From Wikipedia
Superman was a "tremendous financial success" and played in "first-run theatres that had never before booked a serial." The serial was a popular success that made Kirk Alyn famous and launched Noel Neill's career. A sequel serial, Atom Man vs. Superman, also directed by Bennet, was released in 1950.
How things have changed. How could anyone have viewed this
without sniggering? Yet people accepted it and suspended their disbelief because
everything has to develop from crude beginnings. At the time we may not even
see those beginnings as crude because they cannot be compared to something better. They become crude over time as developments make them so.
All obvious enough but not without its subtleties. For
example, the people who were originally entertained by this kind of thing – maybe they would see aspects of our society as crude. Crude in a different sense
perhaps, but not that different.
5 comments:
This reminds me of a story told by a female colleague in my last couple of years at work. Fortyish, she lived alone and had no children, but doted on and often looked after her two young nieces; they were aged about twelve and fourteen. One Christmas, her brother asked whether she could do the family a really big favour and look after the nieces over the holiday period, as their mum was recovering from an operation and wasn't up to organising or even enjoying the usual festivities.
Julie gladly agreed, and prepared really carefully to ensure the girls had an enjoyable time. Christmas dinner and party provisions; lavish presents; and traditional board games like monopoly to occupy them. One idea she had was to buy in and watch some old "Christmas classic" films for Christmas morning. She got It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz.
After they had opened their presents, she settled them down with The Wizard of Oz and some nibbles while she prepared the turkey. There was only the sound of the film soundtrack and quiet munching until she heard the youngest yell out:
"Oh - my - fucking - God!! The lion's just some bloke in a lion costume!!"
Saturday morning pictures ! remember the cowboys and indians films with the indians chasing the stage coach, the only thing that was movin was the background set, this is a good film until the stage coach close ups but we all accepted what was the norm for the time, hooray , boo, hooray boo...............
https://youtu.be/X4jF3xTxKWM
When I landed on Aintree Racecourse my parents were just out for a walk. As the neighbours were nosy they decided not to say anything. Must fly........
A film is a product like any other - a lawnmower say, both tend to date. I don't suppose the makers of Superman expected an audience in 2018. Seem to remember there was some well known sequence products went through, Rising Star, Cash Cow, Problem Child, Dog. Like most of us really.
Sam - a delightful story. The sweet sound of innocence always brings a lump to the throat.
Wiggia - I recently stumbled on a Hopalong Cassidy clip - never realised there were so many films made. It's easy to forget how popular these things were before TV.
Demetrius - can't you do something about global warming? Actually, after checking the weather forecast for next week maybe you have.
Roger - Superman seems to go on and on though. If anything, superheroes seem to be multiplying.
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