Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 1 - Episode 9: "Rescue"

Original Broadcast Date: November 14, 1952

Writer: Monroe Manning

Director: Tommy Carr

Guest Cast:
Houseley Stevenson as Pop Polgase
Fred Sherman as Inspector Sims
Ray Bennett as Stan Hacker
Edmund Cobb as Lafe Reiser
Milton Kibbee as Harry Hansen

"Rescue"

Pop Polgase has been working in the same coal mine in Carbide, Pennsylvania for nearly a decade. Mine Inspector Sims, however, has been forced to condemn Pop's shafts due to unsafe conditions. This angers the elderly man greatly. In spite of Sims' orders, Pop intends to dig for more of the rock. What he might find could put him in serious danger.

On the way to the Washington, D.C. offices of the Daily Planet, reporter Clark Kent has dropped colleague Lois Lane off in Carbide, where she is covering a story on the coal mining industry. Meanwhile, Stan Hacker has decided against going into Pop's tunnels with the elderly worker to dig for more coke. An angry and stubborn Pop goes inside to dig without Steve only to become trapped in a cave-in. Steve blows the disaster whistle, which is heard by Sims as he explains operations to Lois. An avalanche of rock has pinned Pop inside, and Sims and his crew must wait for a rescue squad before even thinking of getting him out. Unfortunately, it is unknown how long the old prospector has. He could die while waiting to be rescued.

Lois has phoned in the story of the tunnel cave-in to the Daily Planet. Meanwhile, Sims' crew will have to create another path in order to get to Pop. This doesn't satisfy Lois. She intends to get the elderly miner out sooner than Sims. In Washington, Clark has had no luck getting information for his story. He is unaware of what's going on in Carbide. The situation there could use his help as Superman.

Lois, in miner's clothing, has just entered Pop's mine. She manages to get to the tunnel where he is trapped, but in trying to free the elderly prospector, she has caused another cave-in. Now, Lois is stranded inside with Pop. To make matters worse, the rock from the second avalanche has blocked any air from getting into the shaft. Pop and Lois could die of suffocation if they are not rescued in time.

News of Lois' predicament has reached Washington. Unfortunately, Clark left for Carbide before the teletypes finished the bulletin. Editions of the Daily Planet telling of the disaster arrive mere seconds after the mild mannered reporter leaves the city. The radio has even broadcast word of the incident, but Kent is unable to hear it because he is repairing his car. The roar of the engine drowns out the sound of the announcer's voice. Superman may not be able to save Pop and Lois before it's too late for them.

Sims' men have nearly reached the tunnel in which Lois and Pop are stranded. Unfortunately, gas has entered into the shaft, making it impossible for the rescue crews to dig any further. There seems to be no hope for Lois and Pop's survival.

Clark Kent has finally arrived at Pop's mine and is now aware of the danger to Lois and Pop's lives. He changes into Superman to dig them out of the rock. As he leads them out of the shaft, a dirty cloth ignites, causing an explosion. The Man of Steel holds up the tunnel entrance while Lois and Pop escape mere moments before the mine caves in yet again. Seeing that Pop and Lois are safe, Superman leaves to resume his guise of Clark Kent. Kent is now ready to take Lois back to Metropolis when she says, "Oh Clark, Superman finally took me out."

With those words, Clark cannot help but smile as Lois walks away to change into her normal clothes.

Rating - 2 (out of 5): Houseley Stevenson, sometimes credited as Houseley Stevenson Sr, is perhaps best known for his role of Doctor Walter Coley, the reprobate plastic surgeon, in the Bogart-Bacall film Dark Passage. This episode of The Adventures of Superman would be his final performance as he passed away on August 6, 1953.

Fred Sherman has played a wide variety of characters in film and television. I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, Boris Karloff's Thriller and an uncredited cameo in the Marilyn Monroe classic Some Like It Hot are among his many appearances. Sherman would eventually return to The Adventures of Superman as Doctor Oscar Jessup in season one's "The Deserted Village".

Like Fred Sherman, Edmund Cobb will return for "The Deserted Village". Though primarily in westerns, Cobb will be recognized by science fiction film buffs as Doctor McDermott in The Amazing Colossal Man.

The main cast and guest stars do a fine job playing their parts in this episode. Unfortunately, their performances and Tommy Carr's directing, could not save it from the problems it has. The first of which is a gaping plot hole. During the scene in which Clark Kent repairs the car during a radio news bulletin about the mine cave-in, the engine is drowning out the announcer's mentioning that Lois is involved. This would work well if Clark was not Superman, a being with superhuman hearing. Clark should have been able to listen to the broadcast.

There are scenes in "Rescue" that move at a snail's pace. It honestly feels like a ten minute story was dragged into a half hour. This makes it difficult to enjoy what could have been an incredible tale.

Much like "Night of Terror", the closing scene in "Rescue" feels forced into the story at the last minute. The emotions George Reeves and Phyllis Coates convey seem more genuine this time, but for some reason, that conclusion feels a bit out of place. The dialogue seems to come out of nowhere, leaving the audience to scratch its collective head.

For all its flaws, "Rescue" has some incredible performances from the actors involved that prevent it from being a completely bad episode. Phyllis Coates particularly shines as Lois. It's a pity she and the rest of the cast and crew couldn't have had a hand in making some improvements to the story.

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