Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 1 - Episode 23: "Ghost Wolf"

Original Broadcast Date: February 20, 1953

Writer: Dick Hamilton

Director: Lee Sholem

Guest Cast:
Jane Adams as Babette DuLoque
Lou Krugman as Jacques Olivier
Stanley Andrews as Sam Garvin Harold Goodwin as the Train Conductor

"Ghost Wolf"

The Lone Pine Timber Company in Oregon that supplies the Daily Planet with its pulpwood for paper has been plagued by the unusual. The superstitious lumberjack employees have seen what appears to be a beautiful woman that can transform into a wolf. The men are clearly frightened by this as many have seen animal footprints that have changed into those of a human. Foreman Sam Garvin is worried because the last man, a French Canadian named Jacques Olivier, has left the logging camp never to return. Garvin has made a telephone call to Planet editor Perry White, who has sent reporters Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen to investigate the eerie happenings. Little does Perry realize that the trio is about to be in the middle of one of the strangest mysteries they have ever encountered.

Lois, Clark and Jimmy are on a train that goes to the Lone Pine Timber Company. The locomotive is traveling at great speeds because, according to the conductor, the engineer wants to arrive before it gets dark. The vehicle has nearly been in at least five accidents since the werewolf sightings occurred, and it may get into a sixth. The wood supporting the tracks on Devil's Gorge Bridge has been cut. Someone or something clearly does not want Clark, Lois and Jimmy to reach their destination.

Seeing the danger to his friends, Clark has changed into Superman. The Man of Steel holds up the bridge so the train can pass safely. Lois and Jimmy are surprised to learn from the conductor that the trestle has collapsed. Now, Jimmy, Lois and Clark have arrived at the Lone Pine Timber Company without any further incidents. They are recounting their adventure to Sam Garvin, who in turn tells them what has happened in the camp since the werewolf sightings. That night, sleeping arrangements have been made. Clark and Jimmy go to the big bunkhouse that has one hundred and twelve beds, and Lois stays in the time keeper's cabin. In the darkness, a woman stalks outside. She is soon replaced with a wolf that jumps though the quarters' opened window. The creature's objective: to frighten Lois Lane.

Lois' scream has awakened Clark, Jimmy and Garvin. However, the wolf is now gone. There is nothing where the animal once was. Plus, it looks like Garvin hasn't even been to bed as he is still in his work clothes. Lois intends to get to the bottom of this strange mystery, but first, she must get some sleep on the other end of the bunk house in which Jimmy and Clark are staying.

In spite of being shaken up, Lois goes on with her daily routine. As she freshens up at a nearby spring, she is once again scared by the wolf. This time, she faints. Clark revives her and, with Jimmy's help, takes her to the cookhouse for some coffee. There's only one problem. A golden earring Lois had found before meeting up with the wolf is missing. This odd adventure has just gotten more unusual for Superman and his friends.

Even though Clark had told Lois and Jimmy to stay in the cookhouse while he takes a look around, they go out to investigate things on their own. Meanwhile, Garvin is also searching for clues to the wolf sightings while Jacques Olivier has started a forest fire. Lois and Jimmy are trapped in the blaze, and animals are trying their best to escape. Perhaps Superman may not be able to rescue everyone this time.

Superman has taken Lois and Jimmy to a safe place away from the fire. As the Man of Tomorrow tries to figure out a way to deal with the inferno, Garvin has discovered Oliver's true motives for trying to ruin the Lone Pine Timber Company. Babette DuLoque, daughter of the former owner Caine DuLoque, is Olivier's girlfriend, and Olivier made her believe that Garvin killed her father. Babette had also promised to marry Olivier. Olivier now wants Babette's pet wolf, which she had raised when he was a cub, to kill Garvin so she can have the business that is rightfully hers. However, Babette wants no part of Olivier's mad plan when she learns the truth from Garvin. Caine died of pneumonia, and Garvin deposited all of the funds for the logging camp in the bank. The wolf attacks Olivier before he can shoot Garvin. Now, with Babette's beloved four-legged friend knocked out by Olivier, it looks like nobody can rescue Babette and Garvin from the insane lumberjack.

Superman has swooped in to knock out Olivier before he can kill Garvin, Babette, and her wolf. Now, as Garvin guards the unconscious Olivier, the Last Son of Krypton can now deal with the forest fire. Seeing storm clouds nearby, Superman takes some telephone wire with him to attract the lightning and lead the rain to the forest sooner. The Caped Wonder's plan has worked. The flames have been put out, and the woods are safe thanks to Mother Nature and Superman.

Lois, Jimmy, Garvin, Babette and her wolf are back at the Lone Pine Timber Company celebrating the logging camp's new lease on life when Clark Kent arrives soaked from head to foot. Lois and the others tell him how Superman had stopped Olivier and saved the day by making it rain.

"Too bad you can't get him to stop it," a drenched Kent says to the group.

Rating - 4.5 (out of 5): Jane Adams was the predecessor of Kim Bassinger as she played Vicki Vale in the 1949 movie serial Batman and Robin. "Ghost Wolf" was her final acting job as she went on to other things, but she is best remembered as the sympathetic hunchbacked nurse, Nina, in 1945's Universal horror film House of Dracula.

While a majority of Stanley Andrews' roles were in westerns, he did play the sheriff in Superman and the Mole-Men, which was turned into the two part finale for season one called "The Unknown People". Look for both episodes' reviews to appear on the Superman Homepage soon.

Harold Goodwin was often mixed up with the actor of the same name that appeared in Bridge on the River Kwai. As a result, he often would use the name Herold to avoid confusion. This Goodwin appeared in a number of Hoot Gibson's silent westerns of the 1920s and played a foil to Buster Keaton in several of his classic shorts and feature films.

Because Stanley Andrews' scenes had already filmed and wrapped up one week earlier, the voice Perry hears on the telephone is not that of Andrews when he talks to Sam Garvin.

"Ghost Wolf" honestly deserves a five, but I have some problems concerning Sam Garvin. He acts paranoid and suspicious throughout most of the episode. Suddenly, without explanation, he changes once he learns of Jacques Olivier's plans. The viewer is left with one big question. Why? It doesn't make sense in the overall story. It feels like something was left out of the final product.

That being said, "Ghost Wolf" is an otherwise entertaining half hour that reminded me a lot of the "The White Plague" and "Fur Smuggling" serials from the radio show. Perhaps that's because those tales take place in a similar environment to this episode. Plus, many of season one's writers had come from The Adventures of Superman audio stories.

There are also some stupendous acting and special effects in "Ghost Wolf". Many of both can be credited to scenes featuring George Reeves and Jane Adams. They both have to work with visual tricks that end up looking astounding when one considers the year this episode was made. While Babette DuLoque doesn't actually change into a wolf in the story, camera work makes the audience believe she had done so. The flying sequences with Reeves are also incredible. All of this and the overall story make the flaw of Sam Garvin's character change minor and turns "Ghost Wolf" into a show that will surely become a favorite of any fan of The Adventures of Superman.

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