Nine different suits were created by Disney’s famed Creative Costuming studio Superboy, being the first series filmed at the then-new Disney/MGM studio, made use of its legendary resources.

Initially played by John Haymes Newton before being replaced by Gerard Christopher, “Superboy” wore a similar outfit as Reeve did in the movies in a 1989 Revue article, Superboy’s costumes were created by those who had worked on the movies, so the TV show was “able to reproduce the look, with some adaptations.” The leather boots were the single most expensive thing to create at $250 per pair. A prototype to Smallville, Superboy followed a young, college-aged Clark Kent who was just getting a grasp of his powers.

On the 50th anniversary of Superman’s creation, Superman film producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind took the superhero to the small screen with Superboy, which later became known as The Adventures of Superboy.

But ultimately, it all worked, because the suit was fitted to Alyn’s very fit frame, which made moviegoers believe he really was Superman. Alyn’s sleeves were also ribbed at the cuff, giving his costume a cozy Christmas sweater feel. It was made up of wool with a short felt cape and leather boots (which had laces, unlike the comics). I have to see what your legs look like.” The audition took about 15 minutes.īecause it was 1948, Superman’s costume - made by the prolific Western Costume in Hollywood - wasn’t terribly complex. “‘Kirk,’ the guy said, ‘take your pants off.’” When Alyn hesitated, he was told: “Look, Kirk, you’re gonna have to wear tights in the movie. “Fortunately, I was in good shape at the time.” “When I got down there, they stared at me and said, ‘Yeah, he looks like Clark Kent, but let’s see what he looks like with his shirt off,’” Alyn remembered.

In a retrospective interview with Starlog in 1977, Alyn recalled his audition, in which the producers wasted no time trying to see how he’d pull off the suit. In 1948, Kirk Alyn became the first actor to play Superman in the live-action film serial, simply titled Superman, as well as the 1950 sequel Atom Man vs. Kirk Alyn in 'Superman.' Kirk Alyn Lays the Groundwork

Superman man of steel costumes