Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 1 - Episode 6: "Night of Terror"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: October 24, 1952

Writer: Ben Peter Freeman

Director: Lee Sholem

Guest Cast:
Richard Benedict as Baby Face Stevens
Frank Richards as Solly
Ann Doran as Mrs. King
John Kellogg as Mitch
Almira Sessions as Miss Bachrach
Paul Bryar as the Motel Owner
Stephen Carr as Mister Quinn
Joel Friedkin as Oscar

"Night of Terror"

All seems quiet at a lodge called the Restwell Tourist Cabins in the Blue Hills. There is a sign that reads, "Vacancy", and a radio is playing dance music. A bird sings in this serene and tranquil scene. Further examination reveals an overturned lamp and a woman's body lying face down behind the reception desk. Lois Lane, ready to start her vacation, has entered the establishment. After some time without a response from anyone, the Daily Planet reporter finds the injured lady. A burly, suspicious character with a long scar near his left eye named Solly approaches her. Sensing that something is not quite right, Lois tries to leave. Solly, however, has different plans. He knocks out Lois to keep her from calling the police. He may have thought that he was doing the right thing, but his partner Mitch tells him that they are now in deep trouble, for they know that Lois works for a newspaper.

A desperate Mitch has just called his boss. He and Solly are to watch over Lois and the other woman while they wait for professional assassin Baby Face Stevens to arrive. Solly has locked the ladies in the lodge's second cabin. He then begins to tell Mitch about the hitman whom they are expecting. Baby Face Stevens is a killer with a sense of humor. His method of murder is to empty his gun of all bullets except for one for each target. This is due to the fact that he never misses. Lois may find herself in deep peril now.

Mitch is nervous about waiting for Baby Face Stevens. It's become clear to him that the Restwell Tourist Lodge is about to become a hotbed of activity. He has put up the "No Vacancy" sign while Solly moves Lois' car out of sight. It looks like nobody will be able to find Lois Lane and her companion in captivity.

Mrs. King, the woman in cabin number two with Lois, is crying hysterically. Her husband Frank was killed by Mitch and Solly because he had discovered that the gangsters were using the Restwell Tourist Cabins to sneak criminals across the Canadian border, which is twenty miles from the resort. Frank had learned of this mere hours before his death earlier tonight. Lois is reassuring Mrs. King that everything will be okay if she can sneak through the back window to the telephone booth outside. Solly is standing guard nearby, making it a challenge for Lois. The star reporter will have her work cut out for her.

Lois was able to secretly enter the telephone booth to contact the police. When nobody responds, she tries to reach the Daily Planet, where Superman is in his office changing into his guise of reporter Clark Kent. Jimmy Olsen has just entered the room to discuss going to a White Sox baseball game with Kent. However, Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson has just given Clark a lead on the Ellsworth jewel robbery. He must leave to speak with Henderson about it. Shortly after Clark has left, Lois' call arrives. She tells Jimmy that she is in trouble and needs Clark or editor Perry White, who is in Boston, to help her. Unfortunately, Jimmy cannot get in touch with Clark, and Solly has caught Lois. Leaving a note with Perry's secretary Miss Bachrach to give to Kent, Jimmy uses the chief's car to head for the Blue Hills to help Miss Lane. What he does not realize is that he is heading straight into an extremely dangerous situation.

Miss Bachrach has left Jimmy's message on Clark Kent's desk, but the paper flies onto the floor when she leaves and closes the office door. Perry's secretary may have unknowingly signed Lois and Jimmy's death warrants.

The events of the evening have been pretty intense. Solly has tied Lois up in the cabin with Mrs. King, Clark is searching frantically for the note Jimmy had written for him, and Miss Bachrach is having trouble remembering its contents. Unfortunately, Oscar the janitor had thrown the paper in the garbage to burn. Ashes are all that is left of the message in Kent's hand now. Superman may never find Lois and Jimmy.

Miss Bachrach has recalled something about "Sleep Well" or "Deep Well" being in the name of the place where Jimmy was going. This gives Clark a clue of which he tells Mister Quinn of the National Association of Tourist Camps. Quinn must look through the agency's records in order to help Kent. This could take some time. Meanwhile, the gangster Mitch has grown impatient and nervous. Should Baby Face Stevens not arrive in five minutes, both he and Solly will kill Mrs. King and Lois themselves. The clock is ticking for the pair of women.

Jimmy Olsen has arrived at the Restwell Tourist Cabins. Much to his surprise, Mitch and Solly believe him to be Baby Face Stevens. He now has the key to cabin number two and a gun containing two bullets. At the same time, Mister Quinn has given Clark three different lodges with the word "Well" in the name. Letting Miss Bachrach out of his office, Clark removes his reporter's garb to reveal the familiar red and blue costume of Superman. The Man of Steel must now use every ounce of speed at his disposal if he is to rescue his friends.

Jimmy has entered the cabin in which Lois and Mrs. King are being held. He cuts the ropes that bound the women. However, Jimmy still must act fast. He and Lois are going to need a good plan if they and Mrs. King are to escape Mitch and Solly alive.

As Superman searches for Lois and Jimmy, Mitch and Solly are growing impatient with the cub reporter. At that moment, a car pulls up. The real Baby Face Stevens has arrived, and he proves this to the other two gangsters by punching them. Stevens has gained a reputation in the underworld for being tough. The hitman then creates two situations that cause Jimmy to empty his gun. Now, the trio of criminals are closing in on Jimmy, Lois and Mrs. King. There seems to be no way for them to get out of this peril.

Baby Face Stevens has three bullets prepared for Mrs. King, Lois and Jimmy, but Superman swoops into the cabin before they can be used. Shots are fired into the air as the Man of Steel forces Baby Face's arm upwards. The three bad guys attack Superman. However, like Baby Face's knife, the thugs' punches do not even scratch the caped hero. Solly, Mitch and Baby Face have been defeated. This leaves Lois to ask how Superman had known that she, Jimmy and Mrs. King were in trouble.

"A little bird told me," the Last Son of Krypton answers.

"Betcha the little bird's name was Clark Kent," says Jimmy.

"Could be," Superman replies with a laugh.

4Rating - 4.5 (out of 5): Lee Sholem helmed Superman and the Mole-Men and would work on a total of 14 episodes of The Adventures of Superman including this one. After five straight shows directed by Tommy Carr, one can see a bit of a change in the actors' performances. This is perhaps due to different styles used by Carr and Sholem. Still, Sholem has proven himself with this story, and his methods work well for it. During the filming of "Night of Terror", Phyllis Coates was accidentally knocked out by Frank Richards. Sholem had quickly revived her and shot her scene before her face got swollen. It should also be noted that Sholem was never behind schedule. He always finished shooting on time, which might be a rare feat in Hollywood.

Richard Benedict, who played Baby Face Stevens, has a long list of acting directing and writing credits. In addition to acting in The Adventures of Superman, The Lone Ranger and Ironside, he'd gone on to direct such television shows as Police Woman, Get Smart and The Night Gallery. Look for him to return in seasons two and five of Superman.

Was it just me, or did Solly look a lot like the ventriloquist dummy Scarface from the Batman comic books? Perhaps the doll's creators were directly or indirectly inspired by Frank Richards in some way. Then again, that could just be the geek in me talking.

"Night of Terror" was an entertaining half hour that was a slight change of pace for Ben Peter Freeman, who had co-written "The Monkey Mystery" with Doris Gilbert. It's a well written episode with superb acting. However, I gave it a 4.5 because of the closing dialogue. George Reeves' delivery feels forced and surprisingly unnatural. Plus, it seems like it was tacked onto the show at the last minute. Otherwise, it was the perfect way to spend thirty minutes. The story provides action and suspense, and Reeves' final lines aside, the acting was stupendous. "Night of Terror" is a tale that will most certainly entertain everyone that watches it.



Back to the "Adventures of Superman - Episode Reviews" Contents page.

Back to the main TELEVISION page.