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The Adventures Of Superman From the '50's


Monroe

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I always thought George Reeves was terrific in this classic show from the 1950's. The first season was as rough as you can get in violence for a "kid" show at that time. I think the first season is the best as it was more true to the times ... the second season was OK but you will notice a change and drop in the violence. Kellogg's Cereal was a sponsor of the show and wanted the violence toned down since it was a "kid's" show. The later seasons were so-so ... if just not down right silly but they were in color.

Many great episodes in the first season but in the second season there was a really heart warming episode (#09) titled "The Dog Who Knew Superman". Corky is the dog and he is in a well and rescued by Superman ... he's not treated very well by his owners and being that Superman (Clark Kent) saved him, he remembers the kindness and sets out to find Superman, only he finds Clark Kent at The Daily Planet ... problems start from there.

I see someone has posted the episode on YouTube (and others also) in Jan 2014. I will post a link but I don't know if it will work until I post this. If it doesn't work, just search for "Corky the dog who knew Superman" in Google ... it will be there.

If you like dogs or animals, this is a "must see". I will get into a few really good episodes from Season One where Clark Kent was almost found out and had to do some fancy footwork to keep his identity a secret ... really, the violence made it a good season to watch and then the "tone it down" crowd spoke up.

Season 2 - Episode 9: "The Dog Who Knew Superman"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYlpZo0PBt4

I don't think that YouTube is working right ... this link to Google search should have the link about three or four down along with other links to that episode.

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&safe=off&hl=en&complete=0&site=webhp&source=hp&q=Corky+the+dog+who+knew+Superman&oq=Corky+the+dog+who+knew+Superman&gs_l=hp.12...5771.19546.0.24498.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1.1.36.hp..0.0.0.USql_uljlMI

Original Broadcast Date: November 09, 1953

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/tv/tv.php?topic=reviews/aos-ep035

"The Dog Who Knew Superman"

Reviewed by: James Lantz

A group of people is attempting to rescue a dog named Corky who is trapped inside a well. The owner, Joyce, wife of gangster Hank Carey, is frantic with worry. She is also angry with her husband because he had pushed Corky into the water. Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent has arrived on the scene seeing that Superman is needed. Removing his civilian garb, the Man of Steel digs a tunnel and exits with a wet Corky in his arms. The Careys fight as they walk the animal to their car. Corky then finds a glove that Clark had dropped before changing into Superman. The couple thinks nothing of this and throws it away. However, the Last Son of Krypton realizes one thing. Corky may know Superman's true identity.

Corky is now safely home, but this lasts only a few minutes. Hank has ordered his yo-yo loving henchman Louie to open the apartment door, allowing Corky to run away. This angers Joyce greatly. She wants lost dog advertisements in all the major newspapers - including the Daily Planet. If Hank and Louie do not find Corky very soon, Joyce will make life very difficult for both of them.

Corky has made his way into Clark Kent's office. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen have even seen the dog kiss him. Finding it difficult to explain Corky's presence to them, Kent does everything he can to get the animal away from him. Corky eventually leaves with the glove that matches the one Clark had lost at the well site. Shortly afterwards, Jimmy says something that would later prove to be prophetic.

"I don't think you're rid of that little dog by a long shot."

Word has spread all over Metropolis about Hank Carey offering a five thousand dollar reward for Corky because he can lead the gangster to Superman thanks to Clark's glove. Louie has even agreed to give Clark the newspaper story about it. Hank thinks the dog is worth the money after seeing him in front of the Daily Planet building. Now, Lois, Jimmy and Clark are trying to find a safe place for the animal while they attempt to put the pieces of this mystery's puzzle together. Secretly, Clark is afraid something will happen to the dog because he knows the truth that the mild mannered reporter is really Superman. Should Hank put two and two together, both Superman and Corky could be in grave danger.

Jimmy has taken Corky to the Canine Kennels on Harper Street. Hank, Joyce and Louie learn this when they capture and blindfold the cub reporter and make him take a lie detector test. Once Carey has Corky, the dog will lead him to Superman. Hank intends to make a deal with the Man of Tomorrow. He'll keep Superman's identity a secret if the costumed hero leaves the Carey's crime syndicate alone. Otherwise, every criminal in Metropolis will know about Superman's double life.

Thinking he was helping Superman, Louie has placed Corky in a dogcatcher's wagon. Should the animal be taken to the pound, there is a possibility that he will be killed if nobody claims him. Now, the Metropolis Marvel must search the entire city before it's too late for poor Corky.

Superman has found Corky, and the dogcatcher has his hands full with some dogs that had escaped from his truck. Now, Lois is watching over Corky while Clark Kent is out. In the meantime, the Careys free Jimmy. He returns to discuss the day's events with his colleagues when he gets an idea about where he was. By tracing the number of Corky's dog license, they can know to whom he belongs and, thereby, learn who had kidnapped Jimmy. Lois now has a plan that can help answer everyone's questions. It could also put her, Jimmy and Corky into a trap from which even Superman cannot save them.

Lois has brought Corky to Hank Carey in exchange for the story on why he wants the dog so badly. Carey doesn't like her hanging around and insists that she leaves. Lois now knows who offered the reward for Corky. What she doesn't realize is that she may have put Superman at risk. For Hank is walking through Metropolis with Corky searching for the Man of Steel. Should they succeed, the caped hero's greatest secret could be in jeopardy.

Corky is hot on the trail of Hank Carey's quarry. The dog's barking warns the approaching Clark, giving him time to become Superman. Hank has found the person whom he was looking for. Unfortunately, for the gangster, he's also found himself hanging on a city burglar alarm, from which the police later take him down. Corky will return home to Joyce, for Clark cannot keep him because he's the only being in the entire world that knows that the reporter is really Superman. Kent is saddened to see the dog go away when Lois enters his office.

"What's the matter Clark? You look as though you lost your best friend," she says.

"Maybe I have, Lois. Maybe I have," Clark replies somberly.

...

Edited by monroe
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Never seen the show (kinda before my time), but next time I'm at the library i'll check out those clips.

I have a couple superman comics too, my favorite one is where he died fighting against Doomsday. I got this special edition book that came out in 1993 "The Death of Superman" with a bloodied Superman on the cover, it's a compendium of all seven issues where he battled Doomday. Then of course, they brought him back as a part cyborg.

Off topic, I've seen the batman tv series from the 60's on ME TV. Just this weekend Batman and Robin foiled the plans of the Bookworm... played by Roddy McDowel. Cheesy, but entertaining. Far cry from today's way too serious stuff, which is bordering on creepy and uncomfortable and tedious to watch a second time, what with the actors purposefully making their voices low and gravelly and the action being rediculous.

Edited by LostInSpace2012
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I remember as a kid watching the re-runs into the 60's and as an adult in the 70's ... there were stations always playing the show back then ... probably not anymore today. Several years ago the show was starting to be released on DVD and I bought Season 1 and 2 ... later the other seasons were released but I never bought those ... as I said in my earlier post, the later seasons were toned down in violence, nobody ever got killed or hurt and the episodes were really silly in nature ... Season 1 is a must have, Season 2 is so-so borderline and nothing much after that ... there are a few later episodes that are entertaining but it's Season 1 that gives a person some information on Clark Kent as Superman in various episodes ... personal stuff that he can't really share with anyone ... really no one until Corky shows up in Season 2 does he appear to have a real friend, even though it's a dog.

Like Lois says at the end of the episode:

"What's the matter Clark? You look as though you lost your best friend," she says.

"Maybe I have, Lois. Maybe I have," Clark replies somberly.

Now for Season 1 interesting episodes ... the is one where someone has broken into Clark Kent's apartment and found a secret compartment where there was a Superman costume. It is titled "The Stolen Costume" ... he has a friend who is a detective who he calls to help but he can't tell him "what" was stolen ... his friend is going crazy ... "How am I supposed to find what was stolen if you won't tell me what was stolen?" The "Haunted Lighthouse" is good and "The Deserted Village" also along with "The Secret of Superman".

Adventures of Superman: The Complete First Season (2005)

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Superman-Complete-First-Season/dp/B000A5046K/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1394021603&sr=1-1&keywords=adventures+of+superman

Look at the episode titles from Season 1 ... they just read excitement from the title.

• Pilot

18/Dec/51 The Unknown People (1)

18/Dec/51 The Unknown People (2)

• Season 1

01 1-01 19/Sep/52 Superman on Earth

02 1-02 26/Sep/52 The Haunted Lighthouse

03 1-03 03/Oct/52 The Case of the Talkative Dummy

04 1-04 10/Oct/52 Mystery of the Broken Statues

05 1-05 17/Oct/52 The Monkey Mystery

06 1-06 24/Oct/52 Night of Terror

07 1-07 31/Oct/52 The Birthday Letter

08 1-08 07/Nov/52 The Mind Machine

09 1-09 14/Nov/52 Rescue

10 1-10 21/Nov/52 The Secret of Superman

11 1-11 28/Nov/52 No Holds Barred

12 1-12 05/Dec/52 The Deserted Village

13 1-13 12/Dec/52 The Stolen Costume

14 1-14 19/Dec/52 Mystery in Wax

15 1-15 26/Dec/52 Treasure of the Incas

16 1-16 02/Jan/53 Double Trouble

17 1-17 09/Jan/53 The Runaway Robot

18 1-18 16/Jan/53 Drums of Death

19 1-19 23/Jan/53 The Evil Three

20 1-20 30/Jan/53 Riddle of the Chinese Jade

21 1-21 06/Feb/53 The Human Bomb

22 1-22 13/Feb/53 Czar of the Underworld

23 1-23 20/Feb/53 The Ghost Wolf

24 1-24 27/Feb/53 Crime Wave

...

Edited by monroe
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