blogging by Andrew Wickliffe


The Adventures of Superpup (1958, Cal Howard)


A scene from THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERPUP, directed by Cal Howard.

What better way to capitalize on the success of TV’s “The Adventures of Superman” with a kid’s show recasting the characters as dogs. What’s strangest about “The Adventures of Superpup”–not surprisingly, it never went past pilot–isn’t the Little People in gigantic dog helmets (no, “Superpup” isn’t a cartoon), but how it handles the Superman mythos.

The dog costumes are just weird–especially since the script’s for a cartoon–the characters are a lot more interesting.

First off, Bark Bent has a mouse (or rat) living in his drawer at work. This rodent is the real hero. See, Superpup isn’t much of a superhero. He mostly loafs about at work, napping at his desk. The rodent is the real hero.

“Superpup” isn’t even schlocky bad. It’s just a terrible idea, incompetently produced and directed.

Well, I guess it does show what a real live action cartoon would look like.

1/3Not Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Cal Howard; screenplay by Howard and Whitney Ellsworth, based on a concept by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; director of photography, Joseph F. Biroc; edited by Sam E. Waxman; produced by Ellsworth.

Starring Billy Curtis (Super Pup/Bark Bent), Ruth Delfino (Pamela Poodle), Angelo Rossitto (Terry Bite), Frank Delfino (Sergeant Beagle), Harry Monty (Professor Sheepdip) and Sadie Delfino (Wolfingham / Montgomery Mouse).


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