Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 3 - Episode 9: "The Magic Necklace"

Original Broadcast Date: September 17, 1955

Writer: Jackson Gillis

Director: George Blair

Guest Cast:
Lawrence Ryle as Jake Morell
Leonard Mudie as Professor Jody
Frank Jenks as Lazy
John Harmon as Clicker
Paul Fierro as Afbar
Ted Hecht as the Hindu Newsman
Cliff Ferre as the Airport Dispatcher

"The Magic Necklace"

Archeologist Professor Jody has been on an expedition seeking the Tai-Wan Necklace. According to legend, anyone who wears it is impervious to harm. The Daily Planet has reported on Jody's success. Millionaire gangster Jake Morell and his henchmen Lazy and Clicker are going through some specimens Jody sent to the Metropolis Museum. Should Morell find the exotic jewelry, he could take control of all of the city, perhaps even the world, for Jake Morell might become even more powerful than Superman.

Morell tests poisons on Clicker and Lazy while they wear some necklaces that were in crates sent by Professor Jody. Seeing that neither is the one he seeks, Morell gives his men an antidote. Meanwhile, reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen have arrived at the museum. Lois wants to speak to the night watchman. He believes somebody has been breaking into Professor Jody's boxes even though nothing has been stolen. She and Jimmy find the door ajar. Jimmy is worried, but Lois still wishes to talk to the guard. Both of them may be in danger if Jake Morrell discovers that they are in the building.

Not having found the Tai-Wan Necklace, Morell and his men prepare to leave the museum. The gangster is suddenly met by Lois and Jimmy, who know exactly who he is. The restless and impatient Morell has learned from Lois that Professor Jody has not sent the necklace yet. Now, Jake Morell, Lazy and Clicker are going on a trip to find Professor Jody, and they intend to take Lois and Jimmy with them. They will either get the scoop of their lives or meet certain death first hand if Superman cannot rescue them.

Editor Perry White has received news that the museum was broken into, and the guard knocked unconscious. Lois was to give him a story. However, she has disappeared. The airport has just called Clark Kent. Lois' wallet was found on one of the runways this morning. A dispatcher has given it and a flight plan for a private airplane to Kent. Its route was to Africa. Clark now knows where he may find Lois and Jimmy. Can Superman save them in time, or will Jake Morell prove to be an unstoppable menace once he has the Tai-Wan Necklace in his possession?

Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson has telephoned Perry to tell him and Clark that Morell's plane landed in Africa to refuel. It is now on its way to Pakistan. Clark has been ordered to take the next flight there and do what he can to find Lois and Jimmy. This is truly a job for Superman, and he'll have to work fast if he's to prevent Jake Morell from getting to Professor Jody's expedition.

We now go to Professor Jody's camp in Tibet, where a Hindu newsman is interviewing the archeologist about finding the mystic jewelry. Jody's assistant Afbar is worried as he has seen Morell's airplane in the skies. He believes Jody is in danger. Afbar's warnings have fallen on deaf ears, for the words of the legend of the necklace of the chieftain Tai-Wan are Jody's only response.

"No man dies who wears this magic necklace."

Professor Jody may learn if there is any truth to what he has said. However, he may not like how he discovers this.

Superman has arrived in Tibet. He is currently in Professor Jody's cabin as Clark Kent. Both he and the Hindu do not believe Jody's ranting about the power of the Tai-Wan Necklace. The hysteric archeologist places it around Clark's neck to prove any doubters wrong. Afbar does not want to shoot or stab the mild mannered reporter. As Clicker, Lazy, Lois and Jimmy enter with Jake Morell, a gun falls onto the floor. A bullet fires, but it does not hurt Clark. Now, everyone involved in this strange adventure believes that the Tai-Wan Necklace has magical properties. Can Superman convince them otherwise without compromising his secret identity?

Clark no longer wears the Tai-Wan Necklace as Jake Morell wishes to learn more about it from Professor Jody. The gangster intends to buy the exotic jewelry as part of his plan to be the most powerful crime lord in the entire world. Clark is now a prisoner of Morell's gang along with Jimmy and Lois. In spite of this, Jody has invited everyone, reporters and racketeers alike, to join him in the Tomb of Tai-Wan to hear more about the necklace. Both Jake Morell and Superman may get a chance to set their plans in motion very soon.

Professor Jody has brought everyone to the Tomb of Tai-Wan to demonstrate and talk about the necklace's abilities. Afbar's knife and gun have no effect on Jody. Satisfied with all he's learned, Jake Morell buys it from Jody for one million dollars in spite of Clark's belief that it is worthless. Lois tries to stop the transaction to no avail. With the Tai-Wan Necklace soon in his possession, nothing, not even Superman, could possibly stop Jake Morell on his next crime wave.

As Lazy takes Lois and Jimmy out of the cave at gunpoint. Clicker knocks out Afbar. Morell, not willing to let Professor Jody keep his money, knocks the archeologist to the ground before grabbing the cash and the Tai-Wan Necklace. Clicker is ordered to take Clark out with Lazy, Lois and Jimmy, but after Morell leaves, Clark pushes Clicker out and causes a cave-in. Clark, Professor Jody and Afbar are trapped behind a wall of fallen rock. Superman will have to work fast in order to defeat Jake Morell before he hatches his criminal plots.

As Jake Morell's gang tries to make their escape and trap Lois and Jimmy in another part of the cave, Clark reveals to Professor Jody that he knows the truth about the Tai-Wan Necklace. It is not really magic. Jody had used a breakable knife and blank bullets in addition to all the build up and publicity in letters to the newspapers. Professor Jody had committed fraud to get the money for his scientific endeavors. Now, Clark must use the powers of Superman to rescue Professor Jody, Afbar, Lois and Jimmy and stop Jake Morell's escape before it's too late.

Morell has lit some dynamite as he attempts to escape. Jimmy has wrestled the Tai-Wan Necklace away from the racketeer. Believing the jewelry is magic, Jimmy is not worried about the explosive going off. Meanwhile, Clark has put the light from a torch out so he can move freely as Superman. Knowing that Professor Jody and Afbar are in no danger, the Man of Steel focuses on stopping Morell and his men. Once they are unconscious, Superman rushes to aid Lois and Jimmy. He can only hope that his superhuman speed can help him get to his friends in time.

The fuse on the dynamite is getting shorter, and time grows short for Jimmy and Lois. Jimmy still has the Tai-Wan Necklace, thinking it will make him invincible. He asks Lois to hold onto it as well. However, Lois has more faith in Superman than in jewelry. She calls out to him. The Metropolis Marvel arrives in time to hurl the explosive to the tomb cave's top, where it goes off without harming anyone. Lois and Jimmy are safe. Nevertheless, Jimmy still believes that the Tai-Wan Necklace has supernatural powers. Superman nods to ask Lois to give him a demonstration. She kicks Jimmy in the shin. Understanding the true danger he was in, Jimmy faints. Lois and Superman enjoy a laugh as they catch the cub reporter.

Rating - 3 (out of 5): Lawrence Ryle was Laddie O'Neil in the 1954 film Shield for Murder. Fans of The Adventures of Superman will know him for his role of Doctor Gregory Barnak in "Star of Fate".

Leonard Mudie makes his third appearance in The Adventures of Superman with this episode. He'll return as Captain Blood in season four's finale "The Jolly Roger".

Frank Jenks was Candy Meyers in "The Stolen Costume". He played many parts in film and television, including Wilson in the Howard Hawks classic His Girl Friday.

John Harmon makes his final appearance in The Adventures of Superman this time around. Look for him in such films as Funny Girl and Hitch Hike to Hell.

Universal horror film fans will recognize Paul Fierro as Morteno in The Creature Walks Among Us, the third and final film featuring the Gill-Man.

Ted Hecht will play Abdul Ben Bay in season five's "Tomb of Zaharan".

Cliff Ferre is perhaps best known for his role of Ranger Marshall in Rocky Jones, Space Ranger.

While Paul Fierro is credited as Abdul in both the book Flights of Fantasy and the Internet Movie Database, Professor Jody refers to him as Afbar.

The original working title for the "The Magic Necklace" was "The Man That Couldn't Die."

This has all the elements of all the great episodes penned by the late Jackson Gillis. However, it is not the best of his work on the series. "The Magic Necklace" has a compelling story that feels like it could fit very well into the radio program and the first two television seasons, but it lacks the normally good characterization found in entries like "The Lucky Cat" or "Panic in the Sky".

I have some problems with Jake Morell. The character is not a bad villain for the episode. However, he really needed to be fleshed out a bit before the final product was aired. Normally, Gillis' scripts feature some well rounded people, both good and bad. This is not the case with Morell. For example, some things that are said in "The Magic Necklace" lead the viewer to believe that Jake is possibly a criminal along the lines of the Post-Crisis Lex Luthor. Yet, very little light is shed on this. There is no background information about Morell. This, in my opinion, could have improved both him and "The Magic Necklace" greatly. As Jake Morell is now, he's just a little too one dimensional.

Had this been a script done by another writer, perhaps it would have gotten a four, but like with Grant Morrison, I've come to expect a lot from Jackson Gillis. "The Magic Necklace" doesn't pack the wallop that Gillis' previous efforts have. Still, it's better than I had originally expected, and it entertains the audience more than a lot of television shows presently being broadcast. "The Magic Necklace" is thirty minutes of fun in spite of its shortcomings.

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