Can You Imagine Superman Wearing A Bow Tie?

As frequently happened in television of the 1950′s, hit programs were translated from radio. Sometimes this process led to a continuation of the show’s popularity. Sometimes the program were broadcast in both mediums for a time. This category of articles will deal with the shows that made the transition successfully and those that didn’t, and the changes made in the translation.

There were often cast changes made necessary due to the visual nature of television, just as there were decades earlier when movies added sound. Not every silent screen star had the voice needed for sound. By the same token, not every fine radio voice was possessed by an actor with the expected physical presence.

For example, William Conrad, known for the TV show “Cannon” previously played the part of Matt Dillon in the radio version of Gunsmoke. While not as rotund as he later appeared later he was still not fit the producers’ visual concept of Matt Dillon. Instead they asked John Wayne who turned it down but recommended a young James Arness.

Bud Collyer, who later hosted “Beat the Clock” and “To Tell The Truth”, played the role of Superman/Clark Kent in the Superman radio show. Despite his beautiful baritone voice–which he could modulate from a higher tone for the part of Clark to a deeper resonance for Superman, his slender frame did not lend itself to the role. Besides, who can imagine Superman–or even the mild-mannered reporter for a metropolitan newspaper, Clark Kent, wearing a bow tie?