Category Archives: Clark Kent

Superman and the power of… the newspaper chain?

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Bob Stepno

With another attempt to reboot the Superman movie series coming up, it’s time to return to old-time radio to hear how the “Adventures of Superman” radio serial constantly reminded young listeners that newspapers were an important part of their communities. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Clark Kent, detectives, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, newspaper crusades, newspapers, Perry White, political corruption, publishers, Superman | Leave a comment

Clark Kent, meet John Carter!

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Bob Stepno

Journalists aren’t the only people who were sometimes stereotyped in old-time radio dramas or other popular culture forms of the 1930s and 1940s. In these closing episodes of a 15-part Superman adventure from September 1941, we find ourselves in Central … Continue reading →

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Clark Kent, super burglar or stupid bungler?

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Bob Stepno

Being on the side of truth and justice appears to have justified some “might means right” tactics in Clark Kent’s early reporting repertoire, including burglary, threats, assault and kidnapping. For example, in this sequence from the second year of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, ethics, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, reporting, Superman | Leave a comment

Clark Kent, unethical sports reporter?

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Bob Stepno

“You’re a reporter, not a detective,” Perry White to Clark Kent. The month of March madness seems an odd season to be writing about football, but here goes — with a tale that demonstrates that there were sometimes shades of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Clark Kent, ethics, Lois Lane, Perry White, sports, Superman | 2 Comments

Teamwork at The Daily Planet

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Bob Stepno

For this weekend, four episodes concluding “Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere,” transported from the fall of 1940 for your March 2012 entertainment. 9: Sept. 13, 1940 10: Sept. 16, 1940 11: Sept. 18, 1940 12: Sept. 20, 1940 At this point in … Continue reading →

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Spring Break Superman Double Double-Feature

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Bob Stepno

This week, four episodes of “Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere,” transported from the fall of 1940 for your March 2012 spring-break entertainment. 5: Sept. 4, 1940 6: Sept. 6, 1940 7: Sept. 9, 1940 8: Sept. 11, 1940 On the radio, America’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, journalism, newspaper stunts, newspapers, Perry White, reporters, science reporting, Superman | Leave a comment

Radio’s Clark Kent showed “star reporter” qualities

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Bob Stepno

The 1940 Superman radio adventure of Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere finds reporter Clark Kent hiding not only his secret identity, but the very existence of Superman. In the process, unlike some comic and TV representations of the character, this Clark is … Continue reading →

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Spring Saturdays with Superman

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Bob Stepno

The 1940 Superman radio adventure of Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere begins with Clark Kent being called to editor Perry White’s office to get his new assignment — covering a scientific discovery. No Earth-destroying calamity is approaching from outer space; no mad … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, Clark Kent, Perry White, Superman | 4 Comments

Reporting tips: Lois Lane at work

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Bob Stepno

Here’s Lois Lane’s first on-air interview, in the episode about Stolen Fuel for the Atomic Beam Machine from the 1940 Superman radio serial. (Click the title to download an MP3 if a player icon isn’t visible.) As mentioned here last … Continue reading →

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Meet Lois Lane, high-flying journalist

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Bob Stepno

… but bored by atomic energy Episode 7 of the Superman radio series introduced Lois Lane to the listening audience in February 1940, in a storyline titled, “The Atomic Beam Machine.” (Click to download mp3 audio from the Internet Archive, … Continue reading →

Posted in Clark Kent, Horace Greeley, Lois Lane, reporters, Superman, women | Leave a comment