Bill Gauthier's Blog, page 22
June 16, 2013
From Krypton to Gautham: Superman II (1981)
Based on the success of Alexander Salkind’s, Ilya Salkind’s, and Pierre Spangler’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) being shot together as though they were one movie, when the rights to Superman were bought in 1974, the decision was made that they’d make two movies together. So their original screenwriter, Mario Puzo, […]
From Krypton to Gautham: Superman II (1980)
Based on the success of Alexander Salkind’s, Ilya Salkind’s, and Pierre Spangler’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) being shot together as though they were one movie, when the rights to Superman were bought in 1974, the decision was made that they’d make two movies together. So their original screenwriter, Mario Puzo, […]
June 12, 2013
A Super Slight Delay, & Other Updates
I’m not sure who, if anyone, is following myFrom Krypton to Gautham series of essays on Superman on the big screen, but if you are, this week’s essay(s) onSuperman II will probably be delayed. As you know, I’m a high school teacher by day, and I have a 7-month-old baby (the 15-year-old doesn’t keep me […]
June 7, 2013
From Krypton to Gautham: Superman: The Movie (1978; Extended Edition, 2000)
June 1978 marked the 40th anniversary of Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1. By now, Superman was more of a joke than anything else. Considered a square Boy Scout in tights, he chugged along in his comic books, trying hard to still be relevant. He was still on TV, though not in a live action […]
May 31, 2013
From Krypton to Gautham: Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
With barely a year having passed since Atom Man vs. Superman finished its 15-week story, the Last Son of Krypton made his return to the silver screen in Superman and the Mole Men, released by Lippert Pictures. According to my research, the film was meant as a test for a planned Superman television series. Since […]
May 27, 2013
Harlan Ellison: 79 & Still Important
From 2004 through 2010 I wrote a column called American Gauthic for the magazine Dark Discoveries, which seemed to have some regular readers. A few, anyway. In 2006, I wrote an installment on Harlan Ellison, which was apropos. The reason I was writing the column was partly because of Ellison’s own excellent columns that I’d […]
May 23, 2013
From Krypton to Gautham: Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Based on the overwhelming success of 1948′s serial Superman, Columbia Pictures and producer Sam Katzman decided to get the gang together for a sequel. So in 1950, children found that the Man of Steel had returned to their local movie houses in Atom Man vs. Superman. With a screenplay by George H. Plympton, Joseph F. […]
May 21, 2013
Free for Your Shelf
For today & tomorrow only, my novella is free for the Amazon Kindle!
May 16, 2013
From Krypton to Gautham: Superman (1948)
Ten years after Superman made his historic debut in Action Comics, and five years after his final Famous Studios adventure “Secret Agent,” Superman returned to the big screen in his first live-action adventure. Simply titled Superman, Columbia Pictures released fifteen chapters of Superman’s struggles with criminal mastermind the Spider Lady. Unlike the animated adventures before […]
May 10, 2013
From Krypton to Gautham: Animated Superman (1941-1943)
When Superman debuted in 1938, no one expected the character to become as famous as he did as quickly as he did. But famous he became. By 1940, did he have his own title, but he had his own a radio drama. Like the monthly comics, the show became a hit. Hollywood wanted to capitalize […]
