Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 2 - Episode 9: "The Dog Who Knew Superman"

Original Broadcast Date: November 09, 1953

Writer: David T. Chantler

Director: Thomas Carr

Guest Cast:
Ben Welden as Hank Carey
Dona Drake as Joyce Carey
Billy Nelson as Louie
Jack Daly as the Dogcatcher
Lester Dorr as the Man at the Well

"The Dog Who Knew Superman"

A group of people is attempting to rescue a dog named Corky who is trapped inside a well. The owner, Joyce, wife of gangster Hank Carey, is frantic with worry. She is also angry with her husband because he had pushed Corky into the water. Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent has arrived on the scene seeing that Superman is needed. Removing his civilian garb, the Man of Steel digs a tunnel and exits with a wet Corky in his arms. The Careys fight as they walk the animal to their car. Corky then finds a glove that Clark had dropped before changing into Superman. The couple thinks nothing of this and throws it away. However, the Last Son of Krypton realizes one thing. Corky may know Superman's true identity.

Corky is now safely home, but this lasts only a few minutes. Hank has ordered his yo-yo loving henchman Louie to open the apartment door, allowing Corky to run away. This angers Joyce greatly. She wants lost dog advertisements in all the major newspapers - including the Daily Planet. If Hank and Louie do not find Corky very soon, Joyce will make life very difficult for both of them.

Corky has made his way into Clark Kent's office. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen have even seen the dog kiss him. Finding it difficult to explain Corky's presence to them, Kent does everything he can to get the animal away from him. Corky eventually leaves with the glove that matches the one Clark had lost at the well site. Shortly afterwards, Jimmy says something that would later prove to be prophetic.

"I don't think you're rid of that little dog by a long shot."

Word has spread all over Metropolis about Hank Carey offering a five thousand dollar reward for Corky because he can lead the gangster to Superman thanks to Clark's glove. Louie has even agreed to give Clark the newspaper story about it. Hank thinks the dog is worth the money after seeing him in front of the Daily Planet building. Now, Lois, Jimmy and Clark are trying to find a safe place for the animal while they attempt to put the pieces of this mystery's puzzle together. Secretly, Clark is afraid something will happen to the dog because he knows the truth that the mild mannered reporter is really Superman. Should Hank put two and two together, both Superman and Corky could be in grave danger.

Jimmy has taken Corky to the Canine Kennels on Harper Street. Hank, Joyce and Louie learn this when they capture and blindfold the cub reporter and make him take a lie detector test. Once Carey has Corky, the dog will lead him to Superman. Hank intends to make a deal with the Man of Tomorrow. He'll keep Superman's identity a secret if the costumed hero leaves the Carey's crime syndicate alone. Otherwise, every criminal in Metropolis will know about Superman's double life.

Thinking he was helping Superman, Louie has placed Corky in a dogcatcher's wagon. Should the animal be taken to the pound, there is a possibility that he will be killed if nobody claims him. Now, the Metropolis Marvel must search the entire city before it's too late for poor Corky.

Superman has found Corky, and the dogcatcher has his hands full with some dogs that had escaped from his truck. Now, Lois is watching over Corky while Clark Kent is out. In the meantime, the Careys free Jimmy. He returns to discuss the day's events with his colleagues when he gets an idea about where he was. By tracing the number of Corky's dog license, they can know to whom he belongs and, thereby, learn who had kidnapped Jimmy. Lois now has a plan that can help answer everyone's questions. It could also put her, Jimmy and Corky into a trap from which even Superman cannot save them.

Lois has brought Corky to Hank Carey in exchange for the story on why he wants the dog so badly. Carey doesn't like her hanging around and insists that she leaves. Lois now knows who offered the reward for Corky. What she doesn't realize is that she may have put Superman at risk. For Hank is walking through Metropolis with Corky searching for the Man of Steel. Should they succeed, the caped hero's greatest secret could be in jeopardy.

Corky is hot on the trail of Hank Carey's quarry. The dog's barking warns the approaching Clark, giving him time to become Superman. Hank has found the person whom he was looking for. Unfortunately, for the gangster, he's also found himself hanging on a city burglar alarm, from which the police later take him down. Corky will return home to Joyce, for Clark cannot keep him because he's the only being in the entire world that knows that the reporter is really Superman. Kent is saddened to see the dog go away when Lois enters his office.

"What's the matter Clark? You look as though you lost your best friend," she says.

"Maybe I have, Lois. Maybe I have," Clark replies somberly.

Rating - 5 (out of 5): Ben Welden makes his second appearance in The Adventures of Superman with "The Dog Who Knew Superman". He will be back for six more episodes, including season two's "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes".

Under the name Rita Rio, Dona Drake was the bandleader of an all-girl orchestra and girls singing group, The Girl Friends, in the early 1930s. "The Dog Who Knew Superman" marks her only appearance in The Adventures of Superman.

"The Dog Who Knew Superman" is Billy Nelson's first of five episodes of The Adventures of Superman. He'll return to co-star with Ben Welden in "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes".

This is the first time Jack Daly plays a dogcatcher. However, he would be one again in an episode of Topper.

Lester Dorr has worked with everyone from Cecil B. DeMille to Abbott and Costello. Look for him in such classics as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and The Greatest Show on Earth.

Look closely when Louie enters Clark's office. The boom mike is visible in that scene.

Corky's name in the original script was to be Bones.

This episode adapts the Superman #88 story "The Dog Who Loved Superman", cover dated March, 1954.

This one is a complete change of pace from the past few episodes in this season, but it is for that very reason that "The Dog Who Knew Superman" deserves the rating I've given. After weeks of episodes with heavy subjects such as radioactive heroes, Kryptonite and insane illusionists, it's refreshing to have something that provides laughs, tugs at the heart strings and shows us a softer side to Superman. Plus, admittedly, I'm a sucker for stories in which Superman must work with an animal. That's why I loved this and "The Monkey Mystery" so much.

Speaking of working with animals, there seems to be a genuine twinkle in his eyes when George Reeves is doing the dogcatcher scene. He's clearly having a ball as he watches the dogs escape while he holds Corky. This is one of the things that makes "The Dog Who Knew Superman" so wonderful.

I can't help but wonder if "The Dog Who Knew Superman" was done because Lassie was so popular at the time. After ending his association with The Adventures of Superman and Superman, Incorporated had ended, Robert Maxwell went on to produce the adventures of Timmy and his pet collie. Did Whitney Ellsworth decide to run this episode to say to Maxwell that Superman can work with dogs, too? We can only speculate. Still, it's kind of fun to question what went on behind the scenes.

It's honestly a pity that Dona Drake was not in more episodes of The Adventures of Superman. Something in her energetic performance in "The Dog Who Knew Superman" was perfect for the story. Drake would have been great as a semi-regular cast member. She especially worked well with Ben Welden and Billy Nelson. That trio would have made an incredible comedy team.

While the character was played for laughs, Hank Carey proved to be as much of a thorn in Superman's side as Professor Meldini or Burt "The Tulip" Burnside. He wants to use poor Corky to learn Superman's secret identity. Fortunately, a little help from Man of Steel's best friend allows our hero to stop Carey's plans. Ben Welden performs in his scenes masterfully and proves to be the perfect foil for Corky, Joyce and even Superman. I honestly feel that nobody besides Welden could have portrayed Hank so well. This could be because of the chemistry between him and the rest of the actors involved. Whatever the case may be, it's clear that the part of Hank Carey fit Ben Welden like a glove.

"The Dog Who Knew Superman" is different from other entries in the second season, but it proves one thing that's made year two the best in the entire one hundred and four episode run so far. Whitney Ellsworth, the writers, directors and actors were not afraid to experiment with new formulas in order to entertain fans of The Adventures of Superman. Everyone involved really delivered the goods this time around.

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