On This Day, September 4: The Adventures of Superman Showcase
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story metadata declarations, and pure narrative synopses…
September 4 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial story metadata declarations, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on September 4 across six consecutive years of The Adventures of Superman (1941–1950) starring Clayton "Bud" Collyer and Michael Fitzmaurice for Kellogg's Pep, spanning classic story arcs against subterranean mad scientists, wartime munitions saboteurs, airborne nerve-gas rockets, postwar black-market cartels, corrupt political machines, and Grand Prix auto-racing racketeers, Clayton "Bud" Collyer (1941, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946) and Michael Fitzmaurice (1950):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Arc Metadata | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Dr. Deutch and the Radium Mine (Part 3) with Bud Collyer" | Mutual (WOR) 1941-09-04 5:15 PM EDST |
Kellogg Company Kellogg's Pep Cereal |
Bud Collyer & Alexander | Siegel & Shuster | ["Superhero", "Adventure", "Superman", "Bud Collyer", "Kellogg"] |
{"title": "Dr. Deutch and the Radium Mine", "part": 3, "total_parts": 10} |
Superman tunnels into a remote mountain cave to rescue Lois Lane after enemy scientist Dr. Deutch triggers an explosive cave-in. |
| "The Wolf (Part 3) with Bud Collyer" | Mutual (WOR) 1942-09-04 5:15 PM EWT |
Kellogg Company Kellogg's Pep Cereal |
Bud Collyer & Kelk | Mutual Studio Staff | ["Superhero", "Adventure", "Superman", "Bud Collyer", "Kellogg"] |
{"title": "The Wolf", "part": 3, "total_parts": 13} |
Clark Kent follows an underworld lead to an abandoned warehouse where a master saboteur known as The Wolf coordinates munitions factory bombings. |
| "The Scorpion (Part 5) with Bud Collyer" | Mutual (WOR) 1944-09-04 5:15 PM EWT |
Kellogg Company Kellogg's Pep Cereal |
Bud Collyer & Julian Noa | Mutual Studio Staff | ["Superhero", "Adventure", "Superman", "Bud Collyer", "Kellogg"] |
{"title": "The Scorpion", "part": 5, "total_parts": 15} |
Superman intercepts an airborne torpedo carrying experimental nerve gas aimed at Metropolis by the masked criminal mastermind The Scorpion. |
| "The Black Market (Part 8) with Bud Collyer" | Mutual (WOR) 1945-09-04 5:15 PM EWT |
Kellogg Company Kellogg's Pep Cereal |
Bud Collyer & Alexander | Mutual Studio Staff | ["Superhero", "Adventure", "Superman", "Bud Collyer", "Kellogg"] |
{"title": "The Black Market", "part": 8, "total_parts": 14} |
Clark Kent and Lois Lane infiltrate a clandestine meat-packing distribution ring hoarding scarce postwar rations. |
| "George Latimer, Crooked Political Boss (Part 2) with Bud Collyer" | Mutual (WOR) 1946-09-04 5:15 PM EDT |
Kellogg Company Kellogg's Pep Cereal |
Bud Collyer & Grimes | Mutual Studio Staff | ["Superhero", "Adventure", "Superman", "Bud Collyer", "Kellogg"] |
{"title": "George Latimer, Crooked Political Boss", "part": 2, "total_parts": 17} |
Clark Kent collects photographic evidence of vote-buying fraud engineered by machine politician George Latimer. |
| "The Speedway of Terror with Michael Fitzmaurice as Superman" | ABC (WJZ) 1950-09-04 5:30 PM EDT |
Kellogg Company Kellogg's Pep Cereal |
Michael Fitzmaurice | Joan Alexander & Staff | ["Superhero", "Adventure", "Superman", "Michael Fitzmaurice", "Kellogg"] |
null |
Superman takes the wheel of a sabotaged racecar whose steering linkage was severed by racketeers attempting to fix a high-stakes Grand Prix. |