Kirk Alyn

Acting

Kirk Alyn

Born 1910-10-08 · Oxford, New Jersey, USA

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.

Acting credits

Superman poster
7.2

Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.

Superman

1978

The Three Musketeers poster
6.8

In 17th century France, young D'Artagnan wants to join the King's Musketeers, but instead befriends three legendary musketeers—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—and together, they become embroiled in the political intrigue surrounding King Louis XIII and his adversaries, particularly the powerful Cardinal Richelieu.

The Three Musketeers

1948

When Worlds Collide poster
6.4

When a group of astronomers calculate a star is on a course to slam into Earth, a few days before, it's accompanying planet will first pass close enough to the Earth to cause havoc on land and sea. They set about building a rocket so a few selected individuals can escape to the planet.

When Worlds Collide

1951

Action in the North Atlantic poster
7.1

Merchant Marine sailors Joe Rossi (Humphrey Bogart) and Steve Jarvis (Raymond Massey) are charged with getting a supply vessel to Russian allies as part of a sea convoy. When the group of ships comes under attack from a German U-boat, Rossi and Jarvis navigate through dangerous waters to evade Nazi naval forces. Though their mission across the Atlantic is extremely treacherous, they are motivated by the opportunity to strike back at the Germans, who sank one of their earlier ships.

Action in the North Atlantic

1943

The Eddy Duchin Story poster
6.3

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

The Eddy Duchin Story

1956

The Time of Their Lives poster
7.2

Two ghosts, who were mistakenly branded as traitors during the Revolutionary War, return to 20th century New England to retrieve a letter from George Washington which would prove their innocence.

The Time of Their Lives

1946

A Guy Named Joe poster
6.7

A cocky U.S. Army Air Force pilot stationed in England during World War II falls for a daring female flier. After he's killed on a mission, he's sent back to Earth by a heavenly General with a new assignment.

A Guy Named Joe

1944

You Were Never Lovelier poster
7.1

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

You Were Never Lovelier

1942

Banning poster
5.8

A playboy golf pro, kicked off the circuit for alleged cheating, is forced to hustle for a living.

Banning

1967

The Trap poster
6.8

When a troupe of showgirls with their impresario and press agent vacation at a Malibu Beach resort, two of them are garroted. Charlie takes on the case assisted by Number Two Son Jimmy and faithful chauffeur Birmingham Brown.

The Trap

1946

Superman poster
6.2

Superman comes to Earth as a child and grows up to be his home's first superhero with his first major challenge being to oppose The Spider Lady.

Superman

1948

Scalps poster
3.9

A silly group of college science students go an dig around in an indian burial ground for artifacts. Unfortunately, one of them becomes possessed by the evil spirit of Black Claw so he must therefore slaughter all of his friends.

Scalps

1983

The Making of 'Superman: The Movie' poster
6.8

Ernie Anderson narrates this look at the making of Richard Donner's blockbuster 1978 film. Behind-the-scenes footage, as well as scenes from the film, reveal just how audiences were able to "believe a man can fly." This program features interviews with key cast and crew.

The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'

1982

Time Warp poster
4.2

After a long space journey, an astronaut returns home to his family only to discover that he has somehow gone through a "time warp" and is now one year into the future, rendering him invisible to all those around him.

Time Warp

1981

Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel poster
8.0

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

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

1988

The Man from the Rio Grande poster
8.0

The suspicious death of Henry King during a hunting trip with his brother John leaves the inheritance of the rich Santa Rita Ranch to be shared with John, Henry's daughter Doris and a young girl from New York, Twinkle Watts. King says that a son, Henry King Jr., who left home as a young boy was killed in a Texas gunfight. - Written by Les Adams

The Man from the Rio Grande

1943

Atom Man vs. Superman poster
5.5

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

Atom Man vs. Superman

1950

Lucky Jordan poster
7.4

Lucky Jordan is a gangster living in New York City and when he's drafted into the army, he tries to escape duty by using an old con woman named Annie to convince the draft board he's needed at home. When that fails, Jordan is sent to boot camp, but he doesn't stay there long. He takes a beautiful USO worker hostage and flees back to New York. There, he learns that a rival gangster is plotting against America.

Lucky Jordan

1942

Gambling House poster
6.2

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

Gambling House

1950

Swing Shift Maisie poster
6.8

Street-smart Maisie from Brooklyn lands a job at an airplane assembly plant during WWII and falls in love with handsome pilot "Breezy" McLaughlin. Breezy, however, falling in love with and getting engaged to Maisie's conniving roommate Iris, doesn't realize she's using him and it's up to Maisie to convince him.

Swing Shift Maisie

1943

Call of the Rockies poster
6.3

Cowboy Sunset Carson teams up with Frog Millhouse on a routine supply trip to Placer City. Before long, the duo find themselves ambushed by a team of dastardly highwaymen embroiled in an extortion ring. Sunset and Frog must then go undercover to set things right for a mining town under siege. Galloping hooves, spittin' six shooters, and all manner of disreputable behavior ensue.

Call of the Rockies

1944

Radar Patrol vs. Spy King poster
7.5

The war lords of a potential enemy of the US has the spy ring, led by John Baroda, the Spy King and his aide Nitra, sabotaging the plans for a vast defense system of radar stations along the American borders. Radar Defense Bureau operative Chris Calvert comes to the rescue of a brilliant radar scientist, Joan Hughes, who has been kidnapped by Baroda henchmen in chapter 1 ("The Fatal Fog"), and the two battle together before putting an end to the Spy King in the aptly-named chapter 12, "Day of Reckoning".

Radar Patrol vs. Spy King

1949

Beginning of the End poster
4.0

An attractive reporter investigating the mysterious destruction of an Illinois town stumbles upon a secret government laboratory conducting radiation experiments on vegetables. The lead scientist is eager to help find out what happened. Together they discover that giant grasshoppers are behind the devastation. Worse yet, thousands of them are headed toward Chicago! Can they be stopped... or is this the BEGINNING OF THE END?

Beginning of the End

1957

The Girl Who Dared poster
6.1

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

The Girl Who Dared

1944