Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 2 - Episode 7: "Superman in Exile"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: October 26, 1953

Writer: Jackson Gillis

Director: Thomas Carr

Guest Cast:
Leon Askin as Joseph Ferdinand
Joseph Forte as Professor Adams
Philip Van Zandt as Regan
John Harmon as Skinny
Robert Carson as Allen
Don Dillaway as Fred Harris
Gregg Barton as The Sheriff
Sam Balter as The Radio Announcer

"Superman in Exile"

Project X's nuclear reactor has gone wild. Any human that tries to stop it risks death. However, Professor Adams and Doctor Fred Harris are attempting to do so. Should they fail in their task, Metropolis and all areas in the general vicinity have been placed on alert in the event of a meltdown. Even as public relations man Joseph Ferdinand has entered the Daily Planet offices with the story of the exhibition of his country's crown jewels in the city, word reaches Clark Kent, who is really Superman, of the danger. Adams was unable to stop the great machine, and Harris may very well be dead. He acted as a human shield to protect the elder Adams. The Man of Steel is really needed now more than ever.

Superman has just arrived at the Project X facility. He's managed to rescue Harris, who only needs to be decontaminated. As per Professor Adams' instructions, the Last Son of Krypton removes the reactor's center control rod and places it in another aperture. Superman succeeds in rescuing Metropolis again. The danger has passed, but another threat has arisen. Superman's entire body is now radioactive. While this does not harm him, anyone that comes in contact with the Man of Tomorrow will certainly face a horrible death.

Superman has exiled himself in the mountains of Blue Peak. Clark Kent has called Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen to say that he's following Superman. This makes Lois and Jimmy more suspicious. Clark had disappeared just before Superman left for Project X. Now, he's trying to explain his absence while Superman is in seclusion. The telephone operator says that his call came from Blue Peak. This leads Lois to ask Jimmy a question.

"Clark says he can't come back... And why can't he unless he's Superman?"

Joseph Ferdinand, in an effort to get publicity for his country's crown jewels, has gone to Regan and his henchman Skinny. He has told newspapers that the treasures will arrive by boat when they will, in fact, be delivered by airplane. With this knowledge, Regan can have "a king's ransom" from the theft of said jewels. Regan wants no part of any robbery in Metropolis because of Superman until he learns from the Daily Planet of the costumed hero's self-imposed banishment to Mount Blue Peak. Now, this gang of thieves intends to take full advantage of Superman's disappearance.

As crime runs rampant in Metropolis, Professor Adams has given Superman suggestions by telephone on how to rid himself of the lethal radiation. Unfortunately, nothing has worked so far. However, a Doctor Fisher in Vienna has a theory. A counteracting shock might help Superman. There is only one problem. Nobody knows where to find the energy to create it.

Joseph Ferdinand has entered Lois Lane's office. He has promised her a scoop on his country's crown jewels being delivered by airplane. Skinny and Regan are waiting as he brings Lois to their car. In reality, the trio wants to hijack the craft and steal the jewels. They need Lois as a hostage to guarantee that the radioactive Superman won't go after a ship with his friends on board. Now, Lois is in grave danger, and Superman cannot rescue her without risking killing her.

As Skinny flies the airplane carrying Regan, Ferdinand, Lois and the crown jewels, Superman has become restless because he cannot rescue Miss Lane and put the thieves in prison. A weather report on the radio gives him an idea. A bad electrical storm is coming to Mount Blue Peak. If a bolt of lightning strikes the Metropolis Marvel, it should cause the radiation to leave him. It's a one in a million chance, but it may be the only thing that can allow Superman to save Lois before it's too late.

Superman has just flown into the storm clouds. Lightning continues to strike him, and he begins to notice that he is no longer glowing. Feeling the radiation has left him, the Man of Tomorrow goes in search of Lois and the criminals that have captured her. At the same time, Skinny has some difficulty flying in the bad weather. He is forced to land in a nearby airfield, where the local sheriff is waiting for them. Superman had called him to arrest Ferdinand, Regan and Skinny. He also tells Lois that Superman had jostled the ship in for a landing. At that moment, Clark Kent enters the passenger area with a Geiger counter. Both he and the plane are free of nuclear material. Lois, in the meantime, is still suspicious that Clark is Superman.

"Superman and you... I still wonder," she says.

"Wonder? Well, it's no wonder you wonder. You're a pretty wonder-ful girl," Clark replies with a wink and smile.

5Rating - 5 (out of 5): "Klink, you are an idiot!" Leon Askin would often go to Stalag 13 as General Albert Burkhalter in the comedy series set in World War II, Hogan's Heroes. He'll return to Metropolis for the episode "King for a Day".

Joseph Forte never returned to The Adventures of Superman after this episode, but you can see him in classics like Them! and the movie serial The Green Hornet Strikes Again!

Robert Carson has done a lot of comedy and suspense in his career. Look for him in Mister Ed and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

As Superman holds the hijacked airplane, you can see its shadow on the screen that shows the film of the sky.

This episode adapts the Action Comics #188 story "The Spectral Superman", cover dated January 1954.

While he doesn't do it as much as Vera Marshe in "Shot in the Dark", Leon Askin does provide some chuckles for the audience in "Superman in Exile". He would later prove to be a perfect foil in Hogan's Heroes, but he doesn't get much of a chance to stretch his comedic legs here. Given the shooting schedules for each episode of The Adventures of Superman, that's not entirely Askin's fault. Still, even though we never know what country he and the crown jewels come from or if he's really a press agent, his character of Joseph Ferdinand served his purpose well in "Superman in Exile".

Like "Shot in the Dark", "Superman in Exile" gives the supporting cast time to investigate their suspicions that Clark Kent is Superman. This time around Lois is the one that wonders about a certain mild mannered reporter's double life, whereas Jimmy was the central investigator in "Shot". One of the entertaining aspects of The Adventures of Superman series was the fact that either Lois and/or Jimmy were always trying to catch Clark with his glasses off and discover Superman's secret identity. They never did get proof in the episodes to come, but it was sure fun to see them look for it.

It's really too bad I couldn't give this one a rating higher than a five because it has everything that the best episodes of The Adventures of Superman should have. There's action, suspense, a great story and terrific acting. Both Jackson Gillis and Thomas Carr hit a home run once again and knocked it out of the ballpark with "Superman in Exile". Gillis and Carr collaborated on the equally superb "The Defeat of Superman". They, along with the entire cast, have created a classic among classics.



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