Superman: The Beginning
By James Grahame
The first episode of Superman, released on September 26, 1941.
"The rocket ship sped through star studded space, landing safely on Earth with it's precious burden -- Krypton's sole survivor. A passing motorist found the uninjured child and took him to an orphanage.
As the years went by and the child grew to maturity, he found himself possessed of amazing physical powers. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. The infant of Krypton is now the man of steel -- Superman."
Superman was produced for the princely sum of $50,000, three times the typical budget of a Fleischer Studios short. The film was nominated for an Academy Award and Max and Dave Fleischer went on to produce eight more Superman shorts for Paramount before acrimoniously parting ways. Paramount shot another 8 episodes after their departure, although the series shifted away from sci-fi to focus on wartime heroics.
