Adventures of Superman: Complete 5th & 6th Seasons [DVD] [1956] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I'll keep this brief as I'm probably already "preaching to the choir" here. However, just on the off-chance that there are a few of you out there who have never known the wonder of "The Adventures of Superman" television series, may I just say this: there has never been--and at this rate, it appears that there never will be--a greater, more heroic, more noble, and more enjoyable "Superman" in the history of the character, than the interpretation given to us by the late George Reeves.

And I'll give you my reason why I believe that with all my heart in a single word: balance. George Reeves didn't play Kent/Superman as "bumbler moron"/"hero". He played Kent/Superman as "Hero Type A"/"Hero Type B".

There is a marvelous bit of dialogue from the 1st (or was it the 2nd?) season--a bit I'll no-doubt mangle here--that really explains it all. A small group of mobsters are discussing the difficulties of life in Metropolis. Of course they mention Superman. But then, one of them utters the magic lines that go something like this: "Forget Superman. It's that Kent guy at THE DAILY PLANET I worry about. There's times that Kent and his typewriter scare me more than Superman."

That simple speech seared itself into my little eight-year-old mind and heart for all time. Imagine that! The bad guys feared Kent almost as much as they feared Superman! What a fantastic life-lesson to teach a boy: for all his amazing powers, the thugs were almost more scared of the "normal guy who wasn't afraid to stand up for what's right" than they were of "...the amazing being from the planet Krypton, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men."

And it was George Reeves and his courageous portrayal of Kent/Superman who made you believe that could be so.

Maybe that's why this cripple grew up to be a writer. And every time I took on a bully--on the playground or in the corporate world--somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking, "Do the right thing, buddy. Mister Kent might be watching."

Yes, I recognize all the various narrative and production short-comings of "The Adventures of Superman". But Reeves, in refusing to play Kent as a cartoon unich, gave the character of Kent/Superman a vitality that has yet to be equaled--CGI or no CGI.

And if that's not enough to convince you, the jaded and cynical, to invest in these DVDs, let me share with you one, last, marvelous memory: the first word my baby son ever uttered was, "GO!". It was shouted with all the passion, glee, belief, and intensity a tiny heart could muster. And it was shouted as my son watched a black & white George Reeves make his famous running spring-board leap over the observatory fence in the classic climax of the episode, "Panic in the Sky". And, in that instant, I knew what my baby boy knew--what all of us lucky enough to discover the magic and wonder of "The Adventures of Superman" at a tender age knew: George Reeves WAS Superman.

And he always will be.

Completing the collection of "The Adventures of Superman", the series' final two seasons offers a mixed bag, for viewers; while some episodes are laughably bad (offering up green-haired, midget Martians, a mind-reading mule, and Professor Pepperwinkle's latest goofy inventions), some are, in fact, surprisingly good (tales of the search for a Civil War-era coat, a missing circus elephant, and a barber who reforms his childhood friend, now a gangster, are all very sweet, and quite enjoyable), and one of the last episodes filmed, "The Perils of Superman", directed by George Reeves, himself, is a bonafide 'classic', with unsettling images of helmeted criminals walking the streets of Metropolis, and Clark, Lois, Jimmy, and Perry, each subjected to silent movie cliffhanger demises. Best of all, these last episodes prove that Reeves, though far heavier and grayer by the series' end, never lost the sincerity or humor he had displayed in earlier seasons...Playing the Man of Steel may have been the "Kiss of Death" for his career, and, possibly, his life, but he never gave anything less than his best, and it shows!

There are moments worth savoring, in viewing the episodes; for Lois at her sexiest, catch "The Tomb of Zaharan", where the Daily Planet business suit is replaced by a tight-fitting 'Egyptian' costume and black wig (Noel Neill is surprisingly voluptuous, and HOT!)...in fact, the entire sixth season offers Lois with bright ORANGE hair, which she actually makes look GOOD..."Money to Burn" is a throwback to the early seasons, with a bogus 'Fireman's Friend' mobile diner, and one of John Hamilton's best performances as Perry White; "Whatever Goes Up" is 'classic' Jack Larsen, as Jimmy Olsen 'invents' an anti-gravity formula; and for sheer 50s pop culture shtick, catch "Superman's Wife", where a stereotypical, bleached-blonde policewoman 'plays' the Man of Steel's bride to help nab a gang!

Also included in the collection is a made-for-dvd celebration of Jack Larson, offering recent interviews with everyone's favorite 'Jimmy Olsen', Noel Neill, and a variety of the series' historians. While not 'in-depth', it is great fun!

The only 'negative' to the collection is the inconsistent picture quality, with the color density frequently changing; the original prints certainly could use some remastering.

While "Adventures of Superman - The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons" may lack the luster of the earlier seasons, fans of the show, and George Reeves, won't be disappointed...and if you aren't a fan, give the collection a chance, as you may become one!

Many fans of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN prefer the first 2 B&W seasons, and, quite unfairly, dismiss the color episodes as being lightweight and strictly for kids.This is NOT correct!! Although season 5 is probably the weakest of all of the 6 seasons, the final (6th) season contains several of the best episodes of the entire series. Episodes such as "The Mysterious Cube", "All That Glitters" and "The Perils Of Superman" are gems.

The glorious Technicolor work makes these episodes a joy to behold. They positively radiate with good humor, interesting plots and the so-obvious camaraderie of the best ensemble cast ever assembled.

Everyone should own these DVDs.