Kirk Alyn

Born: 1910-10-08

Kirk Alyn (1910–1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play Superman in live-action in Superman serial and Atom Man vs. Superman as well as Blackhawk in the Blackhawk serial, and Sam Lane in Superman: The Movie. Alyn started as a chorus boy for Broadway plays, appearing in notable musicals such as Girl Crazy, Of Thee I Sing, and Hellzapoppin' during the 1930s. He also worked as a singer and dancer in vaudeville before relocating to Hollywood during the early 1940s to act for feature movies, but he was successful only in gaining bit parts for low-budget movies before obtaining the role of Superman in 1948. During World War II he served in the United States Navy. Alyn also featured in movie serials, including Federal Agents Vs. Underworld Inc., Radar Patrol Vs. Spy King and Blackhawk. Alyn played Superman for the first live-action Superman movie serial, released in 1948. The serial consisted of 15 episodes which recounted Superman’s arrival on Earth, getting a job as a reporter at the Daily Planet newspaper, and meeting Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. After playing Superman, he again suffered casting problems. Apart from featuring in some similar comic book-type serials, he had few roles in television series and movies, some even uncredited, until he retired.


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as Sam Lane (uncredited)
Released: 1978-12-14

Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane....

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See!

When Worlds Collide

as Rioter Bringing Guns (uncredited)
Released: 1951-09-14

When a group of astronomers calculate a star is on a course to slam into Earth, a few days...

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The Three Musketeers

as Aramis' Friend (uncredited)
Released: 1948-10-20

Athletic adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic adventure about the king's musketeers and their...

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You Were Never Lovelier

as Julia's Groom (uncredited)
Released: 1942-11-19

An Argentine heiress thinks a penniless American dancer is her secret admirer.

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A Guy Named Joe

as Officer in Heaven (uncredited)
Released: 1943-12-24

A cocky Air Force pilot stationed in England during World War II falls for a daring female...

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Action in the North Atlantic

as Brazilian Gun Captain (uncredited)
Released: 1943-06-12

Merchant Marine sailors Joe Rossi (Humphrey Bogart) and Steve Jarvis (Raymond Massey) are...

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The Eddy Duchin Story

as Young Man at Wadsworths' Party (uncredited)
Released: 1956-05-02

The life story of the famous pianist and band-leader of the 1930s and 1940s.

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Superman

as Superman, alias Clark Kent
Released: 1948-07-15

Superman comes to Earth as a child and grows up to be his home's first superhero with his first...

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The Time of Their Lives

as Dandy at Party (uncredited)
Released: 1946-08-13

Two ghosts, who were mistakenly branded as traitors during the Revolutionary War, return to 20th...

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Scalps

as Prof. Manchen
Released: 1983-12-03

Silly group of college science students go an dig around in an indian burial ground for...

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Swing Shift Maisie

as Victory Aircraft Official (Uncredited)
Released: 1943-10-01

Street-smart Maisie from Brooklyn lands a job at an airplane assembly plant during WWII and...

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Beginning of the End

as Bomber Pilot
Released: 1957-06-28

An attractive reporter investigating the mysterious destruction of an Illinois town stumbles...

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Overland Mail Robbery

as Tom Hartley
Released: 1943-11-20

The Hartley--Goodrich stage line suffers a double blow when its founders, Frank Hartley and...

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The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'

as Self
Released: 1980-01-01

Ernie Anderson narrates this look at the making of Richard Donner's blockbuster 1978 film....

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Time Warp

as uncredited
Released: 1981-01-01

After a long space journey, an astronaut returns home to his family only to discover that he has...

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Aerial Gunner

as Officer in Canteen (uncredited)
Released: 1943-03-20

Old rivals are pitted against each other in basic training and fight for the same woman.

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Call of the Rockies

as Ned Crane
Released: 1944-07-14

Cowboy Sunset Carson teams up with Frog Millhouse on a routine supply trip to Placer City....

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The Girl Who Dared

as Josh Carroll
Released: 1944-08-05

A group of people are invited to a party at a creepy mansion where legend has it a ghost appears...

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Daughter of Don Q

as Cliff Roberts
Released: 1946-06-27

When the unscrupulous Carlos Manning discovers that an old Spanish land grant recently unearthed...

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Atom Man vs. Superman

as Superman, alias Clark Kent
Released: 1950-07-20

Superman battles Lex Luthor, who is using a teleportation device and a new identity as Atom Man...

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The Trap

as Sgt. Reynolds
Released: 1946-11-30

When a troupe of showgirls with their impresario and press agent vacation at a Malibu Beach...

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Forty Thieves

as Jerry Doyle
Released: 1944-06-23

When he runs for sheriff, Hoppy is beaten by Jerry Doyle, the gutless wonder voted for by every...

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Lucky Jordan

as Pearl's Boyfriend
Released: 1942-11-16

Lucky Jordan is a gangster living in New York City and when he's drafted into the army, he tries...

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Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel

as Self
Released: 1988-02-29

A humourous telling of the history of the comic book superhero.

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Superbman: The Other Movie

as Pa Cant
Released: 1981-01-01

Facing impending doom on the planet Krapton, Kid-O, infant son of Jel-O, is sent to earth where...

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Mystery Broadcast

as Young Policeman (uncredited)
Released: 1943-11-23

A radio detective sets out to solve an old murder case, with the help of her sound man and...

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Blackhawk

as Blackhawk
Released: 1952-07-24

Based on a successful comic book that began in 1941, the Blackhawks were seven flyers who banded...

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Radar Patrol vs. Spy King

as Chris Calvert
Released: 1949-11-23

The war lords of a potential enemy of the US has the spy ring, led by John Baroda, the Spy King...

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Fast and Loose

as Man Seated at Table in Speakeasy
Released: 1930-11-08

A wealthy family is thrown into turmoil when the daughter falls for the family chauffeur and the...

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Gambling House

as FBI Man (uncredited)
Released: 1950-12-27

A gambler faces deportation when he gets mixed up with murder.

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Little Miss Broadway

as Mel O'Brien
Released: 1947-06-19

Upon leaving finishing school, Judy Gibson goes to meet her presumed wealthy and socially...

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The Story of Superman

as Self / Clark Kent / Superman (archival footage)
Released: 1989-06-01

This is the complete story of the origin of Superman, his career in comics, cartoons and film....

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No Time to Be Young

as Mike
Released: 1957-08-01

A melodrama about young adults growing up and facing the pressures of life.

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The Man from the Rio Grande

as Editor Tom Traynor
Released: 1943-10-18

The suspicious death of Henry King during a hunting trip with his brother John leaves the...

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Private Lessons

as John Humphries
Released: 1934-05-04

Hal LeRoy is hired as a tap teacher at Dawn O'Day's dancing school to give private lessons to...

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Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc.

as Inspector David Worth
Released: 1949-01-29

The female leader of an international crime ring steals a valuable artifact that can give her...

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Pistol Packin' Mama

as J. Leslie Burton III
Released: 1943-12-15

Two tuneful gamblers gambol across the country in a struggle for the money they need to run...

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The Halloween Planet

as The Watcher
Released: 1981-01-01

When the boy genius, Zebulon, decides to run away from home in his hand-made spaceship he fails...

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Naked City

as Sgt. Muller
First aired: 1958-09-30

Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network....

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The Donna Reed Show

as uncredited
First aired: 1958-09-24

Revolves around typical family problems, such as firing a clumsy housekeeper, throwing a...

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Battlestar Galactica

as Old Man
First aired: 1978-09-17

When the 12 Colonies of Man are wiped out by a cybernetic race called the Cylons, Commander...

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Highway Patrol

as Coordinating Officer at Headquarters
First aired: 1955-10-03

Highway Patrol was a syndicated, fictional police action series produced from 1955 to 1959,...

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Dennis the Menace

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-10-04

This 1959-1963 television situation comedy series follows the lives of the Mitchell family,...

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The Adventures of Kit Carson

as uncredited
First aired: 1951-08-11

The Adventures of Kit Carson is an American Western series that aired in syndication from August...

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Buffalo Bill Jr.

as uncredited
First aired: 1955-03-01

Buffalo Bill, Jr. is an American Western television series starring Dickie Jones that aired in...

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