Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 5 - Episode 2: "Tin Hero"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: March 14, 1957

Writer: Wilton Schiller

Director: George Blair

Guest Cast:
Carl Ritchie as Frank Smullins
Paula Houston as Celia Adams
Jack Lomas as Big Jack
Frank Richards as Marty
Sam Finn as Fingers Danny

"Tin Hero"

While there's still crime on the streets of Metropolis, it's been a slow news week for the Daily Planet. Editor Perry White has ordered Lois Lane, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen to go out and search for a story that will sell newspapers. As Kent patrols the city as Superman, Jimmy has found a scoop for the chief. A man is doing a cat's cradle with some string as he crosses the street. He runs into a thief who makes a hasty exit from Federated Savings and Loan. The man stumbles into the gangster, unwittingly capturing him with the twine and his arms. Jimmy takes a photograph of the incident for the Planet. Little does the cub reporter realize that an innocent bystander is about to take part in the greatest adventure of his life.

Jimmy brings Frank Smullins, the timid man who foiled the bank robbery, to the Planet offices for an exclusive interview. Smullins has been a book keeper for Simmons and Sons for twenty years. On his lunch hour, he had a feeling that he should walk by the bank, which is a mile out of his way. He often gets sensations like this, but the Federated Savings and Loan heist was the first time Frank had ever taken an active part in anything he saw. As a result of Smullins' intuition, Perry offers him a job because he believes that the meek fellow is the greatest natural reporter to come along in years. After talking things over with his girlfriend Celia Adams, Frank Smullins agrees to be the newest member of the Daily Planet's staff. This could end up giving Smullins more than he bargained for as underworld figures are planning his demise to prevent further interference in their jobs. Will Superman be able to keep a close eye on Frank, or will he be unable to halt a crime wave from taking over Metropolis?

Clark convinces Frank to help capture Fingers Danny, the hardest working pick-pocket in the city. Danny took the wallet of Federated Savings and Loan president C.V. Owen as part of gangsters Big Jack and Marty's plans to steal one hundred thousand dollars. Big Jack was the mastermind behind the robbery which Frank Smullins stopped. Now, Clark has grabbed Fingers Danny while retrieving C.V. Owen's wallet. However, poor Frank has fainted at the sight of Danny's gun. Another of Big Jack's criminal plots has been foiled, but a lethal trap may be set for Frank Smullins, crime reporter. Superman might not be able to rescue the shy former book keeper from the jaws of certain death next time.

The safe of Van Rale's Jewelry, an establishment in the Crayler Building is Big Jack's next target. There are over a half a million dollars in diamonds inside, and Marty is to take them. First, Marty wants to eliminate Frank, whom both Clark Kent and Perry White discover merely caught Big Jack's first thug by accident. Learning that Smullins is at the Crayler Building, Clark must use all the speed at his disposal to rescue him as Superman. Otherwise, Frank may not survive his next encounter with the criminal elements of Metropolis.

Even though he's starting to believe the publicity about himself, Frank has fainted once again at the sight of a gun. This one belongs to Marty, who locks Smullins in the Van Rale's Jewelry safe with a lit stick of dynamite before making his getaway. Superman rips open the door, hurls the explosive into the sky and awakens Frank. The timid little man now thinks he scared Marty away. This leads him to become overconfident. This could get Frank into a dangerous situation from which even Superman may not be able to save him.

Big Jack has eight more jobs planned for tomorrow. Even Superman couldn't stop all of them without the aid of Frank Smullins, crime buster. Big Jack will need to deal with the book keeper turned reporter. Marty has an idea. Frank's girlfriend Celia Adams lives at number 37 Maple Street. If Big Jack's gang could use her to get to Smullins, perhaps they can have free reign over Metropolis. Unfortunately, Marty and Big Jack are about to get a surprise. Jimmy Olsen, pretending to be Frank answered the gangsters' call to the Daily Planet. Another trap has been set. This time, Jimmy is in the criminals' evil clutches. Will Big Jack succeed in preventing Frank Smullins' interference, or will Superman make certain no harm comes to those close to him?

As Marty and Big Jack have Celia and Jimmy tied up, Lois Lane, Perry White, Frank and Clark wonder where the cub reporter went. Frank and Lois race to rescue Celia and Jimmy once they learn that Jimmy took Big Jack's call. In the meantime, Superman is flying at tremendous speeds. As Big Jack opens the gas to the fireplace, the Man of Steel arrives. He knocks out the villains, but does not untie Celia and Jimmy. He has other plans. The unconscious thugs are sitting on the sofa with guns in hand when Frank and Lois enter the house. Frank bumps Marty and Big Jack's heads together. Now, Frank Smullins believes has saved his future wife and stopped another crime thanks to Superman.

Frank Smullins and Celia Adams have entered Perry's office to tell him that Frank will no longer be working for the Daily Planet. His old boss Mister Simmons, having read Frank's articles, has promoted him to director of sales after perusing a proposal Frank had submitted five years ago. Simmons and Sons is doubling what the Planet had offered. In spite of his gruffness, Perry offers an extra one hundred dollars as a wedding gift to Smullins. Celia then kisses the chief for his generosity.

"What's with all the sentimentality?! Has everyone around here gone crazy?!," Perry bellows, much to the amusement of Lois, Clark and Jimmy.

2Rating - 2 (out of 5): Carl Ritchie provided the voice of Bert in the atomic bomb propaganda short Duck and Cover.

Paula Houston played Nancy Bennett in The Bennetts and guest starred in episodes of Highway Patrol and The Cisco Kid.

Jack Lomas did bit parts in such television series as Sugarfoot, Maverick and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.

In addition to the episodes "Night of Terror" and "Shot in the Dark," Frank Richards can be seen in Guys and Dolls and The Lone Ranger. He also portrayed Ike Clanton in the episode "Doc Holiday" of Stories of the Century.

Sam Finn had various uncredited roles in numerous films based upon the Blondie comic strip.

During a scene in Perry White's office, George Reeves messes up his line. He says, "I have one of those feelings that something's gua - gonna happen, you know."

"Tin Hero" could have been an episode with a rating of three or four at the most. Unfortunately, so many flaws are in the finished product that giving it anything higher than a two would mislead you folks that read these reviews. It doesn't quite merit a one as it's better than, say, "The Jolly Roger". However, it makes one wonder what the heck has been going on with this season so far.

Are we as an audience supposed to sympathize with Frank Smullins in any way whatsoever? He is likable at times, but for the most part, he feels like a poor man's Lou Costello. This is, perhaps, due to Carl Ritchie's resemblance to Costello. There are moments in "Tin Hero" when Ritchie seems out of place. I can't help but wonder how an actor like Arnold Stang or Lucien Littlefield from season one's "The Runaway Robot" could have handled the role. As Smullins is now, he's rather hit and miss.

The story itself is an average one. However, many scenes moves slower than New York traffic in rush hour. This is particularly true of the first time we see the villains Big Jack and Marty. In addition to that, it feels like our introduction to them is in the middle of something we should have seen before Frank Smullins is first shown. There's something missing from this episode's back story, and that hurts it considerably.

There are two plot holes in "Tin Hero" I want to discuss. The first is in the scene in which Clark grabs Fingers Danny. He has taken the wallet from the pick-pocket. However, there is no identification in it at all. I know we are to assume it belongs to the bank president, but Fingers could have stolen more wallets from other people that day. Plus, we're lead to believe that this thief pilfering from C.V. Owen was to help Big Jack with the next job. That really makes no sense as we are lead to believe that Big Jack has been working in Metropolis for about a month without Fingers Danny's assistance.

In the previous episode, Superman uses his body to shield Anna Constantine from an explosion. Why didn't he do the same thing for Frank Smullins instead of throwing the dynamite into the sky? We have yet another missed visual effect opportunity that sticks out like a sore thumb, especially when one considers what Thol Simonson has done for The Adventures of Superman in the past. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I would have thought Simonson's ingenuity would have come up with something to make Superman use his abilities to their fullest.

All in all, "Tin Hero" is another forgettable entry in the fifth season of The Adventures of Superman television series. It does have a few enjoyable moments, but they are overshadowed by a story that moves sluggishly, mediocre acting, plot holes and missed special effects opportunities. Unfortunately, the next episode isn't any better, but I'll keep watching year five in hopes of finding a gem among the dreck.



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