Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 6 - Episode 7: "The Big Forget"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: March 17, 1958

Writers: Robert Leslie Bellem and Whitney Ellsworth

Director: Howard Bretherton

Guest Cast:
Phil Tead as Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle
Herb Vigran as Mugsy Maples
Billy Nelson as Knuckles Nelson

"The Big Forget"

Daily Planet editor Perry White is fit to be tied with reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. It seems to the chief that they always need Superman's help when they try to get an exclusive for the newspaper. White has now challenged Jimmy and Lois to get their next scoop without the aid of the Man of Steel. Should they do this, they will get the ten dollar raise promised them two years ago. The only condition to the challenge is that Perry is to go with Lois and Jimmy to see the story as it progresses. However, Mister White must promise to let Olsen and Lane run things for the article. Perry, Lois and Jimmy may get more than they bargained for if Superman is unable to help them.

Lois and Jimmy have made a decision. They will try to get a story on notorious gangster Mugsy Maples, who has recently had his henchman Knuckles Nelson put cement shoes on a reporter and throw him in the river. No evidence has ever been found regarding Maples' crimes. Meanwhile, Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle has come to show Clark Kent his latest invention, an anti-memory vapor. One whiff of it can make a person forget the past fifteen minutes of their life. Understanding he'd be immune as Superman, Clark sends Professor Pepperwinkle to Jimmy and Lois, who are in Perry's office. Knowing that the scientist's inventions have been essential in getting stories for the Planet in the past, Lois promises Pepperwinkle that the spray will be tested. The anti-memory vapor could help Jimmy and Lois get the scoop of the century on Mugsy Maples, but it may also place them in a grave peril from which even Superman could not rescue them.

Pretending to be a deaf window washer with a hearing aid, Jimmy has managed to get into Mugsy Maples' office in hopes of learning the gangster's next move. The cub reporter blows his own cover by correcting Maples about the Acme Loan Company's location. He is then forced to reveal himself to Mugsy and Knuckles. However, Jimmy does have an ace in the hole, Professor Pepperwinkle's anti-memory vapor. Unfortunately, the nozzle is aimed in the wrong direction. The spray hits Jimmy in the face, causing him to forget why he was with the criminals in the first place. Seeing the effects of the unusual chemical on Jimmy and Knuckles, who was sprayed after Jimmy left the small canister behind in his rush to leave, Mugsy Maples realizes that he may now have a means of committing the biggest robberies the city of Metropolis has ever seen.

The bottle of the anti-memory vapor is empty, but Professor Pepperwinkle's name, address and telephone number are written on the bottom. Pretending to be a doctor wanting to use the spray to help sad people forget bad things, Mugsy has called the absent minded scientist for more of his new formula. The good professor agrees to give it to the gangster when they pick him up in ten minutes. Little does poor Pepperwinkle realize that one of his inventions is about to be part of yet another citywide crime spree.

Perry, Lois, Jimmy and Clark have gotten word of the Acme Loan Company robbery. According to reports, nobody in the place remembers a thing about the crime. Without anyone knowing, Superman has investigated Professor Pepperwinkle's home and Mugsy Maples' office, which is mere minutes away from police headquarters. Finding Pepperwinkle gone and a telephone to a private line with no dial or number in Maples' desk, the Metropolis Marvel contacts Police Inspector Bill Henderson. However, before anything further can be done, Superman must leave. Perry, Lois and Jimmy have entered to search for evidence of Mugsy Maples' crimes. If they see the Last Son of Krypton, the chief won't give Lane and Olsen their raise. Unfortunately, Mugsy has caught the trio red handed. Now, they, along with Professor Pepperwinkle, are the gangster's prisoners. With Superman unaware of the danger to his friends, there may be no hope for them to get out of this deadly situation alive.

Henderson has found Lois' handbag in Maples' office. Knowing that Perry, Jimmy and possibly Professor Pepperwinkle are with her, Superman has an idea. Henderson is to talk on the private telephone. Superman will pick up everything said with his super hearing and follow the voice to the location of the other end of the connection. Will this lead the Man of Steel to Mugsy Maples' hideaway and his friends, or will it be a blind alley that could only mean certain doom for Lois, Jimmy, Perry and Professor Pepperwinkle?

While Inspector Henderson counts, Superman follows his voice to Mugsy Maples' country home. He assumes the guise of Clark Kent in order help his friends without Lois and Jimmy losing their raise. Now, Kent is also a prisoner in Maples' cellar. The gangster has even mixed a tablet with acid to create a poison gas. What they don't realize is that Clark has broken the door handle. Both Mugsy Maples and Knuckles Nelson are trapped with Professor Pepperwinkle, Perry, Jimmy, Lois and Clark. Knowing they need Superman's help, Perry agrees to give Lois and Jimmy a raise with or without the caped hero. The only problem is that Lois and the others may not live through this ordeal if Superman does not do something to help them very soon.

Hoping the anti-memory vapor works, Superman has revealed to everyone that he is Clark Kent. He knocks out Mugsy and Knuckles and unties Jimmy, who in turn frees Professor Pepperwinkle, Perry and Lois as the Man of Tomorrow inhales the venomous vapors engulfing the cellar. Superman tells Jimmy to break down the door to save his friends while Pepperwinkle's spray engulfs the room. After doing this on the second attempt, Jimmy is able to get Lois and the others out of danger. At the same time, Superman speaks to Inspector Henderson via Maples' private telephone. He tells him where to find Mugsy and Knuckles. However, he also asks Henderson make a promise. Nobody is to know of Superman's involvement in this adventure. With that, Lois, Perry, Jimmy and Professor Pepperwinkle are safe, and Mugsy Maples and Knuckles Nelson will spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle are in Perry White's office. Nobody seems to remember anything after arriving at Mugsy Maples' country hideaway. Everyone believes that Jimmy loosened his bonds before knocking out Mugsy and Knuckles. The anti-memory vapor must have fallen out of the gangster's pocket in the scuffle. In the meantime, Jimmy and Lois will get the raise they were promised. Professor Pepperwinkle, however, laments that he has forgotten the formula for his spray. He'll never be able to make anymore.

"Don't you think it's a pity, Mister Kent?" asks Pepperwinkle.

"Oh, I do, professor," Kent replies, "I do, indeed. There are a great many things that would be better for people not to remember."

3Rating - 3 (out of 5): Phil Tead will reprise his role of Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle in the next episode "The Gentle Monster".

Herb Vigran can be seen as Judge Brooker in Gunsmoke.

Billy Nelson played Professor Fabian Nelson in the Laurel and Hardy short film Mixed Nuts.

While not as good as many in season six, "The Big Forget" is better than last week's outing and previous episodes featuring Professor Pepperwinkle. It's strictly played for laughs. However, it's done in a fairly decent way while sticking to the normal Pepperwinkle formula. It's an old hat that fits better than before for some reason.

The whole 'Professor Pepperwinkle unwittingly helping the bad guys' plot device has been done before. Yet, the cast and crew seem to be having more fun with it this time around. This is especially true of George Reeves, who always smiles in his scenes with Phil Tead. What was irritating and predictable in the good professor's second appearance feels less tedious. This could be due to Robert Leslie Bellem and Whitney Ellsworth's story. They seem to work magic even with things the audience has seen before. Their work cannot compare to the great episodes penned by Jackson Gillis, but they sure try their best to entertain the viewer.

While Billy Nelson does seem to work better with Ben Welden, he and Herb Vigran do make a great team of bad guys, particularly in episodes such as this one that have comedic elements in them. This is all well and good, and it works perfectly for "The Big Forget". There are, however, certain matters that need to be clarified about Mugsy Maples. One might even go as far as to call them plot holes. Firstly, what exactly does Maples do to merit an office with the name J.G. Maples on the door? If it's located just a couple of minutes from police headquarters, why hasn't Inspector Henderson been able to get the goods on Maples? The next point regards the conclusion. Superman knocked Mugsy and Knuckles out. This leads one to question if Professor Pepperwinkle's anti-memory vapor works on those who are unconscious. If not, Clark Kent is in deep trouble as he revealed his secret identity to both gangsters. I'm going to give ol' J.J. the benefit of the doubt and assume that his spray works on anyone no matter what state they are in.

Phil Tead seems to have a better grasp of the Professor Pepperwinkle character this time. Sure, he always had the same great comedic timing in all the episodes in which he guest starred, but his previous Pepperwinkle outings felt as if he was struggling to find a way to make things work for the story. He seems to have perfected his performance quite a bit in "The Big Forget". Let's hope he does the same in "The Gentle Monster".

"The Big Forget" is an average episode, but it's one that still is entertaining to watch if you need a laugh or a smile. There are some plot holes that needed filling. Yet, the viewer can't help but want to see more of Professor Pepperwinkle's antics as the half hour progresses. This one is a strange but fun ride for any fan of The Adventures of Superman.



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