For Over 60 years, Super-Heroes or "Mystery
Men" as they were then called, have appeared in all forms of media. The
first form (other than the comics of course) was the radio drama. One of the
most popular was The Adventures of Superman, a radio series that broadcast
more than 1000 episodes. Each week, we will present you with a new episode
for your listening pleasure. So sit back, tune in, and enjoy!
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN EPISODES
Episode 1 The Baby From Krypton
Episode 4 Kent Captured by the Wolfe
Episode 5 Locomotive Crew Freed
Episode 7 The Atomic Beam Machine
Episode 9 Threat to the Planet Building
Episode 10 Fire in the Sterling Tower
Superman flew onto the radio airwaves beginning Monday, 12 February 1940. The new series was developed by DC's press agent Allen Ducovny and Robert Joffe Maxwell, a former pulp fiction author who had been assigned the job of licensing the subsidiary merchandising rights to DC's popular comic book character for toys and commercial products. The duo was quick to realize that the vast radio audience could be used to extend Superman's popularity.
In 1939, Maxwell and Ducovny prepared several sample audition disks to sell the idea to prospective sponsors and co-wrote the first version of Superman's famous opening signature.
"We had a lot of fun writing that opening," Ducovny recalls, "It was a typical radio action piece that fully utilized sound effects."
Ten weeks after its debut, Superman achieved a Crossley rating of 5.6, the highest of any thrice-weekly program on the air. The early episodes of Superman were produced by Frank Chase, scripted by George Ludlum, and featured a repertory of the finest actors in New York radio. Ned Wever and Agnes Moorehead portrayed Superman's parents Jor-L and Lara in the premiere broadcast, with Jay Josten as Ro-Zan. Other early episodes featured the versatile Santos Ortega and future movie star Frank Lovejoy. The success or failure of the series would rest largely upon the actor chosen to portray the dual leads.
