The Arctic Giant
| The Arctic Giant | |
|---|---|
The entire short | |
| Directed by | Dave Fleischer |
| Story by | Bill Turner Tedd Pierce |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Max Fleischer |
| Starring | Bud Collyer Joan Alexander Jackson Beck Julian Noa |
| Music by | Sammy Timberg Winston Sharples (uncredited) Lou Fleischer (uncredited) |
| Animation by | Willard Bowsky Reuben Grossman |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 minutes (one reel) |
| Language | English |
The Arctic Giant is the fourth of seventeen animated Technicolor short films based upon the DC Comics character of Superman, created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster. This animated short was created by Fleischer Studios. The story runs nine minutes and covers Superman's adventures in defeating a giant defrosted dinosaur that terrorizes the city. It was released on February 27, 1942.[1] The short depicts a Godzilla-esque scenario while predating the 1954 film by 12 years.[2][3]
Plot
Archeologists uncover a Tyrannosaurus frozen in perfect condition in Siberia, and bring it to the Museum of Natural Science in Metropolis. It is kept frozen using special refrigeration equipment. Perry White sends Lois Lane to do a story on the Tyrannosaurus exhibit. Clark Kent offers to come with her, but Lois turns him down, saying he might faint at the sight of the Tyrannosaurus.
While Lois is shown around the museum's refrigeration plant, a carelessly placed oil can falls into the turbine. The workers turn off the equipment so they can repair the damage, and the temperature rises, melting the ice around the Tyrannosaurus. The revived Tyrannosaurus destroys the entire building, leaving Lois in the rubble, and wrecks havoc on the city. Bullets have no effect on its thick skin.
Word of the museum disaster reaches the Daily Planet. Clark uses a closet to change into Superman. He hurries over to the museum and rescues Lois and the other visitors from the rubble. He tells her to get to safety; Lois assures him she will, but in fact has no intention of abandoning the story.
After the Tyrannosaurus destroys a dam neighboring a town, Superman stops the flood by pushing a giant boulder in to fill the gap. The Tyrannosaurus breaks through a suspension bridge, endangering several motorists. Superman catches the falling bridge, ties it back together, and uses one of the bridge cables to lasso the Tyrannosaurus. Lois approaches to take a photo of the fallen Tyrannosaurus's head, and it gobbles her up. Superman flies into its mouth and takes Lois out. She thanks him. Superman then pins the Tyrannosaurus with a lamp post, ending the danger.
The Tyrannosaurus is held at the Metropolis Zoo. Clark commends Lois for her courage in getting the story. Lois asks where he was during the crisis. Clark replies "Me? Oh, I must have fainted."
Cast
- Bud Collyer as Clark Kent/Superman, Reactor Worker #1, Police Officer #1, Police Dispatcher
- Joan Alexander as Lois Lane, Female Pedestrian
- Julian Noa as Perry White, Male Pedestrian, Police Officer #2
- Jackson Beck as the Narrator, Reactor Worker #2
Production
The sequences where Superman leaps from rooftop to rooftop were produced as test scenes during the initial series development, but this dynamic was discarded as "silly looking" at that time and the Superman cartoons generally depicted Superman flying from place to place instead. Journalist Will Murray suggested that the discarded footage was probably utilized for "The Arctic Giant" as a cost-saving measure.[4]
References
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 139. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7.
- ^ Black, Riley (February 4, 2009). "Superman vs. the Arctic Giant". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ Spencer Bollettieri, July 25, 2023, Superman Predicted DC's Godzilla Crossover Over 80 Years Ago, CBR
- ^ Murray, Will (March 2023). "Max Fleischer's Superman". RetroFan. No. 25. United States: TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 16.