As a child of the 1950s, the medium of the television hit me pretty hard. I was exposed to that world, mostly through my grandparents, who allowed me an endless amount of television time. My young life was scheduled due to the programming of children's shows and, of course, "The Adventures of Superman." My primary concern was to get in front of the TV set at a specific time, so I won't miss the episode of Superman. I believe my first reading experience is going over the TV Guide, which, all in truth, was my bible. I also learned how to use a calendar and mark the days off for hardcore viewing of my favorite shows.
Brigitte Bardot, due to my father taking me to see "And God Created Women" was my first movie star experience. Without a doubt, George Reeves, who played Superman, was the first male star in my odd orbit. The only contemporary actor I can think of now, compared to Reeves, would be Kyle MacLachian. Still, the image of Reeves as Superman is etched in my DNA as a figure of great importance. I never fully understood his death by suicide. There is controversy to this day if he was shot by another or shot himself in the head. That, I don't find troubling in itself, but more of the fact that how can Reeves die from a bullet when he's Superman?
I did read the Superman comic book, but I always imagined the imagery of Superman being Reeves on the comic page. Therefore Superman will always be George Reeves. The truth is it seems Reeves was frustrated being identified with the role of Superman. It was a struggle for him from some sources, being in his 40s, wearing the outfit of the superhero, and being branded as that character. Still, there were also reports of him taking the role very seriously. He kept his private life very private while making the series and even quit smoking in fear that he would be photographed smoking.
The other interesting aspect of Reeves's Superman is the character of Clark Kent. I was intrigued that Superman's best friends, Jimmy Olsen and Los Lane, could never recognize Kent being Superman. In the comic book, Kent was often seen as a coward or dumb to hide his secret identity as the Man of Steel. In the TV show, Kent was very masculine, smart, and brave. Also, the issue that Kent always wore the Superman outfit under his beautifully tailored suit. My interest in dandyism partially came from the idea of Superman wearing a beautiful suit and then removing it to expose the Superman outfit. Which I gather means he never took off the uniform that came from his planet Krypton. Legend has it that the fabric was part of his bedding when he was sent to Earth to be saved from the destruction of his home planet.
Reeves's Clark Kent is very much the American hero, and clearly, Superman is American. The false (or is it real?) identity of Kent is a farm boy in the Mid-West. That upbringing made Superman, at least emotionally, an American. The irony is Superman/Kent are total outsiders. Perhaps they are the ultimate immigrants coming to America, or to some, a dangerous presence in the American conscience. We often look at the stars at night as a sign of hope against the misery that is on the landscape that is Earth. Heaven, in theory, is above, and the Man of Steel came out of the sky. Perhaps there is a touch of Ziggy Stardust as well, another primary cultural importance to me as a teenager.
As I got older, I became more attracted to the idea of Clark Kent. His whole life is both real but also based on a lie. In the true sense, immigrants who come to America can make a new life out of their discarded past. Hollywood is such a landscape where one can change its image to suit their passion or need for occupation/work. What I took from my Superman experience is my skill in making schedules for watching the shows. That transferred to future activities such as work and the idea that one needs another identity, perhaps a secret one, to do work.
-Tosh Berman.
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