Superman on Radio in Australia

SUPERMAN

Series: 143363

Summary: An adventure radio series for children. This American inspired series was based on the exploits of Superman, a super hero who's real identity is Clark Kent, reporter for the newspaper The Daily Planet.

Contributors: McDowell's (SPO), Michael Noonan (SCR).

Cast:
Leonard Teale (Superman)
Margaret Christensen (Lois Lane)
Bruce Beeby (Batman)
Trader Faulkener (Robin)
Douglas Herald (Inspector Henderson)
John Meillon (Jimmy Olsen)

Label: Artransa

Episodes produced: 1040 (at least)

Broadcast details: Late 1949-1954; Monday to Thursday on 2GB at 6.30pm; Macquarie Network.

Just as the US series was moving away from 15 minute serial formats, Australia was moving into them! TV didn't start in Australia until late 1957 and so radio remained "big entertainment" through most of the 1950s due mainly to the technology of the tape recorder. Great sound effects and full production orchestra music, made for exciting listening especially when it was combined with canny writing.

Superman premiered in a 15 minute continuing serial format on Australian radio on 23rd May 1949. Running 4 days per week (Monday to Thursday) at 6:30 pm, it was hugely popular and benefited from the fine speaking voice of Leonard Teale (who went onto significant success with Australian TV's Homicide). The series concluded in 1954 after 1040 episodes.

So far only a handful of episodes have surfaced. Many of the episodes apparently are archived at the National Film and Sound Archive, now incorporated into the Australian Film Commission. As far as we know the only episodes available online are episodes 1, 2, 715 & 716 (combined together), 1027, 1028, 1039, and 1040.

[Note: If anyone has episodes 1, 2, 1039 and 1040, and any other episodes of this series please email me.]

Below is a list of known episode titles:

1. The Origin of Superman
2. Keyno, the Wolf and the Silver Clipper
3. The Yellow Mask
4. The Northern Star Mine
5. The Yellow Mask Strikes Again
6. Professor Thorpe and the Spanish Gold
7. The Mystery of Dead Man's Island
8. A Cargo of Nitrate
9. Last of the Windjammers
10. The Case of the Kryptonite
11. The Genie in a Bottle
12. The Penrose Salvage Company
13. The Death Plane
14. The Ghost Car
15. A Put Up Job
16. The Voice and the Green Death
17. Zemba and the Stamps
18. Peril at the Lighthouse
19. Angelo Brazotte
20. On the Planet Utopia
21. Toko in Trouble
22. Chuckles the Clown and the Missing Money
23. Superman and the Four Dwarfs
24. The Kingdom Under the Sea
25. The Bligh and Dixie Lamar
26. The Atom Man
27. Jones of the Crescent and Star
28. The Mystery of the Talking Cat
29. The Superman Bank Robberies
30. Destination Moon
31. The Mystery of the Dragon's Teeth
32. The Battle Against Intolerance
33. Higgins is Gangland's Candidate
34. Rex of Bolimar and the Legions of Death
35. Herbert Calkins of Scotland Yard
36. The Railroad Tunnel
37. Eric Larsen's Revenge
38. The Messenger Service
39. Superman on the Planet Appolo
40. Eyebrows and Buster
41. Orofessor Blessing - Song Publisher
42. Brock Neilson
43. Professor Vlessing Returns
44. Prophecy
45. Uncle ed Clayton's Droght
46. The Monkey Burglar
47. The Knights of the White Carnation
48. The Man Without A Face
49. Phantom of the Sea
50. Supeman Loses His Memory
51. The Superman Rocket
52. The False Kryptonite
53. Butcher Starke - The Voice of Doom
54. Mystery of the Stolen Superman Costume
55. The Crossword Puzzle Mystery
56. The Ghost Brigade
57. The Mystery of the Sleeping Beauty
58. The Secret Of Meteor Mountain
59. Diana the Dancer
60. Mystery Of Stone Ridge
61. The Ghost Voice
62. The Drugged Football Team
63. The Escaped Killers
64. Perry White og the Trail
65. The Mystery of the Spellbound Ships
66. Joee Solitaire - Gambler
67. The Rambling sound Machine
68. Superman and the Stolen Jetplane
69. The Sleeping Village
70. The Mystery of the Golden Pigeons
71. The Great Circus Mystery
72. Stolen Aircraft and the Birdmen
73. The Ear's Diamond
74. The Great Paper Shortage
75. The Attack on the Northern Peninsula
76. Mystery of the Disappearing Freight Glider
77. The Society of the Crimson Robe
78. The Invisible Planes
79. The Case of the Sylvanian Gold
80. The Devil's Atom Gun
81. The Mystery of the Mummy Cases
82. Sir Hubert's Sun Weopan
83. Batman in Trouble
84. The Mason Brothers