Superman: Electric Earthquake (1942)
“He can level a city with a switch. Only one man can hold it together.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
A scientist of Native American descent comes to the Daily Planet demanding that Manhattan be returned to his people, and when the paper brushes him off, he vows to take the island by force. Lois Lane trails him to a hidden underwater laboratory on the ocean floor, where she is captured and strapped into his machine. From the seabed he sends a massive electric charge into the bedrock beneath the city, triggering quakes that crack streets and crumble skyscrapers. Superman plunges into the harbor to find the source, battling the surging current and the collapsing capsule to save Lois and shut the device down. The premise gives the series one of its most unusual antagonists and a striking undersea climax.
Cast
About the Director
Dave Fleischer — Credited to Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer at Fleischer Studios, the short was distributed by Paramount Pictures in 1942. The story came from Seymour Kneitel and Isadore Sparber with animation led by Steve Muffatti, the studio team that drove the Superman unit. As with its companions, the entry was made during the Fleischer studio's final stretch before its absorption into Famous Studios.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
This short is in the United States public domain because its original copyright was never renewed. Films of the era stayed protected only if a renewal was filed in the 28th year, and that renewal was never made for this entry. The cartoon thus fell into the public domain and is free to copy, share, and stream.
Behind the Scenes
The film stands out for its underwater setting and its villain's grievance over the ownership of Manhattan, an unusually pointed motive for a wartime cartoon. The Fleischer artists rendered the submerged lab and the quaking cityscape with the dimensional backgrounds and effects work that defined the series, packing elaborate destruction into a tight running time.
Did You Know?
- The earthquake machine works by pumping electricity directly into the bedrock under Manhattan.
- Much of the climax unfolds on the ocean floor, a rare aquatic setting for the series.
- The villain's stated goal is to reclaim the island of Manhattan for its original inhabitants.
Reception & Legacy
Remembered for its inventive premise and dramatic undersea finale, the short is a regular highlight in retrospectives of the Fleischer Superman cartoons. Its lapsed copyright has kept it in wide circulation, and it continues to draw attention for its singular, conflicted antagonist.
Superman: Billion Dollar Limited
Popeye: Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Superman: The Mad Scientist
Superman: The Bulleteers