Buy The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons
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The final two seasons of the
Adventures of Superman presented in living color. Originally these
episodes were shown in black and white even though they were shot in
color. They wouldn't be seen in full color till later years of
re-runs. Producers planned to continue Adventures of Superman
in 1959 with two more years' worth of episodes, to begin airing in
the 1960 season. The death of actor Perry White actor John Hamilton
threw the plan into disarray. Actor Pierre Watkin was hired to
replace Hamilton as "Perry White's brother" (Watkin had played Perry
White himself in the two Columbia serials, and had guest starred on
the series before).
Then the sudden death of the show's star George Reeves in June 1959,
occurred. |
Fifth Season Episode Guide
77-"The Phantom Ring" (6/9/1956)
Gangsters use a machine to become invisible and execute mysterious
robberies.
78-"The Jolly Roger" (6/16/1956)
Jimmy and Lois investigate a deserted island to be used for Navy bomb
practice, but find that it's not deserted.
79-"Peril in Paris" (3/8/1957)
Superman helps Anna Constantine smuggle jewels out from behind the Iron
Curtain to Paris--until her servant double-crosses them.
80-"Tin Hero" (3/15/1957)
A meek bookkeeper inadvertently captures a bank robber, and then becomes
a crime-busting reporter, which brings more trouble than he can handle.
81-"The Town That Wasn't" (3/22/1957)
Jimmy and Lois are victimized by a phony speed trap and held in a
mysterious vanishing town.
82-"The Tomb of Zaharan" (3/29/1957)
Near Eastern visitors mistake Lois for their lost queen. They induce her
and Jimmy to visit Beldad and then seal the two inside the Tomb of
Zaharan.
83-"The Man Who Made Dreams Come True" (4/5/1957)
A mysterious villain called The Dreamer convinces a superstitious King
to perform fatal acts.
84-"Disappearing Lois" (4/12/1957)
Lois disguises herself as a maid to get an interview with a
gangster--until the gangster orders his henchman to dispose of her and
Jimmy.
85-"Money to Burn" (4/19/1957)
The Daily Planet's newsprint warehouse has a fire and the payroll
disappears. Perry White is accused of embezzlement and arson.
86-"Close Shave" (4/26/1957)
After notorious gangster Rick Sable's barber convinces him to go
straight, Sable tips Jimmy off to a robbery his gang plans to commit.
87-"Phoney Alibi" (5/3/1957)
A professor invents a machine to transport people by telephone wire.
Crooks use the machine to send Lois and Jimmy to Alaska.
88-"The Prince Albert Coat" (5/10/1957)
A 10-year-old donates a coat that contains his great-grandfather's life
savings to a charity for flood relief. Lois and Jimmy attempt to recover
the coat.
89-"Stolen Elephant" (5/17/1957)
A baby elephant is stolen from the circus. Clark, Lois and Jimmy get
involved with help from young Johnny Wilson.
90-"Mr. Zero" (5/24/1957)
A little man from Mars appears, who unwittingly has the power to freeze
people with his finger. Opportunistic criminals trick him into helping
them.
91-"Whatever Goes Up" (5/31/1957)
Jimmy accidentally discovers an anti-gravity fluid, and then can't
remember the formula.
Sixth Season Episode Guide
92-"The Last Knight" (2/3/1958)
The leader of "The Society for the Preservation of Knighthood and Dragos"
steals a suit of armor and plans to do away with the other members and
steal their money.
93-"The Magic Secret" (2/10/1958)
An eccentric professor discovers a way to focus Kryptonite particles
from space into a beam to disarm Superman.
94-"Divide and Conquer" (2/17/1958)
An assasination attempt is made on the president of a Latin American
country which the staff of The Daily Planet is visiting. Superman saves
him, but is accused of the crime.
95-"The Mysterious Cube" (2/24/1958)
A criminal creates a steel cube in which to imprison himself so that he
can be declared legally dead and absolved of his crimes.
96-"The Atomic Captive" (3/3/1958)
Lois and Jimmy attempt to rescue Dr. Ladislav, a nuclear scientist, from
foreign agents.
97-"The Superman Silver Mine" (3/10/1958)
Mr. Pebble, a prospector, donates a silver mine to a children's fund. A
crook impersonates him and captures Mr. Pebbles, Lois and Jimmy.
98-"The Big Forget" (3/17/1958)
Lois and Jimmy try to use an anti-memory vapor to catch a criminal--but
the crook captures them and absconds with the vapor. Clark reveals his
identity to save them!
99-"The Gentle Monster" (3/24/1958)
A kind professor's robot is stolen by racketeers, who use it to their
advantage. Unfortunately for Superman, the robot's power unit uses
Kryptonite.
100-"Superman's Wife" (3/31/1958)
Superman proposes to a beautiful blonde sergeant on the police force.
Lois is heartbroken, but reports the story. A gang leader kidnaps Mrs.
Superman.
101-"Three in One" (4/7/1958)
A circus is forced to close because two performers steal the operational
funds. Superman is arrested for the crime.
102-"The Brainy Burro" (4/14/1958)
Lois and Jimmy investigate the story of a Mexican boy whose burro can
read minds. Meanwhile, crooks use the burro to rob a bank.
103-"The Perils of Superman" (4/21/1958)
A master criminal plans a terrible trap for each of Superman's friends:
Lois, Jimmy, Perry White and Clark Kent.
104-"All That Glitters" (4/28/1958)
Professor Pepperwinkle learns how to make gold from base metal. Crooks
force the professor to do it, but the professor has another secret: how
to make any man Superman!
Scripts for the final sixth season did not reach the
campiness of the previous two years and reestablished a bit of the
seriousness of the show, often with science fiction elements like a
Kryptonite-powered robot (a left-over prop from "The Bowery Boys Meet
the Monsters"), atomic explosions, and impregnable metal cubes. In one
of the last episodes, "The Perils of Superman" (a takeoff on The Perils
of Pauline), there was indeed deadly peril straight out of the movie
serials: Lois tied to a set of railroad tracks with a speeding train
bearing down on her, Perry White nearly sawed in half while tied to a
log, Jimmy in a runaway car headed for a cliff, and Clark Kent immersed
in a vat of acid. This was one of three episodes directed by George
Reeves himself. Noel Neill's hair was dyed a bright red for this season,
though the color change was not apparent in the initial black-and-white
broadcasts.
Recurring Characters
Professor Pepperwinkle an elderly, absent-minded inventor whose gadgets
cause Superman much trouble and concern in five episodes during the last
three color seasons. Played by Phillips Tead.
Professor Lucerne is an old friend of Superman's who
advises him in matters scientific. Lucerne appeared in two consecutive
episodes in the final season. Played by Everett Glass.
From Amazon.com:
Superman's "never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way"
on television actually did come to an end in 1957 with the cancellation
of the Adventures of Superman series, but not before it completed its
sixth season, which is presented in this five-disc set along with its
fifth season from 1956. Story-wise, the fifth and sixth seasons trend a
fine line between the "serious" tone of the first three seasons (which
saw Superman take on gangsters, corrupt scientists, and other villains
with roots largely planted in reality) and the more outlandish escapades
of the fourth season; examples of the latter include "The Tomb of
Zaharan," in which Lois Lane (Noel Neill) is kidnapped by Middle Eastern
dignitaries who believe her to be their reincarnated queen; "Mr. Zero,"
with Billy Curtis (High Plains Drifter) as an alien pressed into illegal
service by crooks; and "The Brainy Burro," which features a mind-reading
donkey(!) used by nefarious types to commit crimes (the latter is one of
three episodes directed by series lead George Reeves). Fortunately,
there are plenty of exciting adventures on hand as well, the best of
which might be "The Perils of Superman" (also directed by Reeves), which
harkens back to Superman's comic book and radio serial origins in its
tale of a gang of lead-masked hooligans who subject the Man of Steel and
his pals to a series of cliffhanger-style dangers. It's hard to say if
modern young viewers will take to these vintage escapades--the special
effects remain decidedly primitive, and some of the plotlines will
challenge even the most imaginative kid's suspension of disbelief--but
for Superman fans and classic TV aficionados, there's still plenty of
fun to be found in the Adventures of Superman.
Supplements include a charming chat with co-star Jack Larson in the
featurette "Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olson," in which the still spry actor
is joined by Neill, special effects expert Bob Burns, and several
Superman experts (including actor Jim Beaver of Deadwood fame). A
barrage of trailers for previous Superman-related DVDs, including
Superman Returns, rounds out the extras. -- Paul Gaita
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