Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 2 - Episode 11: "The Man in the Lead Mask"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: November 23, 1953

Writers: Leroy H. Zehren And Roy Hamilton

Director: George Blair

Guest Cast:
Frank J. Scannell as Marty Mitchell/Canfield
John Crawford as Jack Morrell
Louis Jean Heydt as Pawley
Paul Bryar as Scott
John Merton as Doc Webster
Joey Ray as the Real Marty Mitchell
Lyn Thomas as the Waitress
Sam Balter as the Radio Announcer

"The Man in the Lead Mask"

A man in a lead mask has entered the Metropolis Post Office to commit a most unusual act. He has stolen the Wanted poster of Marty Mitchell, one of the country's most notorious criminals. It is suspected that Mitchell's face is too well known not to be disguised in public. Plus, Superman's X-ray vision cannot penetrate lead. Nonetheless, Daily Planet editor Perry White wants reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane to investigate every angle of this new mystery. The pair of journalists may have their hands full with this one.

A group of criminals is hiding out in a secluded cabin. The man in the lead mask arrives with the poster. Removing his disguise, he reveals that he's Marty Mitchell. He claims to have had plastic surgery done by the disreputable Doc Webster. In addition, Webster has supposedly done the impossible. He's changed Mitchell's fingerprints. Visual evidence shows that his current ones differ from those on the reward flyer that was stolen. For a fee of fifty thousand dollars, the rest of the fugitives can have Doc Webster perform the same procedures on them. However, the gang of racketeers and thieves will need further convincing that everything is legitimate, and Mitchell has a plan to do that very thing.

Lois and Clark are having lunch at Pep's Diner, which is across the street from the Daily Planet building. Clark has his mind on the Mitchell case. As if to answer Kent's worries, Mitchell enters. His voice and actions are exactly like those of the wanted felon. Clark orders a glass of water before calling cub reporter Jimmy Olsen from a telephone booth. He asks Mitchell to hand him the drink. This was intended to get the man's fingerprints. After pretending to yell at Jimmy about his car, Clark storms out of the cafe with the glass. Now, all he needs to do is prove that the man in the cafe is really Marty Mitchell.

As Clark and Perry check the mystery man's fingerprints, Jimmy has entered the diner and grabbed him to take him to police headquarters. Unfortunately, the cub reporter's impulsive actions may have caused his colleagues more trouble. Tests done by Perry, Clark and the police have proven that the unknown individual is not Marty Mitchell. He is a businesses man named Martin Canfield. The Daily Planet may have some legal troubles thanks to Jimmy's reckless actions.

In spite of similar mannerisms, measurements and vocal tone, Canfield has been proven to not be Marty Mitchell. A retraction has been printed in the Daily Planet saying this. The remaining criminals hiding out with Mitchell are now convinced that Mitchell and Doc Webster can give them new lives. All they need is money to pay for the procedures, and they intend to take it in a crime wave throughout Metropolis while wearing lead masks. Can even Superman stop villains whose faces are not visible to his superhuman eyes?

Jack Morrell, while wearing a lead mask, is robbing a jewelry store. Superman has just stopped his getaway car. The collision with the Man of Steel has put Morrell in the hospital with a mild concussion from which his disguise could not protect him. In a delirious state, Morrell tells Clark Kent and Inspector Henderson that he needed money to change his face and hands. Clark is convinced that Morrell's words are connected somehow to the Marty Mitchell case in spite of Henderson showing him unsuccessful attempts from criminals who had tried to change their fingerprints. Clark is still extremely determined to solve this unusual mystery and put Marty Mitchell and his gang of fugitives in prison for their crimes.

Clark Kent has borrowed the lead mask confiscated by the police. After following Morrell's tire tracks with his superhuman eyes, Superman puts it on to disguise himself as Morrell. Because he doesn't want Morrell to make any more mistakes, Mitchell decides to take Superman with him on the next job - the robbery of the Daily Planet payroll. What Marty Mitchell does not realize is that he's walking right into the Man of Tomorrow's trap.

The masked Superman and Mitchell are about to open the Planet's safe when Jimmy Olsen arrives. The Metropolis Marvel then reveals himself to Mitchell. Superman knocks out the thief as he tries to run away. Seeing the lead covered pair, Jimmy uses a chair to hit Superman without knowing who he is. The Last Son of Krypton explains the situation and tells Jimmy where he and Lois can find Mitchell's gang. Superman is currently taking Mitchell on a flight back to the hideout, where he and his friends will bring the criminals to justice.

Superman has used Mitchell like a battering ram to storm into the secluded cabin full of criminals. Once they are all dealt with. Mitchell's plans are revealed. Canfield was, in fact, a decoy that learned how to behave and speak like Marty Mitchell. The real Mitchell was in the lead mask. Superman had suspected this when Mitchell had left a fingerprint on the drill used for the payroll robbery. Mitchell had used Canfield to make the other fugitives believe that they can have new faces and fingerprints. Once he had gotten the money from them, Mitchell was going to leave the country. Now, all Mitchell and his gang will see are prison bars thanks to Superman and his friends.

Jimmy has put on one of the lead masks in Mitchell's hideout. He is now having trouble removing it. Superman tries to assist him with no success.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy. I can't help you," Superman says with a wink.

4Rating - 4 (out of 5): Frank J. Scannell made his second and final appearance in The Adventures of Superman with this episode. However, he's made appearances in Dragnet and Bat Masterson.

Sheriff Ep Bridges from The Waltons is perhaps John Crawford's most well known role. You can also catch him in episodes of The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Louis Jean Heydt specialized in playing the part of the "average Joe". He even played the part of a soldier in Gone with the Wind, which also featured George Reeves.

Paul Bryar was previously seen as the motel owner in "Night of Terror". He's also had roles in The Night of the Hunter and Vertigo.

John Merton has had parts in such famous films as The Greatest Show on Earth and The Ten Commandments. This was his only appearance in The Adventures of Superman.

Joey Ray made his third and final appearance in The Adventures of Superman with this episode. You may, however, recognize him from his uncredited roles in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and My Friend Irma.

Lyn Thomas makes her first appearance in The Adventures of Superman with this entry. She would return for two more episodes - one for season three, and the other in season four.

The jewelry store in this episode is called the Ellsworth Jewelry Company. It was clearly named after the show's producer Whitney Ellsworth.

This episode adapts the Batman #82 story, "The Man Who Could Change Fingerprints", cover dated March 1954.

I honestly would have liked to have seen more background information on Marty Mitchell. We know he's the most wanted criminal in the country, but we don't know what crimes he's committed. Other villains from this season like W.T. Wayne, Brockhurst, Fairchild and Boulder had clear motives for their nefarious plots and clear, solid characterizations. As he is written in the final version "The Man in the Lead Mask", the audience gets very little information about Mitchell beyond the fact that he's a fugitive.

"The Man in the Lead Mask" honestly deserves a five, but one part felt strangely out of place in the episode. The scene in which Jimmy cannot remove the lead mask, while clearly placed in the story for laughs, does seem like it was forced and tacked on at the last minute. Superman could also have possibly been out of character because he could have clearly removed it from Jimmy's head. Now, if the Man of Steel intended to play a prank on Jimmy, one cannot help but wonder if Kal-El is a practical joker. If so, would he pull one of this nature? Plus, just how big is Jimmy's head compared to Marty Mitchell's? I got a chuckle from the conclusion. However, it felt a bit contrived just the same.

The rest of "The Man in the Lead Mask" is pretty much another amazing entry in season two. The entire cast and crew really provided viewers with an episode that is still among the best episodes in the series in spite of its final scene. "The Man in the Lead Mask" is "Must see TV".



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