Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 4 - Episode 2: "The Unlucky Number"

Original Broadcast Date: February 25, 1956

Writer: David Chantler

Director: Harry Gerstad

Guest Cast:
John Beradino as Dexter Brown
Elizabeth Patterson as Mrs. Clara Exbrook
Henry Blair as Bobby Exbrook
Jack Littlefield as Boots
Rus Conklin as Randy The Collector
Alfred Linder as Slippery Elm
Alan Reynolds as Mister Vic Kelley, The Cafe Owner
Tony De Mario as the News Vendor

"The Unlucky Number"

Vic's Lunch Room is having a contest to guess how many jelly beans are in a jar. The winner gets a fifteen thousand dollar dream home. Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane wants to enter, but Clark Kent wants nothing to do with it until he sees a shady character with glasses go into the establishment. The elderly Mrs. Clara Exbrook would give anything to have such a beautiful house. However, she does not believe her answer will be the correct one. Clark gives her the money for a chance at the prize, and, with the aid of his X-ray vision, tells her to say that there are two thousand eight hundred and forty-five candies in the container. Will Mrs. Exbrook win, or is there another racket involved that must be exposed by Superman?

The man Clark saw enter the cafe is a known confidence man named Slippery Elm. This leads him to think the contest may be crooked. Clark learns that he may be correct when Elm goes to a table shortly after the jelly beans are counted. The criminal believes he has the winning ticket until Mrs. Exbrook protests. To keep their plans from being exposed, Boots, Elm's associate, says that he'll give Mrs. Exbrook the deed for the new home in the morning. However, Clark later overhears Slippery Elm and Boots talking. They believe that their partner Dexter Brown is responsible for the senior citizen getting the exact number. They must eliminate Dexter at all costs. It looks like Superman's investigation is bearing more fruit than he had bargained for.

Dexter Brown has rented a room in Mrs. Exbrook's house for the past five years. Her grandson Bobby tells him that his grandmother won a house in a jelly bean contest. This scares Dexter quite a bit. He is right to be like this because someone in a car has just shot him in front of Bobby. However, the bullets don't hurt him. This leads the teenager to think that Dexter is Superman. This belief is something that could lead both Bobby and Clara Exbrook into the jaws of grave peril.

Bobby has sworn not to tell anyone about Dexter's "secret" and of tonight's shooting. The boy also thinks that Dexter's gun is evidence that Superman must give to the authorities. Even Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson doesn't learn anything when he comes to the Exbrook home to investigate the attempt on Dexter's life. In spite of things going unintentionally well for Dexter Brown, he is still worried. A bullet proof vest saved him before, but he may not be so lucky in future. The real Superman possibly will be needed to rescue the confidence man very soon.

It is the next day in the offices of the Daily Planet. An item in the morning edition catches Lois' eye. It's about the apparent shooting outside the Exbrook home. Clark thinks nothing of it until he hears Dexter's name. He decides to investigate as Superman. All our hero finds is Bobby, who believes him to be Dexter. Feeling he's being tested, the boy tells Superman that nothing happened. In addition to that, Bobby continues asking to see superhuman feats from bending and crushing a barbell and horseshoe to melting another horseshoe with his X-ray vision. The Metropolis Marvel's inquiries get him nowhere, but his powerful eyes see the jar of jelly beans in Dexter's room. Superman may have a small lead that will help him track down Slippery Elm and his criminal cohorts.

As Lois and Clark check out phony contests throughout the city, Bobby follows Dexter. The lad sees him collecting raffle ticket money a few days ahead of schedule. He and Randy the Collector discuss Boots' attempting to kill Dexter. Now, both confidence men intend to double cross Boots and Slippery Elm. Bobby knows of this plan. Worse yet, a winning stub is in Lois' name. Both Bobby and Lois could be in grave danger if Superman doesn't stop the racketeers very soon.

Dexter has captured Lois after giving Bobby and his grandmother money to go to the movies. Bobby, however, snuck out of the cinema when Mrs. Exbrook fell asleep. Now, the teen is also Dexter's hostage. With Superman unaware of what's going on, it looks like Bobby and Lois have found themselves in a situation that could mean death for them.

Slippery Elm and Boots are closing in on Dexter. Bobby has locked him in the closet believing that the confidence man is Superman. The boy even dares Boots and Elm to shoot through the door. The pair of criminals are surprised to find Superman. Even Lois thinks that Dexter is the Man of Steel after the racketeers are dealt with. Dexter exits afterwards to confess to Bobby that he lied about being Superman and intends to go straight once his prison sentence is over. With Boots and his gang on the way to jail, and Dexter Brown having seen the error of his ways, Superman flies away to his next adventure.

Rating - 4 (out of 5): John Beradino is perhaps best known for his role of Doctor Steve Hardy on General Hospital.

Elizabeth Patterson was Mrs. Peabody in "Olsen's Millions". She is also greatly connected to Little Women. She portrayed Hannah, the March family's maid, in the 1949 film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, and she played Aunt Kathryn March in the 1950 Studio One version.

In 1944, Henry Blair played the role of Ricky Nelson on the radio version of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He left the show when Ricky Nelson began portraying himself early in 1949.

Jack Littlefield will be back in season five's "The Town That Wasn't".

Rus Conklin played the whip-scarred brick carrier in The Ten Commandments and an Ophician pilot in Rocky Jones, Space Ranger.

Alfred Linder was Morrie in "Semi-Private Eye".

Alan Reynolds was Captain Steve Williams in Cult of the Cobra and Attorney Vernon in 1962's Cape Fear.

Tony De Mario was March in "Star of Fate".

The newsstand where Lois and Clark stop to investigate the Children's Charity Fund raffle contains issues of Batman, Superboy and, of course, Superman.

Did you notice George Reeves' message to the children watching?

"No one, but no one, can do the things that Superman does, and that goes especially for flying."

Boys of the 1950s watching The Adventures of Superman would often try to fly in their Superman costumes. This would often result in injury and broken bones. It may seem silly now, but the rash of hospital and doctor visits because Johnny jumped out the window prompted this dialogue. It just goes to show you what type of influence Superman had on the youth of the period.

While not up to the standards of episodes from seasons one and two, it is worthy of those tales. "The Unlucky Number" is a fairly decent entry. The only real problem I had with this one was the character of Bobby. This has nothing to do with Henry Blair's acting ability so much as how Bobby was written. There are times when the boy is irritating, and the viewer wishes Superman would kick him all the way to the moon or worse.

I was reminded greatly of the "Racket" series of story arcs that were in The Adventures of Superman radio program that were broadcast from December 4, 1946 through January 20, 1947. Having enjoyed listening to and reviewing that series, it's always great when television episodes have a similar sensation. "The Unlucky Number" is a story that seems to be heavily influenced by the audio dramas from a decade earlier, and that just adds to the entertainment value for me.

Another thing that helps "The Unlucky Number" greatly is the acting. The previous episode's performances seemed phoned in for the most part. However, the cast makes up for that this time around. Everyone seems to be having a great deal of fun. This makes the story move along at an even pace. Again, it can't compare with the first two years' entries, but it is among the best of season four so far.

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