The Mad Scientist note is a 1941 theatrical animated short (ten minutes) produced by Fleischer Studios, and the first of seventeen Superman Theatrical Cartoons.
An extended prologue establishes the origins of Superman (voiced here by Bud Collyer from the radio show), how his parents sent him to Earth after Krypton blew up, and how he assumed the public identity of Clark Kent, mild-mannered Daily Planet reporter. After the prologue we get to the main story: a mad scientist has sent the Daily Planet a letter announcing that he has a deadly death ray. Lois Lane (voiced by Joan Alexander) goes off to pursue the story, but her Intrepid Reporter fearlessness gets her kidnapped by the mad scientist, who promptly zaps out a section of a bridge with his death ray. Clark Kent, upon finding out that both Lois and the city of Metropolis are in peril, puts on his Superman costume and saves the day.
The short had a production budget of $50,000 (three times the cost of an average Popeye short at the time), and it shows.
The short was nominated for the 1942 Academy Award for cartoon short subjects (losing out to the Pluto the Pup short Lend a Paw).
This short has entered the Public Domain, and can be viewed here.
Tropes:
- Adapted Out: Ma and Pa Kent are apparently absent from Superman's origin—the unidentified person who found him as a baby instead brought him to an orphanage. The person was identified as a "passing motorist", which was true in Superman's first story in Action Comics #1.
- Animation Bump: Compared to the Fleischers' previous flop of a series, Stone Age, the animation quality of this first short is a HUGE upgrade in contrast. (This is in part because its comparative budget at the time was so high, it may as well have been infinite; its $50,000 budget would be the equivalent of between $950,000 and $990,000 in 2021 dollars.)
- Artistic License – Physics:
- The beam melts the support beams in a building, causing it to fall over. Inexplicably, Superman stops the beam and props the build back up, and it stands without doing anything to repair its foundation.
- Punching a laser in order to deflect it. This looks like a job for the Rule of Cool!
- Aside Glance: Clark Kent winks at the audience at the end.
- Black Bead Eyes: Lois, which is rather bizarre in a short that's otherwise fairly realistic.
- Bound and Gagged: Lois upon reaching the Mad Scientist's lair, attempts to get an interview, but is instead immediately kidnapped by the madman and tied to a chair and gagged. He informs her she'll get her story as she watches helplessly at the destruction of Metropolis. Luckily, Superman unties her at the end just as the evil lair falls apart.
- Clark Kenting: Maybe never more nakedly obvious than here. When he hears that Lois has been captured by the mad scientist, Clark mutters "This sounds like a job for Superman!" Then he ducks into the office's supply closet. The supply closet has a glass window, so we can see the outline of Clark changing into his Superman outfit. Then we see Superman emerging from the closet. None of the other reporters in the office notice Superman emerging from their closet and flying out the window.
- Collapsing Lair: The scientist's lab after Supes overloads the cannon.
- Damsel in Distress: Lois, who ends up a captive of the mad scientist.
- Death Ray: Complete with a great big Jacob's Ladder, and an elevator-floor gauge for showing its Power Level.
- Digital Destruction: The version included on Warner's DVD compilation has an audible jump in the prologue ("Superman fights a nevereding battle for truth-justice"), and also makes one of Perry White's lines sound garbled. A prolonged pause also occurs in between the closing shot and the Paramount logo.
- For the Evulz: The mad scientist doesn't seem to have any goals other than showing off his death ray.
- I Will Show You X!: "So you want a story! I'll give you the greatest story of destruction the world has ever known!"
- Intrepid Reporter: Lois Lane, going off to chase the big story—too intrepid in this instance, as she gets kidnapped by the mad scientist.
- Mad Scientist: But of course!
- Mickey Mousing: The pulses of the beam don't seem to make a sound in-universe when they hit Superman, but are emphasized by the soundtrack. The same happens when Supes is punching the beam back to its source.
- Mostly Normal Animal: The vulture. It does not speak, but clearly has human-like intelligence and sometimes makes gestures that are outside the bounds of realistic bird behavior. It warns the scientist of Superman's approach, makes a "So there!" head gesture at Lois, and even operates a door-bolt with its beak.
- No Name Given: The eponymous scientist.
- Non-Standard Character Design:
- Downplayed with the Mad Scientist; his features are slightly more stylized and his movements slightly more cartoony than those of the other human characters.
- Played absolutely straight with his vulture minion, who is a case of Realistic Species, Cartoony Species.
- Oh, Crap!: "It's Superman!"
- Origins Episode: Being the first one in the series, it has an intro briefly summarizing how Krypton blew up, but not before baby Superman was sent to Earth in an escape pod.
- Parrot Pet Position: The Mad Scientist's bird sidekick, shortly.
- Plot Hole: How does Lois know where the mad scientist's lair is? Maybe the note had a return address.
- Realistic Species, Cartoony Species: The humans of the story have rotoscope-realistic proportions and movements, but the vulture looks like something out of a slapstick cartoon.
- Rotoscoping: Prominently used to animate the characters. It is pretty rough here, but it would improve as the series ran its course.
- They Called Me Mad!: Mentioned in the note the scientist sends.
- Villainous Breakdown: The Scientist when Supes starts overcoming the laser."I don't believe it! He isn't human!"
- Wave-Motion Gun: The Scientist's laser cannon.
