Back to browse
72% Critic Match
Max Fleischer's Superman 1941-1942
“This is a job for Superman!”
7.2 / 10• 2009• 2h 25m•NR• English
AnimationAdventureScience Fiction
Storyline
More than just a landmark in superhero animation, Max Fleischer's Superman shorts were no less than the foundation for so many shows that succeeded it. Playing in theaters in 1941-42, only a few years after the Man of Steel made his debut in Action Comics, these 17 exciting films were produced by Fleischer and made famous the phrase "This looks like a job for Superman!" At 10 minutes, each film had just enough time to run the opening credits, establish the threat, let Lois Lane make a headstrong rush into peril, and allow Clark Kent to change to his alter ego and save the day. The films show a remarkably dynamic and atmospheric storytelling style that enables them to hold up for modern viewers. At first the films followed a science fiction-fantasy theme, but not unexpectedly for that time soon focused on wartime concerns.
Cast & Crew
Bud Collyer
Superman / Clark Kent (voice) (archive sound)
Lead
Joan Alexander
Lois Lane (voice) (archive sound)
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Max Fleischer's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Max Fleischer's Superman 1941-1942 is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
