Hollywood Studio Magazine (April 1972)

on her, destroying the insane lady criminal in a blast of light and smoke. About Kryptonite With the introduction of the element kryptonite into the serial, the writers came up with the answer to Superman’s invulnerability. A fragment of the destroyed planet Krypton, kryptonite gave off radiation that would only affect the Man of Steel, first weakening Superman, then sloping down all his respiratory functions until death resulted. From episode five on, when the Spider Lady’s agents got hold of the element, Superman was constantly in peril of being exposed to the kryptonite until the final episode when he revealed to the Spider Lady that he was wearing a lead lining under his uniform. Lead was the only element that kryptonite rays couldn’t penetrate. Casting Superman For the part of Superman, Kirk Alyn, a veteran actor of stage and films was cast. Good-looking with a pleasing personality for the part of Clark Kent and the Man of Steel, Kirk became identified with the character, an identity crisis that still continues to date. While it was a high-point in his career, the part of Superman also became a curse, in a manner of speaking. But more on that a little further on. Noel Neill was cast in the part of Lois Lane, Superman’s friendly thorn-in-the-side. An attractive perky girl, Miss Neill would play Lois in the second Superman epic “Atom Man Vs. Superman.” So well was she remembered as the girl Superman was always saving, that she played Lois Lane once more after the second season of the TV series starring George Reeves, replacing Phyllis Coates, until the series ended with Reeves’ untimely passing. Tommy Bond, recalled by many as the bully of the “Little Rascals” shorts, fit the part of Jimmy Olsen like a glove, getting into one predicament after another. As Perry White, gruff editor of the Daily Planet, veteran character actor Pierre Watkin was cast. Carol Forman portrayed Superman’s nemesis, the Spider Lady, holding the distinction of being the only villain Superman didn’t hit. How would it look for the champion of justice to slug a girl? A most attractive woman, Miss Forman could play exotic, sinister heavies with the greatest of ease. She would give star Kirk Alyn a hard time in two more chapter-adventures, “Federal Agents Vs. Underworld Inc,” and “Blackhawk.” As her chief henchmen, George Meeker, Jack Ingram, Terry Frost, Charles King and Rusty Westcoatt did yoeman service while Charles Quigley, who had previously played the hero in many serials, made a smooth switch-over to the villain’s side as Dr. Hackett. Veteran actor Herbert Rawlinson portrayed Professor Graham. Playing the role of Superman had its own distinction, but it could have its problems. Of course, the automatic identifying of the actor with the part was the biggest drawback. Following the Man of Steel, Kirk Alyn found himself “typed” as the most virtuous of all heroes and unable to find regular film work. The situation became more than obvious. If he had been cast in another picture, say a western, as a “heavy,” there was a .good chance that the two films (the Superman serial and the feature) might play together on the same bill (particularly on the Saturday matinee circuit). If the same kids who had just seen Alyn doing the heroics as Superman saw him immediately afterwards as a dyed-in-the-wool villain, the entire image would be ruined. However, Kirk found the solution. He returned to the stage in the East and appeared in four plays, one of them opposite the glamorous Illona Massey. Superman Reminisces In reminiscing about some of the incidents while making the Superman film, Kirk said, “You know, when they’ve got you playing a character who really is “out of this world,” the situations in the film itself are just that. I remember one scene. The villains had left the girl Lois unconscious in an underground room that was filled with electrical machines — you know, like one of those Boris Karloff mad labs. While the machines were humming, crackling, electrical flashes were going, I had to race in. Having seen her predicament with my X-ray vision, I had to turn off the machines (while taking all that voltage in my super-body) and then carry her out. At one part of the lab, there were two of those generator terminals, one at each side. Electrical lightning would jump across in one of those jagged streams. I was in the uniform and ready to go. The scene started, the machines went nuts and the terminals started shooting. Well sir, as soon as those terminals got going, that lightning did a three corner shot. Instead of going from one pole to the other, the lightning went from the terminal and zapped my metal belt buckle, then went to the second pole. I just stood there. I was petrified. They stopped the machines and one of the technicians ran over and said to me, “Kirk, it’s a good thing you had rubber soles on your boots. If you didn’t you’d be barbecued by all that voltage.” “Another problem when you make this kind of film is that after a while, everybody gets so wrapped up in what’s going on that they really think you are Superman! One time, I had to do a scene where Superman rescued Lois and Jimmy Olsen from a fire. Ah, Lois Lane, that poor girl, I was always rescuing her. But she was pretty and I guess that’s one of the fringe benefits that go with being a super-hero. “Anyway, I had to carry Lois and Jimmy out of the fire, one under each arm. I was supposed to have carried dummies made up to look like the actors, but in the excitement, we kept going. And were there problems. The first take was no good — too much smoke; the second take — something wrong with the lights. By the time the fourth take was done, Spencer Bennett, the director, yelled ‘Cut,’ and said ‘Kirk, that was fine, but you’re straining too much. I could see the veins standing out in your neck when you ran past the camera.’ I looked at him and said, ‘Spence, those aren’t dummies — those are real people! This is the fourth time I’ve done this scene and those poor kids are getting heavier and heavier! I’m just an actor, I’m not really Superman!’ Spence realized what happened, he started apologizing, offered me a chair to rest in and called a break. Just shows you can get an actor to do anything for you if you make a fuss over him or give him a pat on the back. “When they signed me for the Superman film, you never saw so many conditions in that contract. The whole reason behind this was that they had to protect the Superman image. For example, when any scenes were being shot with me in the uniform (they always called it a ‘uniform,’ never a costume) outsiders were barred from the set. I couldn’t walk on the lot in the outfit, and when I had to, I had to wear a robe over it. “The worst condition, at least to an actor’s ego,” Kirk recalled with a laugh, “was the fact that I couldn’t get billing as the'title character. Superman was supposed to be a genuine 10 Turn to Page 21