WE can't be sure, but doggone it; this sure seems like one of those made for TV ½ Hour Episodes that were made into Series Installments after having been adapted from the original medium of the Comic Book stories from ACTION COMICS, SUPERMAN and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS. The Superman Feature appeared in all three publications and we've seen examples of scripts having been spun-off from them all; though this one we ain't so positive about!*
OWING to the very original plot line, one which we don't recollect seeing any similar plots, it has that wildly creative comics type story; which knows little, if indeed any, bounds. Far-fetched, yet plausible, the story manages to find receptive human emotions on man a front. From the out and out villainy displayed by a ruthless pack of common sociopathic career criminal types (We all called 'em just plain old "Crooks"!), to the near absurdity of the portable, bogus municipality, finally to the realization that maybe, just maybe such occurrences were possible. After all, we're reminded of the old adage that "Truth is Stranger than Fiction!"
OUR STORY .In the proverbial nutshell, Cub Reporter, Jimmy Olsen (Jack Larson) , while on return from an assignment at a nearby locale, is arrested for Speeding by a Uniformed Cop in a Markeed Police Car. He is taken before a Judge in the Town; who exacts what seems to be an excessive fine; levied against the young journalist under some obvious one sided "Home Town" conditions. Olsen vows to write an expose about the town's being a "Speed Trap"; but is cautioned about not getting personally involved by Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief, Perry White (John Hamilton).
BECAUSE a pair of truckers vanished and were reported in the vicinity of where Olsen said "the Town" was on the Highway, Daily Planet reporters Lois Lane (Noel Neil), Clark Kent (Mr. George Reeves, himself) and Jimmy all set out to investigate. They are joined by Inspector William Henderson (Robert Shayne) of the Metropolis P.D. A sight that seemed to have been the sight of some wooden facades and portable buildings is found and the scam is eventually cleared up; with the phony cops, judge and grill owner all winding up in the Hoosegow.
BEING the 3rd Episode offered in the 5th season, it was and remains a top entry of the Series, regardless of what season. It was an early directorial effort of writer Harry Gerstad and a stunning example of his abilities in the Director's Chair. It was also one of the earliest examples of Color Photography use in a TV Series, as that season began the application of color; although B & W prints were sent out to the affiliate stations of the Superman Syndicated broadcast lineup.
BUDGETS being what we could fairly refer to as 'frugal', the look of the finished project looks pretty durn good on the screen. The usual interior shots of the Daily Planet Offices, as well as the truck stop, the "courtroom" and the bogus jail cell are balanced by some fine, bright outdoor scenes of the "Town" and the Highway; doubtlessly staged on the Studio Back Lot. The Cast is well used and thoughtfully assembled with faces familiar from "B" Pictures, Juvenile Western Series and the old, then dying genre of the Saturday Afternoon Matinée Cliffhanger Serials. In this case, the names included were the likes of: Dick Elliot ("Judge"), Terry Frost & Charles H. Gray (Fake Cops), Michael Garrett (Mr. Harris), Jack Littlefield (Joe), Phillip Barnes & Frank O'Connor (victimized Truck Drivers) and Bill Kennedy doing the unbilled announcer's chores.
"THE TOWN THAT WASN'T" manages to 'touch all the bases' in bringing us what we expected in a good Superman Adventure. It was a well crafted set of circumstances that was a most perfect setting for the Man of Steel and his friends to display their talents in. It was kept walking that tightrope between being exciting yet amusing and being predictable and laughable.
DURING this season, production was cut in half from the previous 26 installments to the quarter year supply of a measly 13 episodes. Although this was doubtless an economic consideration and Series Producer Whitney Ellsworth of National Comics/Superman-D.C. definitely had no crystal ball with which to see how the future would acclaim ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN as being perhaps THE greatest of all 'cult' series; it's still a damn shame! Judging by the quality of 'The Town That Wasn't', we're sure that there would have been some really fine little Super Gems produced!
THAT would bring us to those four fateful words: What Could Have Been!
NOTE: * Some stories we know to have been adapted from the Comic Books' printed medium were: "The Dog Who Knew Superman" (Season 2, Episode # 9), "Panic In The Sky" (Season 2, Episode # 12) and The Lucky Cat (Season 3, Episode 3); which interestingly enough was adapted from a BATMAN Comic Book Story about "The Anti-Superstition Society.".
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
OWING to the very original plot line, one which we don't recollect seeing any similar plots, it has that wildly creative comics type story; which knows little, if indeed any, bounds. Far-fetched, yet plausible, the story manages to find receptive human emotions on man a front. From the out and out villainy displayed by a ruthless pack of common sociopathic career criminal types (We all called 'em just plain old "Crooks"!), to the near absurdity of the portable, bogus municipality, finally to the realization that maybe, just maybe such occurrences were possible. After all, we're reminded of the old adage that "Truth is Stranger than Fiction!"
OUR STORY .In the proverbial nutshell, Cub Reporter, Jimmy Olsen (Jack Larson) , while on return from an assignment at a nearby locale, is arrested for Speeding by a Uniformed Cop in a Markeed Police Car. He is taken before a Judge in the Town; who exacts what seems to be an excessive fine; levied against the young journalist under some obvious one sided "Home Town" conditions. Olsen vows to write an expose about the town's being a "Speed Trap"; but is cautioned about not getting personally involved by Daily Planet Editor-in-Chief, Perry White (John Hamilton).
BECAUSE a pair of truckers vanished and were reported in the vicinity of where Olsen said "the Town" was on the Highway, Daily Planet reporters Lois Lane (Noel Neil), Clark Kent (Mr. George Reeves, himself) and Jimmy all set out to investigate. They are joined by Inspector William Henderson (Robert Shayne) of the Metropolis P.D. A sight that seemed to have been the sight of some wooden facades and portable buildings is found and the scam is eventually cleared up; with the phony cops, judge and grill owner all winding up in the Hoosegow.
BEING the 3rd Episode offered in the 5th season, it was and remains a top entry of the Series, regardless of what season. It was an early directorial effort of writer Harry Gerstad and a stunning example of his abilities in the Director's Chair. It was also one of the earliest examples of Color Photography use in a TV Series, as that season began the application of color; although B & W prints were sent out to the affiliate stations of the Superman Syndicated broadcast lineup.
BUDGETS being what we could fairly refer to as 'frugal', the look of the finished project looks pretty durn good on the screen. The usual interior shots of the Daily Planet Offices, as well as the truck stop, the "courtroom" and the bogus jail cell are balanced by some fine, bright outdoor scenes of the "Town" and the Highway; doubtlessly staged on the Studio Back Lot. The Cast is well used and thoughtfully assembled with faces familiar from "B" Pictures, Juvenile Western Series and the old, then dying genre of the Saturday Afternoon Matinée Cliffhanger Serials. In this case, the names included were the likes of: Dick Elliot ("Judge"), Terry Frost & Charles H. Gray (Fake Cops), Michael Garrett (Mr. Harris), Jack Littlefield (Joe), Phillip Barnes & Frank O'Connor (victimized Truck Drivers) and Bill Kennedy doing the unbilled announcer's chores.
"THE TOWN THAT WASN'T" manages to 'touch all the bases' in bringing us what we expected in a good Superman Adventure. It was a well crafted set of circumstances that was a most perfect setting for the Man of Steel and his friends to display their talents in. It was kept walking that tightrope between being exciting yet amusing and being predictable and laughable.
DURING this season, production was cut in half from the previous 26 installments to the quarter year supply of a measly 13 episodes. Although this was doubtless an economic consideration and Series Producer Whitney Ellsworth of National Comics/Superman-D.C. definitely had no crystal ball with which to see how the future would acclaim ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN as being perhaps THE greatest of all 'cult' series; it's still a damn shame! Judging by the quality of 'The Town That Wasn't', we're sure that there would have been some really fine little Super Gems produced!
THAT would bring us to those four fateful words: What Could Have Been!
NOTE: * Some stories we know to have been adapted from the Comic Books' printed medium were: "The Dog Who Knew Superman" (Season 2, Episode # 9), "Panic In The Sky" (Season 2, Episode # 12) and The Lucky Cat (Season 3, Episode 3); which interestingly enough was adapted from a BATMAN Comic Book Story about "The Anti-Superstition Society.".
POODLE SCHNITZ!!