Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 4 - Episode 5: "Topsy Turvy"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

Original Broadcast Date: April 21, 1956

Writer: David Chantler

Director: Harry Gerstad

Guest Cast:
Mickey Knox as the Flagpole Sitter Phil Tead as Professor Pepperwinkle
Ben Welden as Carney
Charles Williams as Yo-Yo

"Topsy Turvy"

Daily Planet reporters Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are searching Clark Kent's office for his next story while he is out as Superman. The caped hero returns in his civilian guise to pick up a telephone conversation with his super hearing. A man who is atop the Acme Building trying to break the record for flagpole sitting feels like he is upside down. It is unclear whether or not he is insane. However, he fears that he may fall to his death. Superman will have to work fast if he is to help this person one way or the other.

Superman convinces the flagpole sitter that he is not upside down and has written the story of the incident as Clark Kent. He, Lois and Jimmy do not know the cause of the man's unusual condition until Professor Pepperwinkle enters with his Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register. Once a marble with special chemical properties is sent rolling down a spiral track, everyone in the room believes that they are upside down. Even Carney, the cigar chomping, crooked head of a carnival in Metropolis, thinks something is strange when he arrives to complain about investigative articles written in the Planet. Professor Pepperwinkle has promised never to use his machine again without realizing that he has possibly given Carney a means to exact revenge on the Daily Planet and anyone fighting against dishonest fun fairs and amusement parks.

Carney tells his associate Yo-Yo of the events in Clark's office with Professor Pepperwinkle's Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register. Even though he doubts Carney's sanity, Yo-Yo thinks the device would be perfect in bank robberies. Overjoyed by his friend's suggestion, Carney calls Pepperwinkle to make a deal on the machine. It looks like the absent minded scientist is getting into a dangerous situation from which even Superman may not be able to rescue him.

Lois gives Clark the news that someone wishes to purchase Professor Pepperwinkle's machine. Clark is wondering what the Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register could be used for. The answer to his question is at the carnival. Professor Pepperwinkle is demonstrating his invention and showing remote control units to Carney and Yo-Yo. The two villains claim to want to use the device as an amusement ride with the smaller boxes in other fun fairs throughout the area tomorrow morning. In reality, they will be planted on the route to the bank Carney and Yo-Yo intend to rob. As they make their getaway, any police following them will feel upside down. The thieves seemed to have planned for everything. Superman might not be able to stop their crime spree if the Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register works properly.

Everything has been prepared for Carney's bank heist. Perry White, meanwhile, is angry because Lois and Jimmy are not in the office. They have gone to see the Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register's debut at the carnival. However, they also reveal that Yo-Yo and Carney lied to Pepperwinkle as the thieves own the only place of its kind in Metropolis. Now, Professor Pepperwinkle is being forced to help Carney and Yo-Yo. If he doesn't cooperate, Lois and Jimmy will pay the ultimate price with their lives.

At Yo-Yo's command, Professor Pepperwinkle activates the Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register's remote control units. The police are unable to catch Carney as he gets away with one million dollars. Carney's evil plan has worked. The first of many robberies has gone smoothly for him and Yo-Yo. Can Superman put an end to their reign of terror and rescue Lois, Jimmy and Professor Pepperwinkle before Carney eliminates them?

"Hey, Rube!"

This is a phrase Clark remembers in the office of Metropolis Police Inspector Bill Henderson. Carney had said it in the Daily Planet building when the Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register was used there. Carnival and circus workers scream this phrase when they need help. Superman now knows where he can find Lois, Jimmy and Professor Pepperwinkle. He can only hope that he isn't too late to save them and stop Carney and Yo-Yo from committing another crime or fleeing the country.

To save Lois and Jimmy, Professor Pepperwinkle turns on the Anti-Magneto Gravitational Register while Carney and Yo-Yo count their stolen money. At that moment, Superman arrives on the scene. The Man of Steel wraps a weighted barbell around the pair of thieves before checking on his friends. Now that Carney and Yo-Yo will soon be in jail, Superman and his friends can go about their daily routines. Professor Pepperwinkle has even promised to stop with the inventions, at lest for a while. To celebrate, Jimmy invites everyone to his house for dinner. His mother is making a special dessert - pineapple upside down cake.

3Rating - 3 (out of 5): Mickey Knox can be seen in such cult films as Frankenstein Unbound and Nosferatu in Venice.

Phil Tead makes his debut as recurring character Professor Pepperwinkle. The eccentric scientist will return in season five's "The Phony Alibi".

Ben Welden will come back in season five's "Disappearing Lois"

Charles Williams was the San Francisco theatrical agent in Alexander's Ragtime Band and the security guard in season two's "The Clown Who Cried".

This episode is adapted from the story "The Machines of Menace" that appeared in Batman #80, cover dated December 1953.

While Uncle Oscar and Professor Twiddle (both played by Sterling Holloway) preceded Professor Pepperwinkle in The Adventures of Superman television series, the comic books used Lana Lang's maternal uncle Professor Phineas Potter. Potter was very similar to Pepperwinkle in the fact that he invented unusual machines that would used be plot devices. Professor Potter first appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #22 in August 1957.

Had this been the second or third appearance of Professor Pepperwinkle, I might have given this episode a higher rating. As it is now, "Topsy Turvy," while comedic and fun in spots, is a mediocre mess. I particularly expected more from Phil Tead after his wonderful performance in "The Seven Souvenirs". However, it feels like Mister Tead is struggling with his character this time around.

I honestly felt like the scenes with Inspector Henderson and Perry White were completely unnecessary. They seemed like they were filmed and added to the episode at the last minute. They could have been easily replaced with something involving Superman using his powers to find Pepperwinkle's machine, the bad guys and his friends. Even with the show's low budget, there were a lot of missed opportunities in the special effects department.

Besides Ben Welden and, in spite of his struggles, Phil Tead, the acting once again feels phoned in during "Topsy Turvy". In fact, much of the entire effort feels rushed in order to get it in the can fast. The whole story and its concepts have potential to be great. Unfortunately, the execution of the final product falls flat, leaving the audience wishing for something better than average.



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