SUPERMAN MOVIE CAST (G. REEVES) - LOBBY CARD UNSIGNED (MEX) 1952 - HFSID 260035

SUPERMAN. Mexican Lobby card unsigned. Color, 16x12. Promotion for the 1952 film, Superman. Adventures of Superman, also sometimes known simply as Superman, went into production in 1951, following the shooting and theatrical release of the feature film Superman And The Mole Men. The latter, produced by Robert Maxwell and directed by Lee Sholem, starred George Reeves in the dual role of Superman and Clark Kent, and Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane. In the wake of, Superman Vs. Atom Man (1950), the decision was made to do a television series, with a feature film as the "pilot"; unlike the serials, however, which were relatively low-budget productions, the series would break new ground in terms of quality and special effects, mostly because - in contrast to the serials, in which Superman turned into a cartoon in those scenes in which he flew - this version of Superman would actually show him flying. That meant that the show would be shot on film, which was then a new concept in television production - up to that time, virtually all dramatic programming was done live, and all science fiction-oriented programming and kids programs up to that time had been done live, in front of the camera, as it went out over the air. Shooting on film was much more expensive, but it would allow for a sharper image, proper editing and the insertion of special effects, better sound and superior sound effects, and for the preservation of that program over time. The first thing that the producers - radio veteran Robert Maxwell and serial hand Bernard Luber - had to do was find a new Superman. The producers recast the role in a tougher manner, which they did in the guise of a 36-year-old film actor named George Reeves. Born in 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa, he had been in Gone With The Wind in a small but prominent role, and also in such high-profile films as Lydia and So Proudly We Hail, the latter in a starring role, but his career had faltered since the end of World War II. Reeves was a former aspiring boxer, a well-built, powerful looking man, and also an intense actor. In addition to making a more powerful looking version of Superman, he would make a much more substantial Clark Kent, all of which would make the television show more complex than the serials had been. The next cast member in place was Texas-born Phyllis Coates, 11 years younger than Reeves who, in addition to being very pretty, projected a toughness in the role of Lois Lane, and also had one of the great movie screams of her era - one never forgot those moments in which Coates' Lois Lane had to let out a shriek for the cameras, as exhibited in the pilot, Superman And The Mole Men. Slightly creased at corners. Staple holes at margins. Lightly soiled.