Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 2 - Episode 13: "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: December 07, 1953

Writer: Jackson Gillis

Director: Thomas Carr

Guest Cast:
Sterling Holloway as Professor "Uncle Oscar" Quinn
Billy Nelson as Larry McCoy
Ben Welden as Nosey
Stan Jarman as Pinky
Sherry Moreland as the Bank Teller
Russell Custer as the Police Officer
Sam Balter as the Radio Announcer

"The Machine That Could Plot Crimes"

Our story takes us to a boarding house in Metropolis. One tenant is gangster Larry McCoy. Another is an eccentric inventor Professor "Uncle Oscar" Quinn. McCoy is irritated by news reports that he is not the criminal he used to be. In addition to that, noise from Uncle Oscar's room upstairs is preventing him from going to sleep. He goes to confront the inventor when he is introduced to a machine dubbed "Mister Kelso". Mister Kelso can solve any number of problems simultaneously and is currently working on safe combinations and schedules for a neighbor who is a security guard for one of the city's banks. Seeing this as an opportunity to make a name for himself again in the Metropolis underworld, McCoy asks Uncle Oscar to compute the easiest way to get in and out of the Metropolis First National Bank without police interference, hypothetically of course. Little does Uncle Oscar realize that he and his new computer may have assisted in beginning one of the greatest crime waves in the city.

Banks throughout Metropolis are being robbed in broad daylight thanks to information McCoy has been getting from Mister Kelso. McCoy and his henchman Nosey have even been giving credit for the crimes to Mister Kelso. Inspector Henderson and the police are baffled by how the heists can be pulled off so well. The thieves have fooled even Superman when a bag thought to have stolen money actually contained shirts. There seems no way to stop Larry McCoy and his gang of bandits.

Nosey is getting worried after his recent encounter with Superman. McCoy had switched satchels without letting him know. Meanwhile Uncle Oscar is getting suspicious about the reasons for which McCoy is using Mister Kelso. McCoy, seeing that Oscar is becoming a problem, knocks out the inventor. He then asks Mister Kelso how to stop Superman. If the Man of Steel is out of the way, Larry McCoy and his gang will be free to plunder all the riches they can from the city of Metropolis.

McCoy, Nosey and a new henchman named Pinky are about to make a getaway with more money when a truck blocks their path. This gives Superman a chance to catch up with them. However, the Man of Tomorrow is doing something unusual. He's moving the truck out of the way. With police pursing them, McCoy's gang escapes leaving everyone throughout Metropolis to wonder if Superman has become a villain like Larry McCoy.

As reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen ponder Superman's strange behavior, Clark Kent knows the true reason for it. McCoy, thanks to Mister Kelso's suggestions, had sent a message to Superman in care of the Daily Planet. It claims that McCoy knows Superman's secret identity. If the Metropolis Marvel should interfere further with McCoy's robberies, the world will know who Superman really is. This is why the caped hero did not stop the crooks from escaping. Now, Clark is investigating if what was written in the note is true. Lois, having also seen the paper, is following Clark thinking he has discovered a new scoop for the Planet. Clark has just found the armored truck used in the last heist, but he and Lois are now prisoners of McCoy's gang. It looks like Superman won't be able to rescue Lois and stop McCoy without revealing anything about his double life.

McCoy was only bluffing about knowing who Superman was in order to keep the hero at bay. Relieved, Kent assures Lois that Superman will rescue them when the time is right. While in the back of the armored truck with Larry McCoy, the mild mannered reporter learns that Mister Kelso is a computer created by Uncle Oscar, who is being held prisoner by Pinky. While Lois is in the front with Nosey, Clark knocks out McCoy and flies to rescue Uncle Oscar as Superman, leaving behind a gaping hole in the vehicle's wall. However, there isn't much time to save Uncle Oscar. Very soon, Pinky will eliminate him and destroy Mister Kelso. Even with his tremendous, superhuman speed, Superman might not make it in time to help the eccentric scientist.

Pinky has placed a bomb on Mister Kelso and is about to shoot Uncle Oscar. He didn't count on the arrival of Superman. The Man of Steel crushes the fuse with his foot as Pinky fires his gun. The thug falls over shortly afterwards. Untying Uncle Oscar, Superman asks him to guard Pinky while he goes to rescue Lois and stop Nosey and McCoy's getaway. Uncle Oscar assures our hero that Mister Kelso has made sure that the criminals won't escape. Superman doesn't believe in such things until he sees something that makes him smile. A policeman is writing a ticket for Nosey because he drove in the wrong direction on a one-way street. Now, Luke McCoy's crime spree has ended thanks to Superman's new aid in the fight for truth and justice, Mister Kelso.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent are now in Uncle Oscar's room at the boarding house. After Clark explains how Superman got him out of the armored truck, Lois wants to know if Mister Kelso can figure out who the caped hero really is, but Oscar believes the Man of Steel wouldn't like that at all. However, when the inventor is alone, he asks his computer the question that Lois wished to have answered.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" replies Mister Kelso.

4Rating - 4 (out of 5): Sterling Holloway will return as Uncle Oscar in "The Whistling Bird". He will even get the last name Quinn in that episode. He will also play Professor Twiddle, a character whose name comes from The Adventures of Superman radio program, in the third season opener "Through the Time Barrier". Fans of The Twilight Zone will recognize him as the television repairman in "What's in the Box". Holloway's unique voice will also always be remembered as a part of many of Disney's animated films, including the title character in many Winnie The Pooh projects from 1966-1977 and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland.

Both Ben Welden and Billy Nelson will turn up from time to time in future episodes of The Adventures of Superman. Keep an eye out for them.

Have you flown on Rocketship X-M? If you did, you probably saw Sherry Moreland as the Martian girl.

Stan Jarman's only credit is "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes".

"The Machine That Could Plot Crimes" was Russell Custer's last episode of The Adventures of Superman. He had previously played Sergeant Healey in "The Man Who Could Read Minds". His only other role is an uncredited part as a board member in Son of Flubber.

This might be considered a mistake on the writer's part depending on how you look at it. Sterling Holloway says, "Mister Kent, didn't I tell you Mister Kelso would do something?" He actually said this to Superman, not Clark Kent. However, it can be implied that something was said between scenes.

Considering that this is from the same writer and director of "The Defeat of Superman", "Superman in Exile" and "Panic in the Sky", this one is just not up to the standards set by those episodes. The story itself is decent. However, it doesn't merit a perfect score. In my review of Superman: Secret Origin #5, I compared Geoff Johns and Gary Frank to Jackson Gillis and Thomas Carr. This is because Frank and Johns, in my opinion, raised the bar of quality for recent comic books the same way Carr and Gillis did for The Adventures of Superman television series. You don't need to take my word for it. Their track record speaks for itself.

As I said, the story is decent, but the episode suffers from miscasting. Now, Ben Welden and Billy Nelson work very well together, and Welden looks like someone named Nosey. However, their roles should have been re-written and/or switched somehow. I understand playing against type, but Welden's dialogue feels like it should come out of Nelson's mouth and vice versa.

The moment after Clark knocks out McCoy in the armored truck was amazing. His dialogue reminded me of Bud Collyer in the radio show. Little nuggets like that are what make this series so great.

Sterling Holloway's performance was delightful. Uncle Oscar was the perfect character for him. Had anyone else besides Holloway played Uncle Oscar, I probably would have given this episode a lower rating. It's a pity there weren't more scenes with him. Fortunately, we'll see him again in "The Whistling Bird". Keep your eyes peeled for that review in the weeks to come.

I had said a little while ago that "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes" isn't up to par with the previous collaborations between Jackson Gillis and Thomas Carr. Had another writer and director worked on this episode, I possibly would have given it a better rating, but my standards are high when it comes to the Carr and Gillis entries. This is a pair of talents that's given us three of the best shows in season two, if not the entire series of The Adventures of Superman. Still, in spite of a story that's weaker than others penned by Gillis, "The Machine That Could Plot Crimes" is fun to watch. The entire cast, especially Sterling Holloway, gave stunning performances in this lighthearted romp through Metropolis. Watch this if you need to smile. Trust me. You'll be glad you did.



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

Back to the main TELEVISION page.