(1942 / 1943)
Notes: Paramount
presents a Max Fleischer cartoon, one of 17 early and impressive
Superman cartoons.
Story: Bill Turner and Ted Pierce
Animation: Willard Bowsky and Reuben Grossman
Music: Sammy Timberb
Director: Dave Fleischer
Summary:
Looking for prehistoric fossils in Siberia, an archaeological
team discovers a "huge monster" frozen in ice. The
"Giant" is a tyrannosaur, but about four times larger
than an actual one and sporting plates down its back. A refrigerated
freighter brings it back where it can be put on exhibit at Metropolis's
Museum of Natural History. On the phone, a "professor"
tells "the chief" of the Daily Planet of the dangers
of potential thaw. The Chief therefore tells Lois Lane to haul
over to the museum for this story. While Lois tours the facility,
an oil can on a ledge near the generator vibrates into the turbine.
The temperature rises, ice melts, and while everyone else runs
from the museum, Lois hides and witnesses the reanimation of the
animal. A "riot squad" shoots to no avail. The animal
rampages down the streets Godzilla-like. Clark Kent converts,
saves Lois from museum wreckage, repairs a broken dam, and restores
a suspensionbridge. Before the dinosaur can destroy a baseball
stadium, the Superman lassos its legs with a bridge cable. Lois
Lane tries to photograph the creature's face but is eaten. Superman
saves her from the mouth of the tyrannosaur and pins the creature's
neck to the ground with a telephone pole. The animal is chained
and displayed at the zoo.
Commentary:
I haven't tracked dinos in comic books. Clearly there's not
much for this cartoon to borrow from in the previous films, so
one presumes dinosaurs are at this time enjoying popularity in
the comics. This one looks pretty dorky, unfortunately. Besides
the inappropriate plates down its back, its eyes are not saurian,
its pear-shaped body forces it to lumber, and it has four fangs
instead of the tyrannosaur teeth.