Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 6 - Episode 10: "Three in One"

Original Broadcast Date: April 07, 1958

Writers: Wilton Schiller and Whitney Ellsworth

Director: Lew Landers

Guest Cast:
Sid Tomack as Harman The Great
Rick Vallin as Pellini The Human Fly
Buddy Baer as Atlas The Strong Man
Craig Duncan as Tex Dawson

"Three in One"

A desperate Tex Dawson is in the office of Daily Planet editor Perry White. The Chief and reporters Lois Lane, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen are discussing the matter with him. Someone has robbed Dawson. The safe was found completely empty of money, and no fingerprints or clues of any kind have been found by police. If the stolen operational funds are not found within the week, Dawson's circus will be forced to close. This mysterious theft has baffled Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson and his men. This unusual case may even test the uncanny resolve of Superman.

Harman the Great is the world's best escape artist. This also makes him an expert safe cracker. Pellini the Human Fly can climb the walls of any building with ease. Together, they stole the Dawson's Circus money and are responsible for burglaries occurring in top floor safes of various buildings in Metropolis. Harman is pulled up by Pellini with a rope in order to break into the vaults. After being captured by Superman, Harman is questioned by Inspector Henderson, Lois Lane and Clark Kent. He claims to only recall walking down the street one night when someone grabbed him from behind. The next thing he knew, he was in front of Superman on the top floor of a building. He won't give his name because he's a respectable business man, and he doesn't want to embarrass his family with a scandal. Realizing they are getting nowhere with Harman, Lois, Clark and Henderson leave. Later, the circus performer breaks out of his cell to set a new plan into motion, one that could distract Superman long enough for him and Pellini to commit the crime wave of the century.

Pellini and Harman have recruited circus strong man Atlas. They tell him that they are now detectives. Their next "case" will be in the Cityside Loan Company on the seventeenth floor of the Mallory Building. Atlas is told that Harman and Pellini will take the money out of the vault to prevent thieves from taking it. However, Atlas is needed to bend the bars on the security door. He does so before the trio makes a getaway. Superman arrives afterwards to find Atlas' handiwork. Inspector Henderson also sees this. He believes the Man of Steel has turned to a life of crime and is forced to arrest him. Superman comes with Henderson to police headquarters. This could mean that Harman and his gang can continue their reign of terror throughout Metropolis.

Things don't look good for Superman, and Inspector Henderson is confused by his turning himself in so willingly. There is a flaw in Henderson's theory of Superman being a burglar. The stolen money is nowhere to be found. Henderson believes that Lois Lane, Jimmy or even Clark Kent may assisted in the robberies. Superman goes on to explain that he believes he was framed. One suspect is recently-escaped Harman the Great, though Henderson does not know his name. To make the culprits feel overconfident and calm the police commissioner, Superman will remain in prison. The next phase of the Last Son of Krypton's plan will hopefully provide the bait to trap the gang of evil circus performers. If it doesn't succeed, Superman will be incarcerated for a crime he did not commit.

Lois Lane is assisting Superman in the next part of his ploy to capture Harman and his gang. The Chapman Building on Fourth Street has just been completed. According to Lois' article in the Daily Planet, the ball at the tip of its flagpole is made of solid gold with the Col Du Sac diamond embedded in the center. An armed guard is always posted there. Once this is written, hopefully Harman will take the bait. Will the printed word succeed in aiding the Man of Tomorrow in bringing the circus criminals to justice, or will our hero spend his remaining years in prison?

Pellini and Harman are already planning the theft of the flagpole ball and convince Atlas that Superman stole it from widows and orphans. Pellini leaves to inspect the Chapman Building as Atlas leaves. Harman is now alone examining the stolen goods in his trunk. Suddenly, Jimmy Olsen arrives. He's doing a story on what the performers will do should the circus close. Jimmy's presence worries Harman as the cub reporter opens the escape artist's chest repeatedly. He has just promised Jimmy a scoop on all his tricks, starting with the famous trunk escape. Jimmy is placed in a straitjacket and put inside the box, not realizing he has helped Harman with the means of eliminating him. With Superman in prison, there may be no way for Jimmy to get out of this situation before he is submerged in the waters that could doom him to a fatal death.

Lois has revealed to Superman and Inspector Henderson about Jimmy's circus story. This allows them to brainstorm. An escape artist, a human fly and a strong man working together can do the things that Superman is accused of doing to commit the recent robberies. Lois is clearly worried for Jimmy. Not having time for a court order, Superman must escape from prison. Hopefully, he can fly to the rescue before it's too late for young Mister Olsen.

Atlas has dropped the trunk containing Jimmy into a tank full of water. As he, Pellini and Harman leave for the Chapman Building, Superman manages to free the cub reporter from the box before the water can overcome him. Now that he's safe, Jimmy is to go with Lois to the Chapman Building. Superman is certain to give them a great scoop once they get there.

Atlas and Pellini have knocked out the guard and taken the golden ball at the tip of the Chapman Building's flagpole. The night watchman is actually Superman. He talks to Atlas as Pellini descends to the street where Harman is located. After a brief confrontation, the Man of Steel tells the strong man that Harman and Pellini tricked him. This angers Atlas, who hurls the colored sphere at the escape artist and human fly. Superman brings his burly ally down to Earth. Harman and Pellini are then greeted by the enormous hands of the giant man knocking their heads together. Thanks to the powerful Atlas, Superman has brought another gang of evil doers to a rightful and just end. Jimmy even gets a picture of the action for the Daily Planet's front page. All is well for Superman and all of his friends once again.

Tex Dawson has returned to Perry's office. His circus will not close, but he has lost two of his best performers. Because he was duped by Pellini and Harman, Atlas can continue to work for Dawson. However, the people from Europe replacing Pellini and Harman won't arrive in time for Dawson to finish his contracted shows. Clark Kent has the solution. Superman will join the circus until they arrive. Lois likes the idea and wants to go see Superman there with Perry, Jimmy and Clark. At that moment, Kent remembers that his vacation will start next week.

"You know, Clark," Lois says, "Sometimes, I think you're jealous of Superman."

Clark replies, "Could be, Lois. I never thought of it before, but could be."

Rating - 4 (out of 5): Sid Tomack played Knobby Walsh in The Joe Palooka Story.

Rick Vallin had a small part as a power company truck worker in chapter nine of The Atom Man Versus Superman movie serial starring Kirk Alyn as the Man of Steel.

The towering Buddy Baer is the brother of boxing champion Max Baer and uncle of The Beverly Hillbillies star Max Baer, Junior. Buddy can be seen as Ursus in Quo Vadis, Boots Wilson in Africa Screams and Bull Kendall in two episodes of Sheena: Queen of the Jungle.

Craig Duncan was a police officer in Blood of Dracula.

Noel Neill flubs a line when she visits Superman in prison. She says, "Mister Kent's trying to get a hold of Jimmy till Clark gets back." She actually meant Mister White.

There is a moment when Harman calls Pellini "Gus".

The plot point of a strong man framing Superman was used in the 1946 radio serial "Is There Another Superman?".

"Three in One" feels like a lost episode from the black and white years of The Adventures of Superman. It also blends the best elements of the radio show and comic books to give viewers what is a perhaps the best episode of the season. It's, bar none, one of the most entertaining tales in the entire series. I wish seasons four and five had some this great.

More should have been done or said to explain Clark Kent's disappearance in "Three in One". This is really one of the few flaws in the episode, and it's a very minor one at that. It doesn't decrease the quality of the story and its execution. I merely wished to point it out. The mild mannered reporter feels like a bit of a forgotten footnote in certain scenes throughout the thirty minutes. He's merely missing with no reason given. In spite of that, we are given what we longed for since season five, a good quality tale worthy of the best of The Adventures of Superman television series.

It seems to take time for Rick Vallin to get a handle on the Pellini character as he seems to be trying to recall dialog and character motivation in his opening scene with Sid Tomack. However, both actors do their parts justice. They are the perfect villains for a story of this nature. Buddy Baer's Atlas, like his radio counterpart Boris in "Is There Another Superman?", isn't really a heavy because he's being duped by Pellini and Harman. His stereotypical speaking in third person does get a bit tiresome after a while. Yet, the audience is rather sympathetic to the big lug and wants to hate Harman and Pellini more. This makes them worthy of some of the best baddies in the entire series' rogues gallery.

Superman being framed is nothing new. It was done in "Is There Another Superman?" in 1946. However, like that radio serial, the plot element is handled well. This helps "Three in One" be an adventure that keeps the audience watching from beginning to end. We know Superman will get out of this mess, but we are still curious just exactly how he will do it. That's just one of the many aspects that make this episode a fun one.

Are you missing the quality of the black and white episodes of The Adventures of Superman? Like a majority of what season six has given us, "Three in One" will show you that the series still has some great stories to tell without using half baked plots and irritating characters that the previous year did. You'll have fun watching this entry. I guarantee that.

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