Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 3 - Episode 13: "King for a Day"

Original Broadcast Date: October 15, 1955

Writer: Dwight Babcock

Director: George Blair

Guest Cast:
Philip Van Zandt as Maral
Jan Arvan as Drigo
Peter Mamakos as Markel, Dictator of Burgonia
Leon Askin as Prime Minister Frederick Valens
Carolyn Scott as Baroness Tina D'Amour
Stephen Bekassy as Colonel Gubec
Chester Marshall as Prince Gregori

"King for a Day"

Our story takes us to the country of Burgonia. A revolution led by Colonel Gubec has forced the dictator Markel to flee. His sympathizers, including Prime Minister Frederick Valens, Maral and Drigo, help him to escape. Meanwhile, a search is underway for Prince Gregori, who was smuggled into the United States as a baby after his father was assassinated. Daily Planet editor Perry White in Metropolis has had this information handy in case Gregori would one day want to lead his people. Cub reporter Jimmy Olsen has been assigned to interview the prince about his plans. Clark Kent is to go along in case Jimmy "fouls things up," as the chief said. However, Kent merely intends to be moral support for his young friend. Should things go well, the Planet could have an exclusive article on Prince Gregori's coronation. Little do Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen realize that they're about to embark on yet another incredible adventure. Superman will most likely be needed to keep everyone from both America and Burgonia safe.

As Clark waits outside, Jimmy is interviewing Prince Gregori, or Greg as he prefers to be called. The two young men have also become fast friends. Unfortunately, they don't see what Clark's superhuman eyes do. A bomb has been placed under the coffee table. This is truly a job for Superman. His invulnerable body shields Greg and Jimmy from the explosion. Superman asks the prince to accept police protection. However, Greg refuses because of his secret plans to return to Burgonia within the week. Superman will need to use all the incredible power at his disposal in order to protect Prince Gregori from harm.

Superman stands for freedom and democracy, the types of things Prince Gregori wants to put into practice when he becomes the king of Burgonia. As a token of his appreciation for saving his life, Greg wants to give Superman his ring with the royal family's crest. Unfortunately, the Metropolis Marvel left before the prince could thank him. Now, Jimmy is wearing the jewelry until he sees Superman again. This leads him to say something that may prove to be prophetic for the cub reporter.

"I wonder how it'd feel to be a prince for a while."

Jimmy may soon discover that he should be careful what he wishes for.

Maral and Drigo are at the Burgonia Airdrome awaiting the arrival of Prince Gregori. They do not know what he currently looks like because they have only seen pictures of him as a boy. Having seen Jimmy with the royal family crest ring when he arrived with Clark Kent, both men are convinced that he is Gregori. Clark and Jimmy enter their hotel room. Clark phones Perry White to let him know that he and young Mister Olsen had a safe trip. Afterwards, Clark leaves to go speak with Colonel Gubec, who is running the country in the prince's absence. Drigo and Maral take this opportunity to talk to Jimmy. He tries to tell them that he is not Gregori, but they do not listen. They must take him to see Prime Minister Valens. What the cub reporter does not know yet is that he may stare straight into the face of danger if he is not careful.

Jimmy is taken to the Burgonian summer palace in secret. He meets Prime Minister Valens and Colonel Gubec. Jimmy is still having trouble making anyone believe that he is not Prince Gregori. Even the Baroness Tina D'Amour is convinced that the cub reporter is the leader of Burgonia. If Jimmy doesn't succeed in telling the truth, both he and Superman will be certain to find Markel's assassins lurking in every corner.

The three conspirators, Valens, Maral and Drigo, have made an ice cream soda laced with enough poison to kill ten men. Once "Prince Gregori" drinks it, Markel can take back Burgonia and rule once again with an iron fist. With Superman not knowing where Jimmy is, there may be no way to rescue Jimmy from the jaws of certain death at the hands of the evil dictator's men.

Superman searches all over Burgonia for Jimmy. He makes his way to the summer palace. Entering through a top floor window, the Man of Tomorrow resumes his guise of Clark Kent to prevent two attempts on Jimmy's life. He drinks the poisoned soda and stops Drigo's sword from stabbing Jimmy from behind a tapestry. Drigo explains that there is a rat problem in the castle. Once Drigo, Valens and Tina leave, Clark explains that the real Gregori will arrive in Burgonia soon. Jimmy will have to continue to pretend to be the prince just a little longer. Only Colonel Gubec knows the truth about Jimmy, but he had to act like he believed that the cub reporter is the real royal deal in order for Greg to enter the country undetected. This case of mistaken identity will have to go on just slightly longer than expected. If Jimmy succeeds, the genuine Gregori can rule his people fairly and democratically. If he fails, the dictator Markel will bring back his totalitarian regime.

Valens has given Jimmy a cigarette of Burgonian tobacco blended specifically for the royal family. The prince must smoke it in order to take the throne. Inside, there is an explosive pellet. Once it burns, Jimmy will be killed. Clark, however, has thrown the cigarette out the window, where it blows up safely on the palace grounds. Valens, Drigo and Maral are surprised to see the young man alive. When they meet with Markel, he is angered by their failure. He wonders why his sympathizers don't just shoot the "prince". Now, upon Markel's suggestion, another attempt will be made on Jimmy's life. Can Superman save his young friend before it's too late?

With the baroness locked in her room and Jimmy about to face a firing squad, Clark Kent is in the palace living room by himself. This gives him the freedom to become Superman. The Man of Steel smashes through a brick wall in time to stop bullets from hitting Jimmy. After Superman makes short work of Markel and his men, the real Prince Gregori arrives to arrest the dictator and his followers. Jimmy then gives the royal ring to Superman as it was intended to be a token of gratitude for saving Greg. With Prince Gregori now in his rightful place as sovereign of Burgonia, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen can return home to Metropolis to give the story to Perry White for the Daily Planet. It's all in a day's work for Superman, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen.

Rating - 3 (out of 5): Philip Van Zandt and Leon Askin once again portray villains in The Adventures of Superman. They had kidnapped Lois in season two's "Superman in Exile".

Jan Arvan will be back in season six for "The Atomic Captive".

Peter Mamakos was Happy King in "The Defeat of Superman". Look for him as Gregor in season five's "Peril in Paris".

Carolyn Scott played many parts in film and television. She is perhaps best known for her voice work in The Care Bears.

Stephen Bekassy was General Karl Kruse in the 1960 science fiction classic film Beyond the Time Barrier.

Chester Marshall will return in season four's finale "The Jolly Roger".

The springboard used by George Reeves can be heard squeaking slightly as Superman prepares to take off after saving Jimmy and Prince Gregori from the bomb.

While not a direct adaptation, The Adventures of Superman radio program broadcast a serial in April of 1945 titled "The Boy King of Moravia" that had a similar plot. Unfortunately, only two chapters are currently available.

This episode is adapted from the story "King for a Day" that appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #4, cover dated March 1955.

Once again, the performance of an actor has brought down the rating and quality of what could have been a great episode. Chester Marshall's portrayal of Prince Gregori isn't all over the place like Chuck Connors in "Flight to the North," but his delivery of his lines lacks any emotional expression. Every time he speaks, he sounds sleepy, depressed and/or bored. Plus, Marshall tends to chew his words. This makes him sound like he's mumbling. The character of Prince Gregori has potential. Unfortunately, Chester Marshall lacks the charisma needed for the part of the leader of a country.

"Why is the most diabolical leader of our time surrounding himself with total nincompoops?" - Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie.

This quote came to mind when I thought of Markel with his cronies Valens, Maral and Drigo. Those fellows come across to the viewer as the Three Stooges of dictatorial sympathizers. Yet, for some strange reason, they work well in the episode. The use of the actors' comedic talent takes some of the edge off of what would otherwise be a grim political assassination thriller story. Leon Askin does particularly well as a straight man for Jan Arvan and Philip Van Zandt. Askin would later perfect this when he guest starred on Hogan's Heroes as General Albert Burkhalter.

While I haven't read the comic this episode adapts, "King for a Day" feels like it could fit in nicely with the early Silver Age books of the time. It's just a pity that Chester Marshall was cast in a part that was completely wrong for him. I have not seen much, if any, of his other work, but he really didn't put his best foot forward in this one. Had he, perhaps, had more time to rehearse his role, the final product could have been a lot better. Still, in spite of Marshall's mediocre performance, "King for a Day" was a decent effort in which to end the third season of The Adventures of Superman.

Season Rating - 3 (out of 5): There is a decline in quality as the series changed direction when it began filming in color. At the same time, I was expecting a lot worse from this season. There are episodes I wish I could forget, but there were also some gems in the mix. I'd especially recommend "The Lucky Cat" and "Clark Kent, Outlaw" to anyone interested in year three's entries.

As we reach the third season, Noel Neill seems to be settling into the role of Lois Lane quite nicely. She joined the cast at the beginning of season two, and her first day was a rocky one until George Reeves told Thomas Carr to go easy on her because she had become the newest member of a family that had worked together a year or so before her arrival. Throughout year two, Ms. Neill is trying to get the feel of the character that she had originated in the movie serials. This is perhaps due to the fact that Lois was written differently in those and in the first twenty-six episodes of The Adventures of Superman. By now, Ms. Neill has gotten more comfortable with Lois and has given us a reason to understand why she will always be considered the quintessential Lois Lane for many generations to come. I'm looking forward to seeing what she'll bring to Lois in the remaining thirty-nine entries.

Jack Larson, like Noel Neill, is a fine actor and does perfectly as Jimmy. There seem to be a lot of comedic bits with Mister Larson in season three. Some worked well while others fell flat. It's wonderful to see Mister Larson doing something humorous. However, I must admit, I miss the, for lack of a better term, suspense factor that seemed present in the black and white shows, particularly in year one. There seemed to be more range in his performances then. Still, it's fun to see him in scenes with George Reeves and Noel Neill. Let's hope Mister Larson gets to stretch his acting legs more in the episodes to come.

While the entire season cannot compare with the previous two, and there are a couple of clunkers in the bunch, year three does have some great moments, engaging stories and stunning visuals. Seeing a live action Superman for the first time in color particularly is a delight. Again, the episodes' scripts, villains, etc., have declined in quality. However, this batch of tales from The Adventures of Superman continues to be entertaining and fun. I'm sincerely impatient to begin season four.

Back to the main TELEVISION page.