Superman & Mole Men

Customer reviews:

Still Great With Great Appeal, 2007-09-07
Being 24 years old, I'm not a part of the baby boomer generation. I didn't see this film when it was brand new, but I am a fan of Superman. George Reeves plays the part of Clark Kent perfect, especially looking really good as Superman. The real stars of this movie are the little people who played the mole men. They never say anything in the movie, but a lot of expression is used and it is easy to feel sorry for them when they are treated wrong.

The story starts off a little slow, but eventually gains a lot of momentum and stays that way to the end. I was sucked in to the story, when the mole man is stuck in the burning house, inside I was screaming "Where are you Superman?! Help this guy out!" It is that good and you don't have to be from the previous generation to enjoy the film. It can be enjoyed by anyone, just as long as you are ready to have fun. The only reason I gave it four stars is because the beginning is kind of slow, other than that-up, up and away!!

For fans of Superman and Science Fiction/Adventure, 2007-07-09
Before "Superman" of TV became more and more a "kid's show", and before it even became a series, there was this movie with Reeves and Coates.
This story, of a drilling site discovery just outside the small town of Silby, is so solid that it warrants a movie remake with all the technology and big names available.
Interestingly enough, with Phyllis Coates as Lois, there would be very little period adjustment for her character. Before "Women's Lib" and "Feminism" in all fields including entertainment, Coates delivered a very strong portrayal, of a no-nonsense, actually somewhat embittered reporter not willing to let her associate Clark do all the heavy lifting: she refuses to hang back at the hotel while Clark investigates the suspicious site in the middle of the night. Of course, this character got "sweetened" for the series later shown in color. The early, black-and-white Lois fit the "smart and sexy" image of today. She could not be "in love" with Superman in the way Noel Neill (though "smart and sexy" in her own apprpoach) was later in the '50s; the idea is just hinted at in the '51 enterprise.
Amazon reviewers have pointed out the lesser soundtrack used on the original film, but I found it effective. I'm sure we all agree that the cinematography and special effects are excellent.
Interesting to watch George Reeves in this early take. Fans of the TV series will note a drop in energy level by the mid-'50s. Perhaps Reeves though this Super-hero thing wouldn't affect his progress. (About two years later he was edited out of "From Here To Eternity", apparently because of the kid-show identification, and one must surmise this took plenty of wind from his artistic sails).
Footnote: It's been said that Elvis Presley enjoyed the TV show and I can contemplate Elvis mentally referencing Reeves' acting when he hit the soundstage.