The Magnetic Telescope

1942 AnimationFantasy 8 minutes Directed by Dave Fleischer

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About The Magnetic Telescope

Police stop a scientist's test of a magnetic telescope. The machine draws a comet toward Earth and a meteor shower hits Metropolis. Superman has to stop it.

Cast & crew

More about The Magnetic Telescope

Dave Fleischer directed the sixth of seventeen Superman shorts from Fleischer Studios. Max Fleischer produced it. Sammy Timberg wrote the music. It was released on April 24, 1942. Wikipedia gives a running time of eight minutes, in Technicolor. Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander, Julian Noa, and Jackson Beck are billed. The character is the one created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Themes

  • a telescope that pulls a comet
  • police who stop the test
  • Superman against the shower
  • Superman
  • magnetic telescope
  • Metropolis
  • Fleischer
  • comet
  • Bud Collyer

Making

Fleischer put the telescope gag into the Superman series as a one-reel rescue.

Music

Sammy Timberg wrote the music.

Notes

  • It is short number six in the Fleischer Superman series.
  • The threat is a comet pulled in by the telescope, not a bomb.
  • The city in the cartoon is Metropolis.
  • The police interruption is what starts the disaster.

Scenes

  • The police shut the test down.
  • The comet is dragged toward the city.

Influenced by

  • Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman

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