Source: Adventures of Superman (1952-1957)
Type: TV
Not the very first actor to play Jimmy in live action (that honor belongs to Tommy Bond in the movie serials), Jack Larson can however claim to have played Jimmy the LONGEST. He was featured in over 100 episodes of Adventures of Superman between 1952 and 1957 (with years of reruns besides) alongside George Reeves, and reprised the role decades later in a 1996 episode of Lois & Clark called "Brutal Youth" in which an aged Jimmy mysteriously walks into the Daily Planet offices. That's a nifty bit of casting:
Jack was also awarded with cameos in the Superboy TV series and in Superman Returns, in which he basically played Bibbo (or is "Bo the Bartender" not meant to echo Superman's biggest fan from the comics?), though in one scene, he wears a bow tie. Double-tribute!
I can't claim to have watched a lot of George Reeves Superman, but what I've seen of its Jimmy seemed competent, if rather "gee whiz" comic booky. Which is fine. Born in 1928, Larson would have been 24 when he got the role, and 29 by the time it ended. He has sometimes claimed he was born in 1933, shaving 5 years off, so perhaps he knew he could play younger than he was and didn't want directors skipping over his C.V.
Type: TV
I can't claim to have watched a lot of George Reeves Superman, but what I've seen of its Jimmy seemed competent, if rather "gee whiz" comic booky. Which is fine. Born in 1928, Larson would have been 24 when he got the role, and 29 by the time it ended. He has sometimes claimed he was born in 1933, shaving 5 years off, so perhaps he knew he could play younger than he was and didn't want directors skipping over his C.V.
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