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The Mad Scientist

155 statements
29 feature instances
4 referencing feature instances

The Mad Scientist	type	TVTItem
The Mad Scientist	label	The Mad Scientist
The Mad Scientist	page	TheMadScientist
The Mad Scientist	comment	The Mad Scientist note originally called "Superman", but we will refer to it by its alternate title to avoid confusion 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.
The Mad Scientist	fetched	2024-03-19T23:17:43Z
The Mad Scientist	parsed	2024-03-19T23:17:43Z
The Mad Scientist	processingComment	Dropped link to MostlyNormalAnimal: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
The Mad Scientist	processingUnknown	MostlyNormalAnimal
The Mad Scientist	isPartOf	DBTropes
The Mad Scientist / int_140883ec	type	I Will Show You X!
The Mad Scientist / int_140883ec	comment	I Will Show You X!: "So you want a story! I'll give you the greatest story of destruction the world has ever known!"
The Mad Scientist / int_140883ec	featureApplicability	1.0
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The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_140883ec
The Mad Scientist / int_263bb4ec	type	Wave-Motion Gun
The Mad Scientist / int_263bb4ec	comment	Wave-Motion Gun: The Scientist's laser cannon.
The Mad Scientist / int_263bb4ec	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_263bb4ec	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_263bb4ec
The Mad Scientist / int_33d5b7f2	type	Adapted Out
The Mad Scientist / int_33d5b7f2	comment	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.
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The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_33d5b7f2
The Mad Scientist / int_3517000d	type	Mad Scientist
The Mad Scientist / int_3517000d	comment	Mad Scientist: But of course!
The Mad Scientist / int_3517000d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_3517000d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_3517000d
The Mad Scientist / int_36e63b81	type	Rule of Cool
The Mad Scientist / int_36e63b81	comment	Punching a laser in order to deflect it. This looks like a job for the Rule of Cool!
The Mad Scientist / int_36e63b81	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_36e63b81	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_36e63b81
The Mad Scientist / int_4160410d	type	Damsel in Distress
The Mad Scientist / int_4160410d	comment	Damsel in Distress: Lois, who ends up a captive of the mad scientist.
The Mad Scientist / int_4160410d	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_4160410d	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_4160410d
The Mad Scientist / int_5f52cfcf	type	Intrepid Reporter
The Mad Scientist / int_5f52cfcf	comment	Intrepid Reporter: Lois Lane, going off to chase the big story—too intrepid in this instance, as she gets kidnapped by the mad scientist.
The Mad Scientist / int_5f52cfcf	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_5f52cfcf	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_5f52cfcf
The Mad Scientist / int_6331ba26	type	Plot Hole
The Mad Scientist / int_6331ba26	comment	Plot Hole: How does Lois know where the mad scientist's lair is? Maybe the note had a return address.
The Mad Scientist / int_6331ba26	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_6331ba26	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_6331ba26
The Mad Scientist / int_6e7268ad	type	Parrot Pet Position
The Mad Scientist / int_6e7268ad	comment	Parrot Pet Position: The Mad Scientist's bird sidekick, shortly.
The Mad Scientist / int_6e7268ad	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_6e7268ad	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_6e7268ad
The Mad Scientist / int_7175cb16	type	Clark Kenting
The Mad Scientist / int_7175cb16	comment	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.
The Mad Scientist / int_7175cb16	featureApplicability	1.0
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The Mad Scientist / int_7bc8c453	type	Origins Episode
The Mad Scientist / int_7bc8c453	comment	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.
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The Mad Scientist / int_7e866076	type	Realistic Species, Cartoony Species
The Mad Scientist / int_7e866076	comment	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.
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The Mad Scientist / int_7e866076	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_7e866076
The Mad Scientist / int_7ea2a915	type	Animation Bump
The Mad Scientist / int_7ea2a915	comment	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.)
The Mad Scientist / int_7ea2a915	featureApplicability	1.0
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The Mad Scientist / int_957e5fc2	type	Villainous Breakdown
The Mad Scientist / int_957e5fc2	comment	Villainous Breakdown: The Scientist when Supes starts overcoming the laser.
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The Mad Scientist / int_957e5fc2	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_957e5fc2
The Mad Scientist / int_ac5fa94	type	Rotoscoping
The Mad Scientist / int_ac5fa94	comment	Rotoscoping: Prominently used to animate the characters. It is pretty rough here, but it would improve as the series ran its course.
The Mad Scientist / int_ac5fa94	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_ac5fa94	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_ac5fa94
The Mad Scientist / int_ad1db87c	type	Oh, Crap!
The Mad Scientist / int_ad1db87c	comment	Oh, Crap!: "It's Superman!"
The Mad Scientist / int_ad1db87c	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_ad1db87c	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_ad1db87c
The Mad Scientist / int_adfd3165	type	For the Evulz
The Mad Scientist / int_adfd3165	comment	For the Evulz: The mad scientist doesn't seem to have any goals other than showing off his death ray.
The Mad Scientist / int_adfd3165	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_adfd3165	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_adfd3165
The Mad Scientist / int_af98df4e	type	They Called Me Mad!
The Mad Scientist / int_af98df4e	comment	They Called Me Mad!: Mentioned in the note the scientist sends.
The Mad Scientist / int_af98df4e	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_af98df4e	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_af98df4e
The Mad Scientist / int_b0218885	type	Mickey Mousing
The Mad Scientist / int_b0218885	comment	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.
The Mad Scientist / int_b0218885	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_b0218885	featureConfidence	1.0
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The Mad Scientist / int_b02f21f	type	Digital Destruction
The Mad Scientist / int_b02f21f	comment	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.
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The Mad Scientist / int_b02f21f	featureConfidence	1.0
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The Mad Scientist / int_c067b082	type	Black Bead Eyes
The Mad Scientist / int_c067b082	comment	Black Bead Eyes: Lois, which is rather bizarre in a short that's otherwise fairly realistic.
The Mad Scientist / int_c067b082	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_c067b082	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_c067b082
The Mad Scientist / int_c55c31e2	type	Non-Standard Character Design
The Mad Scientist / int_c55c31e2	comment	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.
The Mad Scientist / int_c55c31e2	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_c55c31e2	featureConfidence	1.0
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The Mad Scientist / int_c6c86cd	type	Collapsing Lair
The Mad Scientist / int_c6c86cd	comment	Collapsing Lair: The scientist's lab after Supes overloads the cannon.
The Mad Scientist / int_c6c86cd	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_c6c86cd	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_c6c86cd
The Mad Scientist / int_ca87e3ec	type	No Name Given
The Mad Scientist / int_ca87e3ec	comment	No Name Given: The eponymous scientist.
The Mad Scientist / int_ca87e3ec	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_ca87e3ec	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_ca87e3ec
The Mad Scientist / int_e8e3807	type	Aside Glance
The Mad Scientist / int_e8e3807	comment	Aside Glance: Clark Kent winks at the audience at the end.
The Mad Scientist / int_e8e3807	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_e8e3807	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_e8e3807
The Mad Scientist / int_eb28ab57	type	Bound and Gagged
The Mad Scientist / int_eb28ab57	comment	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.
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The Mad Scientist / int_eb28ab57	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_eb28ab57
The Mad Scientist / int_fa8245fb	type	Death Ray
The Mad Scientist / int_fa8245fb	comment	Death Ray: Complete with a great big Jacob's Ladder, and an elevator-floor gauge for showing its Power Level.
The Mad Scientist / int_fa8245fb	featureApplicability	1.0
The Mad Scientist / int_fa8245fb	featureConfidence	1.0
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_fa8245fb
The Mad Scientist / int_fc225bec	type	Artistic License â€“ Physics
The Mad Scientist / int_fc225bec	comment	Artistic License â€“ 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!
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The Mad Scientist / int_name	type	ItemName
The Mad Scientist / int_name	comment
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The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The Mad Scientist / int_name
The Mad Scientist / int_name	itemName	The Mad Scientist

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	Short Film / int_7bfce14d
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	The '40s / int_7bfce14d
TheMadScientist	seeAlso	The Mad Scientist
The Mad Scientist	hasFeature	They Called Me Mad! / int_7bfce14d

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