Adventures of Superman (TV Series) The Unknown People: Part I (1954) User Reviews

The Most Dangerous Combination: Ignorance & Fear

[redryan64 · 9/10 · 31 October 2014]

THE WORLD'S DEEPEST Oil Well is the sight of sudden world-wide attention as there are reports of "Little People" emerging from out of the bowls of the Earth.

IN A CLASSIC PLOT theme, taken straight from those monster movies of the 1930's and '40's, the townsfolk become an unruly mob. Taking the Law into their own hands, they would as soon kill the diminutive beings as look at them.

BEING THE FIRST installment of what would be the only two-parter in the history of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, both episodes were edited from the 1951 Lippert Pictures release of SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN. With a 58 minute running time, there wasn't much that wasn't used in the TV presentation.

THE EPISODES AND the theatrical presentation are notable for several reasons. It was the first tome assaying the roles of Superman and Lois Lane for both George Reeves as well as Phyllis Coates. It was the first theatrical feature film for the Man of Steel; as previous productions were either Cartoons or Serials.

IT ALSO HAD some very distinguished thespians in its cast. In addition to Stanley Andrews, J. Farrell McDonald and Frank Reicher, we have Jeff Corey. Though later blacklisted by Hollywood, he is considered to be truly an "Actor's Actor" and an outstanding instructor in the acting craft. (See our Review of Part 2, Please!)

Radioactive Mole Men Arrive

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 31 January 2015]

In the first half of this two parter, Clark and Lois go to a small town to see the world's deepest oil well. As they arrive, the company is shutting it down. They are also getting rid of damaged equipment. Not having an opportunity to get a story, the two reporters are ready to call it a day. At dusk, a well cap is opened and two little bald guys crawl out. They are denizens from six miles down. They are exploring the world that is open to them. The problem, among others, is that they are radioactive. They surprise an old man at a maintenance shack and he drops dead from a heart attack. The oil foreman finally tells Clark about the problems they have been experiencing since they hit a pocket below the ground where the drill bit simply swung in space. They also have evidence there is a civilization down there. In typical horror movie style, one of the townsmen begins to incite the natives. They grab whatever they can for weapons, get the bloodhounds, and head for the little guys. Clark leaves and returns as Superman and he tries to calm the crowd but to no avail. As the episode ends the townspeople are more dangerous than these little aliens.

Part 1 Set Up for Big Finish

[biorngm · 8/10 · 7 November 2017]

Review – The Unknown People Part 1 The movie, Superman and the Mole-Men, is shown as two episodes on television, Part 1 and Part 2 and called The Unknown People. Television split the movie into two parts for the required time slots, with some editing taking place. The first episode covers the premise, introduces and establishes the characters, shows Clark and Lois working separately as Superman is available whenever necessary, in place of Clark having to listen to Lois's nagging. The viewer is made aware of the intruders from the center of the earth, their appearances tend to give them the stage as they are unusual in appearance. Typical reaction to strangers in town, a mob is formed and the reactions are standard with torches held high in their march toward the castle where the monster hides out. In the case of the Unknown People, fleeing the hounds across a dam precipice is where we leave the strangers at the close of the episode. The townsfolk are up in arms about the intruders, lead by an angry outspoken antagonist, Luke Benson, and doing away with the lot of them is the goal, no matter what the cost. Preview unavoidable as Part 1 leaves us wanting Part 2 asap to see how things turn out, of course, with Superman's help. Storming the castle is equivalent to shining a spotlight at them, shooting one of the unknowns, burning out another in a tool shed is pretty much how things go until the intruders return with a weapon of their own. Stay tuned.