Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 1 - Episode 11: "No Holds Barred"

Original Broadcast Date: November 28, 1952

Writer: Peter Dixon

Director: Lee Sholem

Guest Cast:
Malcolm Mealey as Wayne Winchester
Richard Reeves as Bad Luck Brannigan
Dick Elliott as Sam Bleaker
Tito Renaldo as Swami Ramm
Herb Vigran as Mortimer Murray
Bill Kennedy as The Wrestling Announcer
Henry Kulky as Crusher

"No Holds Barred"

Professional wrester Bad Luck Brannigan has placed seven opponents in the hospital with his infamous Paralyzer hold during his recent matches. Daily Planet editor Perry White believes that there is something crooked in the way Brannigan competes because Brannigan's manager Mortimer Murray is a shady character. To prove this, White has asked former college champion Wayne Winchester to assist with the investigation. While watching Bad Luck Brannigan on television with the chief and reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent, Wayne says that he never saw a fighting style like Brannigan's in college. It looks to Wayne like Brannigan is trying to deliberately hurt or even kill those men he takes on. Wayne wants to help the Planet expose Brannigan and Murray no matter how risky it is for him.

Things are tough for wrestling promoter Sam Bleaker. He has been forced to make a deal with Mortimer Murray because Bad Luck Brannigan has put most of Bleaker's talent in the hospital. Bleaker tells his friend Clark Kent of this while giving him ringside seats to Friday's match at the arena. Using his hypersensitive ears, Clark overhears details of Bleaker's discussion with Murray. Adonis Murphy will be the next person to compete against Bad Luck Brannigan. Wayne Winchester wants to see the competition up close in order to learn more about Brannigan. Clark provides him with the means to do so with the two tickets Bleaker had given him. With Lois Lane as his escort, Winchester may be able to expose Mortimer Murray's crooked athletes.

We now turn our attention to Murray's gymnasium, where an Indian swami named Ramm is showing the wrestlers techniques to use on the pressure points in the bodies of their opponents. This is the true origin of Bad Luck Brannigan's Paralyzer. Ramm, however, feels that his teachings are being used for nefarious purposes in spite of Murray's promises to return Ramm to India while hiding him from the government police. Knowing that Ramm is wise to his schemes, Murray wants to stop using him once Adonis Murphy is defeated Friday night. Murray intends to kill Ramm before he becomes a danger to the crooked promoter's plans.

It is the night of Bad Luck Brannigan's match with Golden Adonis Murphy. Adonis has Bad Luck over his head. As Clark and Perry watch the competition on television, they notice that Brannigan has placed his hand on Murphy's leg as he applies pressure for his Paralyzer. Adonis falls, and Brannigan pins him. Golden Adonis is unable to move. Now, another wrestler has been placed in the hospital. It looks like there is nobody to challenge Brannigan until Wayne Winchester steps into the ring. He says that he will gladly face Brannigan next week. He surprises Bad Luck with a kick that puts the dishonest athlete on the canvas. Lois Lane and Perry try to convince Wayne not to fight Brannigan. Clark, on the other hand, believes that Wayne can defeat Bad Luck. Lois is angry with Clark, while Perry believes that Lois' relationship with Winchester is clouding the mild mannered reporter's judgement. However, Clark still thinks Wayne can win against Bad Luck Brannigan. He'll just need some help from both Kent and Superman.

Both Wayne and Brannigan are preparing for their wrestling match. Ramm has taught Superman the paralyzing moves that Brannigan knows so Clark Kent can help Wayne defend himself against them. Ramm also agrees to help right the wrongs his pressure techniques have created. To do so, he must aid Mortimer Murray and Bad Luck Brannigan one last time. However, the swami may risk his life to aid Superman.

Now that Wayne Winchester has built an immunity to Brannigan's Paralyzer, he is ready for the match that will expose Brannigan. Wayne is able to counter Brannigan's moves and pin him. Winchester is victorious. This makes Mortimer Murray believe that Ramm double crossed him. He, Bad Luck Brannigan and Crusher head back to the gymnasium to work Ramm over. Clark needs to save the Indian swami as Superman, but Sam Bleaker wants to negotiate with mild mannered reporter about giving Wayne a professional wrestling contract. Superman may not make in time to rescue Ramm.

Clark has sent Jimmy Olsen and Wayne to talk with Bleaker, thereby giving him a chance to become Superman. The Man of Steel gets to Murray's gym in time to save Ramm from being beaten by the nefarious promoter and his wrestlers. The police then arrive alongside Lois and Perry, who later find Clark Kent. Ramm, despite being afraid that he too will be arrested, tells the authorities that he can undo what Brannigan had done to his opponents with his pressure point techniques. "Why, if you can, it will be like magic," Lois says.

"Like the only real magic - the magic of knowledge," Clark replies.

Rating - 5 (out of 5): Bill Kennedy, the wrestling announcer, will have a voice that is very familiar to fans of The Adventures of Superman. He did the famous introduction that appears in every episode of the series.

While no relation to George, Richard Reeves is no stranger to DC Comics heroes. After his five appearances in The Adventures of Superman, Reeves played the What a Way to Go Go Club Doorman in the "Hi Diddle Riddle" episode of the 1960s Batman series.

Tito Renaldo would often play natives or persons of Spanish heritage. His filmography marks a wide variety of genres. Unfortunately, he only starred in an episode of The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin after "No Holds Barred".

In addition to appearing in this episode together, both Dick Elliott and Herb Vigran have been in The Andy Griffith Show on numerous occasions. In fact, Elliot is best known for his role of Mayberry's waffling Mayor Pike in that series.

By sheer coincidence, Henry Kulky portrayed Mike the Mauler in a 1952 film with the same title as this episode, No Holds Barred.

"No Holds Barred" is perhaps one of the few times we get an idea that Clark Kent has romantic feelings for Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman television series. There were hints to it in the radio program, but nothing outside of the comic books really explored this in great detail until the Christopher Reeve films, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Superman: Doomsday came along. Still, it would have been intriguing to see George Reeves and Phyllis Coates' take on the Lois and Clark relationship.

Perry White is famous for bellowing "Great Caesar's Ghost!" and firing the Daily Planet staff every five minutes throughout The Adventures of Superman television series. However, there is an element in John Hamilton's performance in "No Holds Barred" that gives viewers the impression that the chief is a father figure for Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and Clark Kent. This would later come about in the Post-Crisis comic book continuity and in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. It was also played around with to a lesser degree in the radio programs. In my opinion, this gives Perry's character more depth and makes him more likable to the audience.

This episode was a surprisingly good. Perhaps that is due to the fact that I was expecting something along the lines of "Rescue", which has, so far, been the worst of the first season. As of this writing, "Rescue" is still fresh in my mind even though I reviewed it two weeks ago. Anyway, "No Holds Barred" was perfectly executed. The cast performed outstandingly, the script was well written, and the story was engaging and fun. There isn't as much film noir in this episode as there is in previous ones, but it still entertains like all the best stories in The Adventures of Superman should.

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