Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 3 - Episode 10: "The Bully of Dry Gulch"

Original Broadcast Date: September 24, 1955

Writer: David Chantler

Director: George Blair

Guest Cast:
Myron Healey as Gunner Flinch
Martin Garralaga as Pedro
Raymond Hatton as Sagebrush
Eddie Baker as the Saloon Owner

"The Bully of Dry Gulch"

On the way to cover a rodeo for the Daily Planet, the car used by reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen broke down. They find themselves in the western town of Dry Gulch, where Gunner Finch uses his six guns to show everyone who's boss. Neither Lois nor Jimmy like his bullying poor Sagebrush into dancing while bullets are fired at the old man's feet. Gunner is flirtatious with Lois, but he doesn't take kindly to Jimmy's interference. He's given young Mister Olsen until sundown to leave Dry Gulch, otherwise Gunner Flinch will have an area reserved for him on Boot Hill. This is one time Jimmy wishes that he was as invulnerable as Superman.

Jimmy buys cowboy clothes and wishes to get a meal with Lois. Meanwhile, Gunner has paid Sagebrush and Pedro in the saloon. However, their money doesn't last long. Flinch wants to gamble with them. In a game of poker, the gunfighter wins with five aces. Pedro tries to protest, but fear gets the best of him. Jimmy, on the other hand, doesn't like Gunner's cheating. His efforts to stand up to the bully result in Pedro escorting the cub reporter out of the bar. Jimmy blinds Pedro by wrapping the Mexican's fabric around his face. Gunner is not happy about this. He locks Jimmy in the prison cell of the sheriff's office, where he must wait for the inevitable showdown with Flinch. It looks like Jimmy has gotten himself into deep trouble once again.

Lois contacts Clark Kent. Kent doesn't react to Jimmy's problem, but he rushes to Dry Gulch once he knows that Gunner has been making "goo goo eyes" at Lois. As Superman, he breaks Jimmy out of jail. Jimmy is currently waiting in his hotel room to speak with Clark. Clark, in the meantime, wants to meet Gunner Flinch. The Bully of Dry Gulch is about to be taught a lesson in manners by both Clark Kent and Superman. The Code of the West will never be the same again.

Clark has refused to play cards with Gunner. This makes the gunfighter angry. He shoots up the entire saloon. Hats fly off sleeping heads as bullets destroy breakable objects. Lois notices that Gunner fired one six gun seven times. The sneaky Flinch claims that his trigger finger is faster than his guns. Gunner Flinch, however, will soon meet his match with Superman.

To calm Gunner down, Clark agrees to gamble. As the game begins, Clark lights Gunner's cigarette with a match. Flinch's marked deck bursts into flames shortly afterward. Clark buys a new one before stakes are raised. Clark's superhumanly fast deal impresses Gunner, but Kent's winning with five aces does not. Clark uses his earnings to pay for the damages to the saloon. He and Lois leave Gunner to wonder how someone could have beaten him at his own game. The Bully of Dry Gulch clearly doesn't like when the shoe is on the other foot.

Gunner has just left the saloon as Lois and Clark meet with Jimmy. Flinch is curious about how the cub reporter got out of prison, but he's more intent on putting a bullet in the young man. Pedro stands up to Gunner only to end up on Boot Hill - the cemetery of the west. Gunner has notches carved into the handles of his guns. He has placed two more on them. One is for Pedro, and the other is for Jimmy. Superman will really have to work fast if he's to save his friends from Gunner Finch.

Sagebrush has dragged Pedro to Boot Hill. Pedro then gets up to speak with him. Both victims of Gunner's bullying are tired of pretending to die in showdowns to make Flinch look like a big man. It looks like Superman will really have his hands full in helping everyone in Dry Gulch stand up to Gunner Flinch.

Jimmy, Lois and Clark have gone to Boot Hill to pay their respects to Pedro. Sagebrush is preparing the tombstone as the trio of reporters look around the cemetery. What they read on an empty grave particularly shocks Jimmy.

"Here lies Olsen the Dude. To Gunner he was very rude."

Does Gunner Flinch mean business as Jimmy believes, or is he just a bully looking for attention? Superman will find out shortly.

Clark sees Pedro hiding behind some rocks with his X-ray vision. He decides to meet with him as Superman. The Man of Steel has a plan to teach Gunner Flinch a lesson, and he'll need help from both Pedro and Clark Kent. It's only a matter of time before the Bully of Dry Gulch is taken down a peg.

Pedro challenges Gunner to a showdown. However, he cannot bring himself to kill his Mexican henchman. Perhaps it is because Pedro stood up to him. At that moment, Superman arrives to tell Gunner that he replaced his bullets with blanks while he slept. It is then revealed that the graves on Boot Hill are as false as the notches on the cowboy's six guns. Gunner Flinch never killed anyone in his life. Now, Pedro is getting his revenge. His bullets are fired at Gunner's feet. Flinch dances until he falls into some water. Sagebrush and Pedro help him with his hat as the Bully of Dry Gulch moves on to parts unknown.

Clark Kent has exited from the hotel after the shooting has stopped. Lois and Jimmy have noticed that Superman is gone. Lois finds it funny that the Last Son of Krypton is never around when Clark is.

"Yes, it is funny," says Clark, "But maybe he doesn't like me."

Rating - 1 (out of 5): Myron Healey will return in season four's "Dagger Island". He also starred as Larry Sanders in Panther Girl of the Kongo, the 1955 movie serial with former Lois Lane Phyllis Coates in the title role.

Martin Garralaga makes his second and final appearance in The Adventures of Superman with this episode. Fans will remember him as the police chief in season one's "Treasure of the Incas".

Raymond Hatton was the elderly hitchhiker in the 1967 film version of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Like Myron Healey, we'll see him again in "Dagger Island".

Eddie Baker had the uncredited role of Governor North in the James Dean classic Giant. He'll return to The Adventures of Superman in season four's "The Big Freeze".

While it's less visible in this episode, the springboard George Reeves uses for Superman's takeoffs can still be seen when he flies to meet Pedro.

This episode is adapted from the story "The Bully of Dry Gulch" that appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #3, cover dated January 1955.

This is one of those episodes I wish I could slap. As bad as "Test of a Warrior" was, "The Bully of Dry Gulch" was much worse. The only redeeming qualities in both entries are George Reeves' performances and the visual effects by Thol "Si" Simonson.

"The Bully of Dry Gulch" tries to do what the "Operation: Tolerance" years of The Adventures of Superman radio program did - teach the audience a lesson. "Gulch" does deliver its message about bullies, but it's difficult to take seriously because of the weak story and acting from the guest stars that is, at best, mediocre. Gunner Flinch, Pedro and Sagebrush look more like a bad comedy team instead of bad guys attempting to relive the old west and putting Dry Gulch in a state of terror.

There are some really great moments with George Reeves as both Clark and Superman in "The Bully of Dry Gulch," particularly when Clark learns of Gunner's flirting with Lois. This is due to Reeves' incredible acting skills. Unfortunately, they were not enough to save an episode that really should have never been filmed in the first place. Let's hope next week's offering is better than this.

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