5. Superman went to the movies in late 1941
In 1941 Max and David Fleischer operated Fleischer Studios, an animation studio in Florida. The majority owner of the studio was Paramount Pictures. Paramount asked the brothers to produce a series of animated short films based on Superman. The brothers quoted what they believed to be an exorbitant price (equivalent to $1.7 million in today’s money) per six to ten-minute episode, hoping to avoid the project due to other commitments. Paramount refused to take no for an answer, negotiated the price down, and Superman’s first appearance on film was thus assured. The first animated short, titled Superman and known widely as The Mad Scientist, appeared in September 1941. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subjects Cartoon, though it lost to a Disney effort featuring Pluto. In all, 17 of the Superman shorts were produced.
Bud Collyer, then still providing the voice of Superman on radio, also voiced the animated series, joined by Joan Alexander as Lois Lane. The Fleischer brothers only participated in the early cartoons. In 1942, unable to work together, they were removed from the project by Paramount. Their studio was reorganized as Famous Studios. The latter eight cartoons dealt with Superman’s activities in World War II, which included espionage and counterespionage missions against both the Japanese and the Germans. On these missions, he was often accompanied by Lois Lane. The 17 cartoons are today in the public domain, and can readily be found and viewed online or on DVD.