Whitney Ellsworth

Frederick Whitney Ellsworth (November 27, 1908 – September 7, 1980)[2] was an American comic book editor and sometime writer and artist for DC Comics during the period known to historians and fans as the Golden Age of Comic Books. He was also DC's "movie studio contact", becoming both a producer and story editor on the TV series The Adventures of Superman.[3]

Biography

Whitney "Whit" Ellsworth was born in Brooklyn, New York.[4] He took a cartooning course at the YMCA in Brooklyn and worked on the syndicated features Dumb Dora (for Newspaper Feature Service), Embarrassing Moments (providing plots, pencils and inks for both) and Just Kids (assisting with pencils and inks, for the King Features Syndicate) between 1927 and 1929.[5]

TV and film

In addition to his extensive comics work, Ellsworth "was DC's movie studio contact" on a number of projects, keeping his "editorial director" title, but working mainly on "DC properties in Hollywood" between c. 1951–1959.[5]

The Superman serials

Ellsworth was the representative from National Comics during the production of the 1948 serial Superman, a position which gave him absolute control of the script and production. He initially objected to casting of Kirk Alyn as the lead, whom producer Sam Katzman had found by looking through studio photographs. This was made even worse when Alyn came in for a screen test, during filming on a historical film, with a goatee and moustache. These initial reservations were eventually overcome and Alyn got the part. Columbia's advertising claimed that they could not get an actor to fill the role so they had hired Superman himself. Kirk Alyn was merely playing Clark Kent.[9]

The Adventures of Superman

Most notably, Ellsworth was a consultant on the serial sequel Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950) (also with Kirk Alyn), and co-wrote the feature film Superman and the Mole Men (1951) before becoming a producer, episode writer, and script editor on the subsequent live-action TV series The Adventures of Superman (both starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel).[3] In 1958, he created a pilot titled Superpup, which attempted to capitalise on that series' success by recasting the Superman mythos in a fictional universe populated by dogs instead of people.

Three years later, Ellsworth helped produce another, ultimately aborted pilot for another spin-off series called The Adventures of Superboy.

Other

According to noted comics historian Jerry Bails, Ellsworth was also a consultant on the two Batman serials in 1943 and 1949; the Superman serial starring Kirk Alyn that was a precursor to the later live-action Superman features, and the Congo Bill serial (1949).[5] He is listed as having been – for "one week only" – a consultant on the 1966 Batman TV series (with Adam West), and a writer for the Superman radio show during the war years.[5]

In addition, he wrote the Off-Broadway production Maiden Voyage (1935), for the TV series The Millionaire1 (1955) between c. 1954–56 and produced another pilot in 1961, this time for a "comedy-detective series starring Sheree North" to be called Here's O'Hare (ABC did not pursue the show).[10]

Ellsworth is also said by Bails to have helped co-write The Godfather.[5]

birth name	Frederick Whitney Ellsworth
birth date	November 27, 1908‡R1R‡
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
death date	September 7, 1980
death place	North Hollywood, U.S.
area	Comic book editor, television producer
alias	Frederic Wells, Fred Whitby, Richard Fielding (w/ Robert Maxwell)
notable works	Batman (The Adventures of Superman (TV series))

Biography

National Allied Publications (DC)

Pulps

Comics, including Batman

Newspaper strip

TV and film

The Superman serials

The Adventures of Superman

Other

Later life

References in popular culture

External links

References