Kirk Alyn was born on 8 October 1910. He was a successful actor during the early years of the sound film. But we remember him today as being the first live-action Superman.
What I love about Alyn is that he got his start in the chorus of Broadway musicals. And then he became the most badass of superheroes. And it highlights the fact that all this stuff is not very manly. Being a true man is fighting in a war. It isn’t providing harmony for a light opera starlet. And it sure isn’t dressing up in a spandex costume! Maybe this explains why so many modern “real men” are what I will charitably call “whiny bitches.”
This isn’t to take anything away from Kirk Alyn. He was a singer and dancer. And that’s as manly as welding. At least if you ask me. But any reactionary who likes superheroes should seriously consider what their concept of a “real man” is.
Kirk Alyn starred in two Superman serials. The first was Superman (1948). It told a 4-hour story over the course of 15 16-minute parts. Then came Atom Man vs Superman (1950), another 15-part serial. Are they any good? Well, they were TV shows before there was TV. And they are pretty much what you would expect. They’re fine. No worse than anything people are producing now!
Here is the complete second serial. I couldn’t find the first. You can find all the episodes online if you want. But they aren’t in any set location.
Kirk Alyn via Kirk Alyn. It is in the public domain.
