Pierpoint Landing

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An item (above) was emailed to me today by Lou Koza, who currently runs The Adventures Continue website on the Adventures of Superman television show starring George Reeves.

It is a Long Beach Press-Telegram news article on a 1953 location shoot of "The Golden Vulture" episode. The cast and crew were at Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach for the shoot. This jogged a memory for me.

Above, my grandfather and his boat in Morro Bay, circa 1963. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in the 1960s, my grandfather used to take us fishing on his boat and we'd occasionally launch from Pierpoint Landing. We'd also launch from Redondo Beach or go up to Morro Bay.

My grandfather was also a fan of the Adventures of Superman in the years preceding his passing in February 1966. He watched it on KTTV-TV Channel 11 in Los Angeles.

Thanks to Lou Koza for this little stroll down Memory Lane!

Today In History: "Adventures of Superman" Premieres In L.A.

It was a hair under a year before my time, but on this date in 1953, the Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, Jack Larson, John Hamilton and Robert Shayne premiered in Los Angeles on KCEA-TV Channel 7 (the forerunner of KABC-TV).

The premiere episode was "Superman On Earth," which chronicled Jor-El and Lara's sending the baby Kal-El to Earth before the planet Krypton exploded.

The episodes that followed were the ones that Robert Maxwell and Bernard Luber produced. These were rock 'em, sock 'em crime dramas and not kiddie shows. Note the broadcast time in the advertisement.

George Reeves 98th Birthday

Today marks the 98th birthday for televison's first (and best) Superman: George Reeves.

According to Wikipedia:

George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer, January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman.

Reeves practiced judo as a hobby and to keep in shape. My dad met him at a gym in Los Angeles as Reeves was doing his judo workouts.

Raise a glass to toast George's birthday!

"10 TV Pilots That Thankfully Didn't Get Picked Up"

The Adventures of Superpup (above) was a 1958 brainchild of Adventures of Superman producer Whitney Ellswork. It featured dog characters played by little people in oversized dog head masks. They used sets from the George Reeves Superman show in the pilot.

It is now a footnote in a new list.

"10 TV Pilots That Thankfully Didn't Get Picked Up" has this and nine more television pilots (proposed television shows) that were rejected. Many of us are glad they weren't picked up!

To view the list go here.

NOTE: An excellent book on Adventures of Superpup and Adventures of Superboy (starring Johnny Rockwell) was written by Chuck Harter.

Ian Fleming Inspired By 1951 Superman Episode?

Above, the edition of "The Spy Who Loved Me" in my collection.

A woman is terrorized by two mobster thugs at a tourist cabin resort near the Canadian border. She is going to be killed unless she is rescued. Eventually, she is rescued in the nick of time.

Sound familiar? Well, it should. It is the plot to a 1951 episode of the Adventures of Superman titled "Night of Terror" (photo below) starring George Reeves and Phyllis Coates. Lois Lane is terrorized by two mobster thugs at the Restwell Tourist Cabins until Superman comes to the rescue.



It is also the plot to Ian Fleming's James Bond novel, "The Spy Who Loved Me." The story is written through the eyes of "a passionate woman" named Vivienne Michel.

Nowhere in the novel are undersea cities, submarines, Soviet agents, Stromberg, Egypt or Jaws (as in the movie version). The novel's story takes place in the Adirondacks on a route from Canada through the United States. The thugs arrive at the tourist cabins to torch them for insurance money and terrorize clerk Michel. There's no Vivienne Michel in the movie version.

Following a completed assignment in Canada, James Bond arrives at the resort due to a flat tire and for a night's sleep.

It was an entertaining and fast read. Bond does not show up until about 2/3 of the way through.

I wonder if Fleming watched the Adventures of Superman and got his inspiration for this story from "Night of Terror"?

Waiting For Sooperman!

Ted Newsom strikes again:

Superboy and Superpup: Interview With Chuck Harter

Above, Johnny Rockwell as Superboy.



The Superman Homepage has posted an interview article with Superman historian Chuck Harter by Susan Schnitzer on the television pilots Superpup and Superboy (with Johnny Rockwell).



According to the article on the pilots:

The pilots of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERPUP (1958) and THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY (1961) are both important parts of the "Superman" legacy. George Reeves' the Adventures of Superman (TAOS) series (1951 - 57) served as a classic role model for many "baby boomer" fans. Chuck Harter's definitive look at the 2 rare spin-offs from the classic TV series is Superboy and Superpup: The Lost Videos was published in 1993 by Cult Movies.

And:

Chuck is currently writing, and seeking a literary agent for, the final quarter of his next book Tragic Hero: The Shooting of George (Superman) Reeves which he firmly believes is the solved mystery of George Reeves untimely death. Another book in progress is the story of the silent movie comedian Harry Langon. It will be called Little Elf: A Celebration of Harry Langdon and will be written by Chuck Harter and co-authored by Michael J. Hayde and is to be published by Bear Manor Media in 2012. Chuck did a recent narrator job for Superman impersonator Scott Cranford's documentary entitled Heroic Ambition. http://www.heroicambition.com/

To read the interview, go here.