Superman on Television

Adventures of Superman: Episode Reviews

Season 6 - Episode 8: "The Gentle Monster"

Original Broadcast Date: March 24, 1958

Writer: David Chantler

Director: Howard Bretherton

Guest Cast:
Phil Tead as Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle
Wilkie de Martel as Mister McTavish
John Vivyan as Duke
Ben Welden as Blade
Orville Sherman as Harold, the Gangster Scientist

"The Gentle Monster"

It's a busy evening in the offices of the Daily Planet. Crime boss Duke has called to threaten Clark Kent. If he doesn't stop his investigations of the gangster's munitions operations, an experimental bomb created by Duke's scientist Harold will hit the Planet Building. The explosive device is composed of a radio directional receiver, a balloon and a bottle of super nitroglycerin, and it could be powerful enough to obliterate most of the city once it goes off in Kent's office. It could even blow up during construction of the weapon. Meanwhile, Mrs. Taylor, who owns and runs a boarding house on 64 Hope Street in Metropolis, has seen an iron monster prowling around next door. Superman may very well have his powerful hands full before this night is over.

Mrs. Taylor's neighbor happens to be Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen have discovered that the "monster" she saw is in fact Mister McTavish, a robot Pepperwinkle built to keep him company in his golden years. Even though he mainly responds to Professor Pepperwinkle's voice, a special microphone tuned to the inventor's vocal frequency can allow others to give Mister McTavish orders. The automaton is powered by a meteor from his collection that is later learned to be Kryptonite when Superman comes near Mister McTavish. Professor Pepperwinkle did not know what the rock was. However, it gave off such odd reading on his Geiger counter. This is what made him use it as a power source for his super strong, mechanical companion. The absent-minded scientist must find another means to make Mister McTavish work, for Superman is otherwise in grave danger. Pepperwinkle will also have to work fast. Blade, Duke's henchman who is living at Mrs. Taylor's rooming house, has seen the robot and told his boss what it can do for him. Duke may now have a means of destroying the Daily Planet, Clark Kent and Superman very soon.

Professor Pepperwinkle has a dilemma on his hands. He doesn't wish for Superman to be hurt. Yet, Mister McTavish will shut down once he removes the Kryptonite. Upon talking to Lois, Pepperwinkle agrees to find a new fuel source. However, before he can do so, the masked Duke and his equally disguised gang arrive to take Mister McTavish. They also bound and gag Professor Pepperwinkle and abduct Lois. With the help of Mister McTavish, Duke can possibly be one step closer to his evil goals.

Professor Pepperwinkle has managed to call the Daily Planet for help. Superman has flown to the rescue. Knowing the Kryptonite could kill the Man of Steel, Professor Pepperwinkle is trying to think of a way to find his mechanical friend. His Geiger counter made an unusual noise when it was near the Kryptonite. This could aid our hero greatly. However, he will be unable to fly with it because of the great speed in which he travels. Both Superman and Professor Pepperwinkle will have to travel by car. It may take longer, but it may be the only chance for both men to save Mister McTavish and Lois Lane before Duke can bring about their demise.

Having moved to his apartment in the city with Blade and Harold, Duke is using the special microphone to give Mister McTavish orders. The robot is to help him construct the bomb he wishes to use on the Daily Planet Building. At the same time, Superman and Professor Pepperwinkle have found the warehouse where the automaton is located. As McTavish builds the explosive device, the Metropolis Marvel arrives. Unfortunately, the Kryptonite powering Mister McTavish is causing him great harm. To make matters worse, the balloon containing the nitroglycerin weapon has been launched. With our hero down for the count, there may be no way to save Lois, Metropolis and Mister McTavish or make certain Duke and his gang are brought to justice.

A battle of words over control of Mister McTavish has been waged with Professor Pepperwinkle coming out the victor. Superman is now well enough to race to the Planet Building to grab the bomb from Jimmy Olsen's hands. Having followed the microphone's radio beam, the Man of Tomorrow then arrives in Duke's apartment with explosive in hand. This puts a great amount of fear into Duke and his men. As a result of that, Duke, Harold and Blade have signed a confession to their crimes and are waiting for the police to arrest them. Our hero flies away with the nitroglycerin, allowing it to explode harmlessly in the air. With that, another band of criminals has been put in prison thanks to Professor Pepperwinkle and Superman.

Professor Pepperwinkle has removed the Kryptonite from Mister McTavish. He is no longer superhumanly strong, but at least the eccentric inventor has his friend back. Now, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent are amazed to discover that Mister McTavish can cook a sumptuous meal for them and the professor to enjoy.

"You see, Clark? You have no reason to fear Mister McTavish," Lois says.

"Oh, I'm sure you're right, Lois," Clark responds. "After all, it was Superman who was in danger."

Rating - 4 (out of 5): Phil Tead will return as Professor J.J. Pepperwinkle in the series finale "All That Glitters".

Wilkie de Martel can be seen in 1957's Les Girls and 1968's The Ghosts of Hanley House.

John Vivyan is best known for the role of Lepke Buchalter in The Lawless Years.

Semi-regular Ben Welden makes his final appearance in the series with this episode. However he will play Foo Yong and face Adam West's version of the Dark Knight in Batman.

Orville Sherman played a supervisor in Westworld, Mayor Cameron in The Brain Eaters and Mister Feeney in the television series Buckskin.

The robot costume worn by Wilkie de Martel was created originally for The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters, and makes a very brief later appearance in Creation of the Humanoids.

I did enjoy last week's Pepperwinkle episode, but I liked this one even more. Sure, Mister McTavish looks campy by today's standards. Yet, he somehow works as a homemade creation of the absent-minded scientist for some reason. Plus, we have a story that mixes the fun of the comic books with the film noir atmosphere of the radio program and the first season of this series. Those elements ramp up the enjoyment factor.

Phil Tead clearly has a ball as Professor Pepperwinkle, and the main cast seems to enjoy his being on the set with them. In fact, Tead has been the highlight of even the worst of The Adventures of Superman. This time around, as with the previous week's entry, he seems to be getting a great handle on his character. It's a pity that we never got to see Pepperwinkle working together with Professor Lucerne in an episode. It would have been great to see how their personalities are together in a story.

"The Gentle Monster" feels a little darker than the other outings featuring Professor Pepperwinkle. This could be due to Duke and his intentions to destroy Clark Kent and the Daily Planet. It reminded me of a similar plot in the first radio serial with the villain the Yellow Mask. This is what really entertained me throughout the entire half hour as I have been feeling nostalgic for the audio adventures of the Man of Steel. Plus, season six has given us some great bad guys so far. That's something we haven't seen in quite some time. Duke and his gang really are the perfect heavies for a tale such as this one.

Now, as much as I loved Duke and his gang, I do wish a phrase or two could have been written or spoken about what exactly he was doing to cause trouble in Metropolis. We get an idea that he is involved in munitions, but it's unclear what exactly he's up to. Could he be selling arms illegally? It would have been nice to get more information about Duke's crimes for better character development.

Much like most of season six so far, "The Gentle Monster" has proven to the audience that The Adventures of Superman has not lost its steam. It just was in a slump for a while. This episode shows us as viewers that it is still one of the best shows from the Golden Age of Television. "The Gentle Monster" gives us a half hour that is the perfect blend of every element from the greatest stories of the Man of Steel in every form of media. It's noirish, while at the same time, tongue in cheek and full of action. This is one that won't disappoint.

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