Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 3 - Episode 5: "Great Caesar's Ghost"

Original Broadcast Date: May 21, 1955

Writer: Jackson Gillis

Director: Harry Gerstad

Guest Cast:
Trevor Bardette as Julius Caesar
Jim Hayward as the Coffee Deliveryman
Olaf Hytten as Jarvis

"Great Caesar's Ghost"

Daily Planet editor Perry White is to be a key witness next week in the trial of the Morley Confidence Gang. Morley himself is dead, but his men still continue to be a thorn in the city's side. Perry is working in his office late one night. He seems nervous, almost agitated, when he calls reporter Clark Kent. He even forgets the reason for his contacting Kent. As the two men continue to speak, a delivery man brings coffee in which Perry cannot recall ordering. Suddenly, the chief hears something ticking inside the bag. The man who brought it claims to have heard nothing and leaves Mister White afraid for his life. Morley's thugs could be trying to eliminate Perry before he can testify in court against them.

In the middle of his conversation with Perry, Clark changes into Superman. In spite of Perry believing Kent hung up the telephone, the Man of Steel reassures the editor that there is no bomb. The bag only contains a cup of coffee with two lumps of sugar. Superman is worried about Perry's mental state. The chief is about to confide in the caped hero, but he fears that he may be losing his mind. If that happens, Morley's gang of racketeers might be free to wreak havoc on the city of Metropolis for a very long time.

Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Clark are all extremely preoccupied. It seems that Perry's faculties are deteriorating. Jimmy was to interview a ball player who's been dead for thirty years, Lois must try to make her latest column in the Planet like one in a newspaper from which Perry has cut paper dolls, and Clark must move a heater and its pipe before Perry returns in five minutes from Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson's office. The trio of reporters are beginning to believe that Perry White might be on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Things do not look well for the Morley case at this point in time.

Having forgotten his hat, Perry has returned to his office to find Clark bending the heater's pipe to move it closer to the chief's desk. Believing he's imagined what he just saw, the chief agrees to go with his servant Jarvis to his house in the country. Perhaps with the proper amount of rest, Perry White will be able to testify against the Morley Gang and put them in prison for life.

Perry and his butler Jarvis are flying in an airplane to the country when something happens. A voice, one that the editor has only heard in his home, calls to Perry while Jarvis is in the cockpit with the pilot. The chief sees nobody in the craft with him. This means that it could be coming from outside. To find the source, Perry opens the door that could eventually lead to certain death in the skies.

Superman, who, as Clark Kent, was using his superhuman eyes to watch over Perry's flight, has caught the editor before he could meet his maker. Perry tells of hearing a voice, which leads Jarvis to think someone has placed a recording device of some kind in the airplane. Superman has found no such evidence. This leads both Jarvis and the Man of Tomorrow to wonder about one thing. Has Perry White, respected editor of the Daily Planet, lost his mind?

Perry's vacation in the country is anything but restful. Jarvis has tried everything to help his employer relax, but the voices still haunt him, particularly when he says, "Great Caesar's Ghost". Perry exclaims this once again. The result is something bizarre. Gaius Julius Caesar has appeared before the editor's very eyes.

Caesar has come to Perry because he has called to the Roman leader's spirit on numerous occasions. In spite of what he sees, Perry thinks he is going insane. He desperately calls to Jarvis for help, but Caesar disappears by the time the butler arrives. Perry hears Caesar recite the opening lines of the History of the Gallic Wars. However, only the sound of crickets reaches Jarvis' ears. Somehow, something or someone has started to drive Perry White over the edge.

Things have taken an unusual turn in Metropolis. Perry has decided to retire and make Clark Kent editor of the Daily Planet, and Inspector Henderson is worried about Mister White's sanity. The trial of the Morley Confidence Gang begins tomorrow. Unfortunately, the star witness is in no condition to testify. Jimmy Olsen believes that Morley's men are trying to drive Perry mad. He leaves for Perry's country home to investigate further. The cub reporter does not realize that he could be walking into the jaws of danger. With Superman busy replacing the chief as Clark Kent, both Perry and Jimmy may be doomed to certain death.

Jimmy arrives at the country house later that night with Superman not far behind him. Both of them hear Caesar speaking to Perry. While Perry sleeps, they also hear Jarvis talking to Caesar and the coffee deliveryman, both of whom are in the Morley Gang. The cub reporter and the Man of Steel unsuccessfully try to convince Perry that the ghost is merely a fake. Jimmy and Superman will need to get more proof of this, for it could help the chief when he testifies at the trial. In order to help the chief, Superman and Jimmy will have to use the Morley Gang's vicious plot against them.

Morley, according to police files, often wore an overcoat and a derby hat. Inspector Henderson believes the rest of the gang killed Morley for control of all the confidence schemes and rackets in Metropolis. Now, with Jimmy tape recording everything, Superman will be disguised as Morley to hopefully get a confession out of Julius Caesar, the deliveryman and maybe even Jarvis. If the Last Son of Krypton's plan works, Perry White can testify against the criminals and help bring the Morley Confidence Gang to justice.

Superman has used his abilities to make the trio of gangsters believe that he is Morley's ghost. Even bullets fired from the deliveryman's gun are thought to have passed through "Morley". This forces the frightened men to confess to murdering Morley. Caesar was merely a man in phosphorescent make-up. He and the others wanted to drive Perry insane so he could not testify at tomorrow's trial. Now, thanks to Jimmy, Superman and even Perry White, Inspector Henderson will make sure the members of the Morley Confidence Gang spend the rest of their lives in prison.

"Great Caesar's Ghost," says a relieved Perry White.

Rating - 5 (out of 5): You may not have recognized Trevor Bardette in his Caesar make-up, but he was Bet-a-Million Butler in season one's "The Human Bomb". Look for Bardette as Old Man Clanton in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and in various roles in The Lone Ranger, The Andy Griffith Show and Lassie.

This episode marks Jim Hayward's second appearance in The Adventures of Superman. His first was as Tim Mallory in season two's "Jet Ace". He'll return a third and final time for "The Deadly Rock".

Olaf Hytten has been associated with two kings named George. He played King George II in the 1936 version of The Last of the Mohicans and King George III in 1939's The Bill of Rights. This was his only guest role on The Adventures of Superman.

Jackson Gillis is credited on the Internet Movie Database for playing a part in this episode. However, no character name is listed. Only Gillis' name is among the guest cast.

While dialogue suggests that Perry is in his office late at night in the beginning of this episode, the opening exterior shot shows sunlight on the buildings.

Throughout the episode the murdered gang leader is referred to as Morley. However, during the scene in which Superman pretends to be the ghost of Morley, George Reeves calls him Marley a couple of times. Perhaps, Reeves was wishing to be in A Christmas Carol.

This episode is adapted from the story "Great Caesar's Ghost" that appeared in Superman #91, cover dated August 1954.

I honestly didn't want to like "Great Caesar's Ghost". I went into it expecting something full of schlock, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the final product turned out. Jackson Gillis once again has shown us that he was one of the best writers on The Adventures of Superman television series.

"Great Caesar's Ghost," both as a story and as a villain, could have been badly done in the wrong hands. Fortunately both Jackson Gillis and Harry Gerstad made it into a fun, entertaining episode with a story that reminds viewers of a good mixture of The Adventures of Superman radio program and The Shadow. The choice of Trevor Bardette as Julius Caesar was perfect. His over the top performance made him perfect for the role.

It was great to see an episode that centered on Perry. I don't think we've seen one since "Perry White's Scoop". John Hamilton plays the insanity angle well. This helps the story be so great. If the actors don't do a good job or are out of character like in "The Way to Eden" in Star Trek: The Original Series, the finished product ends up being a huge flop. Fortunately, that is not the case with "Great Caesar's Ghost".

I was expecting a campy episode that was along the lines of Batman starring Adam West. What I got was an amazing entry that is probably one of the best of season three. Check it out if you get the chance. You'll most certainly have as much fun watching it as I did.

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