Raymond Earl Middleton Jr. was born on February 8, 1907, in Chicago, Illinois. A classically trained baritone with a commanding stage presence, Middleton seemed destined for a career in the performing arts. His uncle, Arthur Middleton, was a celebrated Metropolitan Opera baritone who also served as his first voice teacher, providing an early introduction to the world of professional music.
Middleton studied music at the University of Illinois and attended New York's Juilliard School of Music. His combination of vocal talent, physical stature and acting ability would eventually take him from musical theater to Hollywood and television. Yet for all his accomplishments, he would also become associated with a curious chapter in the history of Superman — one that continues to generate questions more than eight decades later.
Rise to Prominence in Musical Theater
Middleton began establishing himself on Broadway during the 1930s. Among his early credits was Roberta (1933), the Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach musical in which he portrayed John Kent, a nonsinging role. Five years later, he appeared alongside Walter Huston in Knickerbocker Holiday (1938), the Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson musical. Middleton played Washington Irving, the show's narrator, while Huston portrayed Pieter Stuyvesant and Richard Kollmar played Brom Broeck.
In 1946, Middleton originated the role of Frank Butler opposite Ethel Merman's Annie Oakley in Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. The production became one of Broadway's most celebrated musicals, with Middleton introducing songs such as "The Girl That I Marry" and "My Defenses Are Down," while joining Merman for "They Say It's Wonderful" and "Anything You Can Do."
He subsequently starred opposite Nanette Fabray in the 1948 musical Love Life and, in 1950, succeeded Ezio Pinza as Emile de Becque in the original Broadway production of South Pacific. But before those major successes, Middleton had already become associated with a very different kind of American icon.
Superman Day: Bringing Superman to Life
On July 3, 1940, the New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens, hosted "Superman Day," a celebration devoted to the increasingly popular comic book hero. The event, promoted through an association involving Superman's publishers and Macy's, was designed to attract young visitors and their families to the fairgrounds.
By this point, Superman had already taken America by storm. Introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938 by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, the character had quickly become a phenomenon, appearing in comic books, newspaper strips and the newly launched radio program The Adventures of Superman.
The festivities included athletic competitions for children, appearances by personalities associated with Superman and contests to select a Super-Boy and Super-Girl. A costumed Superman also appeared, riding through the fairgrounds on a parade float, much to the delight of the assembled spectators.
It was an extraordinary moment in the character's early history. Superman, previously confined to illustrations and the imaginations of readers and radio listeners, had stepped into the real world. The appearance is widely regarded as the earliest documented public portrayal of Superman by a costumed performer.
But who was actually wearing the costume?
The Mystery of the World's Fair Superman
Ray Middleton has long been identified as the actor who portrayed Superman at the 1940 World's Fair, although the historical evidence is not entirely conclusive. Middleton was certainly involved in the festivities, serving as a judge for the children's competitions, and he was appearing at the fair in the theatrical production American Jubilee, in which he portrayed historical figures including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
His physical appearance and theatrical background made him a plausible choice to portray the Man of Steel. Over the years, numerous Superman histories have credited him with the performance, establishing his reputation as the first live-action Superman.
Nevertheless, the identity of the costumed performer has remained a subject of debate. In 1975, The Amazing World of DC Comics published photographs of the World's Fair Superman and sought help identifying the actor. Middleton's name subsequently became closely associated with the appearance, although some researchers have questioned whether the surviving evidence establishes his identity beyond doubt.
One intriguing piece of testimony comes from Jerry Williams, a neighbor and friend of Middleton's, who recalled discussing the Superman appearance with the actor himself. His recollections, presented later in this article, provide a personal connection to an event whose details have become increasingly difficult to establish with certainty.
Regardless of the performer's identity, Superman Day represented a significant milestone. Eight years before Kirk Alyn portrayed the Man of Steel in the 1948 movie serial, and more than a decade before George Reeves became television's Superman, the character had already demonstrated his ability to capture the public imagination beyond the printed page.
Film and Television Career
While Middleton's connection to Superman would remain a relatively obscure part of his career, his work in film and theater continued to develop. He had begun appearing in motion pictures during the early 1940s, with credits including Hurricane Smith (1941) and Lady for a Night (1942), the latter starring Joan Blondell and John Wayne.
During World War II, Middleton served in the United States Army Air Forces and appeared in Winged Victory, Moss Hart's theatrical production celebrating the service.
Following the war, he returned to Broadway, where Annie Get Your Gun, Love Life and South Pacific cemented his reputation as a leading musical theater performer. His film work continued as well, including I Dream of Jeanie (1952), in which he portrayed entertainer Edwin P. Christy in a musical biography of composer Stephen Foster.
Middleton also worked in television, appearing in variety programs and dramatic productions as the medium grew in popularity. Although he never achieved the screen recognition of some of his contemporaries, he remained a respected performer whose versatility allowed him to move between stage, film and television.
In 1965, he originated the role of the Innkeeper in the Broadway production of Man of La Mancha, another major theatrical success. He later appeared in the 1972 film adaptation of the musical 1776, portraying Colonel Thomas McKean.
Rediscovering Superman's First Public Appearance
For decades, the identity of the man who wore Superman's costume at the 1940 World's Fair attracted relatively little attention compared with the actors who subsequently portrayed the character on film and television. Kirk Alyn and George Reeves became familiar names to generations of fans, while the World's Fair appearance remained a fascinating footnote in Superman history.
Interest in the event grew as historians and collectors began documenting the character's earliest appearances. The 1975 investigation published in The Amazing World of DC Comics demonstrated that even those closely associated with Superman's publishing history did not have a definitive answer to the question of who had worn the costume.
Middleton's name nevertheless became the one most frequently attached to the appearance. Whether future discoveries will settle the question conclusively remains to be seen, but his documented participation in Superman Day and the recollections of those who knew him have secured his place in discussions of the character's earliest live-action history.
Middleton died on April 10, 1984, at the age of 77. His considerable achievements on Broadway, particularly his performances in Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific and Man of La Mancha, would ordinarily be enough to ensure his place in theatrical history. For Superman enthusiasts, however, his name carries an additional distinction: that of the man traditionally credited with being the first to bring the Man of Steel to life before a public audience.
Commentary
BILL COTTER (author, The 1939-1940 New York World' of Tomorrow — Images of America): “They sold tickets at 10-cents a piece instead of 50-cents for kids, and what they had done was they formed committees where kids could do athletic competition and in the end they named a Super-Girl and a Super-Boy, and they got these really great looking trophies, which would be worth a fortune today, which were about two-feet high or more and it has Superman standing on the top of the world. DC Comics made a big thing over the fact that they had sold 36,000 tickets at 10-cents each, making it the largest children’s event at the World’s Fair. It was just proof of how popular Superman had become.”
STEVE YOUNIS (editor, supermanhomepage.com): “Interestingly, the costume Ray Middleton wore had the word ‘Superman’ written over the chest shield emblem and the original lace-style boots worn. A live Superman radio broadcast was done from the fairgrounds. DC Comics in association with Macy’s sponsored the event. Notably Max Gaines, Harry Donenfeld, Jerry Siegel and Jack Liebowitz were among those who attended.”
Although the radio program was featured during the festivities, historical research indicates that recordings were played at the fairgrounds rather than a live episode being performed there. But was Ray Middleton the man in the costume? According to his neighbor and friend, Jerry Williams, he was.
JERRY WILLIAMS: “He was a friend, though I wasn’t really familiar with him outside of the fact that he did some radio, which was my interest at that particular time. As far as the Superman thing, we touched on that a couple of times when he was doing just about anything that came along. He didn’t say much about it, though he didn’t treat it like a joke type of thing. Basically, it was a job and he took it.”