Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster (1938)
The writer, Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster sold the rights of Superman to Detective Comics for just $130. The first Superman comic was released in 1938 (one of these was recently sold for $137,500) and they didn't start to receive anymore money until 1975 when they were both awarded an annual pension of $20,000, this was later moved to $30,000 but by this time they were both impoverished and Shuster was nearly blind.

Ray Middleton (Superman 1939)
The Man of Tomorrow was honored at "The World of Tomorrow" when DC Comics hosted "Superman Day" at the New York World's Fair, featuring the first public appearance of Superman in full costume and a live radio broadcast from the fairgrounds. "Superman Day" was the brainchild of publicist Allen 'Duke' Ducovny, held to promote the sales of DC's "New York World's Fair Comics", a 96-page special edition sold exclusively at the World's Fair for the extravagant sum of fifteen cents. Ray Middleton was the man in the costume and is often credited as being the first actor to ever play Superman. He later starred in the Broadway hits South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, and others. "Worlds Fair Comics" turned into "Worlds Best Comics" (Spring 1941), which with its second issue became "Worlds Finest Comics" (Summer 1941).

Bud Collyer (Superman 1940-1969)
In February of 1940, the first episode of SUPERMAN was aired on the radio. But it was not till the second chapter that a reluctant Clayton "Bud" Collyer brought Superman to life. Collyer voiced the Man of Steel until 1949, when he was replaced by Michael Fitzmaurice. During the years Collyer voiced Superman on the radio, he also voice the character in a series of animated shorts created by Max Fleisher from 1941 till 1943. After George Reeves' death, Filmation aired "The New Adventures Of Superman", Collyer and the rest of the radio cast returned to voice their characters from 1966 tll 1969.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Superman 1950-1951)
Michael Fitzmaurice took over as ABC's Superman on 5, June 1950 and played the role for 78 broadcasts of a revived final season. Fitzmaurice was a radio veteran and the long-time announcer of Land of the Lost and Mutual's Nick Carter, Master Detective. His rich baritone voice was well-suited for the Man of Steel, though he was regrettably unable to match Bud Collyer's marvelous ability to create distinctively different voices for Superman and Clark Kent. The show ended a year later.

Kirk Alyn (Superman 1948-1950)
The first live-action film adventure of the man of steel was "Superman" made in 1948. This rip-roaring 15-chapter serial starring Kirk Alyn, Noel Neill, and Carol Forman was brimming with wild-and-woolly action, inventive cliffhangers, and the diadolical Spider Lady villainess extraordinaire. The follow up movie in 1950 was called "Atom Man Vs. Superman" with Kirk Alyn, Lyle Talbot, and Noel Neill. In this 15-chapter serial actionfest, criminal genius Lex Luther in the guise of the diabolical Atom Man has Metropolis at his mercy. But can he bring Superman to his knees with his feindish inventions? Kirk Alyn also had a cameo appearance in the 1978 Christopher Reeve movie, Superman:The Movie. He played Lois Lane's father on the train that young Clark Kent raced on his way home from school.

George Reeves (Superman 1951-1958)
In November of 1951" Superman and the Mole Men" was released theatrically and became an immediate success. The film acted as a pilot for the TV series "The Adventures of Superman". The show ran from 1951 to 1957; in total, 104 episodes were broadcast, the last half of which were shot in color but originally broadcast in black and white. Except for the one early change from Phyllis Coats to Noel Neill as Lois Lane, the cast remained the same throughout the series: Jack Larson played Jimmy Olson, John Hamilton played Perry White, Robert Shayne played Inspector Henderson and, of course, George Reeves played Superman. The production crew for the first half of the series included executive producer Robert Maxwell, co-producers Barry Sarecky and Bernard Luber and directors Tommy Carr and Lee Sholem. The overall feel of these shows had more to do with 1930's and 1940's gangster films than with comic-book characters and stories. In fact, many of the shows had a distinct film noir look, especially in terms of the dark, expressionistic lighting and the alienated, trapped characters. The episodes depicted people full of fear and tension: blackmailers, killers, and smugglers. The sets were empty warehouses and back allys (many of which Clark would run into to change).

For the production years 1953-57, the show's staff underwent some key changes. Unhappy with the violence of the first 26 episodes, National Comics brought in one of its own, Whitney Ellsworth, to produce the series. Ellsworth, who had been with National when the Fleischer series was made, visualized Superman as family entertainment. Beginning with the 1954 shows, "The Adventures of Superman" seemed tamer, showing crooks as bumblers rather than villains. The budget limitations facing Ellsworth forced him into reusing sets, and designing utilitarian costumes that the major characters could wear in all the episodes (Clark's double breasted suit, Jimmy's bow tie, and Lois Lane's dark tailored suit). The series had, unfortunately, become a kiddie show. "The Adventures of Superman" left the air in 1957.

Bob Holiday (Superman 1966)
It's a Bird... It's a Plane ... It's Superman opened on Broadway, at the Alvin Theatre on March 29, 1966, and after 129 performances, closed on July 17, 1966. Bob Holiday, played the title role as Superman, but Jack Cassidy, who played the villain Max, got top billing while Bob Holiday, got last billing just above the scenery and costume credits. In between were listed a young Linda Lavin (former star of "Alice") playing Sydney, Patricia Marand playing Lois Lane and the wonderful Michael O'Sullivan playing Dr. Abner, the mad scientist. The New York Times said "fun, easily the best musical so far this season ... it would be enjoyable in any season". The play "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" was written by David Newman and Robert Benton, who would later collaborate on the scripts for the Cristopher Reeve Superman movies.

David Wilson (Superman 1975)
On February 21, 1975, a decade after the show closed on Broadway, a 100-minute version of it showed up on late night TV as part of ABC's Wide World of Entertainment. David Wilson was a boyish Superman; Leslie Ann Warren was Lois Lane; David Wayne was angry scientist Abner Sedgwick; Kenneth Mars was columnist Max Mencken; and Loretta Swit played Sydney; also in the cast were Alan Ludden, Malachi Throne and Harvey Lembeck.

Christopher Reeve (Superman 1978-1987)
On December 15, 1978, the world came to believe a man could fly. European producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind had been laboring for years to bring Superman to the silver screen - not as a simple children's cartoon or as camp fare, but rather as an epic and sophisticated film feature for all ages. No expense was spared as preproduction began: costly special effects technologies were invented; Mario Puzo (writer of The Godfather) was recruited to draft the screenplay; the world's largest sound-stage was specially constructed under the Salkinds' supervision; and in order to prove they were serious, the producers paid the legendary Marlon Brando the single highest actor's salary to date to play the role of Superman's Kryptonian father Jor-El. Everything was moving steadily into place. There was only one problem; the film-makers had no Superman.

Given the movie's stratospheric budget, conventional wisdom almost demanded a proven box-office draw wear the suit; among those under consideration were Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, and even Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner. In the end, the Salkinds decided the fame of a star might overshadow the role and instead went with an unknown, a rail-thin New York stage actor named Cristopher Reeve. He didn't look anything like Superman. But he looked exactly like Clark Kent.

Under a grueling body-building regimen, Reeve bulked up enough to fill the costume admirably and with style. More important, the innocent charm and charisma he brought to the role sold it completely. Clearly, Reeve believed in Superman - and thus so did we.

Christopher Reeve said "It was my privilege to play Superman - or perhaps more accurately, to be the the custodian of the character - in the 1970s. For the first time audiences could enjoy sophisticated film technology that made Superman more spectacular than ever before. In fact the poster advertising the film simply stated "You'll believe a man can fly." Now Superman flew across 70 mm screens accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra and sound effects in Dolby stereo. "These advances in filmmaking gave me a real advantage. They made it possible for me to underplay the character. Clark Kent owed much to early Cary Grant movies, and director Dick Donner and I grounded Superman in the response to Lois Lane's question 'Who are you?' Answer: 'A friend.'"

"Superman" (1978) The Man of Steel comes to the screen in this elaborate, $35 million production. It's great fun, and the special effects are super.
"Superman II" (1981) Superman has his hands full with three superpowered villains who escape from their Phantom Zone prison, and decide to make the Earth their playground.
"Superman III" (1983) Superman confronts a four-story psychotic computer programmed by a half-wit genius who plays a video game of life and death.

"Superman IV The Quest for Peace" (1987) Superman's out to rid the world of nuclear weapons, but Lex Luther creates Nuclear Man a genetic clone whose powers are equal to those of Superman, to rid the world of Superman.

Dean Cain (Superman 1993-1997)
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was produced by Warner Brothers and premiered on ABC network in America in the Autumn of 1993. For four seasons and 88 episodes Superman fans worldwide were captivated by this new look at the Superman legend, and by the chemistry between stars Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher.

Who will be the next Superman?
The "Charlie's Angels" director McG is out and Brett Ratner (Red Dragon) is rumored to direct the next installment of the Warner Bros. Pictures "Superman" franchise, with "Felicity" and "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams on board to pen the script. Jon Peters (Batman, Ali) is still on board as producer. Warner's senior VP Bob Brassel is overseeing the project.

And who will be Superman, Nicolas Cage is a no go, Russell Crowe had been courted for the part, David Boreanez - of WB's Angel - was also considered but passed. The choice of director McG was Brendan Fraser (The Mummy). But who will Ratner cast in the role? Only time will tell. It seems that the role for a new Superman is still up for grabs, so we'll have to wait and see!

The Next Superman!
Now that McG and Brett Ratner have been removed from the project, X-Men director Bryan Singer holds the Superman reigns. Brandon Routh has now been cast as the next Superman, starring in Superman Returns set for a June 2006 release. For more information, check out "Superman Returns" under the "TV Shows & Movies" link.

Superman Actors and accompanying images © Superman: A Who's Who of the Man of Steel and reproduced here for entertainment purposes only.