Hall of Fame: Steven Carr

I first noticed 'the actor' years ago when I sat staring at my small black and white television, enthralled by SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN. He was playing 'Eddie' a friend of would be vigilante Luke Benson. I didn’t like this man 'Eddie'...a very small man of even smaller character. He followed Luke around like a trained rat, doing everything he said. He asked no questions. He gave no opinions. Season One has always been a personal favorite of mine. I've watched it over and over...and spotted ‘the actor' playing a variety of roles. He changes his appearance whenever it's needed or maybe even on a whim. His voice quality moves up and down and around to even different accents, like a smarmy guy named ‘Don Anselmo' but, we will get to that later. There's even a change in his body language, and then a change of clothes to a woman's! He was the classic chameleon.

Who was he??

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 23, 1906, 5 days after the horrific earthquake that almost leveled San Francisco. His parents, Mary and William Carr were already working actors. They christened the little baby Stephen. A little over a year later his brother Thomas is born. Older brother John had been born in 1904, followed by sisters, Louella and Maybeth...and finally baby sister Rosemary. At some point around 1914, the family gravitated to Los Angeles.

Stephen Carr debuts along with his little brother Tommy in a 'short' silent film, THE STEADFAST. The year is 1915. He works steadily, appearing with brother John in POLLY OF THE CIRCUS.

In 1921 (except for father William and Tommy), most of the acting Carrs appear in OVER THE HILL TO THE POORHOUSE. Stephen continues to build his career receiving second billing to Marian Davies in the silent comedy LITTLE OLD NEW YORK.

In 1924, he stars alongside Noah Berry in NORTH OF 36. He's cast in the classic THE LIFE OF RILEY in 1927. Stephen is now twenty one years old and has been working as an actor for twelve years. He's already adroit at playing almost anything. In 1930, he's 'Elliot' while brother Tommy is a 'pilot' in the Howard Hughes epic...HELLS ANGELS.

Stephen walks away from the movies after HELLS ANGELS. I wish I knew why. Maybe he wanted to try something else. He had been working pretty steadily since he was nine years old. He doesn't reappear again until 1948. He returns to play 'Morgan' in SUPERMAN directed by Tommy and starring Kirk Alyn. This experience seems to reignite his acting ambitions, or maybe it's working with Tommy. He follows up SUPERMAN with ten straight appearances in pictures directed by his brother. They're mostly small parts with character names like ' Razor Tulliver'...'Henchman Butch'...and 'Henchman Rusty'.

It's now 1951 and Stephen plays 'Eddie the Rat' in SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN. He's very good. He also finds time to work as the dialogue director. Oh, and did you see him in the opening scenes of MOLE MEN?? Stephen was everywhere.

When THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN is picked up as a series Stephen now called Steve, joins the crew AND the cast. He's the script supervisor in the premiere episode SUPERMAN ON EARTH.

Steve showed his versatility...appearing next in THE HAUNTED LIGHTHOUSE. He was cast as Coast Guard Lt. Harris...we first see him as he stands on his ship shocked as Superman lands. A few of his lines are classic... "I can't see a thing...how do you do it?” And later, “I can't hear anything and I can't see anything.” He looks nothing like 'Eddie' anymore. His posture is ramrod straight.

Next, I catch sight of him in THE CASE OF THE TALKATIVE DUMMY. This time he's an armored car driver, who is knocked cold by who he thinks is his buddy.

He encounters Lois Lane in THE MYSTERY OF THE BROKEN STATUES. His hair is light gray now; he's even grown a mustache.

He's a very serious doctor (no mustache) in THE MONKEY MYSTERY. His scenes with Superman are very well done.

As Mr. Quinn in NIGHT OF TERROR, he casually takes a bite out of a sandwich after having a conversation with a very worried Clark Kent. Steve was a natural.

Later his cameo from THE BIRTHDAY LETTER is incorporated into the fabulous opening...'it's a bird...it's a plane'...and yes, there's Steve pointing up to the sky!

Jack Larson remembers, "Steve was a great guy, friendly on the set to everyone and everyone liked him a lot. As dialogue coach he would help the actors with script readings."

In THE MIND MACHINE, he's John Hadley...his hair is dark now...he's kind of timid and gets knocked out again by the bad guys AND Clark Kent!!! His scenes with George Reeves reveal a chemistry and also this line "Goodness me...I had no idea I was such a fine pilot!"

Next, it's THE SECRET OF SUPERMAN. He's briefly seen as an annoyed cook and then back again behind the scenes as the dialogue director. Steve was a busy guy!

He's back acting again in THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS. This time he's 'Don Anselmo' a suave and debonair Spaniard who kisses Lois Lanes hand and flirts with her. He sports some pretty dark eyebrows and hair, a pencil thin mustache and very stylish sideburns. He uses his eyes to suggest evil, he spits out lines like 'So you could not bear to be without my company, ah?' Later he goes “mano a mano” against Jimmy Olsen and lands a pretty good uppercut. He's the classic bad guy and pulls it off.

In DOUBLE TROUBLE, Steve again goes the evil route but with even more of a twist. When we first see him...he has his hands in Perry White's old robe contemplating murder. In the next scene he's dressed as a woman (Madame Charpentier) wearing a smart pantsuit. He speaks in a funny French accent and flirts with Jimmy. The scene is very funny, and I always get the feeling that everybody was having fun. It's tour de force time for Steve!

He followed this up with a performance as...a wax figure in MYSTERY IN WAX. His hair is now back to its natural gray! He looks much older.

In CZAR OF THE UNDERWORLD he's the movie director...who as a young person I always suspected of being guilty of something. He again has changed his appearance somewhat. Is he impersonating Tommy??

Sadly that's the last time we will see him in THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.

In 1953 he's a supporting actor in COWBOY G-MEN. He makes four appearances doing what he always did best, playing four 'different' characters.

After these appearances, Steve never acts on television again. I have read that he had a falling out with Tommy which might explain his absence from Superman. They had worked a lot together. It's possible that he didn't even like acting. It's 1930 all over again, he walked away but this time...he didn't return.

Steve lived another thirty three years. He died in 1986 at the age of eighty.

Steve Carr was a classic character actor whose all around acting ability was greatly underrated. He brought something different to every scene. He could be light, serious, or dark and evil. He contributed greatly in making Season One arguably the best of the entire series. It is with great pride that we recognize and welcome him into the George Reeves Hall of Fame.

If you have anyone you would like to nominate,