In 1966, Superman hit Broadway with the musical It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman!. Although it received positive reviews, the show ran only 129 performances. In 1975, ABC adapted the music for the small screen with hopes of creating a series. Some of the show’s songs and plot were cut to fit a two-hour runtime with commercials.
Our tale opens with several characters from the musical expressing their love or disdain for Superman. Then the citizens of Metropolis sing about their desperate need for the Man of Steel. But trouble is brewing: the nefarious King Big Boss (Malachi Throne) puts out a contract on Superman, believing his mafia empire would flourish if not for Superman.
At the Daily Planet, brilliant but unhinged scientist Dr. Abner Sedgwick (David Wayne) arrives with news that a death ray belonging to MIT (Metropolis Institute of Technology) has been stolen. He convinces Lois Lane (Lesley Ann Warren) to summon Superman, hoping the ray will destroy him. Meanwhile, rival reporter Max Mencken (Kenneth Mars) grows increasingly jealous of Superman and Clark Kent (David Wilson), resenting their connection to Lois and determined to bring both down.
Superman thwarts the death ray, but Sedgwick is far from finished—he dreams of destroying Sweden for denying him a Nobel Prize and plots global domination. Max, nursing romantic rejection from Lois and jealousy over Clark’s success, brushes off Sydney Carlton (Loretta Swit), his doting yet overlooked date. Sydney suspects there’s more to Clark and tries to help him gain confidence, eventually sparking a sweet connection between the two. Clark finds happiness in Sydney’s affections, while Sedgwick recruits gangsters to join his cause, claiming the best way to defeat Superman is to make him defeat himself. Weirdly enough, it’s done the same way Superman is taken down in the 2025 Superman from James Gunn.
Superman interrupts the villains’ scheme in It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! (1975)
“Superman thwarts the death ray, but Sedgwick is far from finished.”
It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! could only have been made in the 1970s. The opening reminds me of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, with one back joke after another, and music that rivals TV variety shows like Sonny & Cher and Donny & Marie.
David Wilson’s performance as Superman/Clark Kent comes off as a Boy Scout version of Adam West Batman. This is a challenging role. You’ve got to sing, dance, punch, and fly. Yet, unlike Batman, Superman has to fall in love with both Lois Lane and Sydney Carlton.
From my research, the Broadway play was much longer, exploring the characters more, but primarily focusing on the Lois, Clark, and Sydney love triangle. In the show, Sydney and Clark fall in love, then out of love during the commercial break. The play also feels rushed, forcing us to accept whatever is said on stage, such as Superman defeating the Death Ray.
As a musical, though, the tunes are catchy but forgettable. The love songs are very generic, and the opening number, “We Need Him,” is the only song I remember thanks to it being the end credits song. The show’s biggest problem is following the villains. The main villain is Dr. Sedgwick. Then we have the gangsters and Clark’s rival, Max. The gangsters have several songs, then all of a sudden, they become Dr. Sedgwick’s henchmen.
To me, nostalgia is the only reason to see It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! An excuse to say, “Remember how cheesy, variety shows were so long ago.” The campy humor was done so much better in Batman that it pales in comparison here. Lastly, Hot Lips was pretty hot even before MASH.
In the end, It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! serves as a fascinating time capsule of 1970s television—full of camp, color, and corny charm. While the TV adaptation never took flight as a series, it remains a curious blend of superhero antics and variety show flair. For fans of retro musicals, Superman lore, or just pure nostalgic kitsch, it’s worth a look—even if only once.
"…remember how cheesy variety shows were so long ago?"
