No, I really have to make a point to rent HOLLYWOODLAND and settle back. From all reports, it's worth a shot. I've read way too much about Reeves' death over the years, and my instinctive judgement is that he was murdered. He didn't just walk on thin ice much of his life, he jumped up and down on it.
Reeves was a capAble actor. His body language and expressions are very good, he plays Superman with a full range of emotions... I'd say he decided to play the character as a 1950s stern father. My biggest criticism would be that his Clark Kent was as tough and assertive as Superman most of the time; this was where Christopher Reeve had an advantage, he played Clark as a different personality.
Reeves started out well in films, but never quite struck gold. He ended up doing B-movies and serials (every actor's fear)and when he signed on for ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, he told Phyllis Coates, "this is hitting rock bottom." You can see him run out of steam and visibly age in the few years the show was on the air. So I'd agree that he might have been depressed when the show was cancelled and he was now typecasted, aging and with few options. Suicide would not be entirely out of the question. I just think (from reading about the circumstances) that it was more likely he was murdered.
That was a great episode --- although even as a kid I never understood how, if the meteor had missed both Mars and Venus it could pose a threat to Earth. After all, if it missed Venus, then it would have to have missed Earth as well, right? Still, it's a minor quibble. Unfortunately the rest of Season Two was pretty bad, as the stories and bad guys became less threatening, and Noell Neil, good as she was, was simply no match for Phyllis Coates.
Watching TV and B-pictures from the 1940s up until 1960, it's clear most scriptwriters had absolutely no idea about the layout of the Solar System, what a comet was, whether there was air in outer space, how rockets worked... well, the list goes on.
I agree that the Superman series peaked early, then went downhill in a hurry after Neil replaced Coates. With Robert Maxwell gone, the violence and suspense was toned way down. The show became much more a children's program. I can't say the producers were wrong to do this-- ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN was popular and successful, and did well in reruns for decades-- but I seldom watch any episodes from the later seasons.
Neill was much more likeable and warm than Coates in the role. The comic book Lois followed Neill's portrayal for many years -- vulnerable, hopelessly dreaming of marriage, rather dim. (Just as Jimmy in the comics took after Jack Larson's increasing knuckleheaded version of Jimmy Olsen).
I never felt that about Phyllis Coates' version of Lois. She was too abrasive, too needlessly quick to cut Clark down, and she didn't seem all that interested in Superman romantically. But she was right for the tough, serial-like violence of the first season. She played Lois was an aggressive, ambitious reporter who didn't care what people thought of her as long as she got her scoop. I didn't like her Lois for being sweet and nice, I liked the way the tougher characterization worked for the atmosphere of the first season.
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I was wondering if you ever saw the 2006 film HOLLYWOODLAND, which was about the death of George Reeves, and if so, what'd you think of it.
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Reeves started out well in films, but never quite struck gold. He ended up doing B-movies and serials (every actor's fear)and when he signed on for ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, he told Phyllis Coates, "this is hitting rock bottom." You can see him run out of steam and visibly age in the few years the show was on the air. So I'd agree that he might have been depressed when the show was cancelled and he was now typecasted, aging and with few options. Suicide would not be entirely out of the question. I just think (from reading about the circumstances) that it was more likely he was murdered.
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I agree that the Superman series peaked early, then went downhill in a hurry after Neil replaced Coates. With Robert Maxwell gone, the violence and suspense was toned way down. The show became much more a children's program. I can't say the producers were wrong to do this-- ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN was popular and successful, and did well in reruns for decades-- but I seldom watch any episodes from the later seasons.
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I never felt that about Phyllis Coates' version of Lois. She was too abrasive, too needlessly quick to cut Clark down, and she didn't seem all that interested in Superman romantically. But she was right for the tough, serial-like violence of the first season. She played Lois was an aggressive, ambitious reporter who didn't care what people thought of her as long as she got her scoop. I didn't like her Lois for being sweet and nice, I liked the way the tougher characterization worked for the atmosphere of the first season.
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