. Their designs are excellent as they truly feel other worldly and creative. The voice of their leader is also a great and fun super villain voice. The Lionmen also feel like a real threat to our heroes, and this leads to a good sense of suspense and excitement. The scenes aboard the alien spaceship are especially exciting. The action scenes are a lot of fun as well, providing just the type of superhero fun we have come to expect from this series. These action scenes also do a great job utilizing each and every one of the Super Friends. This episode also benefits from some great artwork. The background art is as wonderful as ever, giving the cartoon a great sci-fi feel. The effects animation is especially excellent here, often giving the episode a larger than life feel.
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Animation fans know director Friz Freleng as a master of timing and very few comedy cartoons have come close to the perfect comedy timing of his films. This can especially be seen in his cartoon, Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943). This in my mind is one of his funniest films and just a pure delight. Despite the title, this film does not have a parotitic theme or revolve around U.S. history. With the James Cagney feature, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) having come out the year before, this pun was probably just too good for the filmmakers to pass up. Look for a portrait of Friz Freleng hanging in Porky's office. A review in The Motion Picture Daily calls this film a "Pleasant little subject." The following are Exhibitor's reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—This studio's cartoons lately seem to be either exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. This is downright terrible. - W. Verricks Nevins, III, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred N.Y." "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons—Good cartoon, but where does it get its name? - Ralph Raspa, State Theatre, Rivesdale, W. Va." "YANKEE DOODLE DAFFY: Looney Tunes Cartoons - Average color cartoon. - E.M. Freiburger, Paramount Theatre, Dewey, Okla."
Now for the classic UPA cartoon, Georgie and the Dragon (1951). This movie was directed by Robert "Bobe" Cannon, one of my favorite UPA directors. He had previously been an animator for both Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett's units at Warner Brothers and even Tex Avery at MGM. He even worked on the Disney feature film, Melody Time (1948). As a director he made some of the best UPA shorts including one of the studio's most famous films, Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950).
Next comes a short film from the husband-and-wife team of John and Faith Hubley, The Tender Game (1958). This duo brought us some of the most artistic and lovely animated short films of all time. The music on this film is by Ella Fitzgerald (the queen of jazz) and Oscar Peterson (a wonderful jazz pianist).
Here is an animated insert that John and Faith Hubley made for Sesame Street.
Now for the Fleischer Superman cartoon, The Eletric Earthquake (1942). For a studio that was best known for silly comedy cartoons like the Popeye and Betty Boop shorts, Fleischer Studios adapted itself extremely well to the action/adventure genre with these films. Even with the flux of superhero cartoons that have followed many still view these shorts as the gold standard when it comes to superhero animation. The makers of such shows as Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited have cited these short films are their primary influence.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
To this day some of the most popular cartoon shorts among Disney fans are the ones that used Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as a comedy team in the same vein as Laurel and Hardy, The Marx Brothers or The Three Stooges. The first of these was Mickey's Service Station. This was also the only one that was in black and white instead of color. In fact there would be only one more Mickey Mouse cartoon in black and white, which would be Mickey's Kangaroo (released later the same year). A quick bit of writing from an issue of The Film Daily (dated March 14, 1935), lets us know where this cartoon premiered, as well as the feature it played with. "Walt Disney's newest Mickey Mouse cartoon, 'Mickey's Service Station' is to have its premiere at the Rivoli Theater tomorrow on the bill with Samuel Goldwyn's 'The Wedding Night' in which Gary Cooper and Anna Sten are co-starred "Here is what some theater owners had to say about this cartoon in The Motion Picture Herald. "Mickey's Service Station: Mickey Mouse- Good filler lots of laughs and excitement. Running time, 1 reel - Rudolph Duba. Royal Theater, Kimball S. D. Small town patronage" "Mickey's Service Station: Mickey Mouse- A dandy cartoon. Mickey Mouse means something at our box office.- J.W. Noah, New Liberty and Ideal Theaters, Ft. Worth, Texas. General patronage."
Now for the silent Out of the Inkwell short, The Cure (1924).
Continuing today's selection of classic cartoons is Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor (1936). This is the first of the three Popeye two-reel specials (plus the first color Popeye) and one of the most popular Popeye cartoons. Running at 17 minutes this is twice as long as the usual Popeye film, yet the filmmakers work this to their full advantage. It never feels too long, and the extra time lets the filmmakers put in a more atmospheric fantasy like feel to this cartoon. This would be the first Popeye nominated for an Academy Award and received the 17th spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. A review in The Film Daily called the cartoon "Top Notch." However not everybody was so impressed by this film as evidenced by the following Exhibitors reviews from The Motion Picture Herald. "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor: Popeye the Sailor series - Good color but did not bring extra business like Paramount said it would. -Fisher & Bichler, Mattray Theatre, Strasburg, N.D." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor: Popeye the Sailor special - Worth twice as much as regular Popeye but no more. I paid more and that makes me a dissatisfied customer. - W. H. Brenner, Cozy Theatre, Winchester, Ind. General Patronage." "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor: Popeye the Sailor cartoons - This much Balley-hooed two-reeler, all color, third dimensional cartoon failed to come up to the entertainment value of the single reel black and white Popeye series. - M.R. Harrington, Avalon Theatre, Clatskanie, Ore. - Small Town and rural patronage."
Let us end today's cartoon selection with a classic Simpsons clip from the episode, 22 Short Films About Springfield (1996).
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman
This is the third segment of the eleventh episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this episode, the Super Friends must stop some alien robots, who are stealing various objects and kidnapping people to take them to their masters.
This is a delightful episode. Once again there is something just simply satisfying about watching these superheroes fight giant robots. This is such a simple premise, but it is one that is very charming and fun. This allows for some fun action scenes. The design of the robots is very effective and there is a good amount of suspense as they feel like a legitimate threat to our heroes. I also appreciate how the action scenes make good use of every single member of the Super Friends and none of them feel wasted. The episode also features some great and atmospheric background art as Superman travels to the alien planet towards the climax. This episode also features a great twist about the villains behind the robots that is very clever.
Man of Steel marked the start of what would become known as the DCEU (or DC Extended Universe). This was an attempt by Warner Brothers to create a connected universe for the DC heroes similar to the MCU for Marvel. Yet despite this being the start of a cinematic universe, plans for the movie began during the making of another DC Comics film. That other DC comics film was The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Though Warner Brothers had begun pitching ideas for a new live-action Superman in June 2008, it was during story conferences for that Batman movie that writer David S. Goyer (a writer on that movie) proposed his idea for a Superman movie. Chrisopher Nolan (who directed The Dark Knight Rises) was immediately taken with Goyer's proposed story and personally pitched the idea to Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers was also very impressed and greenlighted the movie. Due to the success of The Dark Knight trilogy and Nolan's interest in the story, Nolan was placed as producer for the new movie and Goyer was made one of the writers.
Finding the director for the movie was not as easy. Guillermo Del Toro was offered the assignment (I would love to see a Guillermo Del Torro Superman movie) but declined because he was occupied with a film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (a movie that would end up being made). Robert Zemeckis also declined an offer to direct. Other directors considered included Ben Affleck (who would later play Batman in the DCEU (he declined the offer because he had never directed a film with so many effects)), Darren Aronofsky (director of Pi (1998), Black Swan (2010), Mother! (2017) and The Whale (2022)) Tony Scott (director of such movies as Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Days of Thunder (1990)). Zach Synder (who had previously directed the DC film, Watchmen (2009)) was placed in the director's chair in October 2010.
British actor Henry Cavill was cast as Superman. This however was not the first time he tried for this role. He had auditioned for the role of Superman in the early stages of Superman Returns (2006) but was denied the role. About receiving this role the actor would state, "It felt pretty incredible, actually. I’m not going to lie. You put it on, and you think okay, this is day one of work — day one of being Superman, and you’ve got a whole crew here who are invested in making a Superman movie. I was all wrapped up in this very sticky waterproof black cape thing, so no paparazzi could get shots or anything like that. And it was roasting hot, it was over 100 degrees in Chicago. And it’s that moment of going, 'This is me, unveiling myself as Superman to the crew.' And there was a slight aspect of nerves, but it was more about excitement. People weren’t waiting to judge — everyone is sitting there rubbing their hands together with glee, going, 'We finally get to see what we’re creating here!' It was an incredible feeling, wearing the suit, after all the work I’d done and everyone else had done in putting the suit together. It just felt like the right moment. It felt bang on. Really exciting." Cavill has a naturally hairy chest and personally decided he wanted to keep the hair for this film. Being a comics nerd himself, he pointed out that Superman had chest hair in The Death of Superman storyline. Still, he stated the hardest scenes for him where the one's where he appeared shirtless. He refused to either take performance-enhancing drugs or having the special effects team touch him up, meaning he had to look muscular enough for people to believe him as Superman without any aid for these scenes.
This movie retells the origin story of Superman. This is the story of how he came to Earth, was raised by the Kents and how he learned to control his powers. He feels he must hide his powers because people might fear him and therefore keeps a low profile. However, when the evil General Zid arrives on Earth and wants to destroy humanity, he must use these powers to protect the world he calls home.
Despite its flaws, Man of Steel was a pretty strong start to the DCEU. There is a lot that I personally really like about this movie. I love its depiction of the planet Krypton. Instead of just making it feel like a futuristic Earth (in the vein of The Jetsons), the filmmakers really made Krypton feel like a completely different world. The filmmakers also try to make Earth feel more realistic and less fantastical than in previous Superman movies. This makes the contrast between Krypton and Earth very effective. I also loved the way that this movie handled the scenes where a young Clark Kent discovers his powers. This movie delves into how he cannot yet understand or control his powers. Honestly, as much as any of us would like to be Superman the discovery of these powers would be terrifying. This film makes us feel these moments of fear and panic placing us into the shoes of young Clark Kent. This movie also benefits from some great special effects and very exciting action sequences. General Zod may not be a complex character but honestly that has always been part of his charm. His is simply evil and with the same powers as Superman, he is a great threat. He fills this job very well here.
The casting in this movie is near perfect. Henry Cavill is a wonderful Superman. Not only does he perfectly look the part, but he definitely has the acting chops to pull it off. While Amy Adams may not be as memorable as Lois Lane as Noel Neill or Margert Kidder, she does quite a good job as a determined young reporter. Russell Crowe is very good as Jor-El (Superman's birth father) commanding the screen whenever he is on. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are very charismatic as Ma and Pa Kent. Michael Shannon is believable threatening and evil as General Zod.
This movie definitely does have its flaws though. The largest of these flaws is the depiction of Pa Kent. Despite a great performance by Kevin Costner, the way this character is written feels off. It is one thing to think his son should keep his powers a secret, but he takes it to too large of an extreme. Once when young Clark asks "What was I supposed to do? Just let them die," Pa has the nerve to respond, "Maybe; but there's more at stake here than our lives or the lives of those around us. When the world... When the world finds out what you can do, it's gonna change everything; our... our beliefs, our notions of what it means to be human... everything. You saw how Pete's mom reacted, right? She was scared, Clark." I'm sorry but saying that he did wrong by saving innocent kids from drowning because people might be scared is ludicrous. This is a horrible lesson to teach young Clark and that makes this feel like a compete character assassination. This is a character that is supposed to feel like a moral guide to our hero and to have him state something so morally wrong hurts the movie. I also felt that there was no romantic chemistry between Superman and Lois Lane. When we see them kissing in one scene, it seems to come out of nowhere.
However, while these flaws really hurt the movie, what is done well is excellent. So even with some major flaws, I still love this film.
The movie was a box office success. It became the fourth highest grossing movie of 2013 (the top three were Iron Man 3 (2013), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) andDespicable Me 2 (2013)). Critics were split on this film. Some felt that it was an exciting and intelligent take on the classic superhero. Others felt that this movie was long on spectacle and low on story and characterization. Roger Ebert (who included Superman: The Movie (1978) in his famous list of Great Movies) gave the film three out of four stories, feeling that it started off very strong but lost momentum along the way. Audiences remain just as split on this movie. Some feel it is one of the best Superman movies, while others feel this is a betrayal of everything Superman stands for.
Resources Used
Warner Bros. 100 Years of Storytelling by Mark A. Vieira
This movie was a long time coming. Warner Brothers had bought back the film rights for Superman from Alex Salkind in 1993. However, at this time, Warner Brothers had no storyline for another Superman film. The first Superman story thrown around began with our hero dying after getting Lous pregnant followed by Lois giving birth to a baby that is even more powerful than Superman. In fact, the baby was so powerful that it grew to adulthood in weeks. Warner Brothers wisely gave up this idea. The scripts that followed differed greatly from one another. Story ideas ranged from Superman trading his familiar costume for an all-black one to him building a robot named L-Ron to him fighting Batman and Brainiac to the resurrection of his birth planet to a movie that directly talked about 9/11. Titles for these scripts included Superman Reborn, Superman: Flyboy, Batman Vs. Superman (thank God nobody ever made a dumb movie like that), Superman V and Superman Lives.
In 2004, Warner Brothers hired Bryan Singer to direct his own idea for a story (Bryan Singer would co-write this film with Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris). This resulted in the film we know today as Superman Returns. Singer was the perfect choice for a director. He had already shown that he knew how to handle a Superhero film having already directed two X-Men movies. He is not only a massive fan of Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman 2 (1980) but he knew Richard Donner (who directed Superman: The Movie and began directing Superman 2 before that film would be taken over by Richard Lester). He personally talked to Donner about his various ideas for this film. The result was a movie that would be very much a spiritual successor to the two Superman movies that Donner worked on.
The storyline of this movie involves Superman returning to Earth after having been in space for five years (after some astronomers believed they found the remains of Krypton). After returning, he finds that much has changed. For instance, Lois Lane has settled down and has a kid. She also won the Pulitzer Prize for writing an article entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." However not everything has changed as Lex Luther has another evil plan.
This is one of the most underrated superhero films and just simply a delightful movie. Pretty much everything about this movie works. The casting is fantastic. Though he may never get the attention given to George Reeves, Christopher Reeve or Henry Cavill, Brandon Routh is a truly wonderful Superman. Fitting for this film, he feels almost like a spiritual successor to Christopher Reeve. Yet he never copies or tries too hard to be Reeve, he just simply has the same type of charisma and charm about him. Like Reeve, we don't feel like we are watching an actor but feel as if we are watching the comic book character come to life. Kate Bosworth is quite good as Lois Lane offering the type of tough girl with a good heart feel to this character that makes her comic book counterpart so popular. However, the real scene stealer is Kevin Spacey. Spacey is the best live action Lex Luthor, making the character a lot of fun to watch, while also feeling completely evil and threatening. The wonderful dialogue this character is given also helps a lot. A supporting cast that includes Frank Langella and the legendary Eva Marie Saint doesn't hurt either. What also makes this movie work so well is that the focus is not on the action or super-heroics. Instead, this is a film that is mostly about the characters. This film puts us in Superman's shoes as he returns home after five years. The filmmakers take their time telling this story rather than rushing from one action scene to the next. Because of this we feel like we really get to know and understand these characters. Clark seeing that the love of his life has moved on and coming to terms with this allows for some very emotion moments that stay with you. In fact, this past romance remains the true heart of this film. The relationship here would also give this movie an emotional maturity that was missing from the last two childish live action Superman films. This movie's look at if the world really needs a Superman is very intelligently written and surprisingly thought provoking. Without once mentioning the tragedy this helps bring Superman into a post 9/11 America and makes us wonder if we can still find the same childlike faith today as when people first believed a man could fly. It also makes us wonder if in this more cynical world such a character like Superman could still matter to people. If I had one complaint it would be that the climatic action sequence goes on too long and loses momentum part-way through. Still, this is a small complaint in what is otherwise an excellent movie.
Brandon Routh was very honored for the chance to play the man of steel. He remembered how excited he got his first time seeing Superman: The Movie, "I gave myself a migraine. I was puking through half of the movie." When he was given the role Chrisopher Reeve's widow told him that she was amazed by the resemblance and gave Routh her blessing. Routh would later say, "I can't tell you what it was like to get her blessing. It's frightening trying to fill Christopher Reeve's shoes."
The casting in this movie paid tribute to older eras of Superman's rich history. Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane on the classic 1950's TV show, The Adventures of Superman, played Lex's dying wife. Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olson on the 50's TV show, had a cameo as Bo the bartender. They were both delighted to be in this film though Neill would state, Our George will always be Superman to us."
Co-writer Michael Doughtery had a passion for this character and this story. He stated, "Writing a story like this is almost biblical, when you hear how the Bible was passed down orally year to year. The Superman character has been passed from one person to the next and one generation to the next. My grandmother still loves more than anything the black and white George Reeves show. For Bryan and I and Dan it was the Donner films, and today's teenagers gravitate towards Smallville, which I can appreciate simply because I love the character. There's a Superman for every generation."
Things didn't start out well from composer John Ottman. Ottman remembered this experience stating, "I was practically getting death threats from fans of the Donner version. They worried I wouldn't do the right thing with the music and asked why John Williams wasn't writing the scores the way he had for Donner. I started getting crippled, worrying what fans were thinking. Finally I said to myself that I have to ignore all that and weave in my own sensibilities and style, and of course nod to the Williams theme, which I'd always intended to. The fan reaction was that if they could have sent me flowers they would have. They were all very happy."
This film was not without its controversy. With director Bryan Singer being openly homosexual and having put homosexual themes into his previous movies, many felt that he might make Superman gay (with no further proof to back this statement). This made Singer feel the need to public say that this was "the most heterosexual movie I've ever made." After the movie came out there was controversy over a line where Perry White says, "... does he still stand for truth, justice, all that stuff?" Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly responded, "Warner Brothers, the studio distributing the movie, doesn't want to tee off any foreign viewers with Pro-U.S. sentiments. It's bad enough Superman was raised in the Midwest; we can't be having the hero actually standing for the American way now, can we? Some jihadist in Pakistan might throw popcorn at the screen." A more liberal commentor Erik Lundegaard responded in a commentary for The New York Times, "There's no reason to be upset. Superman is right back where he began: fighting a never-ending battle for truth and justice. That should be enough to occupy any man. Even a Superman."
Critical reception to this film was mixed with some believing it to a great addition to the man of steel's already rich history and some feeling that it tried too hard to feel like Donner's films as to have no identity of its own. The movie did well at the box office but at the same time did not reach the level of financial success that of the recent Spider-man and X-Men movies. Former Warner Brothers president Alan Horn stated that Superman Returns "was a very successful movie, but I think it should have done $500 million worldwide. We should have had perhaps a little more action to satisfy the young male crowd." Unfortunately, this was not enough to allow Singer and Routh to continue making films with the caped superhero as they planned to do and when the next live action Superman film came out neither of them would be involved. Both would however have fond memories of making this movie and would remain proud of the result.
Resources Used
Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye.
For many Superman IV was the death kneel of Superman as a film franchise. Not only was it a commercial and critical disappointment but it is still considered to be the worst superman movie to date. Because of this film's failure, there would not be another theatrically released Superman movie until Superman Returns (2006).
In this film, a little boy writes Superman asking him if he can get rid of all nuclear weapons. At first, he is hesitant about this because he vowed not to interfere with the world's politics. He eventually decides that the world is in so much danger that he should make an exception. Meanwhile Lex Luthor intends to create a creature as powerful as Superman that will obey him by stealing a strand of Superman's hair.
There is no way around it, this is a bad movie. While Superman III (1983) was a very flawed movie, it had its good points as well. This film has nothing to recommend about it. Its messaging is done with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It also presents it in such an overly simplistic way, that it is hard to take anything that this movie is saying seriously. In its messaging this movie comes off as more of a cheap afterschool special than an actual theatrical superhero movie. The film also is very weak on the villain front. Lex Luthor is presented in a very comedic fashion here. However not only does this make him not feel as much of a serious threat as in the previous films but the humor itself is not even close to funny. This movie also introduces his nephew, who is the most annoying character to ever appear in a superhero film. This character tries too hard to be a hip 80's teenager and fails miserably at it. The character is also played by Jon Cryer with what is easily the worst performance of his career. Nuclear Man (the creature Lex creates from Superman's hair) is incredibly bland and has such a silly look (that is much too overly 80's) that it hard to take him seriously. This film has the worst special effects of any Superman movie. The special effects definitely received a downgrade from the previous films, and I am no longer sure I believe a man can fly. These special effects make it hard to enjoy any of the action scenes at all. The subplot about a tycoon gaining ownership of Daily Planet is extremely cliché and predictable. Even the return of Christopher Reeve (Superman), Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor), Marget Kidder (Lois Lane) and Jackie Cooper (Perry White) can’t help this film.
In 1985 at the Cannes Film Festival the producers of the last three Superman movies (Alexander and Ilya Salkind) sold the movie rights to Superman to Cannon Films for $5 million. Cannon Films was known for producing such movies as The Last American Virgin (1982), Ninja III: The Domination (1984), and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984). Chrisopher Reeve was by this time tired of the role of Superman. However, Cannon Films was able to get him by promising that he could also make his passion project Street Smart (1987), which he hoped would prove that he was a classically trained actor capable of playing more than one role. Reeve was also given approval over the script and director. A script by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal (the team that had written The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) and The Jewel of the Nile (1985)) was written but the film still needed a director. Reeve originally wanted Ron Howard as the director but that didn't work out. Reeve even briefly thought about directing the film himself, despite having no directorial experience. Richard Donner (director of Superman the Movie (1978)) was even briefly approached but he turned it down. Wes Craven (who had recently directed Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)) was briefly assigned to direct but left due to creative differences with Reeve. Eventually Candian director Sidney J. Furie (Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Iron Eagle (1986)) was given the director's chair.
Reeve would later state that the production of this film was “hampered by budget constraints and cutbacks in all departments. Cannon Films had nearly thirty projects in the works at the time, and Superman IV received no special consideration.” Nearly everyone working on the film noticed that they were not given the resources necessary to make this movie even look halfway decent. Though the film was approved at a $36 million budget over the course of production it was trimmed to $17 million. Even Jon Cryer who was fairly new to the movie industry noticed that the studio was not giving this movie the care and attention it should have had. Cryer stated “I just noticed little things, like the craft-service table got more and more meager. And they took less and less time every day. We would get props that were especially, uh, crappy.” Reeve would even tell Cryer in private “It’s an absolute mess.”
This movie originally ran at 134 minutes but after a disastrous test screening, it was trimmed down to only 90 minutes. This left gapping plot holes in this already extremely flawed movie. The film only grossed $15 million in its total domestic run. The film helped bring Cannon Films to financial ruin and hurt Reeve's career and the public opinion of superhero movies. Luckily for superhero fans a couple years later Tim Burton's Batman (1989) would help redeem the public opinion on these films. Chistopher Reeve would later state about Superman IV, “Superman IV was a catastrophe from start to finish. That failure was a huge blow to my career.”
This still stands as one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Even with many superhero movies planned for the coming years, I doubt that will change anytime soon.
This is the third segment of the tenth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this episode, the evil Medula hypnotizes every woman to get rid of all men. She does this so she can create a society controlled by women. The Super Friends do all they can to stop Medula.
This is a wonderful episode. While the delivery of the message may be a little didactic, the message itself is a very good and smart one. The message about the importance of feminism but that important change cannot come through immoral means at the expense of others (which here not only includes getting rid of men but trying to control women to do what she says). Medula is a wonderful villain. She has a wonderful otherworldly design. The eyeballs without pupils for both her and the women she is controlling lends a wonderfully creepy atmosphere (as do the robotic voices of those she is controlling). The voice acting for Mwdula herself is wonderful and quite memorable. She also feels like truly believable threat, and we always feel like our heroes are in danger. There is especially a great sense of suspense when Medula is controlling both Wonder Woman and Jayna. Medula is truly one of the most memorable Super Friends original villains. This episode also benefits from some great and atmospheric background art and some fun action scenes. The way the heroes save the day (I would say spoilers, but this is Super Friends, you know the good guys are going to win) is very clever and perfectly set up.
After the success of Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman 2 (1980), Superman III was an inevitability. However with the first film's director, Richard Donner, having no role in the making of this movie, director Richard Lester gives this third film a completely different feel from the previous movies. This film has a much more comedic and silly tone rather than the more fantasy focused last two films.
In this movie, Superman (Christopher Reeve) must stop the evil businessman Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) from taking over the world's oil supply. To do this Webster recruits a bumbling computer genius (Richard Pryor) to help him. Things are complicated when a synthesized attempt at creating kryptonite causes Superman to turn evil. While all this is happening as Clark Kent, our hero is rekindling his romance with his high school sweetheart Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole).
As a fan of both Superman and slapstick comedy, I should love this movie. However, I will be the first to admit that this film doesn't quite work. The comedy and the superhero adventure don't mesh very well. The charm of the first two films is that they fully immerse you in the world of the movies. In this third entry, the comedy can stretch past the realm of believability. How Richard Pryor's character is automatically a computer genius as soon as he steps behind a computer and the various over the top comedic things he is somehow able to do with the computers, are the type of humor that could work in a Three Stooges, Marx Brothers or Mel Brooks style of comedy. In a Superman movie though, they simply make you stop believing the characters and story. It doesn't help that the comedy can be very hit and miss. There are some truly funny moments here like the scene where Gus (Richard Pryor's character) uses booze to get a security guard to pass out and a couple of pretty good one-liners here and there. However, when it comes to the actual slapstick, it is never that funny. The slapstick gags feel forced instead of naturally flowing from the story and characters (as is the case in the best slapstick comedies). The timing and delivery on these gags feel a bit off and makes them go by without even a chuckle from someone who loves this type of comedy (i.e. me).
On the superhero adventure side, this film suffers from a weak villain. For some reason instead of using a villain from the comics this movie decides to create a new villain. Unfortunately, this villain does little to stand out from Lex Luthor in the pervious movies. In fact, this villain is in many ways simply a blander and less intimidating version of Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor. The idea of an evil Superman is fun but the filmmakers don't do enough with it. I will admit that I enjoyed the Superman vs. Superman fight, even if it didn't make any sense. The closest thing this movie has to a saving grace is the Clark and Lana romance. Christopher Reeve and Annette O'Toole have wonderful chemistry, and these scenes bring a little bit of the old-fashioned charm that made the previous movies so great.
This was originally going to be a very different film. The original storyline was also going to be over the top and silly but in a different way. The original storyline was going to be more in tune with the classic silver age comics than be a slapstick comedy. Producer Ilya Salkind wrote a script in 1980 that would mark the big screen debut of such comics characters as Brainiac, Mr. Mxyzptlk, and Supergirl. Though this movie would have been a tribute to the silver age comics, it would have also changed a lot about these characters. Supergirl would have been a love interest for Superman instead of his cousin. Brainiac would have been almost an overprotective father-figure for Supergirl, who disapproved of the romance with Superman. Mr. Mxyzptlk would have a first been a secondary villain but would have eventually helped Superman save the day. Superman would have still turned evil but this would have been from a machine Brainiac created rather than a synthetic attempt at kryptonite. The film would have ended with Brainiac and Superman fighting without powers and as old-fashioned knights, followed by Superman winning and marrying Supergirl. This storyline doesn't sound good at all but with the actual movie's villain problem using Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk (though Mr. Mxyzptlk would have been hard to do with 1980's special effects) wouldn't have been a bad idea. The reason this film was never made was that Warner Brothers decided it wanted to go the safer route with the third film and also wanted to up the comedy. Director Richard Lester also favored this safer and more comedic approach. Husband and wife writing team, David and Leslie Newman (who had worked on the previous films) would create the script for the movie we have today.
The movie grossed $80.2 million worldwide and was the 12th highest grossing film of 1983 in North America. However, it was a disappointment after the major financial success of the previous films. This movie was also a critical failure. Leonard Maltin called it, "appalling sequel that trashed everything that Superman was about for the sake of cheap laughs and a co-starring role for Richard Pryor." Roger Ebert (who included the first film in his Great Movies books) stated, “'Superman III' is the kind of movie I feared the original “Superman” would be. It’s a cinematic comic book, shallow, silly, filled with stunts and action, without much human interest. What’s amazing is that the first two Superman movies avoided that description, creating a fantasy with a certain charm. They could have been manipulative special-effects movies, but they were a great deal more. With this third one, maybe they’ve finally run out of inspiration."
