The Adventures of Superboy
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{for-multi|the 1966 animated series|The Adventures of Superboy (TV series)|the 1988 live-action series|Superboy (TV series)}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Adventures of Superboy.jpg
| runtime = 25 minutes
| based_on = {{Based on|Superboy||Jerry Siegel|Joe Shuster|Don Cameron}}
| creator = Whitney Ellsworth
| starring = Johnny Rockwell
Bunny Henning
| country = United States
| num_episodes = 1
}}
The Adventures of Superboy is a proposed TV series that was put into production in 1961.{{Cite web |last=Cronin |first=Brian |date=2011-12-02 |title=Comic Book Legends Revealed #343 |url=https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-legends-revealed-343/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=CBR |language=en-US}} It was meant to capitalize on the success of Adventures of Superman, which went out of production in 1958. Only a pilot episode ("Rajah's Ransom"){{Cite book |last=Scivally |first=Bruce |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/153579095 |title=Superman on film, television, radio, and Broadway |date=2008 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-0-7864-3166-3 |location=Jefferson, N.C. |chapter=Chapter 6 - The Middle Years - Superpup and Superboy |oclc=153579095}}{{Cite book |last=Robb |first=Brian J. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/884547217 |title=A brief history of superheroes |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-4721-1055-8 |location=London |oclc=884547217 |quote=The second was a pilot for The Adventures of Superboy, made in 1961. Johnny Rockwell played a young Clark Kent/Superboy in a light-hearted drama set in Smallville. Bunny Henning played Laura Lang. Thirteen scripts were written, but only the twenty-five-minute pilot entitled 'Rajah's Ransom' was made, and it can also be seen on YouTube.}} was produced, although 12 additional scripts had been prepared, had the series been picked up.
It featured the first portrayals of Superboy and Lana Lang outside of comic books, and stands as a forerunner of later series based on Clark Kent's youth: Superboy, which lasted four seasons, and Smallville, which lasted ten seasons.
Cast
- Johnny Rockwell as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superboy{{Cite web | title=The Men Of Steel: 50 actors who played Superman | url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/man-steel-50-actors-played-superman/ | access-date=2022-05-31 | website=Empire | date=28 June 2016}}
- Bunny Henning as Lana Lang
- Monty Margetts as Martha Kent
=Guest cast=
- Ross Elliot as Fred Drake
- Charles Maxwell as Gunner Ferde
- Robert Williams as Chief Parker
- Richard Reeves as Shorty Barnes
- Yvonne White as Miss Gibbs
- Stacy Harris as Jake Ferde
- Jimmy Bates as Jimmie Drake
- Ray Walker as Mr. Edlund
- True Ellison as Donna
Home media
The only stand-alone releases so far for The Adventures of Superboy have been from specialty distributors, such as Video Rarities, which released it on VHS along with The Adventures of Superpup and screen test footage as Superboy and Superpup: The Lost Pilots.
This pilot episode has been included in the 62-disc DVD box set of Smallville: The Complete Series, released by Warner Home Video in November 2011, along with additional bonus features not included in the individual season releases of Smallville.{{Citation | url = http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Smallville-The-Complete-Series/15319 | title = Smallville - Press Release for 'The Complete Series' | access-date = 2014-01-13 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140113082336/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Smallville-The-Complete-Series/15319 | archive-date = 2014-01-13}}
Other media
A book titled Superboy and Superpup: The Lost Videos, written by Chuck Harter, was published in 1993 by Cult Movies Press. It looked at both The Adventures of Superboy pilot and The Adventures of Superpup pilot, as well as the 12 additional Superboy scripts that were prepared had the Superboy pilot been picked up as a series.{{Cite web |title=The Superman Super Site - August 25, 2011: SUPERBOY AND SUPERPUP: THE LOST VIDEOS - An interview with, and about, Chuck Harter |url=https://supermansupersite.com/08251123.html |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=supermansupersite.com}} The book also claims that a story in issue #88 of the Superboy comic is based on the pilot script. In September 2022, BearmanorMedia.com republished "Superboy & Superpup The Lost Videos" by Chuck Harter, now with a full color cover. The new edition is available in hardback, paperback and e-book editions.
External links
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Superman in popular media}}
{{DC Comics TV}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Superboy, The}}
Category:1961 American television episodes
Category:Live-action television shows based on comics
Category:Superman television series
Category:Television pilots not picked up as a series
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