I grew up on watching Superman after school and I remember this episode--not so much the beginning of it. I thought the bad guys really had him for good that time, but after all, he was The Man Of Steel! George Reeves was my 'Man Of Steel'. Its a shame things didn't end well for him in real life. He will always be a part of my childhood. Thanks for the memories.
That was a wonderful time to be a kid. Every mom in the neighborhood knew all the kids. Every kid had a bike. We rode bikes everywhere. No worries about getting shot. People were friendly, even strangers. George Reeves was a great Superman and he always will be.
Yes. It was great! Absolutely no worries. No one anywhere had to worry about being shot before their time. No economic or societal inequities. No law enforcement or governmental abuses. Let’s Make America Gre… oh wait.
Me too! The announcer saying "..in his never-ending fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way" always made my heart swell with pride. Sure would be great if that slogan became popular again; we REALLY need that sentiment today.
@@The_DC_Kid Except that truth is now in the eyes of the beholder, there is no justice, and The American Way (like "patriotism") has become a warped slogan that means "those we agree with". Very very sad.
At 2:58 into the clip the scene in the bunker where the bad guys are, among the various scientific/weapon control equipment, etc. is a vintage Motorola T1251 "Quik-Call" Tone Encoder used by fire department dispatch centers all over the country to selectively alert fire stations over radio for emergency calls. It's the box near the window with the meter (a VU meter) in the center with vents off to each side of the meter, and two rows of 12 black buttons. That particular equipment was used well into the 1970's. Those tones were often heard on the old "Emergency" TV show about firefighters with the LA Fire Dept. The basic tone signaling format is still in use today but achieved with computerized tone generation.
Lol, so true. They probably blew most of the season's budget on this scene with deep concrete traps, krypotonite raining down, ray guns and levitating. Not to mention the shot of Jack Larson climbing up the walls...spectacular!
Since his flying up was actually him jumping down played in reverse, having both of them perform this in the same shot would have been much more problematic. So throwing in the line of "climb out" was much more cost effective for the show's production costs 😉
Not stretch... she was being compressed by two walls at this point. Well, she fared much better than the steel rod Han Solo used in the trash compactor scene. LOL 😂😂😂
There's a lady working at the nearby Denny's who looks like Jennifer Aniston but with glasses. Conclusion: Jennifer Aniston has a secret second life where she works at a Denny's.
@@Music--ng8cd Nahh, that'd just be stupid. Besides, Jennifer Aniston would know all about it, but when I asked her, she said she had no idea what I was talking about.
The fake “Paul McCartney” (William Wallace Shepherd / Faul / “Billy Shears”) has been fooling people since 1967, and he didn’t even need to wear glasses to fool millions of people. People are much dumber than you think, thanks to years of programming by the Enemedia.
This was a much enjoyed after-school daily treat for me in 1962-63, when I was in the 3rd grade. Already years into re-runs (I didn't know), enjoyed on my friend's B&W TV. I've seen this episode, and probably every episode, multiple times.
I’ve bought all the Adventures of Superman recently with George Reeves. And enjoy them because they remind me of a different, more innocent, time that is sadly gone today.
The wall climbing gag worked well enough that they refined it 10 years later for Adam West and Burt Ward in the 1966-68 Batman TV series that had them climbing up the Batarang rope on a regular basis. Gotta love those horizontal building sets and sideways cameras.
I thought those wall climbing scenes in Batman were sooo Boring! Then I saw them again as an adult and realized they were for cameos of really famous people. It's amazing to me to see all those super-famous people on a campy kids show.
I tried climbing up a wall once like Batman. It's really damn difficult, at least for me it was. Some in our little group who were more athletic, it wasn't so bad.
I actually remember this very episode when it first aired. I was a month short of 7 years old. I must have gained some insight in the last 65 years because at the time I never doubted any of it. Now, it seems a little hokey.
Every single day of the first six years of my life were spent sitting in front of the tv watching this show! Greatest ever!!! To this day I still whistle the theme music!
@@JohnVKaravitis god knows the gays needed a ninja warrior among them in those days. Perhaps Superman knew about Jimmy's secret gay ninja avenger life but kept this knowledge from him while secretly assisting from time to time in his gay ninja adventures. Clark could be the straight pal at the office that does know Jimmy is gay and covers for him. Lois of course would have to know also and this adds a dimension to her relationship to Clark. Come on gay comic artists out there get busy!
George Reeves once said NOBODY can do the things that Superman can. Well, NOBODY can come close to playing Superman. HE was and always will be the best! So fortunate to grow up in such a great time.
Superman turned a magic act into actual magic. Then, instead of flying her out or throwing her a rope, he told her to risk killing herself by trying to walk up a wall sideways using muscles she probably doesn’t have. Maybe the rays damaged his mind.
Yes, indeed -- even the top alpinists would find a narrowing chimney challenging in such footwear! And why didn't our favorite cub reporter take a few seconds to deliver a full-throated yodel when he reached the top? O, wait -- that would have been a Looney Tunes production . . .
@@matexf As a kid I always wondered why he refused to help her. (I wondered if it was something to do with "propriety" issues with their having too much physical contact.) While there are a couple of episodes that indicate that she's in love with him, there was definitely much less romantic chemistry here compared to most other Superman universes - even by 1950s standards. He was often very cool and formal with her. It was as if he didn't want to give her any encouragement. The odd thing is, she is actually more independent in many ways than some of the later Lois Lanes.
Imagine shifting from hand walking up the pit to hanging with both hands, feet dangling and then pulling yourself out after that workout. Jimmy has a secret identity too. Super boy. Fun stuff. Glad I couldn’t think at 6 years old.
As a kid, it was my favorite show. One day my eyeglasses broke, had to wait days for them to get fixed. I recall watching the show very close to the TV screen, never missed an episode!
I remember seeing this episode, fortunately it was in reruns 😁 It's interesting how Jimmy "climbing", facing downwards but the back of his jacket is "floating" upwards.
I love the innocence and the imagination of this - As best as I can deduce the implication here is that Superman is transferring what is left of his power into Lois, it's like the 1980s John Byrne 'telekinesis' concept from the comicbooks, he transfers his force of will onto Lois and not only levitates her but due to the transfer she has enough 'invulnerability' to be able to prop the walls. There isn't much sense here no. But this is 1950s childrens television, and I feel that this must have been exciting to watch given the context and limitations of the era. The one thing about it that is hard to accept is that Superman would be cruel enough to force Lois to climb out of that pit!! But then again these two were like competing school-children in this era - lois' single-mindedness and combativeness versus Clark kent's laid back manner was something he had to live with and take. And so he took his 'payback' where and when he could...🐠
Remember that George Reeves' Superman is based on the Silver Age character and because of that there were a lot of things that Supes could do that wouldn't (ahem), fly today. (sorry) Not only could he be affected by all kinds of kryptonite, like yellow, red gold, he could also be affected by magic and therefore he could also do some magic. Superman having a power being shown for the first time was sort of a Silver Age regular thing.
With most people watching these shows on grainy B&W sets with rabbit ear antennas the producers knew that hardly anyone at home would notice things like that 😉
Loved the show as a kid. One of the great things about being young is the ability to believe anything you want to. Of course, you're supposed to outgrow that as you get older. Sadly, these days too many don't.
Perhaps it is sad that many people do grow out of it? Whats wrong with believing anything you want to? Look at most of the great inventions of our time....most of which would never have been possible if people didn't believe it could be done....because so many people told them that it could not be done.
@doonsbury9656 Immunizations do often lead to innovation. However, it takes a firm understanding of reality to transition to innovation. Often, the greater innovation is the transition itself.
@@Dutch1954 he can levitate his own body to fly. Not a huge stretch to let him do it to other objects. He’s not using wings or rockets, it is essentially anti gravity.
Hypnotism was a popular fad in the 1940s and 50s. In real life a hypnotist might suggest a subject's arm was like a rigid steel bar to see how strongly the suggestion took. Hollywood dramatized that as super strength, magical powers, awareness of past lives, etc.
Five takeaways from this episode: 1. Lois could have stopped the wall laying flat on the ground instead of levitating. 2. Lois has an incredibly strong spine and hard head, which we already knew. 3. Jimmy Olsen has mad ninja-like climbing skills. 4. The bad guys don't know how to design a spine-crushing drive system for their movable wall. 5. Superman is an a-hole for not rescuing Lois and for using her head as a doorstop.
I remember this scene but not the complete episode but my guess is Lois chased down a story after being warned not to and yet again got herself and Jimmy in a bind.
Loved this show! .. Watched it as a little girl: .... I'm 71 & still watch it.... Thanks for posting this.... Had a crush on George Reeves. Loved the cast. 🙏☺️
I don't understand to this day how Jimmy could climb out with the walls closer to hold him on both ends! I guess that is what made those 1950s stories so enchanting and fun for kids and adults!
The simplicity of the situations made it sublimely entertaining- it let your IMAGINATION take over. Now ppl are on their phones during a movie or TV show. Lemmings, all.
I love Superman but don't remember the special effects budget being that good in those shows. They did a great job with the available early technology and small budget. It takes a lot of creativity to find solutions like that.
Interesting to see it in colour. We didn't have TV with colour till years later. I always got a kick out of Perry White exclaiming, " Great Caesar's Ghost! "
A wondered for years why some of the "Superman" series was shot in color when color TV's were a rarity. Then years later I found out the series was shown in theaters as fillers and short subjects in parts of the country that didn't have television broadcasting. Then it made sense, many areas didn't get TV until the early 1960's and some didn't get it until the earliest cable systems came into use.
When I was a kid I loved this episode. When I saw it it was on a black and white t v. Sometimes when it would be raining outside my mom would let me go and play out in the rain. I would have my cape on, and I would pretend the rain was kryptonite rays. Sometimes I would even do it in the shower.. And even to this day when I take a shower? I still think of those days, and sometimes I still. imagine the water as being Kryptonite. I'm 70 years old. LOL
Haha. I'm 66 and had the whole Superman costume. I used to pretend to fly by running down our small hallway, into my parents bedroom, and jump on the bed, arms stretched out like I was flying. I'd land by standing on the bed and jumping down to the floor. Created my own sound effects. First color TV I ever saw was at a neighbor's apartment and it was Superman! Wow that was incredible!
There was a narrow corridor leading to the backyard of our building. As kids we used to climb up the sides of the wall all the way to the top just like we saw Jimmy Olson do.
What I could never get about the bad guys who want to kill Superman is, why don't they think if they kill him, who is going to save the world next time a super villain tries to destroy it which is usually on a weekly basis. It's in their interest to keep him alive to prevent the destruction of the world. Even if they did kill him and become rich, they will die soon enough by the next bad guy.
I watched this as a kid, and this is the only scene I remember from back then. Even as a kid I thought it was an odd power to have, but my memory of Lois stopping that wall is vivid.
I remember that episode. I was thrilled to see them actually bringing in something from the comics (Kryptonite!) They were actually mining something imaginative from the books. Of course now I realize that you couldn't do much with television budgets from the Fifties, but it always a little disappointing that he was rarely fighting anything tougher than crooks. That bit about Jimmy climbing up the walls? Looking at it now I realized how impossible that would be. It's not the same thing as being scrunched up with your back against the wall and the souls of your feet on the other one. No, Jimmy was stretched out almost full length. I doubt he would have even been able to get three feet off the floor before being physically exhausted. But that part of the hypnotized Lois, I remember how weird that seemed to me when I saw it all those years ago.
I wish the movies would start with this kind of low-power Superman who proves his worth fighting city crooks and stopping their wreckless destruction of public property. Then in later movies expand his strength to international rescues and punching missiles.
@@DesertBro yes, finally... a like-minded fan. start with leaping tall buildings in a single bound, then at the end of the trilogy... full power. henry cavill was fun, but a beyond overly powered superman right off the bat makes for very a uninteresting story of growth.
@@dennisznaniecke490 Odd that you make this statement yet give no reasons or logic behind it. Is your reason merely that this show is outside the realm of your personal experience and you assume that things outside your life experiences cannot be good? You're a child, right?
@@brandonflorida1092 funny how you also gave no reasons or logic behind your assertion. He gave his opinion, as did you. And that's all they are: opinions. There is no objective fact behind either of them.
That series was always giving Superman strange, arbitrary powers, like being able to pass through solid matter, or being able to split himself in two by sheer will power. Still, it was a fun show.
@@MrSpanky2001 because money. that's what they call a "hero" suit (the main onscreen costume), and that cost too much money to make a hole in it, for just one episode, ruining the entire costume, and then having to make a new one. tv westerns of this era did the same thing. it's the budget.
Isn't the camera work at the beginning fantastic. How they managed to have someone flying along next to him with perfect focus is amazing. They don't make cameramen like they used to!
Oh yeh? What about those brave cameramen who stood front of T-Rexes and Raptors in the Jurassic Park movies? Flying through space with no one shooting lusers at you is easy, even I could do it.
I thought I'd seen them all. Yeah, I was wondering about Lois' spine there for a bit; had me worried. Check out that thick tweed moving nowhere on Jimmy, or was that Indiana Olsen? It's still on Sundays here and if I'm around, I'll have it on. I'd love to see how they created that landing sound we've all come to know. What a great show.
For those who are asking how Superman could levitate and cause Lois to be as strong as a steel girder. It has been a long established canon at that time that Superman had many powers that he did not often use, nor did he allow them to be generally known. Also remember that Chris Reeve's Superman hypnotized Lois into forgetting about their relationship in Superman ll.
The Writing in some of these episodes was a little Lazy. Sometimes they would Invent a Superpower for Superman as a Plot Device-For Instance there was a Story where Superman Split into Two People. After It was over Superman never used this Power again.
It was just “Plot Device Powers” that were never used again, even as a kid I felt was ridiculous in comics and to actually see them on a live action show made it even more silly😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Jimmy going up the wall is just so realistic, I like how Lois became stronger than steel, while the Man of Steel was crumbling like a scared little girl. Classic show, as a kid, I never missed an episode
George Reeves' Superman from the 50's was made during an era where writers decided to give Superman (comic-wise) a dubious amount of abilities during the Silver Age of Comics; These included: - near infinite super strength and speed - true invulnerability - hyper-intelligence - heat vision - time travel - telekinesis - the ability to create his own abilities - duplication of mini supermen - mind control - shapeshifting - freezing breath/wind breath - solar system destruction via sneeze FYI: heat vision wasn't Superman's original powers, he simply used the heat of his x-ray vision to burn or melt objects, until it became a separate power in the 60's.
It was 1962. Before then, there'd be references to "the heat of his x-ray vision," and Superman sometimes expressed caution about how long he could look through a wall because of the heat he was generating. Somebody at DC finally realized that x-rays aren't hot. I think "heat vision" first showed up in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics.
the script writters for this said "you know what, lets see how far we can stretch reality in this one" then they laughed and made 10 dollar bets on who can out do the other...and well..here we are :)
I loved every episode as a kid ....they were fun the bad guy always lost and we survived....we escaped into a place that we were heroes and we all felt better stronger and we all believed in a Superman....sometimes ya just go to that happy place where everything turns out right
Superman hiking his trunks after a landing is something you don't see every day.
Or would want to if I'm honest.
Let's ask Lois
🤣
LOL
He had just come from the men's room
When Bad Guys CARED enough to wear suits, ties, and hats to do evil...
Well, they still do.
They are the Bad Guys but they are SHARP Dressers too🤣🤣🤣
Yep, now they are just wolves in creep's clothing.
All.the criminals in.that show were Caucasian
They are called Investors
George Reeves will always be my Superman.
No, mine.
Nick Cage is mine
Go with Donovan Leitch. He's a real person.
George was a better Clark Kent. Christopher a better Superman
1:16 🤨This utterly ridiculous even for Superman.
And as kids ... we believed every second of it!
Me too
Not if you read Superman comics. Stupid. Totally.
Not to mention flying around the living room with a towel clothes pinned around our necks!
Believed? This is real.
60 years later this little scene made me nervous LOL !
I grew up on watching Superman after school and I remember this episode--not so much the beginning of it. I thought the bad guys really had him for good that time, but after all, he was The Man Of Steel! George Reeves was my 'Man Of Steel'. Its a shame things didn't end well for him in real life. He will always be a part of my childhood. Thanks for the memories.
Did anybody figure out why he committed harikari
@@HMMELD Many people think he was murdered.
Yep, a TERRIBLE shame!!
That was a wonderful time to be a kid. Every mom in the neighborhood knew all the kids. Every kid had a bike. We rode bikes everywhere. No worries about getting shot. People were friendly, even strangers. George Reeves was a great Superman and he always will be.
Amen!
Yes. It was great! Absolutely no worries. No one anywhere had to worry about being shot before their time.
No economic or societal inequities. No law enforcement or governmental abuses.
Let’s Make America Gre… oh wait.
@@westmcgee9320 if you were white thats true
@@flenif2247 I think West McGee is being facetious.
Of course. No ghetto hoods around when you were growing up.
I loved this as a kid on reruns in the 60s. Clark Kent looked just like my dad...and now like me.
I miss you Dad....you were Superman.
Sweet
My Dad was my Superman, too. Took me many years to become somewhat "normal" again after his passing. Glad you had a good Dad, too.
You'll see him again one day. Stay strong.
i envy your feelings
So do I. I can't imagine. @@alfonsecoppola5938
Pretty amazing special effects for those times.
They blew their Budget in this episode.
So great to be a kid those days...
I remember this episode. Even as a pre-schooler I wondered how non-super Lois' body could stop a wall that was powerful enough to crush them.
Remember, Superman had "abilities far beyond those of mortal man".
Yep, I remember it as well though it wasn't in the 50's that I saw it -- probably mid 60's.
Must be those Klukor lessons she's been taking on the downlow.
@@tonyyoung3985 Do you mean Klurkor, the Kryptonian martial art? Maybe Superman transmitted it to her telepathically. ;-)
@@seikibrian8641 Yes. I always mispell that.
As a kid , I couldn’t wait for the next Superman episode . He is and always will be the REAL Superman
Yes❤
I used to fly around the yard with a bath towel pinned to me for a cape after each episode.
I was born in '58 and I agree!
Me too! The announcer saying "..in his never-ending fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way" always made my heart swell with pride. Sure would be great if that slogan became popular again; we REALLY need that sentiment today.
@@The_DC_Kid Except that truth is now in the eyes of the beholder, there is no justice, and The American Way (like "patriotism") has become a warped slogan that means "those we agree with". Very very sad.
At 2:58 into the clip the scene in the bunker where the bad guys are, among the various scientific/weapon control equipment, etc. is a vintage Motorola T1251 "Quik-Call" Tone Encoder used by fire department dispatch centers all over the country to selectively alert fire stations over radio for emergency calls. It's the box near the window with the meter (a VU meter) in the center with vents off to each side of the meter, and two rows of 12 black buttons. That particular equipment was used well into the 1970's. Those tones were often heard on the old "Emergency" TV show about firefighters with the LA Fire Dept. The basic tone signaling format is still in use today but achieved with computerized tone generation.
Used to watch this show all the time when I was a kid! This is the first clip of it I’ve ever seen in color. (We had a B&W TV for many years)
As a kid, we didn't overthink it
"You'll have to climb out"
"But you're Superman!"
"I'm sorry Miss Lane, we used up the special effects budget levitating you!"
Lol, so true. They probably blew most of the season's budget on this scene with deep concrete traps, krypotonite raining down, ray guns and levitating. Not to mention the shot of Jack Larson climbing up the walls...spectacular!
Now, THAT I could not believe! He could have flown her up in his arms! Unless he was wiped out from the Kryptonite...
😂
Since his flying up was actually him jumping down played in reverse, having both of them perform this in the same shot would have been much more problematic. So throwing in the line of "climb out" was much more cost effective for the show's production costs 😉
😂
Noel Neill was one of the prettiest women in television history! A natural beauty!
Eloquent in its veracity. I had such a crush on her. Everything about her. Her physical beauty her voice, her walk. Oh baby !
I'm a Phyllis Coates guy. Dark hair, more exotic looking.
I was hot for her when I was six years old in 1956.
@@abc456f Me, too!!
@@ronavena 👍
If a pair of glasses can hide Superman's identity, Louis having bones as strong as steel shouldn't be much of a stretch.
Not stretch... she was being compressed by two walls at this point.
Well, she fared much better than the steel rod Han Solo used in the trash compactor scene.
LOL 😂😂😂
There's a lady working at the nearby Denny's who looks like Jennifer Aniston but with glasses. Conclusion: Jennifer Aniston has a secret second life where she works at a Denny's.
@@kingbeauregard Yeah right. Next you'll be telling me that Lana del Rey works at Waffle House
@@Music--ng8cd Nahh, that'd just be stupid. Besides, Jennifer Aniston would know all about it, but when I asked her, she said she had no idea what I was talking about.
The fake “Paul McCartney” (William Wallace Shepherd / Faul / “Billy Shears”) has been fooling people since 1967, and he didn’t even need to wear glasses to fool millions of people. People are much dumber than you think, thanks to years of programming by the Enemedia.
Never underestimate the strength of a woman. Or how stiff-necked they can be at times.
🙋🏾♂️ Wise words John Bailey! 👏🏿
So thats the black majic they use to make us stiff!!! 🤨🤨🤨
That's certainly one stiff board - broad!
Mouthful!😎
Especially with heels
This was a much enjoyed after-school daily treat for me in 1962-63, when I was in the 3rd grade. Already years into re-runs (I didn't know), enjoyed on my friend's B&W TV.
I've seen this episode, and probably every episode, multiple times.
I’ve bought all the Adventures of Superman recently with George Reeves. And enjoy them because they remind me of a different, more innocent, time that is sadly gone today.
I got year 1
Much more detective whodunit than scifi
It wasn't innocent in the Jim Crow South or for women.
I actually just laughed out loud, and am still laughing, about when Lois' body started levitating!
You mean to say that when Superman pulled up his trunks, you didn't start rolling on the floor!
LMFAO.... I'm with you man
@@Mugsy-14
LOL
.......RIGID*
The wall climbing gag worked well enough that they refined it 10 years later for Adam West and Burt Ward in the 1966-68 Batman TV series that had them climbing up the Batarang rope on a regular basis. Gotta love those horizontal building sets and sideways cameras.
Yup😎
WHAT! You mean they didn't actually walk up those walls!!> I'm crushed. My childhood is destroyed :(
I thought those wall climbing scenes in Batman were sooo Boring! Then I saw them again as an adult and realized they were for cameos of really famous people. It's amazing to me to see all those super-famous people on a campy kids show.
But the best part was all those celebrities popping out the window and viaing for who got to meet Batman and Robin
I tried climbing up a wall once like Batman. It's really damn difficult, at least for me it was. Some in our little group who were more athletic, it wasn't so bad.
I actually remember this very episode when it first aired. I was a month short of 7 years old. I must have gained some insight in the last 65 years because at the time I never doubted any of it. Now, it seems a little hokey.
I used to watch reruns of this after school as a kid in the late 70's and early 80's. Good memories. ❤
Same thing, but in the early to mid 60's
Was on at 6pm in the 60’s
Reruns are still on TV from 10 a.m. to noon (CDT) on Sunday mornings (H&I TV)
Me too, late 1960s.
It was on at 4:30 in the afternoon on channel 11 in NYC.
Best Superman ever! Loved the old rerun’s. Thank you RUclips!
Every single day of the first six years of my life were spent sitting in front of the tv watching this show!
Greatest ever!!!
To this day I still whistle the theme music!
And we actually got up to change the channel
Doesn't that annoy your employer?
@@scottbreseke716 nope.
Retired.🤣
Jimmy was an American Ninja Warrior in 1956. Amazing - way to go, Jack Larsen!!
Jimmy Olson was gay in real life.
@@JohnVKaravitis Even Lois couldn't straighten him out.
He played a few episodes in Gomer Plye
@@JohnVKaravitis god knows the gays needed a ninja warrior among them in those days. Perhaps Superman knew about Jimmy's secret gay ninja avenger life but kept this knowledge from him while secretly assisting from time to time in his gay ninja adventures. Clark could be the straight pal at the office that does know Jimmy is gay and covers for him. Lois of course would have to know also and this adds a dimension to her relationship to Clark. Come on gay comic artists out there get busy!
I didn't even know about gay people until the 9th grade. I watched these when they were first run in the 50's.
Wow! I remember Jimmy “walking” up the walls like that. Must be 50 years since I’ve seen this. Thanks for the memory.
George Reeves once said NOBODY can do the things that Superman can. Well, NOBODY can come close to playing Superman. HE was and always will be the best! So fortunate to grow up in such a great time.
You’re absolutely right, Stephen! 👍
Superman turned a magic act into actual magic. Then, instead of flying her out or throwing her a rope, he told her to risk killing herself by trying to walk up a wall sideways using muscles she probably doesn’t have. Maybe the rays damaged his mind.
Well observed!
Maybe he was getting back at her for always badmouthing him and stealing his stories. Not to mention her constant meddling and butting in.
Jimmy crawling out of the hole in his Florsheim wing tips is totally incredible.
From the profile she looks like Lucy ball.
@@Patrick-yh5yd LOL! Hell yeah she does!
Yes, indeed -- even the top alpinists would find a narrowing chimney challenging in such footwear! And why didn't our favorite cub reporter take a few seconds to deliver a full-throated yodel when he reached the top? O, wait -- that would have been a Looney Tunes production . . .
They just don’t make shoes like they used to
Clark: "So where's Lois?" Jimmy"Oh she died trying to climb out of this concrete pit."
"You don't need my help Lois, your a woman"
@@matexf As a kid I always wondered why he refused to help her. (I wondered if it was something to do with "propriety" issues with their having too much physical contact.) While there are a couple of episodes that indicate that she's in love with him, there was definitely much less romantic chemistry here compared to most other Superman universes - even by 1950s standards. He was often very cool and formal with her. It was as if he didn't want to give her any encouragement. The odd thing is, she is actually more independent in many ways than some of the later Lois Lanes.
Imagine shifting from hand walking up the pit to hanging with both hands, feet dangling and then pulling yourself out after that workout. Jimmy has a secret identity too. Super boy. Fun stuff. Glad I couldn’t think at 6 years old.
I watched it real time in the 50’s. My favorite show.
So did , I was probably 7 or 8. Good show, good comic book also.
Used to watch this every afternoon at my neighbors house. Wonderful times.
As a kid, it was my favorite show. One day my eyeglasses broke, had to wait days for them to get fixed. I recall watching the show very close to the TV screen, never missed an episode!
hahahaha need superman vision
tele - radiation!!!! You'll go blind, kid!!!
Without the glasses how did did anyone recognize you?
hahaha @@Dadofer1970
That's one heck of a heroic effort there Jimmy and just about completely impossible for Anybody to do !
Past and present, Superman was and will always be a hero to millions.
I love that the bad guys are wearing suits and hats. Very nicely dressed. Different times :-)
Bad guys should always have class.
Saved a lot of money by reusing the same wardrobe.
Most of the bad guys today still wear suits so not much change really.😉
You could tell straight away that they were the bad guys - they wore hats indoors.
And they are all about 75 years old !!
Wow... that's really stretching things! The suspension of disbelief!
I remember seeing this episode, fortunately it was in reruns 😁 It's interesting how Jimmy "climbing", facing downwards but the back of his jacket is "floating" upwards.
I love the innocence and the imagination of this - As best as I can deduce the implication here is that Superman is transferring what is left of his power into Lois, it's like the 1980s John Byrne 'telekinesis' concept from the comicbooks, he transfers his force of will onto Lois and not only levitates her but due to the transfer she has enough 'invulnerability' to be able to prop the walls.
There isn't much sense here no. But this is 1950s childrens television, and I feel that this must have been exciting to watch given the context and limitations of the era. The one thing about it that is hard to accept is that Superman would be cruel enough to force Lois to climb out of that pit!! But then again these two were like competing school-children in this era - lois' single-mindedness and combativeness versus Clark kent's laid back manner was something he had to live with and take. And so he took his 'payback' where and when he could...🐠
Remember that George Reeves' Superman is based on the Silver Age character and because of that there were a lot of things that Supes could do that wouldn't (ahem), fly today. (sorry)
Not only could he be affected by all kinds of kryptonite, like yellow, red gold, he could also be affected by magic and therefore he could also do some magic. Superman having a power being shown for the first time was sort of a Silver Age regular thing.
That kinda like sucks.
I think he was just teasing her and lifted her up during the commercial
I love how George used to sweat through his uniform.
You would too if you wore wool long johns under those hot lights
Well, it was super sweat.
Super sweat😎
@@leegraves101 Superman doesn't sweat, even if George did.
With most people watching these shows on grainy B&W sets with rabbit ear antennas the producers knew that hardly anyone at home would notice things like that 😉
Loved the show as a kid. One of the great things about being young is the ability to believe anything you want to. Of course, you're supposed to outgrow that as you get older. Sadly, these days too many don't.
Perhaps it is sad that many people do grow out of it? Whats wrong with believing anything you want to? Look at most of the great inventions of our time....most of which would never have been possible if people didn't believe it could be done....because so many people told them that it could not be done.
@doonsbury9656 Immunizations do often lead to innovation. However, it takes a firm understanding of reality to transition to innovation. Often, the greater innovation is the transition itself.
@@davidlemons5650bot alert ☝️
The First Proof!! Of Superman,s telepathic powers ....
Maybe more like telekinesis...
@@rumrstv Gravity wrangling at it's finest
@@Dutch1954 he can levitate his own body to fly. Not a huge stretch to let him do it to other objects. He’s not using wings or rockets, it is essentially anti gravity.
Hypnotism was a popular fad in the 1940s and 50s. In real life a hypnotist might suggest a subject's arm was like a rigid steel bar to see how strongly the suggestion took. Hollywood dramatized that as super strength, magical powers, awareness of past lives, etc.
Jimmy Olsen is quite the athlete.
Five takeaways from this episode:
1. Lois could have stopped the wall laying flat on the ground instead of levitating.
2. Lois has an incredibly strong spine and hard head, which we already knew.
3. Jimmy Olsen has mad ninja-like climbing skills.
4. The bad guys don't know how to design a spine-crushing drive system for their movable wall.
5. Superman is an a-hole for not rescuing Lois and for using her head as a doorstop.
Superman was probably joking and flew Lois out of the pit right after. They probably couldn't show it due to budget constraints.
I remember this scene but not the complete episode but my guess is Lois chased down a story after being warned not to and yet again got herself and Jimmy in a bind.
Loved this show! ..
Watched it as a little girl: ....
I'm 71 & still watch it....
Thanks for posting this....
Had a crush on George Reeves.
Loved the cast.
🙏☺️
I don't understand to this day how Jimmy could climb out with the walls closer to hold him on both ends! I guess that is what made those 1950s stories so enchanting and fun for kids and adults!
Audiences demand more realism nowadays, something like that would be laughable - but, back then it didn't seem so bad.
What wonderful time to be a kid. Wholesome programs and learning to use your imagination.
Wow! that was a close one!! I thought Superman was a gonner for sure.
The simplicity of the situations made it sublimely entertaining- it let your IMAGINATION take over.
Now ppl are on their phones during a movie or TV show.
Lemmings, all.
I love Superman but don't remember the special effects budget being that good in those shows. They did a great job with the available early technology and small budget. It takes a lot of creativity to find solutions like that.
This must have been a season ender. So they went all out to get their contract picked up again.
0:17 Good God. George Reeves must have jumped down 10 feet from a ladder. If I had done that I would have broken both my ankles.
Jimmy's jacket seems not to be effected by gravity lol
Extra starch
"affected"
Did you notice that he was backing his way up the wall?
Just like Batman and Robin the 1960s.
Gravity resistant model....
0:22 The fact that Superman adjust's his underwear. Kinda funny.
Dames sure are swell.
I loved watching this when I was very young! These kind of shows taught kids to do right.
I don't know why George Reeves' (RIP) Clark Kent was called "mild-mannered." He was assertive and sometimes very "take charge."
Definitely didn't play Clark as a Weakling.
@@okasathemasterninja5528 He didn't play Clark any different from Superman.
What a twist… Lois and Jimmy actually rescued superman this time
Interesting to see it in colour. We didn't have TV with colour till years later. I always got a kick out of Perry White exclaiming, " Great Caesar's Ghost! "
A wondered for years why some of the "Superman" series was shot in color when color TV's were a rarity. Then years later I found out the series was shown in theaters as fillers and short subjects in parts of the country that didn't have television broadcasting. Then it made sense, many areas didn't get TV until the early 1960's and some didn't get it until the earliest cable systems came into use.
Really enjoyed that episode as a kid/😊 🎉😅
When I was a kid I loved this episode. When I saw it it was on a black and white t v. Sometimes when it would be raining outside my mom would let me go and play out in the rain. I would have my cape on, and I would pretend the rain was kryptonite rays. Sometimes I would even do it in the shower.. And even to this day when I take a shower? I still think of those days, and sometimes I still. imagine the water as being Kryptonite. I'm 70 years old. LOL
Haha. I'm 66 and had the whole Superman costume. I used to pretend to fly by running down our small hallway, into my parents bedroom, and jump on the bed, arms stretched out like I was flying.
I'd land by standing on the bed and jumping down to the floor. Created my own sound effects. First color TV I ever saw was at a neighbor's apartment and it was Superman! Wow that was incredible!
We can all imagine you running around your home for decades wearing nothing but a smile and your cape. Thanks for sharing, pal.
@@alananderson5929 I think you read more into my post than was really there
Jiminy Crickets......his core strength sure was something.
And her neck.....unbreakable.
Awesome.
The real miracle here is believing Lois could really climb out of that hole. With heels no less.
This got my attention and it was to the point about our Super Hero. I subscribed so please keep up the good work.
There was a narrow corridor leading to the backyard of our building. As kids we used to climb up the sides of the wall all the way to the top just like we saw Jimmy Olson do.
Ninja training
What I could never get about the bad guys who want to kill Superman is, why don't they think if they kill him, who is going to save the world next time a super villain tries to destroy it which is usually on a weekly basis. It's in their interest to keep him alive to prevent the destruction of the world. Even if they did kill him and become rich, they will die soon enough by the next bad guy.
I watched this as a kid, and this is the only scene I remember from back then. Even as a kid I thought it was an odd power to have, but my memory of Lois stopping that wall is vivid.
Perry White had done this trick with Lois earlier in the episode. It's not even a super power - just Superman being a mensch.
I remember that episode. I was thrilled to see them actually bringing in something from the comics (Kryptonite!) They were actually mining something imaginative from the books. Of course now I realize that you couldn't do much with television budgets from the Fifties, but it always a little disappointing that he was rarely fighting anything tougher than crooks.
That bit about Jimmy climbing up the walls? Looking at it now I realized how impossible that would be. It's not the same thing as being scrunched up with your back against the wall and the souls of your feet on the other one. No, Jimmy was stretched out almost full length. I doubt he would have even been able to get three feet off the floor before being physically exhausted.
But that part of the hypnotized Lois, I remember how weird that seemed to me when I saw it all those years ago.
Yeah wdf is Mr Mxyzptlk ? Keep waiting for him to show up in all these Superman movies.
Apparently kyrptonite was first invented on a superman radio show. Which then made its way to the comics. Which then made it back to video..
Probably not. I tried climbing up a wall like that once - it's damn difficult, but then again, I'm not very athletic.
I wish the movies would start with this kind of low-power Superman who proves his worth fighting city crooks and stopping their wreckless destruction of public property. Then in later movies expand his strength to international rescues and punching missiles.
@@DesertBro yes, finally... a like-minded fan. start with leaping tall buildings in a single bound, then at the end of the trilogy... full power. henry cavill was fun, but a beyond overly powered superman right off the bat makes for very a uninteresting story of growth.
And a young George Lucas was watching, and 15 years later recalled how they stopped the walls from closing in.
I was just about to post how that it looked like Superman was using the Force when he levitated Lois. But great catch! Lucas owes DC some $
Possibly the best show ever on television. Certainly one of the contenders.
You must be kidding
@@dennisznaniecke490 Odd that you make this statement yet give no reasons or logic behind it. Is your reason merely that this show is outside the realm of your personal experience and you assume that things outside your life experiences cannot be good? You're a child, right?
@@brandonflorida1092 funny how you also gave no reasons or logic behind your assertion. He gave his opinion, as did you. And that's all they are: opinions. There is no objective fact behind either of them.
@@OptimusWombat No, he didn't merely say, "I don't think it's a good show." He said that my opinion was so absurd that I must be joking.
@@brandonflorida1092 you're adding and changing words. The exact quote was: "You must be kidding".
That series was always giving Superman strange, arbitrary powers, like being able to pass through solid matter, or being able to split himself in two by sheer will power. Still, it was a fun show.
When SM got shot, how come is suit never had any bullet holes in it? Just askin'.
No different than the comics at the time. Siver Age Superman got a new power almost every month.
@@MrSpanky2001 because money. that's what they call a "hero" suit (the main onscreen costume), and that cost too much money to make a hole in it, for just one episode, ruining the entire costume, and then having to make a new one. tv westerns of this era did the same thing. it's the budget.
Isn't the camera work at the beginning fantastic. How they managed to have someone flying along next to him with perfect focus is amazing. They don't make cameramen like they used to!
Oh yeh? What about those brave cameramen who stood front of T-Rexes and Raptors in the Jurassic Park movies? Flying through space with no one shooting lusers at you is easy, even I could do it.
@@daydreamer8662 True, very true! 😆
Photographed from a Canberra
Yeah that's one helluva cameraman !!
Cameramen: Those who run (or fly) to the fire.
Who knew?
Silly though it may be, the effect actually looked pretty cool. I have no idea how they did it.
I really thought that Superman was going to go for one last ass-grab before they all died.
Well, she would be a good choice...
I thought I'd seen them all. Yeah, I was wondering about Lois' spine there for a bit; had me worried. Check out that thick tweed moving nowhere on Jimmy, or was that Indiana Olsen? It's still on Sundays here and if I'm around, I'll have it on. I'd love to see how they created that landing sound we've all come to know. What a great show.
Lois had spunk
Although superman often had to save her, she was his equal in courage.
These are awesome memories😊
"I hate spunk!" Lou Grant to Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
George did that fall very well. I know it's acting 101, but still...
He was a wrestler in school and was a Judo student of Gene LeBell so George knew how to take a tumble.
@@DeanStrickson and if he didn't. generally actors were taught to do it for a scene or had multiple takes till it was right
First watched this circa 1969 or 1970 when I was 6 must have been the repeat of repeats even in those days.
When was this first produced?
about 1957
If not for Superman defeating Hitler during WWII, the world would be speaking German now. Yep, that REALLY happened!
Before computers! We used our imaginations! All of this was real to a 7 year old.
I was one of those lucky kids, soo thankful to have experienced that era
Great show more normal time than today's lunacy.
For those who are asking how Superman could levitate and cause Lois to be as strong as a steel girder. It has been a long established canon at that time that Superman had many powers that he did not often use, nor did he allow them to be generally known.
Also remember that Chris Reeve's Superman hypnotized Lois into forgetting about their relationship in Superman ll.
It's just plain silly.
It was news to me that Superman could levitate women and make them frigid.
The Writing in some of these episodes was a little Lazy.
Sometimes they would Invent a Superpower for Superman as a Plot Device-For Instance there was a Story where Superman Split into Two People. After It was over Superman never used this Power again.
It was just “Plot Device Powers” that were never used again, even as a kid I felt was ridiculous in comics and to actually see them on a live action show made it even more silly😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@scottbreseke716😂
George Reeves was the perfect "father figure" Superman, the "Dad" who could handle anything. Great casting, he's never been topped.
He was the perfect Silver Age Superman, in appearance and in demeanor.
You could go from the comic books, straight to the show and it was seamless.
Remember watching Superman as a kid. The music and look up in the sky... was always exciting
Jimmy going up the wall is just so realistic, I like how Lois became stronger than steel, while the Man of Steel was crumbling like a scared little girl. Classic show, as a kid, I never missed an episode
I was in therapy for two years when l saw Superman in ‘Gone with the Wind’.
He was also in From Here To Eternity.
George Reeves' Superman from the 50's was made during an era where writers decided to give Superman (comic-wise) a dubious amount of abilities during the Silver Age of Comics; These included:
- near infinite super strength and speed
- true invulnerability
- hyper-intelligence
- heat vision
- time travel
- telekinesis
- the ability to create his own abilities
- duplication of mini supermen
- mind control
- shapeshifting
- freezing breath/wind breath
- solar system destruction via sneeze
FYI: heat vision wasn't Superman's original powers, he simply used the heat of his x-ray vision to burn or melt objects, until it became a separate power in the 60's.
It was 1962. Before then, there'd be references to "the heat of his x-ray vision," and Superman sometimes expressed caution about how long he could look through a wall because of the heat he was generating. Somebody at DC finally realized that x-rays aren't hot. I think "heat vision" first showed up in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics.
I was saying that too. This is nothing compared to the Silver Age wackiness in the comics. I actually showcased a few on my yt channel
Watched Superman religiously on a 12 inch B&W TV....
Years later I was blown away to see episodes in color!
Superman figured out how to get Lois Lane’s legs up in the air 😂
not bad
I watched Superman as a kid but didn't realize just how weird it was.
the script writters for this said "you know what, lets see how far we can stretch reality in this one" then they laughed and made 10 dollar bets on who can out do the other...and well..here we are :)
That’s total BS, the bet was $2.00
I loved every episode as a kid ....they were fun the bad guy always lost and we survived....we escaped into a place that we were heroes and we all felt better stronger and we all believed in a Superman....sometimes ya just go to that happy place where everything turns out right
Jimmy had some batman level skills 😁
Nobody did a hypnotist’s hand wave like Superman! Great Caesar’s ghost!
Perry.... You're calling me Perry?..😉😂