Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 2 - Episode 16: "The Clown Who Cried"

Original Broadcast Date: December 28, 1953

Writer: David Chantler

Director: George Blair

Guest Cast:
William Wayne as Rollo
Peter Brocco as Crackers
Mickey Simpson as Hercules
Harry B. Mendoza as Son Lo Tiu The Magician
George Douglas as Jim
Charles Williams as the Security Guard

"The Clown Who Cried"

The Daily Planet is holding a twenty-hour telethon to help the local Children's Fresh Air Camp Fund. Reporters Lois Lane Lane and Clark Kent have gone to the circus to ask Rollo the Clown to perform at the show in hopes of raising half a million dollars. He is delighted to help, but his ex-partner Crackers is there listening to Rollo's conversation with Lois and Clark. He arrived some time before them to ask Rollo for money. After Rollo shows an act that's a tribute to Superman to Lois and Clark, the pair leaves the tent. Rollo then asks Crackers to return to the comedy act. Crackers intends to do so, but he knocks out Crackers and dresses like him. Rollo plans to steal the money taken by the Planet's pledge drive as Rollo. This could ruin the lovable clown's reputation in show business forever.

While looking for Clark, cub reporter Jimmy Olsen has entered Rollo's tent. He sees Crackers dressed as Rollo and the legs of the other clown, who is unconscious. Crackers says that the limbs are false ones used for the act. Jimmy is, however, suspicious. Crackers takes him to the strongman Hercules. Hercules is scared of mice. Crackers, pretending to be Rollo, frightens one away in exchange for Hercules chaining and guarding Jimmy to prevent him from finding Clark. Crackers wants nothing to stand in his way of robbing the telethon of the money for the children.

Clark has seen Jimmy in Hercules' tent with his X-ray vision. While cleaning his glasses, he drops and breaks them. Lois goes back to the Planet offices to get his extra pair, thereby giving him a chance to become Superman. Hercules awakens to find the caped hero. He tests his strength against the Man of Steel, but Hercules is no match for the might Superman. The strongman's bear hug cannot harm the Last Son of Krypton. A slap on the forehead from Superman knocks him out. A barbell has been wrapped around Hercules, and Jimmy is unchained. Now, he can find Clark Kent to tell him about the suspicions he has about Rollo.

Rollo has regained consciousness. He is trying to convince Crackers not to go through with his plan to rob the telethon. This only gets Rollo pistol-whipped again. Meanwhile, Jimmy has finally been able to tell Clark about the body he found in Rollo's tent. Having overheard this, Crackers must once again impersonate his former partner when they find him on the ground. He tells Clark and Jimmy that Crackers attacked him for his paycheck. Once Jimmy and Clark make sure the clown is okay, they take him to the telethon. They are unaware of Crackers' vicious plot to steal from the children whom Rollo loves to entertain.

As Rollo tries to free himself from the ropes in which Crackers bound him, the Planet's fundraiser has begun. Asian magician Son Lo Tiu has been performing. However, contributors at the telephone want to see another person - Superman. Clark leaves to get a sandwich. Lois, in the meantime, sees a shadow that resembles Clark in the nearby door's window. It is actually a security guard on his break that's allowing Superman to make his grand entrance. As a result of his speech to help the children of Metropolis, large sums of money are given to the charity. All that the Planet staff must do now is wait for Rollo to arrive. Little do they realize that it is really Crackers, and his comedy is a ruse to steal from the telethon.

Rollo has managed to free himself. However, he may be too late to stop Crackers. The evil clown has stolen the five hundred thousand dollars from the telethon after he finished his routine. The audience believes his holding up Lois, Clark and the rest of the volunteers is part of his act until Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson is called. A citywide manhunt has begun for Crackers, but even Superman may not find him before he gets away with the charity cash.

The search for Crackers leads the police and Superman to the Metropolis rooftops, where Rollo is defending himself against Crackers' attacks. Crackers pushes Rollo off a roof and plummets to his doom. Knowing he can only catch one clown, Superman grabs Rollo. He knew that the real Rollo would never push anyone, even Crackers, to his death. Crackers' dying words tell Rollo that he is a better clown than the would-be thief ever could be. In spite of losing his ex-partner, Rollo is content, for the children will have their camp and his name has been cleared thanks to Superman.

Rollo has returned to the fundraiser with Clark and the money. As the clown gives a closing performance, Lois says that Superman saved more than the telethon tonight.

"Well, let's give Clark and Rollo a little credit, too, Lois," says editor Perry White.

With that, Rollo appears to squirt water from his trick flower into the face of the audience.

Rating - 2 (out of 5): William Wayne has many parts in his filmography that are uncredited, including Trusty in the Boris Karloff classic The Walking Dead. This episode was his final acting role.

Peter Brocco, from "The Secret of Superman", makes his second trip to Metropolis in this episode. He'll return for his third and final time in season four's "The Phantom Ring".

Mickey Simpson has primarily starred in westerns. His most well known role is Frank McLowery in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. This was his only appearance in The Adventures of Superman.

Harry B. Mendoza often played magicians. He even portrayed The Great Mendoza in an episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.

George Douglas has been featured in classic science fiction quite a bit. Look for him as Corey Junior in The Snow Creature and Sheriff Dubbitt in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Charles Williams is best known for playing Cousin Eustace in It's a Wonderful Life. Look for him to return in the episode "Topsy Turvy".

Much like the ropes that bound Clark Kent in "Jungle Devil", the chains around Jimmy change positions from one shot to the next.

This episode is a clown haters dream or his or her worst nightmare depending on how you look at it. All kidding aside, this is perhaps the weakest entry in season two. That's not to say that it didn't have its moments. It just suffers a lot because the plot itself is paper-thin. Both George Blair and Thomas Carr's masterful directing couldn't perform miracles with "The Clown Who Cried". I don't think even Federico Fellini could have saved it.

Maybe I'm being too picky, but there are possibly some plot holes in "The Clown Who Cried". The first is the removal and breaking of Clark's glasses in front of Lois. I let this slide in "Panic in the Sky" because of the crisis involved in the story, but it feels like it was forced into "Clown" because David Chantler couldn't think of a better way for Lois to leave so Clark could save Jimmy as Superman. Other options would have fit into the episode a million times better.

Okay, we have two clowns - one good, the other bad. I can buy that. The thing I have trouble swallowing is the fact that Superman could not see the differences in their faces with his superhuman eyes. Crackers and Rollo would have been more believable as twin brothers or cousins. Again, maybe I'm too fussy.

In spite of a weak script full of plot holes, "The Clown Who Cried" does have some moments that prevent it from being a completely bad episode. This is particularly true of the scenes in which Superman must save Jimmy from Hercules. They were some of George Reeves' finest moments as the Man of Steel.

Another moment in "The Clown Who Cried" is rather humorous. When Jimmy hits his finger with the receiver when he hangs up the telephone, I was laughing out loud. Jack Larson has once again proven himself to be a comedic talent of epic proportions. We'll see further proof of this with "Semi-Private Eye" in a couple of weeks. Watch the Superman Homepage for that review coming soon.

In the long run, "The Clown Who Cried" is the weakest entry in season two so far. However, there are bits and pieces that will entertain the viewers. I mean, how many other television shows will show you two clowns slapping each other silly?

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