1952 - 1958 - Adventures of Superman
Due to the roaring success of the feature film "Superman and the Mole Men", George Reeves and practically all of the cast were signed on for a new interpretation of The Man of Steel for television in the "Adventures of Superman", a very family-friendly take on the Daily Planet staff, met with crazed villainy taking the form of wacky scientist exploits, this was a Superman aimed at kids but played true enough for all to watch. But The Man of Steel's TV screen flights were grounded almost immediately. George Reeves had planned to harness back up and be bungeed into the air again to portray Superman's most popular of superpowers, flying. In a story constantly regaled by former Jimmy Olsen, George Reeves' cast mate Jack Larson, during one of the early shoots of the series there was a mishap using the wires that proved successful in "Mole Men", that when attempted for television sent Reeves plummeting to the unprotected floor. Reeves apparently swore off ever using the wires to fly again, overheard shouting, "Peter Pan flies with wires, my Superman does not!". So other creative devices began to be deployed.
Since take-offs could no longer be filmed completely in-camera with the lack of wires, doors, windows and other openings were used to give Reeves an exit to target his flight path for the camera to follow. Just under the scope of the camera was a springboard, positioned for him to leap upon as he reached full sprint then vaulting off screen to take The Man of Steel to the air, and where padding was secured to ensure Reeves a safe landing.
With Superman in flight, Reeves would be filmed laying down on a converted horizontal plank, that would be removed post-production. Often the background of flight would be littered with stock footage of clouds and blue skies as Kal-El pierces the atmosphere, gusts of wind would give the effect of Superman in flight as his hair tussles and cape flows. While primitive by today's standards, this was far removed from the camp that would soon await super heroics in 1966's "Batman" starring Adam West, who would use such unique and creative camera angles to poke and prod in their post-modern take on comic book heroes. Reeves' Superman's landings in "Adventures of Superman" were accomplished by installing a pull-up bar just before Superman touched down. Getting a running start, Reeves would jump and grab hold of the bar off-frame, using his momentum to carry through as he released and stuck the landing, again scored with Superman's signature "swoosh" soundtrack. While this gave Reeves' Man of Steel a great deal of swing, if not perpetual redundancy in his dismounts, he often swept into frame with enough swagger to pull it off. Reeves' landings gave new explosive meaning to The Man of Steel's fashionably late entrances. With the always trouble-begotten Lois in danger or Jimmy Olsen in distress, Superman would constantly save the day at the last second by bursting onto the scene. And by bursting, we mean causing an insurer's nightmare worth of property damage to innocent parties' homes and businesses.
Superman's landings and entrances were only supplemented by the use of prop walls that Reeves would allegedly enjoy getting the opportunity at busting through. Brick walls, prison cells, mountain caves, they all were reduced to rubble as George Reeves' Superman stuck his landings as he foiled countless evil schemes as The Man of Steel in "Adventures of Superman".