Superman "The Mark of Zorro" and "Robin Hood". The name of Superman's home city, Metropolis, was taken from the 1927 film of the same name. Popeye cartoons were also an influence. Clark Kent's harmless facade and dual identity was inspired by the protagonists of such movies as Don Diego de la Vega in "The Mark of Zorro" and Sir Percy Blakeney in "The Scarlet Pimpernel". Siegel thought this would make for interesting dramatic contrast and good humor. Another inspiration was slapstick comedian Harold Lloyd. The archetypal Lloyd character was a gentle man who finds himself abused by bullies but later in
Eric Blakeney Eric Blakeney Eric Blakeney (born September 14, 1959) is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for writing award-winning episodes of television for "21 Jump Street", and writing and directing a feature film, 2000's "Gun Shy". Blakeney was born in Manhattan, New York. He lived there until 1977, when he moved to London, England. After performing as a member of various London rock groups, Blakeney returned to the US, this time settling in Los Angeles, California. Blakeney wrote for various print publications, until he found his calling - and his first writing job - in