NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kirk Alyn

Kirk Alyn (October 8, 1910 - March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play Superman on screen, in the 1948 film serial Superman, and its 1950 sequel Atom Man Vs. Superman. Image File history File links Kirk Alyn as Superman This is a copyrighted promotional photo with a known source. ... Image File history File links Kirk Alyn as Superman This is a copyrighted promotional photo with a known source. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Superman is a fictional character and one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... The Superman serial was a 1948 15-part black-and-white movie serial starring Kirk Alyn as Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. ... Atom Man vs. ...

Early Life

Born John Feggo, Jr. in Oxford, New Jersey, Kirk Alyn was educated at Columbia University. Columbia University is a private research university whose main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City. ...

In 1942, he married actress Virginia O'Brien, with whom he had two daughters and a son before they divorced in 1955. Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Virginia OBrien (born April 8, 1919 in Los Angeles, died January 16, 2001), was an American singer and actress best known for playing supporting roles in MGM musicals in the 1940s, and for her unusual singing style. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Career

Kirk Alyn started out as a chorus boy on Broadway, appearing in notable musicals such as Girl Crazy, Of Thee I Sing, and Hellzapoppin' in the 1930's. Broadway theatre[1] is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. ... Girl Crazy is a theater musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. ... Of Thee I Sing is a musical set in the White House, with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, to a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. ... Hellzapoppin was a musical revue which was a Broadway hit, running from 22 September 1938 to 17 December 1941, and was at the time the longest-running Broadway musical with 1,404 performancesâ€”one of only three plays to run more than 500 performances in the 1930s. ... Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to...

He also worked in vaudeville before moving to Hollywood in the early 1940's to make feature films, where he was successful only in gaining bit parts in low-budget films before landing the role of Superman in 1948. Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Events and trends Technology First nuclear bomb First cruise missile, the V1 flying bomb and the first ballistic missile, the V-2 rocket First transistor Colossus, the worlds first totally electronic computer. ... Superman is a fictional character and one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

He had a similar problem after playing Superman, apart from starring in some similar comic book-type serials such as Blackhawk, landing a few (some even uncredited) roles in TV series and movies until he retired after making his final film in 1983, Scalps. Blackhawk #12 (Autumn, 1946), Quality Comics. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He died in 1999 in Woodlands, Texas of natural causes. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Woodlands is a census-designated place (CDP) and master-planned community located in the the counties of Montgomery and Harris in the state of Texas within the Houstonâ€“Sugar Landâ€“Baytown metropolitan area. ...

Superman

Some critics argue that Alyn's portrayal of the Man of Steel was superior to that of George Reeves, because (in the tradition of radio's Superman, Bud Collyer) he played Clark Kent and Superman very differently, adding to the disguise. As pointed out in Grossman's book, Reeves' characterizations of the dual roles were much more alike. Also, Alyn looked much more like the comic book version of the character than Reeves, with his chiseled face topped with a mop of black hair with the curl over his forehead. While George Reeves did resemble a statueque Greek god, critics maintain that Reeves' fleshier facial features didn't look much like the Superman of the comics, while Alyn looked more or less exactly like the comic book rendition of Superman's appearance. Many fans were upset that they never really got to see Alyn fly in the serials; as he jumped up, he turned into an animated character by way of rotoscoping, and flew off. Alyn tried "flying" while suspended by hidden wires for the first serial but the wires turned out to be clearly visible after all and that footage was scrapped. When "Superman" moved to television, Alyn turned the part down. George Bessolo Reeves (January 5 [1], 1914 â€“ June 16, 1959), born George Keefer Brewer to Don Brewer and Helen Lescher, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television series Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. ... Bud Collyer on Beat The Clock, 1957 Bud Collyer (b. ... Superman and his secret identity Clark Kent being portrayed as distinct individuals. ... Superman is a fictional character and one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time. ... A rotoscope is a device that enables animators to trace live action movement, frame by frame, for use in animation. ...

In 1974, Alyn published an autobiography, entitled "A Job for Superman." 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Alyn shared a very short cameo with his serial co-star, Noel Neill, as the parents of the young Lois Lane in the 1978 feature film, Superman: The Movie. Noel Neill as Lois Lane on the serial version of Superman. ... Lois Joanne Lane is a fictional comic book character who appears in DC Comicsâ€™ Superman stories. ... Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, Superman Superman, also known as Superman: The Movie, is a 1978 Warner Bros. ...

Honors

Kirk Alyn had been Grand Marshal of the Metropolis, Illinois Christmas parade and Annual Superman Celebrations several times. Statue of Superman in the town square The sign outside the Superman Museum Metropolis is a city located in Massac County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. ...

References

External links

Categories: American film actors | American stage actors | 1910 births | 1999 deaths | New Jersey actors | Columbia University alumni The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about motion pictures, actors, movie stars, TV shows, TV stars, production crew personnel, as well as video games. ... Bud Collyer on Beat The Clock, 1957 Bud Collyer (b. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... George Bessolo Reeves (January 5 [1], 1914 â€“ June 16, 1959), born George Keefer Brewer to Don Brewer and Helen Lescher, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television series Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. ... Superman is a fictional character and one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time. ... Kirk Alyn from the 1940s serials The comic book character Superman is an American cultural icon, and has appeared throughout American popular culture. ... Bud Collyer on Beat The Clock, 1957 Bud Collyer (b. ... George Bessolo Reeves (January 5 [1], 1914 â€“ June 16, 1959), born George Keefer Brewer to Don Brewer and Helen Lescher, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television series Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. ... Image:Bobholiday. ... Danny Dark (December 19, 1938 - June 13, 2004) was an announcer who came to be known as the voice of the NBC television network for several years. ... David Bud Wilson (born in 1956) played Superman in the 1975 TV musical special Its a Bird, Its a Plane, Its Superman! an adaptation of the the 1966 Broadway musical. ... Christopher Reeve (September 25, 1952 â€“ October 10, 2004) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. ... Laura S 01:23, 11 April 2006 (UTC) Category: ... John Newton (also credited as John Haymes Newton) is an American actor. ... Gerard Christopher (born 1959) is an American Actor. ... Dean Cain in Iraq Dean George Cain (born July 31, 1966) is an American actor best known for playing Superman in the television series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman co-starring with Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher. ... Timothy Daly (born March 1, 1956, in New York) is an American screen and voice actor and producer. ... Thomas John Patrick Welling (born April 26, 1977 in Putnam Valley, New York) is an American actor and former male fashion model, most famous for playing Clark Kent on the current television series Smallville. ... George Newbern (born December 10, 1964) is an American television and film actor. ... Brandon Routh (born October 9, 1981) is an American actor and former fashion model. ... Yuri Lowenthal (born on March 5, 1971 in Alliance, Ohio) is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. ... The Superman serial was a 1948 15-part black-and-white movie serial starring Kirk Alyn as Superman and Noel Neill as Lois Lane. ... Atom Man vs. ... Superman and the Mole Men is a 1951 black and white movie starring the titular Superman. ... Superman, also known as Superman: The Movie (as it was called in pre-release advertising), is a superhero film, released by Warner Bros. ... Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 feature film Superman. ... Superman III is a 1983 movie that was the third of four movies based upon the long-running DC Comics superhero produced between 1978-1987. ... Supergirl is a 1984 feature film. ... Superman IV: The Quest For Peace is a 1987 film, the last of the Superman theatrical movies. ... Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Superman. ... The cast of Adventures of Superman from 1953 to 1957. ... Superboy was a half-hour, live-action TV series based on the fictional DC Comics character. ... Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action television series based on the Superman comic books. ... Smallville is an American television series that follows the adventures of a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), as a teenager living in Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. ... This image of Superman appeared at the beginning of each of the cartoons. ... The New Adventures of Superman was an animated series that aired on CBS for four seasons between September 10, 1966 and September 5, 1970, although the Man of Steel shared an hour with Aquaman and Batman during the middle seasons. ... As a 50th anniversary gift, DC Comics legendary Man of Steel got a brand-new Saturday morning cartoon. ... Superman: The Animated Series is the unofficial title given to Warner Bros. ... Legion of Super Heroes is the title of an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. ... For other uses, see Superman (disambiguation). ... Superman is an arcade game released by Taito Corporation in 1988, featuring popular DC Comics character Superman. ... For the Atari 2600 video game, see Superman (game). ... Superman is the title of a video game released by Sunsoft for the Super Nintendo and Mega Drive/Genesis in 1992. ... The Death and Return of Superman is a beat em up video game based on the Death of Superman storyline. ... Superman 64 was released by Titus Software on May 31, 1999 on the Nintendo 64. ... Superman Returns is a video game loosely based on the movie Superman Returns, developed by Electronic Arts-Tiburon in Orlando, Fla. ... Its a Bird. ... The daily Superman newspaper comic strip began in January 6, 1939, and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5, 1939. ...

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