sign in sign up
<<
Home , Perry White

103 TV’s 1958 Adventures of Episode #103: The Perils of Superman April 21, 1958

As the scene opened, an hysterical Ethel, Perry White’s receptionist, faced a man of untold horror. The man of fright demanded to see Perry White and he would not give his name or make an appointment. “Mr. White, please. Mr. Perry White.” Meanwhile, in the office, Lois was watching Perry read Jimmy the act for the umpteenth time. “I am now warning you positively for the last time!” Perry did not respond positively to Ethel’s incoherent message but finally agreed to send up whomever it was who wanted to see him. The trio recoiled in shock as our anti-hero entered the room, followed closely by . “Well, I didn’t realize it was so close to Halloween.” The unknown intruder wore a lead mask and he informed out friends that nosey reporters and ruined his crime plans and sent his pals to prison. Now Mr. Metalhead- I made that up- was about to get even. It seemed that ten other men were also walking about town in similar masks that even Superman could not see through. He intended to do away with all the reporters and even Superman could not stop him because even the man of could not watch them all at once. After delivering his dire warning, the leadhead stomped from the room. “Where’s Kent?” demanded Perry White. 2

Lois suspected Clark was so frightened he was looking for a place to hide. Clark was already down at the front entrance watching blue suited persons, much to the consternation of passersby, parade in lead helmets. Clark took the problem to who was once again baffled. “He didn’t give you his name, huh?” Clark replied the mastermind would not give his name and that there were no identifying papers on him. Inspector Henderson wanted to know how Clark knew leadhead had no such papers on him. Anyhow, Henderson could not just assign bodyguards to reporters without Mr. White’s permission. It was business as usual back at the Planet building. Perry and Lois left for a political luncheon in the Chrysler. Oh, how many times have these people failed to look in the back seat? Of course, they did not look and soon found themselves driving at gunpoint to the mastermind’s hideout. Perry was easily conned into making a tape recording that also drew into the trap. “Well, that’s a dirty trick,” admonished Lois. Clark had a good idea. He would allow himself to be captured and Inspector Henderson could follow the crook when he took Clark from the Planet building. Unfortunately for police procedures, Clark was escorted to the roof where a helicopter quickly sped off with them. The inspector’s trail went cold. “If anyone ever needed Superman,” said Henderson, “Kent needs him now.” Clark was about to be lowered into a vat of bubbling acid. “That’s illegal,” Clark protested. The leader boasted that White was about to be sawed in half by a buzz saw at the mill, Lois was to be smashed by a locomotive, and that Jimmy was driving down the side of the mountain in a car that did not have breaks or steering. “You’ll never get away with it.” The two left Clark to his vat 3 of acid and flew off in their chopper. Seconds after they were gone, Superman emerged from the liquid and crashed through the wall of the building. The timer at the lumberyard had gone off and Perry was about to be sawed down the middle as Superman flew to his rescue. Anyone else would have merely turned off the switch, but Superman blew the teeth off the blade.

Superman bounded to the railroad track where Lois was tied and pulled her loose just as the train whizzed by. This was Lois’ big scene, actually getting to briefly clutch Superman. But, our hero said he had to be off to check on Jimmy.

He certainly had the right to worry about the cub reporter. Jimmy was providing the comic relief even as the camera panned the cliffs from which Olsen could plunge to his doom. The brakes went and Olsen was left in the driver’s seat clutching the steering wheel. Then, the wheel came off!! In the best serial tradition, the car plunged over the cliff, leaving Jimmy clutching the cliff edge. He had been forced to jump out himself, since Superman had spent so much time rescuing everyone else. But, Superman did appear just in time to drag Jimmy back to safety. “Golly, Superman, am I glad to see you.” Jimmy had jumped the wrong way because he had his eyes closed, but he had written down the criminals’ address, making it easy for Superman to round up the whole gang. Then, since the boss would not identify himself, Superman used his x- eyes to find the in his pocket

4 and the entire lot of them went into the slammer. Kent admitted to Lois that it was not for Superman he would not be there. As the scene closed in the jail, the mastermind and his henchman were discussing how Clark had been submerged in acid and had survived. “Shut up, you fool.” The boss did not even believe it himself.

Directed by George Reeves Written by Robert L. Bellem and Whitney Ellsworth Boss: Michael Fox Gang member: Steve Mitchell Ethel: Yvonne White C Minus Comics & Stories 11/23/2017