George Reeves was NOT cut out of this movie due to being Superman.

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2006)

Actually, it's an urban legend of sorts that Reeves's role in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY was cut down due to his sudden popularity as Superman. The source of this tale is Jack Larson, who starred with Reeves as Jimmy Olsen on the Superman show. He saw the film (FHTE) the day it opened and remembers audience members calling out "There's Superman." The next time he saw the film, he says Reeves's role had been severely cut.
The problem with this is manifold. First, Larson's next viewing of the film, as he told me personally, was some twenty-five years later. I'm convinced that his memory of what he'd seen in that initial viewing had "expanded" over the years, particularly in light of the later impact of Superman typecasting on Reeves's career and life. Secondly, Daniel Taradash's first-draft screenplay, and every draft thereafter, contains exactly the same scenes for Reeves's character that are in the film as released and as now seen, and not one scene more nor less. Taradash told me personally that he did not write a single scene for Reeves's character that was not in the final release print or in subsequent video releases. Thirdly, director Fred Zinneman told me personally that not only was not one of Reeves's scenes cut from the film, but that not one frame of the film was cut after the first audience screenings. He was at the same viewing that Jack Larson attended and, while he allowed as that there might have been some muttered reference to Superman from audience members, he does not remember any and that in any case, there was no impact whatsoever on the film as released, nor even any discussion of the matter. He said the video release of the film is identical to the original theatrical release and that not one frame of Reeves's scenes was cut for any such reason. Fourthly, the editor of the film and its assistant director also confirmed to me and concurred with the statements of Taradash and Zinneman. Fifthly, several of the cast members, including Frank Sinatra and Claude Akins, assured me they knew of no such reduction in Reeves's screen time for any reason.
Part of the problem may stem from the fact that Sgt. Maylon Stark, Reeves's character, is a vastly more important character in the novel of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Scores of characters from that huge book were either trimmed or eliminated. Sgt. Stark remained, but in a smallish way, in the film. But it was a small part in the first place, long before George Reeves was cast. It was never reduced further, due to his Superman fame or for any other reason.