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Kirk Alyn
1910-1999
Updated 2/6/2008.
biography
Born John Feggo in Oxford, New Jersey, in 1910, Kirk Alyn became the screen's first Superman in the 15-chapter 1948 Columbia serial of the same name. Alyn had worked as an actor for many years prior to taking on his most famous role, with some success. He started as a dancer and then worked the vaudeville circuit and before moving to Broadway as a actor/dancer. In the early 1940s, he went to Hollywood to attempt to break into films. Soon after his arrival, in 1942 Alyn married actress-singer Virginia O'Brien, and the couple had three children before divorcing in 1955.
Kirk Alyn as Superman
After spending several years in Hollywood beginning in the early 1940s, Alyn had appeared in a number of films, but mostly in small roles and uncredited parts. His first major role came in the 1946 Republic serial Daughter of Don Q. But Alyn's big break came in 1948, when the 37-year-old actor was chosen by Columbia to star as Superman in the 15-chapter serial Superman. In fact, Alyn has the most success in the serials in which he acted for both Columbia and Republic. In 1949, Republic released the 12-chapter serial Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc., with Kirk Alyn in the lead role and costarring Rosemary La Planche, Miss America 1941. And in 1950, he starred in Republic's 12-chapter Radar Patrol vs. Spy King. After the release of Atom Man Vs. Superman, Alyn tired of the role and would only agree to continuing as the Man of Steel in exchange for a hefty pay raise. Columbia studio executives, notoriously tight-fisted, decided to replace Alyn with George Reeves. However, Alyn acted in one more serial for Columbia, the 1952 15-chapter Blackhawk.
the films of kirk alyn
Superman (1948)
Scenes from the Columbia serial Superman with Noel Neill
Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949)
From Republic's engaging noir serial Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. with Rosemary La Planche, James Dale, and Roy Barcroft
Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950)
LEFT and CENTER: From Columbia's 15-chapter serial Atom Man Vs. Superman. RIGHT: This photo of Alyn illustrates how Columbia handled Superman's flying sequences. Note the platform under Alyn's torso and the suspension of his cape
Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of Freedom (1952)
Alyn as another comic book hero come to life in the 15-chapter serial Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of Freedom, one of Columbia's final serials. LEFT and CENTER A: Alyn as the title character in his last starring role. CENTER B: Kirk Alyn bests a bad guy. RIGHT: With Carol Forman
later years
Kirk Alyn's career hid the skids after he parted company with Columbia in 1952. Serials were being replaced by television programs, and Alyn, now more than 40 years old, had great difficulty in finding roles. He tooks roles on TV programs and bit parts in films, but by the late 1950s he mostly abandoned acting and retired to Arizona. By the 1970s, Alyn saw a revival in his career and toured extensively to discuss his role in Superman. He also made appearances on television and in a few films, including a cameo appearance in the 1978 Warner Bros. release Superman. His final film appearance came in the horror film Scalps (1983; directed by Fred Olen Ray). Sadly, Kirk Alyn died of natural causes related to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 88 in March 1999.
Annie Oakley, Vol. 4 [DVD] DVD
Includes "Annie Meets Some Tenderfeet," "Sharp Shooting Annie," "The Tomboy," and "Sure Shot Annie." 105 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
You Were Never Lovelier [DVD](1942) DVD
"You'll Never Get Rich" co-stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth reteam for this top-notch musical comedy. Astaire plays a down-on-his-luck American dancer who begins to fall for Hayworth, the reluctant-to-marry daughter of a wealthy Argentinean club owner who hired the penniless hoofer to romance her. With Adolphe Menjou, Isobel Elsom, Xavier Cugat; the Jerome Kern/Johnny Mercer score includes "Dearly Beloved" and "I'm Old Fashioned." 97 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Japanese.
Superman: The Theatrical Serials Collection [DVD] DVD
Kirk Alyn soared across the big screen as the Man of Steel in these two classic serials. Follow the caped hero's exploits, from his origin on the planet Krypton to his fight against the malevolent Spider Lady and her ray gun, in "Superman" (1948); with Carol Forman, Tommy Bond, and Noel Neill as Lois Lane (a role she later played on TV). Next, it's "Atom Man vs. Superman" (1950), as the Action Ace battles a mysterious nuclear nemesis whose weaponry includes a flying saucer and deadly kryptonite. With Neill, Bond and Lyle Talbot. 30 chapters total; 8 2/3 hrs. total on four discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround stereo; Subtitles: French, Spanish; featurettes.
Hopalong Cassidy, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
Texas Ranger Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) tries to stop a ruthless mine owner who uses Mexicans as slave laborers, in "Border Patrol" (1943). Robert Mitchum, in his film debut, also stars. Then, damsel-in-distress Minna Gombell's wagon line will be a "Doomed Caravan" (1941), and only Cassidy can stop nefarious schemes of some rascally businessmen. With Andy Clyde, Russell Hayden. In "Fool's Gold" (1947), a gang of owlhoots is trying to lead the son of Hoppy's Army buddy into a life of crime, until Cassidy sets him straight. With Jane Randolph, Stephen Barclay. He's no Ali Baba, but Cassidy needs no magic words to deal with the "Forty Thieves" (1944) a crooked town boss brings in to tangle with the black-clad hero. Douglass Dumbrille and and future screen Superman Kirk Alyn also star. And, the titular "Hidden Gold" (1940) is actually out in the open, as are the villainous plans of the rannies who swipe it from miners and stagecoaches. With Hayden, Roy Barcroft. 5 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1.
Forty Thieves(1944) VHS
He's no Ali Baba, but Hopalong Cassidy needs no magic words to deal with the two score of gunslingers a crooked town boss brings in to tangle with the black-clad hero, who was ousted from his sheriff job in a rigged election (no, this one's not set in Florida!). With Andy Clyde, Douglass Dumbrille and future screen Superman Kirk Alyn. 58 min.
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Abbott and Costello pull off a bank heist in "Hit the Ice" (1943); they star as plumbers who are mistaken as members of the social elite in "In Society" (1944); Bud and Lou are caretakers at an all-girl college in "Here Come the Co-Eds" (1945); the only big screen appearance of their "Who's on First?" routine is featured in "The Naughty Nineties" (1945); Lou plays a vacuum cleaner merchant in "Little Giant" (1946); "The Time of Their Lives" (1946) has Lou as a falsely accused ghost; the problems of homecoming G.I.s are spoofed in "Buck Privates Come Home" (1947); it's fun on the frontier in "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap" (1947). 11 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailers.
When Worlds Collide [DVD](1951) DVD
George Pal's science fiction classic that set the precedent for today's spectaculars. A few human colonists race against time to build an escape rocket before the impending collision of Earth with a runaway planet. 81 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; theatrical trailer; scene access.
The Eddy Duchin Story [DVD](1956) DVD
Tyrone Power stars as the pianist/bandleader who was the talk of '30s New York cafe society but whose personal life was marred by tragedy. Glossy, song-filled biodrama also features Kim Novak, James Whitmore, and the keyboard work of Carmen Cavallaro. Songs include "What Is This Thing Called Love?," "Till We Meet Again." 123 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Surround; Subtitles: English, French; theatrical trailers; scene access.
Beginning Of The End [DVD](1957) DVD
Eegad! Radiation produces gigantic, flesh-craving grasshoppers that overrun Chicago. Can reporter Peggie Castle and scientist Peter Graves stop the critters before they swarm all over the Loop? Drive-in sci-fi fave, courtesy of director Bert I. Gordon ("The Amazing Colossal Man"). 73 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; audio commentary; photo gallery.
Time Warp (1981)/Warp Speed [DVD](1981) DVD
TV Batman Adam West lends his square-jawed charisma to these two sci-fi spectaculars. First, an astronaut returns home to his family, only to discover he's trapped in a "Time Warp" one year in the future, and invisible to all around him. Co-stars Kirk Alyn (of "Superman" serial fame), Hildy Brooks. Next, it's "Warp Speed" ahead as a gorgeous psychic (Camille Mitchell) attempts to meld her mind with the memories lingering aboard a spacecraft (captained by West) missing its crew. David Chandler, Gela Nash also star. 182 min. total. Standard/Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; theatrical trailers.
Scalps [DVD](1983) DVD
A group of archeology students working on a Native American burial ground digs up something unexpected: a deadly curse that takes the form of a vengeance-seeking spirit who likes to take more than a little off the top! Gruesome chiller from schlockmeister Fred Olen Ray stars Jo-Ann Robinson, Roger Maycock; cameos by screen Superman Kirk Alyn and "Famous Monsters" guru Forrest J. Ackerman. 80 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
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filmography
Scalps (1983) with Carroll Borland and Forrest J Ackerman;
directed by Fred Olen Ray
Superman (1978) with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder
Beginning of the End (1957) with Peter Graves and Peggie Castle
The Eddy Duchin Story (1956) with Tyrone Power and Kim Novak
Blackhawk (1952) with Carol Forman
When Worlds Collide (1951) with Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, John Hoyt, and Larry Keating
Gambling House (1951) with Victor Mature, Cleo Moore, Terry Moore, and William Bendix
Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950) with Noel Neill, Tommy Bond, and Lyle Talbot
Radar Patrol vs. Spy King (1950) with Jean Dean
Bride of Vengeance (1949) with Paulette Goddard, Macdonald Carey, Albert Dekker, and Raymond Burr
Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949) with Rosemary La Planche and Carol Forman
Superman (1948) with Noel Neill, Tommy Bond, and Carol Forman
Little Miss Broadway (1947) with Jean Porter
Sweet Genevieve (1947) with Jean Porter
The Trap (1947) with Sidney Toler, Mantan Moreland, Victor Sen Yung, Anne Nagel, and Minerva Urecal
The Time of Their Lives (1946) with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
Daughter of Don Q (1946) with Lorna Gray
Call of the Rockies (1944) with Sunset Carson and Smiley Burnette
The Girl Who Dared (1944) with Lorna Gray and Grant Withers
Forty Thieves (1944) with William Boyd and Glenn Strange
Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
Is Everybody Happy? (1943)
Overland Mail Robbery (1943) with Bill Elliott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, and Anne Jeffreys
Pistol Packin' Mama (1943) with Ruth Terry
The Man from Rio Grande (1943) with Don 'Red' Barry
You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
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