Superman

Juvenile Adventure Serial (1940 - 51)

Adventures of Superman is one of those American icons that has flown high in every decade since his coming to this planet from the exploding Krypton. The comic book hero's place on the radio is super-heroic, with well over a thousand exciting episodes to prove it! And this show is not just for the kids. Superman thrilled a large radio listening public.

From pre-jet flight in '39 right up into the atomic 1950's, Superman was on call in Metropolis. He fought the good fight through WWII, facing Axis and Japan-based spies and saboteurs, he uncovered run-of-the-lab evil-genius types with their latest beta-tests, he faced beings from other planets both humanoid and robotic as well as the common criminal. All in a days work for Superman! In several episodes, the AC Comics companions Batman & Robin get involved!

Bud Collyer played Superman, and it was kept a secret who he was for years! Joan Alexander does the cynical Lois Lane. Lois is a smart character, who gives the show another point of view and mirrors the WW II working women. As for why a smart reporter can't see the obvious..ah well. Perry White (Julian Noa) and Jimmy Olsen (Jackie Kelk) give Superman orders, advice and grief, not necessarily in that order.

Villians are up-front or over-the-top, and dedicated to doing evil. Some are smart, some just dupes doing their jobs. All the bad guys are refreshingly free of psychological baggage. None can defeat Superman, or can they?

Through many miracles of modern science as outlandish as any conceived by Lex Luthor, OTR fans can relive hours of Superman's "historic" exploits on a few silver disks.