According to the 1976 DC Calendar, March 12th is the birthday of Perry White.

I will fully admit that I am picky when it comes to how Perry White is depicted and that pickiness all stems from being someone that came of age as Superman fan during the Triangle Era. The version of Perry from the comics during that time (which actually stretches from 1986 to probably around 2003 or so, a bit before the Triangle Era officially began) imprinted on me in a big way. I tend to judge any version of the character using that Perry as yard stick.

Which is fair but doesn’t really acknowledge the versions that came before or after. He’s also one of those long-standing, “always been there” characters that actually made his first appearance outside of the comics. Lois and Clark’s editor in the early books was either unnamed or called George Taylor. Perry was the name of the editor that hires Clark on temporarily (you will note he said “temporarily”) in the second episode of the radio series when it was still being transcribed (recorded ahead of time) and then syndicated and stayed on when the show became part of the Mutual Broadcasting System and was done live.

That version of Perry is wild. To be fair, the staff of the Daily Planet on the radio show created one of the most toxic workplaces imaginable. No one, especially Perry, ever believed anything any of the other people said no matter how long they had been working together. Perry would regularly either threaten to fire or fire Lois or Clark and there was one case where Perry assisted in having Clark locked up in a mental asylum based on Lois saying it needed to happen.

It was a whole thing.

Still, the format gave Perry the real estate to become a well-rounded character and cement his place in the legend.

Then there’s John Hamilton on the Adventures of Superman television series. Like the radio version, he had the room to become more than just the guy that gave Lois, Jimmy, and Clark their marching orders. He was gruff and prone to just start yelling, but there were episodes that showed either a softer side or, at the very least, a more nuanced person that actually cared about his employees. Or as nuanced they the show would allow. This was especially the case with the black and white episodes where you would see him at home or going on a fishing trip with Jimmy that throws them out of the world of Superman created for the show and into something that would seem right at home in something directed by David Lynch.

(Seriously. Check out the first season episode “The Evil Three”. It is wild.)

The Silver and Bronze Age version of Perry is a lot of fun. During the Silver Age he was a constant presence in the stories, usually just to direct traffic, but occasionally he would be the focus of the plot and those ranged from silly to really kind of cool. During the later part of the Bronze Age, they even threw in some serious soap opera action for him via a subplot involving martial difficulties between him and his wife.

The Triangle Era was truly Perry’s time to shine. The writers gave him a lot to do and made him the gruff but fatherly editor that cared about his people. They also threw in a troubled relationship with his son Jerry (which is something most Triangle Era fans will cite as one of the saddest moments during that time period), gave him martial problems that he and Alice worked through, gave him lung cancer, and even an adopted son named Keith. I was emotionally invested in what was going on with Perry during this time period.

Then there’s the best live action Perry White ever. Lane Smith. I have many issues with Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (both with the show itself and with one of the stars) but the one thing I loved during all four seasons was Lane Smith’s Perry White. The writers took the Perry from the George Reeves series and from the Triangle Era, mashed them together, threw in a love of Elvis Presley and made someone that you just loved to death. He could be both a comedic figure and the fatherly boss that probably gave his people too much latitude. His relationship with Jimmy was a highlight for me and Lane Smith just acted the hell out of the role.

I don’t feel as close of connection to the more recent versions of Perry, and by more recent I mean the past 20 years or so. Once the Triangle Era was over it seemed like Perry was more of a prop than a character. They’ve done more with him lately, which is nice, but that’s the exception, not the rule. Live action hasn’t been much better. I liked Michael McKean’s version from Smallville, but the Perry from the Snyder films was…not the take I preferred. Frank Langella’s Perry from Superman Returns wasn’t given all that much to do. The same could be said for Wendell Pierce’s Perry in the latest film, but he did a lot with the little he was given to do. Which isn’t to say that Langella was bad. He just felt like he was there to tick a box more than be a character.

All of that is to say, Happy Birthday, Perry White. Even if you continue to be underutilized in both comics and the outside media, I’ll always have the Triangle Era to hold on to.

More to follow…