As I see it, there’s an inverse relationship with between time and the quality of what movies and TV do to Superman. In other words, give me Max Fleischer, Sam Katzman, Kirk Alyn and George Reeves any day!
Though they’ve been on DVD and Blu-Ray for quite a while, I’m really excited about Warner Brothers’ upcoming Max Fleischer’s Superman Blu-Ray set. These 17 animated theatrical shorts, originally produced by Paramount, deserve the level of restoration and presentation WB has been turning out of late. (Warner Archive’s new Rancho Notorious Blu-Ray is a glaring example.)
Superman was pretty new when Max Fleischer and brother Dave made the first of these cartoons (and it won an Oscar). They probably shaped how The Man Of Steel would be portrayed on the screen (both big and small) for decades. In fact, Sam Katzman’s serials switch to animation when Superman flies. Was that due to money, or because these cartoons proved how effective it could be?
You’re probably familiar with these 17 shorts, so I don’t have to try to convince you how cool they are. But with the new level of film transfers we’re seeing, and with a promised stack of feaurettes, I’ll just say these things are pretty essential. Coming in May.
The Hannibal 8 