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

One of my oldest memories Mole Men

[Bill-16 · 9/10 · 29 November 2014]

Although I was born right around the time George Reeves died, I never knew that till years later. I guess my parents didn't want to have to explain to their child that The Man of Steel their son worshiped wasn't in fact Superman.

This episode(s) is probably the most memorable from when I watched the series in the 1960's. I felt so sorry for the Mole Men and to top it off they had to fight the frightened townsfolk off with a modified Vacuum Cleaner. Even as a kid I realized their weapon looked almost exactly like my Aunts Rug cleaning machine.

Like I said, I didn't not know till I was a teenager and had moved on to shows with Girls!!! that George Reeves had died. Would I have been such a devoted fan of this series....well, it is 50 years later and I am thrilled that it is back on TV where I can watch it all over again.

Restoring Reason & Civility to a Mob..............

[redryan64 · 8/10 · 31 October 2014]

.........IN THE PREVIOUS Episode, the World's Deepest Oil Well has brought some dwarf humanoids to the surface, where their presence is met with inordinate hostility. The ignorant and fearful townspeople are revved up to a fever pitch. Chief fear-monger, Jeff Benson (Jeff Corey) has the upper hand with the people and it looks ugly.

WITH THE DAILY PLANET'S sending both Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) and Clark Kent (Mr. Reeves) to cover the story, Superman is present. After one of the "Little People" is wounded and his fellow Mole Man displays his extreme sorrow by crying, the people are shown by the Man of Steel that these humanoids may well be much more like the surface dwellers than we knew.

THE STORY IS both basic and yet brilliant. At under an hour for both Parts I & II, there is very little (if any) wasted time.

THE "MORAL" OF the story is one of acceptance of those who are different than are we. It also expounds the values of the Golden Rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It is an excellent and early example of the virtue of judging one as an individual or "by the content of his character."

ALTHOUGH THIS EDITED presentation of the 1951 Lippert Pictures release of SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN was the first Reeves' Superman adventure filmed, it was presented as the last two episodes of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN's 1st Season. (Go figure!)

Racism in the Fifties

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 31 January 2015]

As the second half of this two parter gets going, the mob is getting uglier. They shoot one of the little mole men and Superman gets him to the hospital. While this is being done, the other is pursued by the townsmen. They corner him in an old shack, set fire to it, but he manages to escape and return to his world...for the time being. Superman uses every possible means to keep these guys from lynching the wounded alien. He even takes their guns away (a little anti-NRA business) and tells them to mind their own business. Soon the mole-men return with a weapon. The results are interesting. At a time when suspicion and racism were being practiced like never before, this proves allegorical as Superman tries his best to reason with these hate-mongerers. This episode wears very well today. Even if the production value is not that good, the story has withstood the test of time.

The Unknown People Return Home Safe

[biorngm · 9/10 · 7 November 2017]

Review – The Unknown People Part 2 An excellent finish to Part 1 where the pieces are all brought to light, settled and a believable conclusion is realized. The characters remained in Part 2 that survived Part 1, a few additional parts were necessary such as hospital personnel, a deputy sheriff, and two more unknown people to finish off the episode. The original movie was intended to get the television program a promotion, and it succeeded in doing so, for there were few programs on television, let alone few televisions. The Unknown People had a rude introduction to earthlings with being shot, hospitalized, operated on, and nearly being burnt to death. Revenge was there on the unknown's part if it was not for Superman intervening on several occasions, but only for the good. Appearances were plenty for the Man of Steel as the promotion with the story worked. Characterizations were well acted, believable as fiction goes, and even Lois showed her true Season One colors at questioning Clark's moves, a double life, as it were. Worth watching as the story does move along as the creatures are treated as enemy aliens by a mob mentality.